July 17, 2005
Clatsop County is a Wonderland
Today, with the weatherman's promise of a gloriously hot day, Evan, Laura, Maite, and I set out to beautiful, clement Clatsop country with the primary purpose of enjoying the beach. On the way we stopped by the World's Largest Sitka Spruce (where I've been several times, yet by which I am still amazed). Finally arriving in Cannon Beach after some fierce traffic, we hung out on the beach. By the end of the day we had secured four bodies' worth of lightly burned skin and were famished, so we went to Pizza Oasis on Burnside. Mmm. Here are the pictures:
The first is a far away view of the Sitka, looking perfectly unassuming. The second is Laura, Me, Evan, and Maite posing in front of the Sitka, lending a bit of perspective. The third is the view from below. The fourth features Maite, Evan, and I being awestruck by the Sitka's great height. The fifth is in Cannon Beach, which Maite loved. She was continuously taking pictures of everything, so I thought I'd capture her in a bit of metaphotography. The sixth is the view to the North on the beach. The seventh is the view to the South. The eighth features some very strange trees over some very expensive houses. The ninth is Laura enjoying the sun. The tenth is my "candid" portrait. The eleventh is Evan enjoying the sand. The twelfth is Maite, not so enjoying the fierce wind.
July 10, 2005
The Oregon Country Fair
This weekend, Evan and I went to Eugene to visit his family and friends there. Little did I know that the infamous and much celebrated OREGON COUNTRY FAIR was taking place in nearby Veneta this very weekend. I'd heard the OCF first from my Oregon hippie friends Julia and Tess who clamored over potential jobs (highly prized) at the OCF. It is one of the largest and most bizarre spectacles of a local fair around. Every July, the West Coast brings out its freakiest and even the not so freaky play the part in order to contribute to the mania. I tried my best to capture the spirit of the fair, but these few pictures will not do the job. Come visit me next summer in beautiful, clement Oregon and we will all don ourselves with magic and venture forth in the Oregon Country Fair.
The first picture is a large wooden statue; the second is the free juggling lessons tent; the third is a chicken and mermaid on stilts; the fourth and fifth are... a very interesting procession; the sixth is Evan and I on the bus on the way home in a picture I like to call "Get behind me, Satan!"
July 08, 2005
The New Apartment
I'm now nearly entirely moved into my new apartment downtown. It's an awesome location, right on Burnside and mere blocks from the L&C shuttle stop. Out of my windows I can see all of downtown Portland the Crystal Ballroom is mere steps away. Walking down the street the other day, I also found out that I live surprisingly close to Monica Flori, the chair of the Spanish department. Monica has good taste, so I suppose it's natural that she would live in my neighborhood. My apartment building was built in the 1920s. The outside of the building is lovely, but the inside rather shows its age, what with noisy, moody plumbing; the inability of my apartment to receive cable service; and kitchen appliances that largely don't work.
But I like it! Check it out the pictures. The first shows the couch and my bookshelf which is arrange according to the Library of Congress classification. The second is the kitchen area. The third is the front door. The fourth is the grand walk-in closet, which I am using to its full potential. The fifth is the bathroom. The sixth features large quantities of homework and study materials on my couch so that I may be ever-studious. And the seventh is my votive candle collection.
July 07, 2005
Adventures on the 4th of July
This 4th of July I really got back in touch with nature during a LONG hike through Forest Park with Evan, Bridget, and Jonathan. Forest Park is the largest municipal park in the world and runs adjacent to Washington Park, which houses Portland's Japanese Garden, International Rose Test Gardens, and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial. At the end of the long trail we traversed was Pittock Mansion, a French Rennaissance style estate that was once the home of the founder of the Oregonian newspaper. The first photo is from the Rose Garden, the second from a break during the hike, the third is the largest banana slug I've ever seen, and the last is the view from Pittock Mansion.
