While cold and blustery weather lingers, I'm dreaming and knowing this too will come, No. 9

I took this photo on July 7, 2013, at 3:11 p.m. My first time to attend the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival went so well that I'm hoping to have much the same sort of blast this July. And I'm already praying for perfect weather on and before all festival days. The Blues Stage you see is the second-largest stage at the festival, one of four stages, all of which were loaded with talented performers for the crowd's enjoyment. That's the Hawthorne Bridge, raised to allow passage of a vessel pushed north and downstream by the tugboat you can see beyond the crowd. The tall building the background is in Southeast Portland, the Weatherly Building on the corner of SE Morrison and SE Grand, just a few blocks north of where I work. One of these days I want to ride an elevator to the top floor and look out at Portland and the Willamette River which divides the city into west and east.

I cannot wait to find out what the Blues Benefactor Pass costs this year--I'm saving up for it because having one last year was absolutely perfect.

Info from the festival Web site: 2014 Blues Fest Highlights Many more to be announced! 
THURSDAY, JULY 3, 2014
LOS LOBOS
LOS LONELY BOYS
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
Blind Boy Paxton
Hoodoo Moon Cruise: Blind Boy Paxton, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014
JOHN NEMETH & THE BO-KEYS
The Soul of John Black
Chris O’Leary Band
Home Made Jamz
Bill Rhoades’ Harmonica Blow-Off: Chris O’Leary, John Nemeth
Journey to Memphis Competition
Fireworks
After Hours Allstars: Bo-Keys Soul Jam: TBA

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
MACEO PARKER
Sugaray Rayford
Leo Bud Welch
Zydeco Swamp Romp: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
Rock the Boat Dance Cruise: Chris Bergson Band, Sugaray Rayford After Hours Allstars: Maceo Parker • Lee Fields & the Expressions

SUNDAY, JULY 6, 2014
GREGG ALLMAN BAND
Lee Fields & The Expressions
Chris Bergson Band
Zydeco Swamp Romp: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

Something I never, ever expected to see in my life, at the Waterfront Blues Festival on the 4th of July

A flaming trumpet!



Here's a synopsis of the event, as seen through my zoom lens. The Dusty 45s on stage, almost finished with their set. The trumpet player's doing something with his horn. I've cropped these photos as closely as I dared, so that you could get a better look at what's going on here.
 

He lit the trumpet! Gosh! And he's got a microphone in his other hand. Now I realize he's going to play it for us and wants to make certain that we can hear it. Wow. I believe it is "The Lonely Bull," that Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass tune that I've always loved.
  Yep, that's what he's doing! Wow!

Folks walking in the aisle turned their heads to take in the spectacle of a flaming trumpet.
 

Love that grin on the bass player's face!
 

And, he's done! What a finale! Later on, he accompanied Linda Hornbuckle as she sang the national anthem, flaming trumpet and all, right before the fireworks on the Willamette River. BTW, if you're on Facebook, like The Dusty 45s and you can find a clip of this wild event on their page, dated July 22, with this text above the video clip--Getting warmed up for Slim's Last Chance this Saturday (July 27th)!

July 4, Waterfront Blues Festival, The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus

So, when I lucked out and found myself on the sidelines of the scheduled "Off Street Processional by The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus," I figured I was a shoe-in for some beads. See me to the right in this photo that I took when I paused the video that I had found on the krewe's Web site--I was shocked to see myself--with my camera in one hand, taking photos, and the other hand held out to gracefully accept strings of beads?
 

Let me tell you, that wide-brimmed straw hat thought I bought years and years ago in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and moved up here with me to Portland, Oregon, really came in handy at the festival! And my black fanny pack, veteran of my last trip-with-students-and-teachers-to-Europe-in-2000 bit the dust--the zipper coil separated from the zipper cloth. Rats. Now I have to figure out something else to take to Las Vegas on Saturday when I go for the first time ever!
 

I knew that I'd never catch that string of red beads flying by that man's brown fedora.
 

Someone must have caught them! Look how happy that lady is who tossed them!
 

Ah, here comes my chance!
 

Alas, I fell victim to the dreaded tease which I call "Here you go. Why don't I drape some beads over your out-stretched hand--psyche!"
 

