Fallen Into Knowledge

Portlanders love to hate the Rose Festival, even while showing up at the parades. But, the kickoff fireworks are Portland’s best:

Watching the Fireworks are only half the Fun, however:

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Last week a neighbor noticed that one of my fields was getting unruly, and asked if he could let a few horses loose in it so they could eat down the grass. No problem! Well this morning I drove by it and noticed that there were no longer three horses munching away, but four. And one was really small.

Sure enough, I found evidence that it had been born just the night before.

Driving home from the shop, I was pleasurated by the realization that it was almost 7 and still light out. I stepped outside a few moments ago to feel the warm (!!!) breeze and see the last vestiges of light fading at just after 8 o’clock:

How could it be a bad day when it is so beautiful out?

It was a beautiful day in Portland today, as others have noted. Since I kinda got a late start, I thought that a drive would be good, so I went to Astoria. Even though I have lived in Portland all my life, I have never driven to the coast on highway 30. So I did.

As it turns out, just because it was nice and sunny in Portland, doesn’t mean it is on the coast; in fact, it was raining heavily. Still, I took some pictures, and ate fresh fish and chips. And salt water taffy. A good trip, overall, even if I did leave the one nice day in recent memory for the rain.

Maybe I’ll get a second chance to enjoy the sun soon. Maybe.

Yesterday morning, at about 8 am I distinctly heard birds singing. Birds. It sounded like spring. I have been an Oregonian for long enough to not get my hopes up, but the sound was cheering nontheless.

I am sitting here at Stumptown, taking a break in between errands enjoying a cup of some of the world’s best coffee (which only cost a buck), looking out onto Belmont and getting my email thanks to free, Personal Telco provided, internet. I even get a free re-fill.
Oh, and the sky is blue. Glorious.

Well, the power is back on, for now.  We are in the middle of another storm in Portland, this one is focusing on wind.  Like, 70mph gusts.
After being in Portland for the evening, and seeing many parts of the city with the power out, I headed home only to be stopped halfway up my road by the fire marshal who told me, “A tree fell across the road and took down the power lines, it will be an hour or so until the road is clear.”
Well, Scappoose isn’t the most exciting town to kill an hour in - even at 9:30 on a Thursday night.
But I’m home now, and have power.  Here’s hoping theres power in the morning, and no trees down over the road, or my house, or my car.

This morning, on NPR, when it was time to announce the weather, the lady reading the report said:  “…in the gorge tomorrow, freezing rain in the morning changing to melting rain …[snicker]… in the afternoon.”

Melting Rain.  Only in Oregon