Portland (OR) Daily Photo

Vacation, Day 1, 10/21/2009, Part 3

2009-11-11T05:35:00.000-08:00

A bit about our hotel, found on the Internet. Well, the bit I found on the Internet. The hotel we found at 625 Saint Ann St., New Orleans:

The Place D'Armes Hotel is an intimate, historic hotel property perfectly located at Jackson Square in the heart of New Orleans' fabled French Quarter. The hotel is one of three distinctive and unique AAA triple diamond rated French Quarter hotels owned and operated by the Valentino family of New Orleans. The Place's 84 guest rooms are set in eight historic renovated and restored townhouses which surround a lushly planted courtyard.

The two sections of the courtyard and the swimming pool, as seen from the third floor gallery right outside our door. Notice how tall those magnolias are?

The Place D'Armes is literally steps away from the St. Louis Cathedral and the rich street theater of Jackson Square and within easy walking distance of all major downtown New Orleans attractions - Bourbon Street, Royal Street, the French Market, and Canal Street.

The Place D'Armes recently underwent a major renovation and without losing its historic charm is discreetly equipped with the latest amenities and services including high speed internet access in all guest rooms and wireless access in all public spaces.

Guests of the Place d'Armes Hotel experience Southern grace and charm in well appointed rooms and suites decorated with a French Quarter sensibility.

Mama in our room, with her walker.

Another shot of Mama that shows one of the beds.

Guest rooms at the Place D'Armes feature elegant antique reproduction furnishings and rich appointments that create a warm and authentic New Orleans atmosphere. Amenities at the hotel are comprehensive and include high speed internet access and wireless in each room as well as outstanding 24-hour concierge service.

Kay in our room.

The Place D'Armes is a AAA triple-diamond rated property featuring 84 guest rooms in eight historic restored French Quarter townhouses.

In the lobby.

Our room is on the third floor, right. You can see our window peaking out through the leaves of those magnolia trees.

Another one of the townhouses that make up the hotel.

The first floor of our building is in the background behind this ornate fountain in this section of the courtyard.

We left our hotel to walk to the Acme Oyster House for our supper. Mama's walker is just out of sight in the photo. Thank goodness we had it with us because she'd never had made it there or back. Mislead by a tourist map, we underestimated the number of blocks between the hotel and the restaurant. More on that tomorrow!

By the way, Kay's truck is parked just to the right behind us, where the Park sign is. When we drove up and were being helped with the luggage, one of the men looked out of the garage opening and said, "Wasn't that Brad's wife, walking by? I sure think it was." So I immediately pop out onto the sidewalk and see a slim, well-dressed brunette walking away from me, wearing these out-of-sight-unusual high heels. Seems like two other women were with her, too. Not wanting to holler out, "Angelina!" I turned to ask the man, "Do you mean Brad Pitt's wife?" "Yep," he replied, going on to tell us that they own a house "...right over there." Only my utter fatigue at having by then been awake for so many hours and traveling so many miles kept me from trotting right out of the garage and down the street, just to make sure. I didn't even take a photo. I'm telling you, I was tired, T-I-R-E-D.

Vacation, Day 1, 10/21/2009, Part 2

2009-11-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

We're home! We had a great time! We hugged and visited with family and friends and ate fine Southern food, home-cooked and in restaurants! I took loads of photos! Now I have to find time to get them to Flickr and pick some to share. I've had a mental struggle with myself, deciding how to post about our super vacation--by date, by category, randomly. Since I'm almost always also struggling to remember details these days, I'm taking the easy road out and continuing in date order. You'll find some after I explain things a bit--you know I can't help myself 'cause I love words!

So, in New Orleans we made our way from the plane to the gate where our friend Kay waited with open arms and a huge smile. Mama saw her first as a really tall man wheeled her along in the airport wheelchair. I caught a glimpse of her beautiful snow white hair and knew we had truly arrived. Later after he had retrieved our luggage, the man wheeled Mama out the door and across the street, voice booming at the slowly moving traffic to our left and holding out his left hand to get their attention--none of them dared advance until we had passed. Once we got out of the elevator to make those last few steps to Kay's truck, he was telling me how blessed I was to still have my Mama. "Yes," I agreed with him. "I surely am." "And she looks good, too," he said. "Yes, she does," I started to say. He quickly went on, "She looks better than you do!" Well, we all hollered with laughter at that one and I agreed with him wholeheartedly!

