Chicks Gone Wild!

The chicks are a bit over three weeks old now, and completely transformed. When I first saw them they looked like Easter treats; now they're clearly chickens and the breeds are quite distinct from one another. They also have REALLY BIG FEET. I got to Bob's about 30 minutes after they started their first excursion outdoors and they were really uncertain about the whole idea. They huddled together near the wall at first, peeping like mad, but eventually they began to discover all sorts of things to peck at (mostly looked like dirt to me) and we spotted one snatching a big (maybe too big) bug that landed too close for safety. They have an enormous run to play in, but I imagine it will be a few days before they venture more than a few feet from the coop. More pictures of the chicks here.

Random Photo of the Day

I know that Portland has become a serious bicycle city, but I think this commuter is starting a little early. The bike lock is half the size of the bike and it still has training wheels! Oddly enough, it wasn't parked in front of a day care center, although it was right by a MAX station. Maybe he bikes to the station and then rides the train to his job. I dunno.

Saturday Dining in Eugene

This was the weekend to move my son, Alex, into his Eugene apartment just in time for the Fall term at U of O. Which meant it was also another opportunity to recreate with Ryan and Jenaya! First up was a trip to the bar at El Vaquero, where the art and science of cocktails is in the hands of Jeffrey Morganthaler. We sampled a number of his creations, including a marmalade sour, Pisco sour, Richmond Gimlet, 43 Manhattan and a tomato daquiri. Everything was new and wonderful, with his own components (including the house tonic water) adding distinctive character to everything . . . but my heart belongs to the marmalade sour.

Alex passed on the cocktail hour, which was a big mistake, but joined us for a wonderful dinner downstairs at Marché, where Ryan happens to be the wine buyer. Lots of delicious appetizers, three different wines (I can't keep track; ask Ryan) and superb entreés including the salmon dish pictured here, a couple orders of duck, and Jenaya's paella. Oh, and it looks like we had dessert as well, judging from the photos here.

Spiders in the Tub

I'm all in favor of spiders in theory. I imagine that without spiders we would have been overrun with bugs ages ago. Spider webs covered with dew are truly beautiful, although that Texas park covered in web, ick. Creepy. Spiders in person, I'm not such a big fan. And spiders in the bathtub?

Look, it's first thing in the morning, I'm still adjusting to the concept of being awake, and all I want is to suck on my coffee and have a refreshing shower. Why do I have to deal with a spider in the tub? I am getting efficient at this operation, because it seems to occur on a weekly basis. I have to put a robe on, open the front door, grab an unwanted section of the morning paper and then persuade a very skittish arachnid that the newspaper is a better place to stand than his other option: the drain. Once the spider has made his move, I quickly dash to the front door, balancing newspaper and spider, fling open the screen door and make damn sure he's off the paper outside the apartment. Slam door, slip tainted newspaper into the recycling, and get back to the shower business.

What worries me is how often this happens. It's obvious that any spider who wanders into the tub is stuck there, but if it's happening on a weekly basis, how many damn spiders are padding through my apartment at night? I never see them when the lights are on, and there really isn't a lot of available spider food in here anyway. Good screens on the windows means almost no bugs. So why are the spiders here at all? And what is it that they're up to in the apartment with the lights out?

Or is this the same damn spider every time?

Random Photo of the Day

A young bloodhound, who was towering over scores of other dogs at the Basset Olympics in Lebanon, Oregon a few years back. At the time, my friend Ralphie (50% basset, 50% beagle) was just a pup, used to playing with the Labs in the park. This event was the first time he'd really come eye to eye with dogs his own height. The bloodhound, needless to say, wasn't one of those dogs.

Basset Olympics

Random Photo of the Day

Havana? Miami? All those bright colors means Caribbean fun! Look at the beautiful blue sky. Who can forget those wonderful warm days under the beach umbrella, a big plate of ropa viejo or vaca frita on the table next to an ice-cold mojito. Sweet custardy flan for dessert. Mmmmm. Cuba!

What? Portland? Oregon? No way!

Pambiche restaurant, NE 28th & Glisan, five minutes from home (on a bicycle!). But it sure looks like Cuba. Or how I imagine Cuba. And the food is incredible.

Eatin' and drinkin' in Portland

One good friend came up from SoCal to visit this weekend, and two other good friends came up from Eugene to join in the carousing. We found some new favorite places to eat and drink, discovered the demise or downfall of several old favorites. Saturday dinner at Clyde Common, a superb new restaurant in the Ace Hotel (looks like downtown hipster heaven) was definitely on the plus side.
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