There she goes, twirling those beads. I'll bet lots of folks caught 'em once she let 'em fly! Not to worry, though, 'cause I wore my own strings of beads on the 4th of July, red, silver (for white), and blue. 

Wondering about The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus. Here's a bit I found at their Web site:

The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus brings the traditional Louisiana Mardi Gras experience to Portland, Oregon. We give Louisiana expatriots an opportunity to celebrate Mardi Gras in a traditional manner, as well as to extend the tradition to people from here in the Northwest who have a Joie De Vivre and affinity toward Louisiana culture.

The source of the word Nimbus in Greek Mythology means a cloudy radiance said to surround a diety when on earth. We find this name particularly appropriate, since it also is a rain cloud — and we live in the rainy Northwest. We have even changed the traditional “Mystic” to “Mysti” to further reflect this rainy condition. Mardi Gras falls during the rainiest time of the year, but this gives us an opportunity to bring together family and friends and celebrate as if it were the middle of the summer. Laissez les bon temps roullez! Bienvenue!

About them at the Waterfront Blues Fest

July 4th 2013 Look for Mysti Krewe of Nimbus Mardi Gras “Processional” second line parade at the Safeway Waterfront Bluesfest July 4th. We’ll parade around 3:30 – 4pm. Bring your hanky, parasol, and joie de vivre! Watch for the Skull and Bones Gang, Transcendental Brass Band, and The Brass Roots Movement. We’ll have beads and, please, don’t show us *anything* to get them.

And for more about The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus, found on the Waterfront Blues Festival Web site: 

The Mysti Krewe of Nimbus is a Portland based social and pleasure club that brings the traditional Louisiana Mardi Gras experience to the Pacific Northwest. We extend the tradition of Mardi Gras to people here in the region who have a Joie De Vivre and affinity toward Louisiana culture. We also give Louisiana expatriates an opportunity to celebrate Mardi Gras in a traditional manner. Since forming in 2011, we have thrown three Mardi Gras Balls, won the best community float our second year at the 2013 Starlight Parade, held a foot parade along Mississippi Avenue last Mardi Gras day, and second-lined across the festival grounds the last two years at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Happy 4th of July

A poppy, a dogwood, and an iris provide me with the proper patriotic, Happy Birthday to America! colors for today's collage. I found these beauties on my Zipcar trip to Schreiner's on Memorial Day, 2013.

Happy 4th of July from Portland, Oregon

Happy 4th of July, Y'all!

Been closed, sort of, but we're open again here at Portland Oregon Daily Photo.

The closure came about when our trip to Lincoln City didn't go like we planned, not at all.

First change, Mama and I decided to go on over on Sunday--the cottage at the Ester Lee in Lincoln City was available for Sunday and Monday nights. Lamont and Leland planned to drive to a campground at Cape Lookout, north of us by some miles, and spend the night, get up real early and hike the cape. They left after Lamont got off work and got to the campground around 1 a.m. Glad they're young. Mama and I stopped at Spirit Mountain on the way to Lincoln City and played the penny machines for a couple of hours, got to the Ester Lee and checked in, rested up and went to the Chinook Winds to play their penny machines for a couple of hours. She loves to sit there and push that button, wondering all the while if she'll win. I enjoy it, too, for some totally unknown reason. I had enjoyed sitting outside our cottage for a while, but it was extremely windy, cold even, so I didn't miss the actual beach.

Monday after Mama and I got up, spent some time looking out our many windows, eating watermelon for breakfast, we decided to go play the penny machines for an hour or so at the Chinook Winds Casino in Lincoln City. Not a surprise, right.

Second change. About noon she said she couldn't see right, she could see me but things didn't feel right. So I said, "Let's go and eat a hot meal at the Pig and Pancake, a nearly place several people had told us to try. She agreed but accidentally pushed the maximum bet on her machine, $1.80. It went to a bonus and when she played, she won $45! So I said, "We're really going now." So we got up and walked over to the cashier's window to cash in our tickets from the machines. I asked her to stand at a nearby counter while I went to the window. I looked over at her once I had her money and she was leaning on the counter with her elbows, her feet out from the counter like when someone is stretching their calves. For a split second I wondered if she was having a cramp and trying to get rid of it. I asked, "Mama, can you come over here?" "No!" she said. I immediately realized something was wrong and asked for Security. A man nearby helped me get her into a chair to wait. She said she thought she was OK but didn't understand what had happened.

