Going to P-Town...

 How does one, or three, get to Portland when one doesn't drive into Portland?  When one, or three, have never taken public transportation?
One inquires where and how to catch the I-5 Portland Express in Vancouver.
Then three catch the "On and Off Trolley" (the Hopper to me) to zip around Portland.  


The Three Sisters in Portland, OR.
Kate, Betty, Gram G

I have never officially "toured" P-Town.  Of the 13 possible stops we picked two while completing the circuit from Pioneer Square and back again.   

First excursion, The Japanese Gardens
We joined a large guided tour group.  I was here recently but learned quite a bit more this time.  Like this was the former site of the zoo and that many parts of the buildings were built in Japan and shipped here for reconstruction.  And that it's possibly the most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan.  
Ah, the green of it all!!

              
           Across the street is the FREE



There are over 600 varieties of hybrid roses.   




The garden was somewhat dry and pale in color from the hot, no rain summer, but still lovely.

We have a brother, Peter, who died from cancer several years ago.  He grew roses back in Indiana. He would have loved to visited here.

Not a rose tree, but still colorful and charming.  

Hopping on the Hopper which stops every hour.  On to view the many acres of Washington Park and gaze at the showier homes in the hills.

This one fit for a wealthy Hobbit!!







A restful late lunch at Riverplace Marina along the Willamette River.

Happy to see the 5:20 Hopper arrive about 5:40...the last one of the day.  Kate was already plotting her walk several blocks back to Pioneer Square in case we had missed this trolley.



Once there, a couple block walk and we were lined up just in time for the I-5 Express bus back to Vancouver.  We went a different route, over the Fremont Bridge, saw new sites and after 1 hour and 15 minutes in Friday evening traffic we were back to our transit center, ready to a climb into Ted for our 20 minute ride home.  All's well about 7:15PM in spite of thick smoke haze.  A good day from leaving the house at 9AM.  
Bonus!!  Gram G has a new sense of independence, knowing how to get herself into Portland if she ever so chooses!

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Today, Tuesday, Sept. 26, was a glorious PNW fall day! Clear, blue sky.  I spent several hours outside tidying up the Hobbit garden, watering trees,cleaning up and setting Kate's and Betty's stepping stone, enjoying a "super salad" outdoor lunch and picking off old buds from the porch petunia plant!  Ahhhh... Life is good!!  Even photoed a tiny green tree frog...

   
This has been a good 5 "going to P-town" days in the life of Grandma G.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." (Isaiah 26: 3-4) (ESV)

Three Sisters Together Again!

 Gram G has been busy enjoying a 9 day visit with her two sisters from Indianapolis, Indiana. 

5 years ago Kate and Betty helped me move out here on a cross-country road trip from northern Wisconsin through the Canadian Rockies.

  

(The 3 Sisters mountains in Canada...August 2012) 

Welcoming them to the Pacific Northwest!

Their trip was almost cancelled or postponed because of the Gorge wildfire the week before with resulting bad air quality, rain forecast and Gram G's complaint of a bothersome bad tooth.  
SO glad they still came!  We had lots of fun and mostly nice weather. 




Barley soup on the back deck and chat time for our first meal.

On Wednesday it's lunch at the Hula Boy Hawaiian restaurant.
Stuffed pepper dinner with Deb's family. 
Happy 75th B-day cake for Kate!!




Adventure time on Thursday!  We headed north to walk and picnic in Lewisville Park about 20 miles away.  As the afternoon hours passed the smell of smoke grew stronger.  Fortunately, Kate's senses simply registered the aroma of autumn.   

Checking out tree heights and a squirrel that was ready to take on a fight with Kate.  We had to hold Kate back as she challenged the little fella...concerned he might just jump and bite her!!

Lewis River running very low....


On to Lucia Falls another 5-6 miles beyond.  

 Water low, moss abundant.  A fellow showed up.  He was checking out if the salmon was swimming up the falls.  He also informed us there is gold in the river, but the rangers wouldn't like it if someone went panning. 