We realized from the get-go that we'd only have a few hours in New Orleans before hitting the hay and a few more the next morning, but at least we were there to do our part by spending some money and some time. Kay had printed out the direction to Hotel Place D'Armes in the French Quarter, so we set off in the warm, humid air to find it. Somewhere along the way a traffic direction sign had disappeared--honest--so we ended up going round about instead of straight there. Each one of us thoroughly enjoyed this serendipitous turn of events, seeing graceful wrought iron...

...enticing neon signs...

Be sure to read that exhortation in blue!

...colorful cottages and...

...mule-drawn carriages...

...and a St. Charles streetcar, turning right onto Canal.

When we arrived at the hotel, thank goodness I remembered to get this photo! Back at the airport when Kay attempted to latch Mama's seatbelt, she discovered that all four of our suitcases sat on one of the pieces, so she tied Mama into the seat!

I'm so glad to be blogging again! Tomorrow I'll finish with Day 1.

I hope you'll stick with me over the days to come as I share much more of our Southern bliss!

Vacation, Day 1, 10/21/2009, Part 1

2009-10-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

Before we flew out at 6:15 a.m.--she looks great for having been awake since 3:20 a.m.

The Iceman cometh, thank goodness, to de-ice our plane's wings in Denver, our place to change planes.

Our lunch--ha, ha! We did just fine on it, too!

We've landed!

And now I have to report that I will be away from the World Wide Web for a whole week!

Mama's staying with Aunt Baker and Uncle JL, and I'm off to Talladega with our friends Milton and Kay!

You know I'll return loaded with pix! In fact, I've already got almost 1000 to go through from Wednesday through Sunday--surely some of them will be worth sharing with y'all.

Now that's a grill!

2009-10-26T05:35:00.000-07:00

Great advice appears in these store windows

2009-10-25T05:35:00.001-07:00

These windows are at Moule, 1225 NW Everett St., in the Pearl. I stood across the street to take them, in between passing vehicles.

Mama and I are on vacation. I don't think I'll be around the Internet much, but I'll be back by Nov. 5th or so.

You know how you see someone you've never seen before and ...

2009-10-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

...then you see that same person again! Well, I thought that's what had happened with these two sightings two days apart. However, upon closer inspection of the largest size of each photo, I don't think that this is the same woman, though at the time I took the second photo I remember thinking, "Oh, wow! There's that woman I saw downtown the other day!"

First at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Sept. 17.

Then on Sept. 19 across the street from Three Doors Down on SE 37th.

The view from Mama's bedroom window

2009-10-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't she blessed?

Three Doors Down Cafe, A Fine Food and Drink Series, No. 5

2009-10-22T05:35:00.000-07:00

Chicken liver pate with grilled foccacia, a pungent, smooth appetizer that matches perfectly the crispy foccacia.

Linguini with slowly simmered beef and pork sugo. Here's another truly wonderful comfort food that amazes me. Flavor, texture, taste--it's got it all going on. I immediately thought about how some children always want spaghetti, but if one were to come to 3DD, the parents could order this instead. I believe the child would be satisfied with the taste and enjoy trying to wrap the linguini around a fork.

Seems like I shared my appetizer with Kailey, and I had some of my sugo boxed up for the next day. That left room for dessert and wine. Here's the red wine--Notios, Peloponnisos Regional Wine, Red Dry Wine. Perfect accompaniment to my dessert.

Bocca Negra, my favorite chocolate dessert in Portland!

Three Doors Down Cafe, A Fine Food and Drink Series, No. 4

2009-10-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

The secret's in the stromboli. It tasted just right, hot, peppery, flaky, molten. But as I understand it, the ingredients are not known to the back of the house, to the kitchen, because Kathy--front of the house maven and co-owner of 3DD with chef Dave, her significant other--makes it herself. It tasted so good that the other day as I walked from one place to another at work, I found myself thinking, "Stromboli. Oh, how good that was, wish I had another slice or two, stromboli." You get the picture.

Matt almost always comes up with something new for me to try. This time, two sidecars which contain brandy and I'm not sure what else. I do know that I liked the yellow one best. Matt jokingly said he had yet to come up with a green one. If he does, he'll have a traffic signal! And by the way, I don't have those fond stromboli memories just because I drank two sidecars!