They came and took her in a wheelchair to their first aid room, checked her out and said we really ought to go to the hospital to get her checked there. She didn't want to ride in an ambulance, so they gave me a map and we went there--it wasn't very far at all. The staff there at the Lincoln City, Oregon, hospital was great. The doctor read two different EKGs and compared them with some from January 2008 when she was in the hospital in Portland. He told us that there was a radical difference in the new ones and the old ones, that it seemed that there was a part of her heart that was not getting enough oxygen. He went on to say that he wanted to send her to Portland in an ambulance, straight to her hospital and to the care of a cardiologist. She asked, "Do I have to go in an ambulance?" He replied, "No, but if you don't go in an ambulance, I have to release you as against medical advice." I said, "Mama, we're not doing any AMA, Mama," so she signed the paperwork and they got busy setting it up.

I had talked to Lamont--the guys were still hiking--around 2:30 p.m. and told them what was going on. They decided to just go back to Portland once they had returned to the car. I decided to go on back to the Ester Lee, pack up and head to the apartment so that I could put Duncan in his kennel and head to the hospital. Mama agreed that would be best, that she could wait for the ambulance by herself. The staff didn't know how long it would take anyway, that they couldn't order the ambulance until they knew that she had a room at the hospital in Portland. One of them told me that she'd be going with lights and the siren, so there was probably no way I could get there before her.

So I drove back to the cottage, ate a peanut butter sandwich, some Pringles and a few Oreos, drank some milk, took a shower and washed my hair, packed our stuff and made five trips up and down the 17 steps to the car. All in an hour and 15 minutes. I went to the office to turn in the keys--Mama called from the ambulance to tell me she was on her way. I could hear the siren.

Duncan and I made the 86 mile drive OK(which takes much longer than you would think--most of it was 55 mph max, some 45, some as slow as 25 mph, up as high as 760 feet and then back down to a valley floor, through several small towns--some with a four-lane, some with just a two-lane highway). Twice I turned off into shopping centers to drive at a different pace, to sort of get myself out of that highway trance that can come on after a while. I had the radio on and three windows down, too. Lamont called at some point, after I'd called and he didn't answer so I hung up, not sure if they were on a highway or not--we really shouldn't talk and drive, should we? When he called he said they were home. I told him approximately what time I thought she'd be at the hospital, between 6-6:30 p.m. Leland called when I was only a few miles from home to tell me what room she was in. That made me feel good, to know that they were there.

I parked at apartment's front sidewalk, put on the flashers, grabbed Duncan and the few frig items we had and came up. I put him in his kennel with his food and water and put the cold stuff in the frig. As I got into the elevator, Leland called again and said that Mama wanted her shoes. Her stuff was still in the car, in the bag the Lincoln City ER had given me, so I told him that I would be there in a few minutes.

She looks OK, lying in the bed, with her two tired grandsons beside her, and her tired daughter on the other side of the bed. We didn't get to see a doctor before we had to leave--all three of us were yawning some, so Mama told us to go on home. Leland came with me and helped get our stuff into the apartment, then drove off in the car. Thank goodness I didn't have to try to find somewhere to park the thing!

I called Mama to tell her that Duncan was fine, that he'd poured out his water and somehow had food in both bowls, now, not just his original food only bowl! She laughed, then told me that Dr. L (I can't spell is whole name) had come about 20 minutes after we left and said nothing by mouth after midnight and that he'd see her in the morning to let her know what they'll do to try to figure out what's going on. All three of us will be there tomorrow, off and on.

Duncan has been walking around, looking for her. Bless the little guy. We're off to bed now--I'm too tired to proofread this.

I'll let y'all know more when I know more.

