The City

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I am something of a neophyte when it comes to the city. Nearly every detail delights me. I went to work last night. As anyone would have predicted, there was nothing to be frightened of. The worst part was the drive home in Monday morning rush hour, but even that wasn't bad; not even with an accident and some snow factored in.
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After some sleep today, we boarded our local bus, and rode into The City. We found some food carts and got some excellent Thai food for $5 each. I had drunken noodles. We ate on concrete bench in front of the university's engineering building, pictured above.
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It suddenly got quite blustery, a turn of weather we weren't prepared for, so we got back on the bus and came home. The people on the bus are the subject of a children's song, but I have a few verses to add about the clothes, both wonderful and appalling, that the people were wearing, the music they were listening to, how polite they were, how the driver helped the girl in the wheelchair, and don't forget the mining of the nares one not-so-sober woman was engrossed in.
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Back home, I'm delighted by it all.
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Rose

On the Verge

Blooms coming soon.
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rc

Spring Blooms

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I saw the first Violet-Green Swallows of the year today, swooping extravagantly over the Willamette River. And spring blooms are everywhere.

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Rose

Washington Park

I snapped this shot near the Rose Garden earlier this week. Snow was seen in Portland today, although all I saw were a few snow pellets. We had a lovely day, a home-cooked meal tonight, and the place is getting more cleaned up every day, although boxes are still stacked all around. The trillium are blooming in the little gulch near the condo. I'll try to get a shot later. I'm off to work in the city for the first time later tonight, so I'm suppressing the little butterflies that want to flit around my stomach.

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Rose

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Didn't work after all. Got cancelled. Try again tonight.

rc

Tree Art

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Frustration drove me from the house. I sat on a bench in front of Safeway and cried until the feeling was gone. I made a brief detour to Vinnie's for stromboli and wonderfully cheesy calzone. I passed the house with all the outdoor artwork that I love, just as three joggers, their well-defined legs splattered with mud from their run, breezed by. It made me smile.
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rc

Spotted Towhee

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This crippled Towhee has been hanging out on my deck off and on for the past several days eating the millet that the Nuthatch kicks out of the feeder. I wonder if I should be doing something for it?
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rc
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The folks at the Portland Audubon Society Wildlife Care Center say as long as the bird is getting around, I should leave him alone. Thanks for the advice.

Exploration

Portland Classical Japanese Garden

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I finally scheduled work for this weekend, and then we took advantage of a sunny day to go out into town for the first time. We took a scenic drive through Forest Park to the Japanese Garden. It turned out to be free admission day, so it was far from being the peaceful stroll we had anticipated. Still, it is beautiful, and we plan to go back with our money on a day when you have to pay.

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We then drove by the hospital I'm going to work at this weekend, stopped for lunch, and a brief shopping trip. I inadvertently bought a twenty dollar tin of loose tea. I'm thinking that tea better really taste good. Now it's time to do more laundry.

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Rose

As Seen From Home

In case you're tired of looking at birds, or just wanted to see where we live now, here's a shot taken from the deck. That's the Willamette River, with downtown Portland off in the distance.
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rc

Rufous Hummingbird

(I've been seeing the Rufous Hummingbird at the neighbor's feeder, but this is the first I saw him at mine. What a beauty!)
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We took the truck back today, so that makes us officially moved in. Next it will be time to start working again. I'm happy for all those days I worked the week before we found the condo. I'm loving life!
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Rose

Anna's Hummingbird

(I set up the tripod in an attempt to capture the Anna's Hummingbird. I haven't gotten a good shot yet, but this is the best so far.)
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We made one last trip to the old house yesterday to clean up and bring back a last load of what seems like mostly junk to me. We filled the pickup and made a trip to the local dump, paid one last visit to Ernesto for delightful burritos and fish tacos, discovered a little too late that he also makes a great smoothie, gave away unwanted items on the street, and drove back in the dark. Both jc and I woke up this morning with headaches. We're still getting up the courage to unpack the truck one last time.
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I'm hard pressed to find an analogy for how wonderful jc has been over the last few weeks. Somehow, moving has made me appreciate him and feel closer to him than ever. I've complained in the past about jc's bad packing, but this time I was the one who was disorganized, and he was the one who suffered for it. But he was, and is, fantastic. Thanks, jc.
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Rose

Online Finally!

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This little red squirrel has been nibbling on the seeds that the messy nuthatch I posted yesterday spills on the deck. Shadow watches both. jc and I are loving life. Just got back from a rainy walk to the supermarket.

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rc

Blogging from Free (Slow) WiFi

We're here. We're waiting for the cable to be connected. I can walk to the supermarket. The only delivery we get is pizza. Jehovah's Witnesses already knocked on the door (we didn't answer). Odds are I'm either cooking or birding from the balcony. Not much else to do.

Rose

Movers

Robert, Jennifer, and Buddy

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jc hurt his back. I maxed out on carrying boxes down the steps. I called movers. They are my heroes.

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rc

This Amount of Cuteness Will Get You Through Anything

The best way the Shadow could find to get close to her Daddy was to sleep on his laptop. It really is a comfort to have her cuddled up next to you.

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We're leaving soon to pick up the truck. Last loads of laundry are still running. T minus 20 hours until we pull out of here. In two days I hope to be ordering Chinese food for delivery in our new home.

