Ode to an Awesome Neighborhood

I am very lucky!  I live in one of the awesome neighborhoods of Portland.  This city has always prided itself on livability, and Montavilla has seen an amazing resurgence over the past ten years or so that exemplifies that quality.  My past posts have raved (perhaps ad nauseum for some of you) about the Montavilla Farmers Market, and it certainly is an integral part of the neighborhood's livability.  Yet there is so much more, such as the local businesses, stores and restaurants, not to mention the cultural opportunities. 

For the second year, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) organized a street fair, where streets are closed to traffic, tents erected and music abounds.  Even more delightful is that the weather cooperated this year (as opposed to the record rainfall at last year's inaugural event).

Meet Nicole (on the left), who owns Union Rose, a women's clothing store that celebrated it's 5th anniversary this weekend.

Montavilla (which is a shortened version of Mount Tabor Villa) was a small community dating back more than 120 years on the trolley line that connected other towns to Portland.  As you drive down SE Stark Street, the architecture is reminiscent of those bygone days. 

This is Bethlehem.  She owns Salon 419, just off Stark St.  She cuts my hair...yes, what's left of it still does need cutting.

Around the corner is PastryGirl, a bakery that makes the most amazing cakes and desserts...and blowing the bubbles is Laura, the owner.

Down the street is Milepost 5, a collection of artists and performers, who graced us with their version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

 Music abounded, with guitars, banjos, keyboards...and yes, even a saw.

Portland is known for being a dog-friendly city, and that means dogs of all sizes, from ones you could hold in a pocket...

 ...to ones a little larger.  This greyhound used to be a racing dog but now has been adopted.

The Humane Society also had representatives with adorable puppies.

Could you say no to a kid holding a little dog?? They knew what they were doing....every dog found a home here.

 Meet Duke.  No, he's not up for adoption.  I met him walking on the sidewalk, and I'm not sure if he was expecting a treat from me when I called his name.

 ...and then you have pets who don't require much feeding at all.  In fact, this one seemed a lot more agreeable than my two cats, but then there are some strings attached.

Meet Lulu Moonwood Murakami (left), owner of Lulumoon featuring art dolls and mixed media art.  I loved his hat.

This is Rowan, from Bless This Mess, our local tattoo shop...and no, the young lad is not getting a tattoo but a painting. 

Of course, this is an election year and our two candidates running for Mayor paid a visit.  Above is Charlie Hales standing with Beth, Treasurer for both METBA and the Montavilla Farmers Market and Emily, the Market's Volunteer Coordinator.

 Mayoral Candidate Jefferson Smith (middle) also paid a visit.

 There were kick-boxing demonstrations...

 ...and a hula hoop contest.

This is Finn Doxie.  He plays the guitar, and she a celtic harp.  Together they played contemporary music in a new and delightful way. 

 And yes...there was dancing in the street (though mostly mothers and daughters).

All was well until a balloon escaped and sought freedom into the clouds...much to the chagrin of this little girl who until that fateful moment danced with great exuberance. 

The market still ran during the fair, and so did the Chef Demo with Abbey Fammartino of Abbey's Table. 

This day was Michael's last day as the Market Chef Demo sous chef, before he takes a position across the country.  He was presented with a gift book, and his apron will be retired.  (Actually we're letting him keep an apron as a memento of his time with us.)

Montavilla is a collection of small businesses, fabulous restaurants, bars, shops and even our own theater.  The Academy Theater had closed decades ago and saw a number of uses until its resurrection a few years ago.  It has been faithfully restored to its former glory that dates back to the '20's.  It's nice to sit in a comfortable chair, watch a movie while sipping a beer and eating a pizza...and get to walk home.

Yeah...it's a pretty awesome neighborhood.

(A note to those of you who graciously posed for me as I pestered you with my camera, but didn't see your pic here...be patient.  I took more than 300 images that day and not all could be put into this blog.  I will find another way for you to access them.)

Some links, for your viewing pleasure:
http://metba.org/
http://www.montavillamarket.org/
http://www.abbys-table.com/about/
http://musingsbypaul.blogspot.com/2011/07/singing-in-rain-first-montavilla-street.html

The Wisdom of Razi...and Flowers

My travels brought me to Denver, Colorado this past week, for a series of meetings and other such stuff.  As usual I also try to get away and sightsee a little.  Rather than simply post nice photos and give boring descriptions, I also like to wax philosophical on these occasions.  The opportunities simply abound, and it was during my cab ride back to the airport I had such an encounter.