Update #2
Tuesday she had two tests in nuclear medicine involving a radioactive isotope and an ultrasound in her room, plus several EKGs. None of these tests provided a definitive answer as to what had happened on Monday. It was a long, long day, waiting for the doctor to come give us the results--Mama had left for the first test at 7:10 a.m., and we finally saw the doctor at 7:35 p.m. The doctor, cardiologist Dr. Ratkovec, looked over all of the results, asked some questions and decided that the electrical impulses in her heart were not quite right and that at some point in the future she might be a candidate for a pacemaker. In the meantime, Dr. Ratkovec wants her to wear an event monitor for a month. All we know about that is that Mama's to push a button on it when she feels a spell coming on so that it can record what's happening which can then be sent to the doctor using our land line phone. We're supposed to find out all about it this afternoon at 3:30 p.m., if the referral from her primary care doctor gets processed quickly enough. You see, her Medicare supplement will not pay if the primary care doctor hasn't done the referral. It doesn't matter that the cardiologist wants it and has referred her for it. Plus, her primary care doctor hasn't even seen her through this. Ah, the joys of bureaucracy.

About her spells--the one Monday was not like the others that she has had and will have again, I imagine. At those times, she'll look over at me from her recliner, put both hands up by her ears and say, "My head feels crazy." I haven't been able to get a clearer explanation from her about that, but Dr. Ratkovec mentioned "shadow coming over you," and Mama said, "Yes! That's sort of what it is." This happens probably twice a month, thus the event monitor for a month.

We got home last night around 9 p.m., tired and ready for bed. Duncan was so glad to see us! All of slept until around 8 a.m. this morning--well not real sleep for me after 4:45 a.m. when I started wondering what was next, etc. I did go back to sleep several times, thank goodness!

I ought to be able to go to work tomorrow and then the office is closed Friday for July 4, so I'll have a three-day weekend to keep an eye on her. I think she's fine, but I'm glad the doctor is still looking for answers.

Mama says thanks to everyone who sent her their prayers and well-wishes. Me, too!

Update #3
We made it to the appointment at 3:30 p.m. The approval came through at 2:30 p.m. which gave us plenty of time to get Leland back home after he came over with the car and then to the doctor's office. Mama is now wearing her event monitor, a device named King of Hearts. It's always looking, the technician said, at her heart and then will record what's going on if Mama pushes the button which she should do if she feels that my-head-is-crazy feeling or something like what happened to her on Monday. While I hate to think of such happening to her again, I want it to so that it can be recorded and then looked at by the doctors. It might provide them with a next step in Mama's care. What I really like about it is that when she pushes the button, it captures the 50 seconds prior to the push and the 50 seconds after the push, therefore hopefully capturing the event and the recovery form the event.
I will have to change the two leads on her chest every day--in the evenings. We have to return the device by July 31.

Mama once again thanks everyone who has sent their prayers and best wishes for her health and well-being. So do I, for hers and mine.

We've spent a very good almost two hours watching "So You Think You Can Dance." Each year we've fallen even farther under it's spell. Y'all should take a look at it, honest. And think about supporting The Dizzy Feet Foundation, a way to keep dance available for the talented without their own resources. Look at http://www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org/ and donate if you can.

OK, I'm off my high-horse.

Last update.

Mama's tired, weak, but mostly herself, thank goodness. We're about to watch the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona--what a stupid name for a race. It ought to still be called the Firecracker 400, for Pete's sake. It's on the 4th of July!

Sorry, I got back on the high horse for a minute.

Hope your 4th has gone well so far. Ours is uneventful which is fine with the two of us. The guys finally have some neighbors who are entertaining, so they're going over there. Good for them, to be guests for a change!

Sunday, July 6, 2008 ... 4th Fireworks and Food, in reverse order of how it really happened, and a bit more Duncan

Right before 10 p.m., after we'd eaten all sorts of great food and either thrown the Aerobie or watched it being thrown and/or sat around talking and enjoying the beautiful day and being together, we walked two blocks up to stand in an empty parking lot to see the tip tops of the fireworks being shot off 22 blocks west, down on the Willamette River. The guys walked Grandma slowly and carefully and brought along this desk chair. Leland pushed her back down the slight decline when the show was over. Ready, set, go! Making memories!

I took a few photos which are not at all representative of the actual show. However, I thought--what the hay!--I'll post them. At the bottom of most of the photos is the top of a one-story apartment building or a really good Mexican restaurant, Nuestra Cocina.









Here's the only firework we had, compliments of Kimberly and Tom. She picked it up after its performance (see the next two photos) and held it for this photo.

