Random Photos of the Day

Those of us who have lived in Portland a long time tend to have a poor opinion of the manner in which an old industrial neighborhood has turned into the environ of Yuppies with way too much money. Most of the old buildings in the Pearl District have been torn down and replaced with hideously-expensive condos, which from an architectural standpoint are admittedly very attractive. All the naked display of conspicuous wealth and consumption does creep me out, personally, but no more so than the equally conspicuous hipster persona of the new Mississippi neighborhood.

This particular building is one I always admired while it was still a commercial building and I have to admit, if I had a bazillion dollars, I might think seriously about buying a unit in the conversion. There is a garden on the roof, but it's not possible to tell from my lowly position on the street whether it's a communal garden or whether one of the residents has even more money than the rest. I confess to a sick feeling of envy.


A similar building is just across the street.

A Dram in Memory of Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson died a few days ago, apparently as a result of his Parkinson's Disease. Jackson was one of a rare group of people whose advocacy had a profound impact on the manner in which people came to view beer, for he was one of the first writers to take beer seriously, with the same gravitas given to wine. He helped to define the vast array of beers and breweries, and to awaken drinkers not only to the rising craft movement in the US, but to the obscure, the lost, and the disappearing beerstyles of Europe.

Jackson was likewise a booster and an educator on the subject of whisky, especially whisky from Scotland. I am sure he would have loved this dram of Laphroaig, 10 year old original cask strength, and I raise it in his honor and memory. The man lived a rich and bountiful life, with a planet full of friends to remember him, but he still left too early.

Random Photo of the Day

Another rose? Ah, well, it's Portland after all. This was taken in the Rose Test Gardens in Washington Park, and in the original photograph the red is almost blinding. The pity is that it's not possible to blog the aroma of the gardens, because there is something truly wonderful about the smell of thousands of blooming roses. More photos here.

Chicks!

My friend Bob has a smallish farm near Wilsonville with some cattle and a couple of layabout llamas. For years, we've talked about how much we'd love a source of fresh eggs, but there had been some resistance from his wife. Now he's built a beautiful coop and a huge run, incorporating it into his Labs' kennel (no coyotes coming around there!) and yesterday the first batch of babies arrived. Won't be the last bunch, either; Bob's already starting to get a funny look in his eye when he pages through the guide to chickens. Four varieties here, including Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Araucanas and Leghorns.

At any rate, I've invested funds in the chicken ranch because I loooooooooove eggs and fresh farm eggs from happy chickens who get to scratch and nibble all day are the best eggs of all.

(Photo by Bob Truhn)

More chicken photos here! Photos by me.

Random Photo of the Day

As part of a huge campaign last fall, Budweiser Select was featured on outside advertising on a building here in Portland. Someone did a terrific and professional job of punking the ad, and it sat there for weeks before the ad company noticed and painted over the addition. I kept passing the sign and kicking myself for not having my camera, but I finally got this photo days before the ad was removed. Ironically, the outdoor ad company was responsible for treating me to a very nice business trip in Vancouver, BC a few months later. I thought it would be nice to send them all copies of this photo after I got back.

Random Photo of the Day

The beautiful and still-functioning Union Station here in Portland. Up until January 2007, I had a key to the tower because we had some cranky old PCs in a room up there, used to send schedule displays to the bus shelters in Old Town. As much as I enjoyed my visits to the upstairs of the building, with all the oak flooring and beautiful construction, I certainly don't miss those PCs.

Random Photo of the Day

Portland is the City of Roses, after all. A lot of tourists (and locals) visit the test gardens in Washington Park, with a spectacular view of the city and Mt Hood, but few of them visit the Peninsula Park rose garden in North Portland. It's a beautiful old park, with a wonderful brick plaza centered around a big pool and fountain. I've been told by flower experts that the gardens are superior to those in Washington Park, although they're admittedly smaller. The park was close to my old house and a natural destination for walks with the dog. In June and July, the roses are always breath-taking.