Three Doors Down Cafe, A Fine Food and Drink Series, No. 3

2009-10-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

Poiré Authentique, pear cider from Eric Bordelet, a delightfully fresh cider. Matt told me that it's rare and unforgettable, both true descriptors. You can see SE 37th reflected in its golden self.

Here it is, right after being poured. I read this about it online "...a traditionally off-dry, sparkling style ... made from three hundred year-old pear trees. These sixty foot high trees have never seen one bit of chemical treatment during their long lives and produce absolutely marvelous fruit with which to work. Monsieur Bordelet makes from them a brilliant sparkling cider: one that has great complexity, refined bubbles, a deep underlying minerality, with excellent length and cut on the finish." I don't know what some of that means, but I did see bubbles coming up from the bottom center of the glass for quite some time, and it did taste good.

Bibb lettuce, chives, bacon in a creamy roasted garlic aioli dressing--this crispy, perfectly cold salad makes me happy. And it's not just because it's shape reminds me of a ruffled party dress. It tastes so good!

The special--house-made cavatelli, duck confit, delicata squash, and arugula. Lamont thinks it's so neat that I eat duck confit as often as possible at 3DD, and I never even knew what it was before! You see, I had never eaten duck until I moved to Portland. Now, if it's on the menu at Three Doors Down, I get an immediate memory of that earthy, meaty taste as soon as I read the word. So I order it and enjoy it, time after time.

Three Doors Down Cafe, A Fine Food and Drink Series, No. 2

2009-10-19T05:35:00.000-07:00

My last New-fangled Old-fashioned, and maybe the last of the season--fresh cherries will not longer be available according to bartender extraordinaire Matt. I still believe that this drink can heal you of what ever is ailing you!

Duck confit, arugula, manchego cheese, Italian plum preserves, bruschetta--an appetizer replete with a meaty sweetness and a crusty crispness. Can you tell how thinly the manchego is sliced? I could see the arugula through it!

Beef, pork and Arborio stuffed chard, baked in a tomato sauce--talk about your perfectly matched tastes and textures! Let me just say that if you've been craving stuffed cabbage or stuffed grape leaves, you'd get over that craving with the first bite of this stuffed chard. I savored each bite, using that sharp, sharp knife you see beside the NFOF to cut thin slices, making sure I got plenty of the tomato concoction--I think I see onion in there, too, but I forgot to ask.

Three Doors Down Cafe, A Fine Food and Drink Series, No. 1

2009-10-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

In honor of all that eatin' we'll be doin' down South--see the lengthy paragraph below--this is the first in a series of fine food photos I've taken lately at Three Doors Down Cafe, SE 37th and Hawthorne, in Southeast Portland. I took them right before I either ate or drank it all right up! I do want to point out that since the menu changes pretty often at 3DD, I might be sharing photos of food that is not currently on the menu. Suffice it to say that no matter what you order, you will be sufficiently satisfied. Are all those S-words superfluous? Yeah, but I don't care. As you well know, I'm a fan of going overboard to make a point.

Delicata squash, pancetta, green onion, chevre cheese risotto. I tell you what, if you needed some comfort food, you'd have been so pleased with your decision to dine on this hearty, smooth entree.

I had a glass of Gruner Veltliner, a white, that went very well with my entree.

The Lengthy Paragraph

First, let me explain that Mama and I are going on a two-week vacation, flying to New Orleans on Oct. 21, where we will be picked up by our BFF Kay. We're spending the night in the French Quarter, then heading to her home in Smithdale, Mississippi, where we will spend the night. On Friday we're going to have lunch at The Dinner Bell in McComb, Mississippi, with Kay and her husband Milton before heading to Jackson. We'll be with my brother Howard and his wife Vanessa--yippee!!--from Friday until Monday. They're the sweetest ever, concerned about Mama and the stairs to the upstairs guest bedroom and my allergies to cats, they're putting us up in a nearby Embassy Suites. Oh, I forgot. On Friday afternoon I have an appointment to tour Eudora Welty's house, a National Historic Landmark and one of the nation's most intact literary house museums, reflecting Welty's life there over seventy-six years. Saturday night we hope to gather with family and friends at Sal & Mookie's, a New York Pizza & Ice Cream Joint in Jackson, Mississippi. On Monday we'll eat lunch at Hamil's Southern Cookin' and Bar B Que Buffet in Ridgeland, Mississippi, then we'll head to my Aunt Baker and Uncle JL's in Puckett, Mississippi--we'll eat mighty fine home-cookin' there, let me tell you! On Tuesday, Kay and Milton and their grandson Ian will pick me up on I-20, after Aunt Baker takes me to meet them at a service station, and we'll head to Talladega, Alabama, for NASCAR heaven at the Talladega Superspeedway for two races--on Halloween, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Mountain Dew 250 and on Nov.1, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Amp Energy 500. While we're camped out near in the speedway in Milton and Kay's RV, we'll eat Milton's grilled and fried good food--Kay'll probably cook some, too, 'cause she always does! Big time yummy! We're even going trick-or-treating around the campground on their golf cart--Kay's taking all sorts of decorations for it and the RV. I'll join Mama again at Aunt Baker and Uncle JL's on Monday at some time or other, depending on when we leave Talladega. Then on Tuesday Mama and I will go to spend the night at a hotel near the Jackson airport, resting up for our flight home on Nov. 4.

