Biking Downtown

TL, Little J and I took advantage of the nice weather last Sunday by enjoying the nice downtown bike loop we have. We started on the east side of the river, went north up the Esplanade, crossed the Steel Bridge, came back south on the Waterfront, then crossed over the Hawthorne Bridge.

When we got to the Salmon Street Fountain we took a short break. Little J enjoyed the water for about 2 seconds until he got startled (the fountain changes water spray patterns every few minutes). It is a huge fountain for a little guy like him, so he probably felt like he was in the middle of a waterfall! Never the less, he was grateful to have his helmet off (he does NOT like wearing it)!

It was a busy day downtown! The loop was crowded with other cyclists, walkers, and people just hangin out. It was great for people watching!



I love being downtown, especially when the weather is so great. There are so many sites to see - big and small!

Long Lost Sisters

Last weekend there was a little family reunion down in Lebanon. I was reunited with my long lost sisters whom I hadn't seen in over 15 years!

I also got to see my Grandma E... I can't even remember when the last time I saw her was.

Sisters J and T traveled from Virginia for the event (and for work purposes), while Grandma E lives near by in an assisted living facility. We had a nice dinner and a fun time looking at pictures and catching up.

Kayaking North Fork

We had one more warmish weekend, so I got out to do some paddling around North Fork Reservoir (just past Estacada). It was a beautiful sunny day!

I kayaked down to the mysterious tunnel, went through, and checked out the little side lake.

On the way back I saw several crawdads and a little fish. The best part of kayaking lakes is going slowly along the shore, looking down at all the creatures. The kayaks are so quiet that they hardly notice you are there!

The Cutest Boys

These two little guys are my favorite boys around!

My summer was blessed with lots of little J and baby MC time. Despite being only a month apart they are two very different characters!

Little J is always on the go, and baby MC is full of expressions! They became good buddies this summer during various outings to parks, BBQs, and playgroup.

I may be biased, but I would say these two are the cutest in town!

Team Oregon

A couple of weeks ago I got my motorcycle endorsement! I had never driven a motorcycle before, but I was inspired to learn how after a ride around the town with NC.

Getting the endorsement consisted of taking a 3 day Team Oregon class, and passing a skills test as well as a written test.

The class was a blast, but I sure did have a sore bum from riding for over 5 hours straight each day! I plan to buy a motorcycle sometime before next spring - haven't decided whether I will get a little cruiser or sport bike yet...

Hawthorne Morning

One morning last week the crafting cousins and baby MC went out for an adventure along Hawthorne. We walked from my house, down through the variety of fun shops and cafes, and ate delicious sushi for lunch!

Along the way we saw all sorts of inspirations for future crafts including this depressed little piece of toast.

Great Discovery

Last night I finally got around to going the the Doug Fir Lounge, a place I've been wanting to check out for the last few years. It blew my mind!

The atmosphere was that of a classy log cabin style lodge, with details like a ice moose head, faux fir walls, and antler candelabras. People watching was great due to the huge variety of patrons. We sat in a cool little booth with a slit window peering out towards Burnside.

The amount of creativity in this place was amazing. It seems that each area of the lounge had its own unique features like a fireplace, movable ottomans, or a bonfire.

The lounge is connected to the very eccentric Jupiter Hotel, lit completely with blue lights. Way cool!

A Tribute to Waverunning

Anyone who knows me well knows that waverunning is my absolute favorite thing to do in the entire world. The L family got the ol' waverunner up and running last week (the last warm week of the summer), and I got one final spin on it!

KL tried his best, but did not, I repeat did not, succeed in throwing me off the back. BL on the other hand threw us both off 3 times! On the last spill I literally skipped across the water several times. Ouch! Ah, but what fun!

Softies

Jazz and I were recently inspired to make "softies" based on an idea we saw in a stitching book. I veered in the direction of miniature forest animals, while Jazz got into the idea of free form monsters and rabbits. I chose felt, she chose fleece.

Our finished products turned out great! My little set of critters are going to be gifted to baby RR, Zoe Rabbit went to the daughter of NC's coworker, DJ gets Pissed-Off Pixie, and "George" the 3-Pronged Monster is currently residing in baby MC's lounge chair...

Chapman School Swifts

The other night I joined the huge crowd of people at the Chapman School in NW Portland to watch the famous Swifts. These tiny birds began gathering in the sky above just before 7 pm. Over the following 30 minutes the flock rapidly increased in number, swirling around in somewhat divided groups. Slowly but surely each group would make a dive and funnel like tornados into the Chapman School chimney.

An ever-so-clever hawk waited patiently for the little swifts to make their descent and then cut through the flock to make a grab at one. He made these attempts about 6 times, during which the crowd would gasp and applaud. Some were hoping to witness the hunter catch his dinner, others cheered for the tough little defenders who chased him off from their friends. Eventually he caught one and flew off into the distance. It was quite the show! The nature we have right in the middle of our city is amazing!