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rc

Move News

Well, the management company measured the entrance for us, so we're now satisfied that the movers will be able to get the piano in. I now have visions in my head of the new condo, permanently stcked with boxes from floor to ceiling. We're picking up the moving truck tomorrow afternoon, and this is the time that the gastrointestinal complaints start up/get worse for me. I want it to be over!

Nefarious- dream journal

jc, Schultze, and I were planning some kind of heist. We dropped Schultze off at the water treatment plant in Bellefonte. He had left the truck in gear with the cruise control on and it took off in reverse as soon as he got out. I jumped into the driver's seat, but couldn't get to the brake before we backed speedily through a red light and headed up Molasses Hill. I finally got the truck stopped in front of the elementary school. jc got out to look for a payphone so he could be in contact with Schultze. The side door of the school was open, so jc slipped inside. I watched through the window in horror as the receptionist, who shouldn't have been there in the middle of the night, asked him why he was there, and then the security guards showed up, forming a closing circle around jc. It was getting more and more crowded outside as I tried to find a good place to wait. Finally jc came out. Schultze's phone call was being transmitted over the loudspeaker. We made arrangements, then went to get in the truck, but a hot dog stand was blocking the way.
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I sat in an office with Dieter, waiting for some kind of interview. He was resplendent in his uniform. When the interviewer came in, it was Jason from high school. Dieter asked him how much it would take to make it go away, and Jason immediately got very upset: "are you offering me a bribe?" and kicked him out of his office. I followed Dieter down the long hall; he made it to the car before me and they were taking off when I showed up at the curb. A celebrity was driving the car: Sean Penn or someone. He pulled away a short distance then stopped to let me in.
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Sronnoc Esor

Last Views of the Coast

Bandon Rocks

offshore nature preserve

nesting ground for sea birds

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Things are starting to look like someone is moving around here. The boxes are getting fuller and the cupboards are getting emptier. I even started shampooing the carpet. Yesterday I called a piano mover. Countdown time!

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Rose

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Hallo Dieter! Es freuet mir sehr dich zu sehen.

Dahlia Man is dead.

Shades of Blue

Coquille River lighthouse at twilight; Bandon, Oregon

Say Goodbye to ....

We went househunting yesterday. We liked the condo we drove four hours to look at. We filled out an application. We drove four hours home. I was too superstitious to post about it until we heard back from the management company that we were approved. I just go the call. You can't really see our unit in this picture, but it's a lovely, secluded complex with a view of the river and the city from the deck and the windows in the master bedroom and living room. Birds were atwitter everywhere yesterday. We're busy packing now. What to keep? What to toss?
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rc
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Oh, no. Will the piano fit? Didn't check; waiting for measurements. Ack.

Hello Old Friends!

It's been ten years since we all graduated from college. Anthony left for the Navy. I went to Laura's and Mary's weddings, and then we all got so preoccupied with our own lives. A voice from the past reached out to my email inbox today by way of our alumni association. A Facebook account later, and we're back in touch. I'm happy, pleased, delighted, ecstatic even to hear from them again (and only hope they won't shun me when they find out how different I am now).

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We spent so many hours together. (I was always bemoaning my misfortune when the boy I liked didn't even know me.) There were so many shared meals, weekend ball games, study sessions; enjoying the present that was then and dreaming about the future.

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It's wonderful to see you all again!

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Rose

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now I've discovered my old students from Delta, all grown up

Reminiscent

Finally, I have things to say here, and I'm so far behind in saying them. I've neglected recording so many interesting dreams, and I'll never remember them now. I worked a lot this week: make hay when the sun shines, as they say.
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I woke up early one morning and took a drive- one that I've taken several times before- but this time I found something new. Cape Blanco lighthouse was closed, but I stopped at the Sixes river near Hughes House anyway. I spotted the welcoming gate above before I realised that the field beyond is part of the park and open to the public. A lovely trail meanders through the field and it reminded me of the cow pastures I wandered through in my youth. It was one of the most perfectly relaxing walks I've been on in some time.
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Rose

Sunday Drive

It was a lovely morning for a drive, so we took Ailleanach to Loon Lake. Here's a sample of the scenery.

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rc

Ugly Gull or More Bad Food

I slept late and wanted to grab a bite before getting ready for work this evening, so we walked to Fishpatrick's Crabby Cafe. It had been recommended to us by friends. What I really wanted was a nice chef's salad, but they didn't have one, so I settled on clam strips. The clam strips were indifferent, neither bad nor good, but the waiter did bring extra horseradish with my cocktail sauce aka catsup. jc described his clam chowder as "barely edible". As the clam strips receded and french fries emerged, they were revealed to be a very dark brown bordering on black. I try to be open minded, so I ate one. It was limp, shriveled, dry, and tasteless. When finally the waiter arrived to check on us, I observed that the fries seemed burnt. He replied, "They are just fresh cut, like in and out; that's the sugar from the fresh potatoes." He offered to run a fresh batch, but I'd already lost my appetite. The icing on the cake: when jc paid the exorbitant bill, he learned that the family run business is owned by people of faith. People of faith who don't mind serving bad food and then lying about it.

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Now that I've got that off my chest, I think I'll try to ID that gull.

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Rose