Whew!

All of that to say that I'm trying to put together some posts ahead of time--to save time, I'm discontinuing the daily dahlia, just for now. I don't know how many I'll get to complete nor do I know how much Internet I'll be around while we're on the trip. I do know that I will be taking photo after photo after photo.

Lamont and the Slackline and today's dahlia, with a visitor

2009-10-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down for today's dahlia, TG 10, from the Canby Dahlia Trial Test Garden, sponsored by The Portland Dahlia Society and The American Dahlia Society, in co-operation with Swan Island Dahlias, maintained in honor of Nick Gitts, Sr. Dahlias on trial--not for sale.

Lamont jumped onto the slackline and stayed for a few seconds, trying to maintain his balance for all he was worth.

TG 10 and a bee!

Oh, boy! It's color-coordinated, street-level accessory time again!

2009-10-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down for today's dahlia, TG 11, from the Canby Dahlia Trial Test Garden, sponsored by The Portland Dahlia Society and The American Dahlia Society, in co-operation with Swan Island Dahlias, maintained in honor of Nick Gitts, Sr. Dahlias on trial--not for sale.

I took this photo after I got off the bus at W. Burnside and NW 23rd. The car is driving south from NW 23rd, crossing Burnside or about to turn left onto Burnside and go east. This intersection has been a favorite of mine since we first moved to this neighborhood in October, 2006. It's easy to see why, isn't it?

Today's dahlia, TG 11.

Vista House from Chanticleer Point, in the Columbia River Gorge

2009-10-14T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, TG-12, from the Canby Dahlia Trial Test Garden, sponsored by The Portland Dahlia Society and The American Dahlia Society, in co-operation with Swan Island Dahlias, maintained in honor of Nick Gitts, Sr. Dahlias on trial--not for sale.

The last full week of September Lamont's friend John came to Portland from Lafayette, Louisiana, for vacation. On Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, Mama and I drove him here and there in both Portland and the Columbia River Gorge.

Y'all won't believe it, but I decided I could drive up to Vista House from the east and then down along the Historic Columbia River Scenic Highway, from Latourell Falls to Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls to Oneonta Gorge and the Oneonta Tunnel to Horsetail Falls. I convinced myself that if I went up there from that direction, I would be on very few scary, high, curving roads--that's the way Lamont took Mama, Lucy and me last November. And I figured that I could drive all the way down even with the curving, high, scary roads because 95% of the time, I'd be hugging the earth. By that I mean I would have the other lane to my left which meant the thin air was at least that far away from me. Out the passenger window all I could see was earth, trees, ferns, the woods.

Our first stop, Chanticleer Point (now known as the Portland Women's Forum Scenic Viewpoint), provided the opportunity to get this vista and its photograph. You can see the actual Vista House there in the distance, on the right atop Crown Point, 733 feet above the Columbia River.

This is a closely cropped shot of Vista House. In the blurry background you might be able to see bits of the Bonneville Dam. I'm not sure about the name of that rock sticking up. I need to do more research. I did discover that Chanticleer Point stands at 705 feet. That's why I said drive up at the first of this post.

Here's a shot of Vista House that I took in May, 2007, when our friend Milton and Kay were here visiting from Mississippi. I didn't take one like this last month--some sort of work was going on which meant plywood here and there.

As we made our way down into the Gorge, Mama kept saying from the back seat, "You don't look scared from back here. You're doing just fine." And I later found out that John told Lamont he thought we just might drive off the road to the right a couple of times--I knew I got close to the edge, but I couldn't help myself. I did make it, though. Hooray for me!