The driver's name was Razi.  He was from Casablanca and has lived in the US for 20 years.  Being an immigrant myself, I am always fascinated with the stories of others and learning about their journey.  Somehow our discussion went from Moroccan influence on Spanish architecture, to the contributions of other civilizations over several millenia.  Though he didn't say so, I suspect he follows an Islamic tradition, and we discussed Arabic contributions to our English numbering system...an important thing for us engineers.  That's when he made an interesting comment, about how each civilization's contributions makes the next one better, and so on.  Were it not so, he said, it would be as if all the flowers look the same and are the same color.

Profound!

I had visited the Denver Botanic Gardens earlier, and Razi's comment brought the deliriously beautiful displays back into my mind.  It is true, you know. As I wandered about the Gardens and the tropical conservatory, I was treated to a vast array of plants, insects...and yes, lovely colors.

Inside the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory one finds an amazing collection of colors and shapes. 

The Conservatory is a structure of interlaced concrete arches, and made possible through the estate of Claude Boettcher, of the Ideal Cement Company (hence the concrete, of course).  It is the largest single tropical conservatory in the US, and my images don't even do it justice.  It's a beautiful place.

The surrounding gardens have all sorts of themes.  The water lilies are in the Monet area, in which I could've lingered for a long time.

 I've heard this referred to as a "Chocolate Sunflower", and the backlighting by the sun apparently pleases the honeybee.

Of course, gardens need water, and water attracts insects, which become food for larger insects like this Dragonfly (and yes...I'm certain someone will correct me in saying this is something different.  Please do.  I don't mind learning more about these gorgeous creatures).

Visiting a garden such as Denver's, and meeting philosophers like Razi are truly the spice of life.  Especially when we are faced with the tragedy of the shootings in nearby Aurora, Colorado (which occured not long after I left Razi's car), it is good to be reminded of the beauty of our world

See the links below for more information on the gardens.
http://www.botanicgardens.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boettcher_Memorial_Tropical_Conservatory

The 100th Market...

One hundred market days...that means some of us have volunteered to schlep the canopies, chairs, tables, water canisters and other market accoutrements from the storage shed, and back...100 times.  As the Montavilla Farmers Market opens its 6th year, it is good to reflect and see where we've come on this dusty lot in SE Portland.  From a bunch of neighbors with nothing more than a vision for a grass roots market in the neighborhood to this first market of the 2012 season...and it is impressive!

An army of asparagus meets the eye as one goes to the Maryhill Farms stand.  They have been one of the Market vendors for many years and offers some of the finest sustainably raised produce.  The asparagus pictured here made it to our dinner table this evening.

As you can see, the Market specializes in local sustainable produce, such as from Fiddlehead Farms in Corbett.

If I may brag a little, this little market is big in many ways.  We pioneered the "Durable Dish" program, which uses real plates and flatware for food eaten on the premises.  Thanks to Thatcher's on SE Stark, who allow us to use their dishwasher.  It's all part of reducing the market's carbon footprint.

What Market is without something to quench the thirst during a hot summer day?  What could be better than Liquid Sunshine?  Well...probably some real sunshine for starters, but this is Oregon and yes...it does rain...a lot.  Luckily, this Sunday stayed dry though the sun was filtered through a layer of clouds.  And being true Oregonians, we still drank our lemonaid and ate our ice cream.

I'm not sure of the final tally of people who visited the market, but I've heard estimates of more than two thousand...and judging by this scene (which is how it was throughout the day), I suspect that's close. 

This being the 100th market...and we being a neighborhood always in search of a reason to celebrate (you know, it doesn't take much.  Sometimes just having a dry day is enough), kids are invited to draw, color, plant seeds in paper cups (biodegradable, of course).

Cookies, in the shape of carrots, pears and other fruits and vegetables were given out (a huge thank you to Laura at PastryGirl, just down the street on Stark Street).

The booted flower pots are courtesy of the kids at Vestal Elementary School, not far from the Market. 

Remember what I said about kids and potted seeds? There is something magical about fingers in dirt...especially good clean potting soil, and dad's supervision. 

Old House Dahlias is barely 12 blocks away from the Market. (Hey, you can't get any more local than that!)

No, this isn't Amsterdam, but it is said that Portland is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America, if not THE most, and yes many either walk or ride to the market.

Skin & Bones is one of the market's newer vendors, with some of the most amazing treats.  They also have a restaurant on E. Burnside and NE 55th Avenue.  (I must check it out now that I sampled their delicious stuff!)

The festivities also included drawings for many items including this basket of produce (won by Rory, with the thumbs up).

Each market day also features a chef demonstration.  Today's is Marliese Franklin, a local radio host and Mindful Eating coach.

Chef Marliese made a dish of cooked greens, using ingredients from various vendors at the market that day. 

