Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 7

After it got dark, Ian took me for a ride to see some nearby Halloween decorations at the campground at Talladega, Alabama.








Kay's E-Z Ups and Halloween decorations.


I love these bats!

Descriptive Words

Red. I took this photo of a Clever Cycles product in May, 2009. Click Clever Cycles, 908 SE Hawthorne Blvd., in the historic Red Men Hall building, for all sorts of info about their bicycles, service, clothing, etc.


Green. I took this photo of a Clever Cycles product in February, 2009.


Red, again. This one, too.


Yellow. This one, too.


Customer's. Products. This one, too. It must have been rainy earlier that day--see the plastic bag covering the seat?


Wood. I took this close-up of an Extracycle bike in September, 2009, in downtown Portland.


Parked. See the Extracycle among these bikes, locked up outside the Mens Wearhouse on SW 6th Avenue in downtown Portland.

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 6

First, let me explain my recent absence. It's the same song, four-jillionth verse. Been too busy. Been too tired. The only new thing was a nasty allergy-induced crud which, thankfully, is on the way out. Well, maybe until something else blooms or leafs!

Back to vacation in Talladega, Alabama. Kay and her grandson Ian had a blast playing golf--I had a blast taking lots and lots photos. And if my little white iBook Honk weren't so-slow-to-go, I'd have had a blast putting these two photos through some special effects at Picnik. Enjoy!

Kay swings her club at the ball.


Ian makes a powerful swing that results in a long gone ball and a flying divot.


One of the beautiful scenes at the golf course.


Ladybugs swarmed now and then as we tootled around the course on the golf cart. I finally got one in a photo!


Go, Portland Trail Blazers! We're in the first round of the NBA Play Offs, seeded #6 in the West, first game some time on Saturday. Yippee!

Neat shot!

What a treat, to get this clear, night time photo, with neon and the blur of a vehicle. And even neater, I used to drive a Honda Civic Wagon just like that one!

Links to the businesses responsible for the neon: Buffalo Exchange, Aura Restaurant & Lounge, and Fez Ballroom and Lounge, all on West Burnside across from Powells Books.

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 5

You can easily see why this house grabbed my attention as we drove back from Talladega to the campground.


Lovely scenic fence--I wonder what it encloses?


From Tuesday through Monday, we're local!


On the way back to Talladega so that Ian and Kay could play golf and I could ride along on the golf cart and take photos, I spied this abandoned barn.


We had a stop to make first, to get the best available pumpkin so that Ian could carve it for Halloween.

Seen around the corner, spring's bounty

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 4

There in the distance stands First United Methodist Church of Talladega, Alabama. To its right stands the Piggly Wiggly grocery store sign. Piggly Wiggly, that's our goal.


There goes Milton into the Piggly Wiggly.


My goal, to find some more Steen's. I looked here, among the Diamond Joe Syrup, Plow Boy Syrup, Oh Boy Syrup, and the Alaga Syrup, ...


... and among Blackburn's New Crop Brand Syrup and Biscuit Lasses, ...


... and finally among the Blackburn Made and Blackburn's Fairy Queen Syrup. I have to admit that Mama and I do like Blackburn Made a whole lot--it's her favorite and my second favorite--but I didn't want to buy a glass jar of syrup to take home on an airplane.

We haven't been to Three Doors Down Cafe lately, so here's what I had on March 26

My cocktail, a London Fog Cutter. I'm always tempted by what is written on the DRINK board at 3DD--a taste that complements the food--so I ordered this libation without qualm. Turned out I made a brilliant decision, relying on the talent and skill of Matt at the bar.


The DRINK board tells the tale of a really good drink that just got better with every morsel of food.


The soup: prosciutto, acini di pepe pasta, cauliflower, parsley, chicken stock. Although I had already ordered a salad and an appetizer, when I heard the ingredients, I asked for a small bowl. If I had been down in the dumps, one spoonful would have lifted me right up, it was that comforting. I looked up acini di pepe on Google. I found "Italian for peppercorns" and "A very tiny ball of pasta that is used mainly as soup pasta." Yep.


The salad, from the menu: slivered baby artichokes, baby arugula, spring radish, parmesan and lemon oil. As I ate, I realized onion was also there, so I asked Leland in the kitchen afterwards, "What sort of onion was in my salad?" "Spring onion, Mom," he answered. "Very good. How'd you slice those artichokes like that?" I went on. "Mandolin," he said as he continued to work. Then even later on, via Facebook, he explained that the arugula was actually micro arugula. Crisp and tangy mixture of texture and flavors--made me think of spring.


I knew from the get-go that I wouldn't need an entree, what with the soup and the salad and these little bits of what turned out to be utter perfection in the guise of an appetizer. The menu said spinach and ricotta dumplings in gorgonzola cream sauce. When I looked at the photo at Picnik so that I could resize it, I saw brown tidbits in the dumpling that I had split with the fork. So before I did this post, I called Lamont and asked, "Was there something brown in those spinach and ricotta dumplings?" "Bread crumbs," he quickly replied. "We didn't use flour in that recipe; we used bread crumbs for the binder." "Oh," I thought, "no wonder they were so airy," just as he said, "That's what makes them so airy." "Lamont," I gushed, "they are little bits of heaven! And that gorgonzola cream sauce!" Then I repeated what I think I had said to them in the kitchen Friday night just before I left, "I could go swimming in that gorgonzola cream sauce!" The last thing I asked him about them, "Are they on the menu Friday night?" "Yes, I think so," he answered. "Oh, boy," I chortled.

Y'all really ought to come to Portland and join me at Three Doors Down sometime. We'll drink us some good drink and eat us some good food and have us a good time!

Vacation, Day 9, 10/29/2009, Part 3

Thursday continues. Ian and Kay ride off somewhere in the golf cart. Looks like the ghosts are about the fly off the canopy!


Milton's plastic basket drying rack, tied to the sink's metal frame with white cord.


The opposite end of the sink frame holds a piece of plywood, placed over the opening for the other basket. The S-hooks have been put to use, too.


Milton's at work to stop the cords from fraying.


Now he's pulling on each piece.


Snap!


Now that he has altered all of the strings that he needs, Milton has moved the plywood, put the things to drip dry in the basket at the opposite end of the sink, and goes about tying this basket into the frame.


In no time at all we're in the truck, heading into the town of Talladega, going to a grocery store, of all places!


The drive took us along several country highways.




This shot reminds of the Blue Ridge over east by the Appalachians.


Lovely home surrounded by trees. I held the camera at the window and clicked off four or five, pointing it to the right as we went by. I got this one, thank goodness.


Imagine our surprise when we came upon TM Cars on the outskirts of Talladega. You see, Milton's first name starts with a T, and at work everyone calls him TM!


We went by the clubhouse at the golf course before we headed for the grocery store. Kay and Ian planned to play later on, so they wanted to find out the hours.


"Reserved Drivers Road Test Only," that's what the blue, diamond-shaped signs read. Looking at the photo, I began to wonder about the building, so I Googled, "Talladega Alabama county." That's where I learned that the building is the Talladega County Courthouse. Isn't the Internet wonderful?


I took this photo through the passenger window of the truck. Since I didn't know the name of the theater, I went to Google again. I learned that it was built in 1936 and used to be called the Martin Theatre--now it's the Ritz. It has been restored and reopened as a multi-use community arts center.


I took this photo through the windshield. I can't remember the last time I saw this sort of traffic signal.

More of our tour of Talladega to come.