Look beneath the dahlia for more information about Crown Point and Vista House.

Dahlia TG-12.

From the Oregon State Parks Web site: Millions of visitors driving from Portland through the Columbia River Gorge don't realize the full impact of its beauty until they come around the bend near Corbett at exit 22 and see the famous building on the top of the cliff to the right. This is Crown Point and the building is the Vista House.

Just as the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom, the Vista House serves as the symbol of the Columbia River Gorge. In fact, the architect of the Vista House -- Edgar Lazarus -- and Emma Lazarus (who wrote the poem of the Statue of Liberty), were brother and sister.

The Vista House was built in 1916 at the same time as Highway 30 (what is now the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway, and the only way to reach Crown Point). The building was designed to be a place of refreshment and enjoyment of the Columbia Gorge. The popular clifftop viewpoint recently underwent a $3.2 million restoration to repair and rejuvenate the building's key historic features.

The octagonal building with its copper dome houses a museum, gift shop and interpretive display of historic and geologic points of interest in the Gorge.

Vista House is open daily from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. beginning March 14. Beginning April 19, visitor hours are extended to 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The building remains open daily through Oct. 31.

Leland enjoying his birthday present from his brother Lamont--bodacious!

2009-10-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Scroll down for today's dahlia, Bodacious, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Last Tuesday Lamont called and said that if I wanted to ride the bus to Colonel Summers Park at SE 20th and Belmont after work, they'd have Leland's slack line set up. I could watch. I could take photos! Awwright!

Today I've posted several photos of Leland jumping up onto the slack line. Later, I'll have more photos of him and some of Lamont as well.

The sun shone brightly as I walked the seven blocks to SE 7th and Belmont where I boarded the 15. When I got off, I saw the two of them across the park to the south, the slack line set up between two trees, about three feet off the ground.

I got off the bus at the stop beside the bus shelter, there in the distance behind Leland in this photo.

See the slack line, on the left, that green blur. Leland's right foot has landed on it, making it vibrate. He bought that carpet sample you see beneath the red cord, cutting it in half so that he would protect each tree--gotta love that son of mine!

The guys saw another guy on a slackline, sitting on it, balancing on one foot, holding his other one up behind him. So, naturally, Leland had to give sitting on it a try. Later on Lamont went over to ask him a few questions and came back to tell us that he said he's been doing this balancing act since 2004. Lamont and Leland have been at it for five to six weeks, starting out at The Circuit, a Southwest Portland bouldering gym.

A bit about slacklining, from Wikiepedia: Slacklining is a balance sport which uses nylon webbing stretched tight between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut; it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long and narrow trampoline. The line's tension can be adjusted to suit the user and different types of dynamic webbing can be used to achieve a variety of feats. The line itself is flat, due to the nature of webbing, thus keeping the slacker's footing from rolling as would be the case with an ordinary rope. The dynamic nature of the line allows for impressive tricks and stunts.

Today's dahlia, Bodacious. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 11" Bright Orange, Bush: 4 1/2'

Heritage Tree, South Park Blocks, and today's dahlia.

2009-10-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

Scroll down to see today's dahlia, Gregory Stephen, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Click Heritage Trees of Portland to find out about the ordinance that created the Heritage Tree program, as well as additional information at the Portland Parks & Recreation Web site. I especially like the various links, Trees by Year, Trees by Species, Trees by Location, Heritage Elms, and Trees of Merit. When I clicked on Trees by Year, I discovered that I had seen in person the second so designated Heritage Tree in Portland, in 1975.

Believe it or not, I didn't go there first to find today's subject. I lucked out and found this one on Aug. 29 when I got to the Antoinette Hatfield Hall early--I had signed up to help with new usher training for the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Not wanting to just go inside and just wait, I walked west across the South Park Blocks, not expecting to see a plaque in the sidewalk on the corner--there's the photo, beneath this one. What I read made me look up and find the subject of the third photo below. Now I'm wondering if a sycamore and a London planetree are relatives. Click, click. I'm taking photos and looking for the best vantage points.

The tree as seen from the middle of SW Main as it goes through the South Park Blocks.

The plaque on the sidewalk.

The sign on the tree.

There in the distance you see the brick building--that's the Antoinette Hatfield Hall, part of the Portland Center for the performing Arts, my ultimate destination.

