Not part of the plan

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'

Kenny and Zuke's with Lamont, 1/15/2009

Thursday evening after work, Lamont and I met at Kenny and Zuke’s to eat dinner together before walking over to Powell’s Books.

Lamont had told me how delicious their pastrami is, as well as how huge the sandwiches are.

A week earlier when Marsha and I went to Powell's to attend a reading of ”Beauty of the City: A. E. Doyle, Portland's Architect" by Philip Niles,” we took Lamont's suggestion to heart. I'd tried a happy hour sandwich of said pastrami, on challah--Marsha's was on rye. The two of us shared a side of potato salad. After one bite of that good-sized sandwich, I seconded Lamont's opinion about that delicious meat; Marsha did, too. In fact, we decided that we would return soon, especially when Powell's scheduled another interesting book reading.

Back to last Thursday, Marsha decided since the weather was so much better, she'd take a walk along the ”Eastbank Esplanade beside the Willamette River.” She knew she wanted some good exercise, and she knew that Kenny and Zuke's would be there next time.

Here's a close-up of my sandwich and my potato salad; you can see a bit of Lamont's fries in the background. All in all, a delicious meal--he really enjoyed his Reuben Sliders, too, that you can see in the top photo.


Lamont and I attended Mark Bittman's reading in conjunction with the publication of his latest book, ”Food Matters.” I have to say, after listening to Bittman talk about his food philosophy and how he decided his own ideas worked best for him, I am giving some thought to my return visit to this wonderful deli in downtown Portland. By that I mean I need to eat more plants that entire day, then I can eat meat for supper. Simplistic interpretation, sure, but a starting point, too.

Anyway, I wanted to put my darling first-born son Lamont on the blog because I'm missing him. He's off camping on this cold winter's night, somewhere called Eagle Creek, out to the south of the Columbia River in the Gorge. He's sent me five Spot messages, the last one 6:49 p.m. I am comforted by that communication. I appreciate his understanding of my need for them. Right now I imagine that he is bundled up in his sleeping back, snug inside the tent a co-worker loaned him. He's going to call me tomorrow when he gets into cell-phone range, in addition to sending more Spots. Hooray!

Finally, gee, I wish I had taken a vacation day tomorrow so that I could watch the inauguration activities on TV all day. I'm going to have to settle for the specials tomorrow evening. I am so excited about our new president and hopeful for our country's future. Join me in prayer for President Obama, all politicians and all citizens as we work together to get America back on track. I believe Obama when he says, "Yes, we can."