There is nothing like the wonder of a child, savoring a fresh strawberry...wearing her finest ballroom gown, of course.  What I found surprising is that I was able to catch this image without any fruity decorations on her white fabric.  That wouldn't have been me.

To learn more about the Montavilla Farmers Market you can visit http://www.montavillamarket.org/

The Old West

One of the perks of my job is that I get to travel to unusual places.  In fact, some of the places are more than unusual...they are downright remote and one can get the feeling of being in a different world, or a different time. 

In mid-May I found myself in such a place, driving a lonely highway between Farmington and Gallup, New Mexico.  As you can see, the road is long, straight and the scenery markedly different from the forests and fields of Oregon.  But then, I like that.  There is a certain beauty in the stark and desolate landscape. 

This random outcropping is a lava intrusion in which the surrounding softer soil has eroded away.  It was taken as I drove past.  Thank goodness for autofocus and exposure control, so I can simply point and shoot with my camera.  Most of the time it works out, and occasionally I get a great shot.  

After my meetings and site visit (which was for a potential dam rehabilitation project at the end of this canyon), I took a slight detour and stopped by Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de shay), near Chinle, Arizona.  This is a spectacular canyon on the Navajo Reservation that has been home to indigenous people for more than 5,000 years, first the Ancient Pueblo People (also known as the People of the Canyon, or Anasazi), and later the Navajo.  The Navajo are also known as Dine', or Dineh. 

There are many cliff dwellings scattered thoughout the canyon such as the one pictured above.  Access was often only made by a series of ladders that afforded both protection from marauding tribes, as well as shade from the hot sun.  (It was in the 90's and very windy during my visit, which is why many of the images have a slight haze.) 

There are three main fingers of canyon that converge at the west end of the system.  This one is named Canyon del Muerto, or Canyon of the Dead, so named for a prehistoric indian burial ground found in 1882. 

More cliff dwellings, of which there are hundreds in the canyon.  Only a dozen or so have been stabilized to prevent or minimize further deterioration, and only a select few are accessible to the public.

Part of the beauty of such a remote location is the stillness, despite the wind.  As I sit and contemplate in a place such as this, I can almost feel the mystical presence of ancient ones, amidst the whistle of the wind, the screech of the hawk and the caw of the raven. 

These are the White House Ruins, so named for the different stone used in the building in the center of the hole in the lower left of the photo.  While most of the buildings used stone of the same reddish composition as the surrounding cliffs, this particular structure used a lighter colored stone.  It isn't known why. 

This is Spider Rock, a 750-foot sandstone spire formation.  According to Pueblo and Navajo/Dineh tradition, the Spider Grandmother spun a web, laced it with dew, and then cast it into the sky thus forming the stars.  She is said to live in the taller of the two spires

In the midst of the desert, there is a splash of color from the bloom of a cactus.  I saw this peeking out from beneath a juniper shrub as I walked back to the car.  If any of you botanical types know what this is, let me know and I will credit you in this blog. 

When traveling in remote areas, one must often yield the right-of-way to pedestrians...especially 4-legged ones.

With the barren landscape stretching for hundreds of miles, it is no surprise that the wind can really pick up and carry dust as though in a blizzard.  The wind gusted over 50 miles per hour and the sand blew across the road like small sand dunes.  Driving back to Farmington was a bit of an adventure, and I was ready for the cooler and wetter climes of the Pacific Northwest. 


For more information about Canyon de Chelly and the Navajo People, you can visit these sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyon_de_Chelly_National_Monument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Grandmother
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo_people

La Luna!

When I was little, my parents traveled to Holland to visit their parents...my grandparents.  Part of their trip included sidetrips through Europe while I stayed with my grandparents.  Apparently I was homesick for them and my grandfather took me outside at one point.  I happen to see the moon, and cried out "La Luna, La Luna!"  My grandparents didn't know Spanish and wondered what I was saying at first...of course they figured it out, and seeing Luna apparently gave me comfort.  It was a familiar sight for me back home in Maracaibo and I suppose I've always had a soft spot for Luna.

Today was a "Super Full Moon", when the moon's orbit brings it to the closest point to the Earth.  What we see then is a full moon that is 30% brighter and 14% bigger than a normal full moon. 

These images were taken from Rocky Butte, one of the many hills scattered throughout Portland...and I wasn't alone!  There were hundreds of others, many with tripods and cameras like me, and then those simply enjoying the view (and yes there were a few who also howled to the moon). 

It was cloudy all day and the chances of clearing skies seemed more remote as the sun went down, but then the skies suddenly began to clear and Luna rose in all her majesty from a sea of retreating clouds, to shine her brightest for the year.