I just love the Internet. I've found a pdf of a brochure or booklet, "Oregon Geology," published by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, from November 1985. On pg. 7, I've read about the sidewalk plaque. "At the northwest corner of the intersection of Main and West Park there stands a magnificent london (sic) plane tree (Platanus acerifolia) (a) that was planted in 1800 by Sylvester Farrell. At the base of the tree, a gneiss marker indicates incorrectly that the tree is a sycamore (which is a close relative of the london (sic) plane tree). The marker also left out an "L" in the gentleman's last name. The tree has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the sole survivor from pioneer times in the immediate area."

Simply grand, that information. I love digging for it, too. Can't help it. I used to be a librarian.

Today's dahlia, Gregory Stephen. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 12" Red, Bush: 4'

Pizza Schmizza's delivery bicycle and today's dahlia

2009-10-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, Margaret Duross, from Swan Island Dahlias.

I'm walking last February when this delivery bicycle caught my eye. I liked the way its shapes and colors matched the street barricades and the bollards. So, I took this first photo.

Thank goodness I decided to look back at the bicycle as I walked by this downtown Pizza Schmizza. Trust Your Gut--wow! That statement made me curious, so I looked online and found this entire statement, evidently associated with the franchise: “Trust Your Gut and Claim Your Slice." I wonder how it tastes?

Today's dahlia, Margaret Duross. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 12" Golden Orange, Bush: 5'

Wildly anxious, that's me! Honk's acting sluggish.

2009-10-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

So slow, often nothing much but a spinning rainbow-colored org, my little white iBook Honk has me worried. I'm trying to get everything off of it that I possibly can. By that I mean photos off to Flickr and Walgreens. I'm going to go ahead and post today, if nothing happens before I get finished.

What could be more appropriate for how I feel than today's dahlia, the Wildman?

Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 12" Red, Bush: 3 1/2'

Whoa! A three and a half foot tall dahlia plant, complete with 12" wide blooms. Now, that's wild!

Satuday's missing dahlia, Vera Seyfang. The name of today's dahlia makes me think of a fashion designer Vera Wang

2009-10-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here is Saturday's missing dahlia!

Facts from Swan Island Dahlia--Bloom: 12" Orchid Pink, Bush: 3'

So I thought it would be appropriate to feature a fashion boutique today. I did find loads of designers' names at the Web site for the Dragonlily Boutique. I also found out that it is for sale. No joke. Click on the link to read all about it.

The store is at 1740 SE Hawthorne Blvd. I've seen this fashionably colorful mannequin for weeks and weeks, always too late to get off the bus to get a photo until Friday, Sept. 11.

Display windows and front door.

Store sign.

Floral Friday--some rosebuds at City Hall and the Dahlia, Gladiator

2009-10-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Floral Friday's flowers, these soft pink rosebuds found in the City Hall garden and ...

... the Gladiator dahlia from Swan Island Dahlias. Facts from the Web site--Bloom: 12" Flame Orange, Bush: 5'

They're here. Or. They're back. Depending upon whether or not this is your first Swift Watch.

2009-10-01T05:35:00.001-07:00

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, Harvest Moonlight, from Swan Island Dahlias.

We're going backwards in time on this post because I wanted to lead off with a photo of the swifts diving into the chimney. I don't have a guess as to how many were there. I wish I'd seen even more of them like I've read there sometimes are earlier in the month. And next time I go to watch, in 2010 hopefully, I ought to remember to put the camera on sport. Bring my tripod and maybe get one of those remote things so that the camera doesn't move with each click. There was a man in front of us, over to the left, who had all of that and a zoom lens like you see at sporting events. I'll bet his photos are amazing!

As sunset neared to signal their finale, fewer swifts remained outside the chimney which meant clearer background skies.

Early on in the final rush, clouds of swifts headed for the chimney.

At some point before the final rush for the roost, the hawk gave up continually twisting his head in all directions, wondering which tasty morsel to grab. He took off for a few seconds' flight, then landed again on the rim of the chimney. The consensus of nearby swift-watchers--he missed.