Loud squeals, rapidly changing colors--both marked the path of the little paper truck firework. It's visible between these two bursts of green light.

Look closely and you can see the tiny paper truck, fire shooting out the grill

Asparagus ready for the grill

Seeming to come, almost, from Lamont's thumb, olive oil drizzles onto an onion slice. If you look closely, you can just see the bottle to the left of his hand.

Fresh Walla Walla sweet onions and slices of potatoes, grillin'

This huge pan holds the slabs of ribs that had first been smoked about four hours before going into the pan and being covered with industrial plastic wrap. Lamont told me that they then went into a warm oven for at least an hour. As far as spices go, the only one I know about for sure is Peruvian hot peppers--I got a blast with one bite that lasted through several swallows of sweet iced tea!

Leland got the slabs of ribs out of the pan one at a time and sliced them into two-bone pieces. I believe he sliced the flank steaks, too.

Yummy, sweet, yummy fresh grilled corn.

Fresh asparagus on the grill. I know for sure it got sprinkled with salt and chili flake, plus drizzled and tossed with olive oil--not sure about anything else except that, as Mama told Aunt Baker on the phone this afternoon, it was really, really good.

Lamont's paper platter; Kailey made the Fred Meyer run for all of the paper goods, plastic goods, etc.

Michelle and Vincent enjoyed their 4th of July dinner. After a couple of bites, Vincent said to Lamont, "Hey man, it's a shame none of this is edible!" Vincent came back again and again for ribs. Mama observed, "Vincent really likes that meat." I did, too. The guys made us a fine, fine meal.

Here's Grandma! She graciously stopped chewing for the photo, ha, ha!

Lindsay made this lovely cake from a recipe of her mom's. She iced it with marscarpone cheese, topped with fresh cherries and powdered sugar. Both of us got a kick out of the fact that as I focused in on the cake, I got the sprinkling of the sugar!

Duncan gets to look and not touch because he's on a special diet. Brixx, the rottweiler, will be over later on with her folks and claim this great big bone as her own.

Duncan and Scooner appear to have a meeting of the minds

Saturday, July 5, 2008 ... 4th Friends and Family. Food and Fireworks ... tomorrow

I walked over to the Buick to get it so that I could drive around the corner to get Mama and Duncan. It wouldn't start. I assumed the battery was dead, that something had been left on Wednesday evening after we had gone out to eat, to meet Leland and friends from Mississippi. Vincent, Leland's best friend since middle school, and his wife Michelle flew in earlier that day to visit Leland and the rest of us--how wonderful is that? We are so blessed with our friends and family. And we got the grand news that they're having a baby in February! I cried when I heard the joyous news.

I called Leland to ask for help. He and Vincent came in Vincent's rented red Impala Chevrolet. The Buick wouldn't jump, the hood came down on Leland's right wrist and cut it pretty bad, I had forgotten Duncan's dog food for 5:30 p.m. What a mess of a few minutes. We left the car. I walked back to the apartment to get the dog food, Bandaids, ointment, etc., while the guys got Mama and Duncan from one car to the other. They picked me up on the corner, and we headed east, across the Willamette.


Michelle and Vincent, the proud parents-to-be, happy visitors to Portland. On Thursday they and Leland, and Lamont and Lindsay, shopped first for the 4th of July cookout meat at Gartner's, ribs and flank steak. Then they headed for the beach, stopping at roadside stands along the way to pick up yummy, fresh vegetables and fruit.


Friends Kimberly and Tom


Friends Katie, Angela and Kailey


Kailey and the lovely lilies she couldn't resist




Duncan and Lindsay


Leland and Vincent


Lindsay and Lamont


Mama, Duncan, Kailey and Leland

Friday, July 4, 2008 ... Fireworks

Happy 4th of July!


Leland's girlfriend Kailey took these at the Rose Festival in June, from the Hawthorne Bridge looking north. She graciously e-mailed them to me, and I saved them for the 4th of July! Thanks, Kailey.

I just might make it to the fireworks on the Willamette tonight, with my tripod. We'll see--if I eat too much of the guys' good grilled meat and veggies, I might opt to go home and watch the fireworks from Vancouver, WA, on the TV. They're expecting thousands and thousands of people downtown to see them, and much the same number in Vancouver at theirs.