I couldn't get a photo of one part of the night's event, an astonishing part, so I'll tell you about it. First, think for a moment about those clouds of bees in animated cartoons, the ones where the bees are about to sting someone or something, sort of quickly swirling in sync, this way, now that way. Well, that's what the swifts did, too. I saw two clouds of them, each swirling to their own sync. And I do believe one of those groups took off after the hawk who'd brazenly left the chimney top to shop for a meal in the sunset. He didn't confront them, but sort of flew away as they swiftly went the other way. Later on he flew through a less organized cloud. In fact, I'm wondering if the blur on the right of the chimney in the first photo in this post is the hawk.

The empty chimney--what I saw after I got settled on the hillside, before I started eating my pastrami on challah and potato salad.

Today's dahlia, Harvest Moonlight. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 10" Yellow, Bush: 4 1/2'

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's not the swifts, not yet anyway.

2009-09-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down for today's dahlia, Mango Madness, from Swan Island Dahlias.

A couple of other interesting things happened at Swift Watch 2009.

A flock of Canada geese flew by, headed sort of southeast, I think. I wonder if they're on their way to join all of those Canada geese at the Ross Barnett Reservoir north of Jackson, Mississippi? When Mama and I lived at the Timberlake Campground on the Rez, those doggone geese walked all over the grass, eating and pooping. The flock looks pretty in the picture, but I wonder if they poop while they're flying, like some other birds do, witness many a windshield.

A little while later this Southwest Airlines plane flew overhead. Mama and I are flying Southwest to visit family and friends in Mississippi later on in October.

I promise the swifts did come to roost in the chimney. I'll show you tomorrow.

Today's dahlia, Mango Madness. Facts from Swan's Island Dahlias--Bloom: 11" Orange, Bush: 3 1/2'

Ah, Portland, I do love living here because you never know what you're going to see or where you're going to see it!

2009-09-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, Swan's Sunset, from Swan's Island Dahlias.

While waiting to see the swifts last Thursday night, I couldn't resist a couple of nearby sights.

Trader Joe's Rosemary Apricot Chicken Salad. Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip. Two different kinds of crackers. Fresh grapes. Two different kinds of chips. And something called Marina, whose subtitle literally translates as "Starter Kit for Goldfish Attitude,"at least according to Yahoo Babel Fish. What's with all this fish? Surely those folks had re-packed the Starter Kit box with picnic goodies. Surely they didn't schlep a brand-new, unopened

And this. A Big K Lemon Lime in a can. A cylinder of propane fuel. A Paul Revere kettle. A single burner propane stove, replete with carbon monoxide hazard warnings.

Later on, in between watching the chimney with the perched hawk and wondering when the swifts would swoop in ...

...I noticed the owner of the single burner had it lit and heating water. She soon made a cup of tea--love it! That's so Portland. Out there on a steep, hard-as-concrete hillside among hundreds of people gathered to experience a wonder of nature, she made a cup of hot tea.

Tomorrow more birds, all sorts of birds.

Today's dahlia, Swan's Sunset. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 10" Red with Yellow Tips, Bush: 3 1/2'

Not part of the plan

2009-09-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, Sunny, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Last Thursday evening after work Marsha and I rode three buses to get to Kenny & Zuke's to pick up our to-go orders, half pastrami sandwiches and sides of potato salad. We had a plan that included a picnic, a chimney and lots of birds. We wanted to take part in Swift Watch 2009.

This particular bird wasn't part of the plan, though. Later on once we'd arrived at the site and had joined hundreds of people waiting for the event, I did hear a man near our blanket saying that there had been a hawk present last year, sitting atop the chimney as the swifts flew around and around. More photos tomorrow and Wednesday.

I'm not sure if I cropped and sharpened the previous photo too much, so I've left this one for you to see, too.

Here's a bit from the Audubon Society's Web site: Join us on the lawn at Chapman School each evening in September for a spectacular display of Vaux’s Swifts as they gather to roost in the school’s chimney. Volunteers from Portland Audubon will be present each night with information about the swifts, binoculars and a spotting scope for viewing.

Swifts are insect eating birds that migrate south each fall. At sunset during migration they choose a place where dozens to thousands of birds can roost (sleep). Since the late 1980’s the Chapman chimney has been one of these roosting sites.

Swift watching – coming to view the swifts as they prepare to roost – has become a very popular activity at the Chapman School site in recent years. On most evenings in September, several hundred to several thousand people gather on the school lawn and neighboring Wallace Park grounds to watch and listen as the swifts gather overhead before entering the chimney.

Today's dahlia, Sunny. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 9" Bright Yellow, Bush: 4'