After observing for awhile, I did see a skinny little fish jump the falls.  Betty and Kate didn't believe me, but I did see it!

During the rainy season the middle rock is completely covered by water, creating an impressive single falls.


It was late afternoon when we returned to Vancouver.  The smoke haze and smell were quite strong.  It was a good evening to leisurely sit indoors and chat about "family back home".  We were off to bed early since the next day was a new adventure even for me!  Ya all come back soon to find out what!! 


This has been a good 9 "three sisters together again" days in the life of Grandma G.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to  to the bones." 
 (Proverbs 16:24)

"Not Right" Days.....

   This Monday evening I sit recalling the "not right" events of this past week.  
   Our weather today was lovely, though the sun was very hot.  Blue sky covered over good quality air.  
    Last week we had several days of "bad air" with the smoke and ash from the Eagle Creek forest fire blowing in from the east. 
    I have an account I wrote last Tuesday.
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  As I work in my kitchen there is an eerie yellow-grey light coming in through the window.  It reminds me of the ominous glow of a nearby tornado back in the mid west. Outside ash is raining on everything and the air quality is deemed hazardous. 


A niece from Indianapolis and her husband had arrived late Saturday, planning to spend a few days exploring the Pacific Northwest.  Sunday I enjoyed catching up on family news with them, then sharing a BBQ rib dinner.  They drove to the Pacific coast, visited Astoria and Seaside on Monday.  They had planned to view Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge today, Tuesday. Instead they packed up early morning from their campsite in Troutdale, OR  and followed the only open highway through Mt. Hood to eastern Oregon and on to Idaho.  

(from Susan's FB post Tuesday AM)

I counted 8 firetrucks just outside our campground this morning....they closed the interstate and it was very smokey and raining ash! We bugged out early and were routed via a state road to get to the southeast. We drove in smoke for over an hour....then, the most beautiful drive we have had through mountains and forrests....glad to be in Idaho this evening!

What do I do for the day as I stay in my air conditioned home, listening to the news reports of the massive fire in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge? A fire started by a teen boy throwing smoke bombs  over a cliff in the Gorge.

      I fall back on my default comfort activity....cooking.  I had bought extra food in anticipation of a family Labor Day cookout which didn't come to be. 

Potato salad from the already cooked potatoes and eggs

chicken soup with the extra celery, and left over carrots from a carrot cake. 


Frosted half of a carrot cake for daughter Deb.

With the cooking, cleaning up the kitchen, a few sporadic Star Trek episodes, checking the news reports, sending up prayers,  walking a short time on the treadmill and doing PT exercises this "not right" day passed calmly.

(Ashes on my deck and car)

    The late evening news stated the winds had slowed and were coming from the west. That will turn the fire back onto itself for now.  The ash should subside and the air quality improve through the day on Wed. Temperatures will be lowering and possibly some rain setting in.  Hopefully this destruction to our natural world will start to heal out.  

Wednesday brought continued smoke and ash into Vancouver and Portland.  I spent another day sheltered in my air conditioned home, though at times there was heavy smoke smell even inside.  
Thursday I ventured out to water aerobics.  Three days of "home alone" was too much.  Then back into the clean inside air for me the rest of the day and to chat with my sisters from Indianapolis about maybe rescheduling their trip to come visit me.  

Super heroes of the PNW.  The brave men and women who saved the Mulnomah Falls historic lodge from destruction and fighting back advancing flames.

Reports say the area of the falls is still looking scenic but several trees have been damaged and need to be taken down before the public is allowed back in.  

Even now, 10 days later, 46 miles of HWY 84 remain closed and over 100 people are still in Red Cross shelters, not knowing when they can return home.  As of tonight over 34,000 acres have been burned. The fire is 7%  contained.
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  By Friday I could be outside with minimal air pollution. After giving the windshield a good dose of cleaning I headed off to physical therapy, met a friend for lunch and headed up to Freddy's to buy an important item....a gift for my first great grand child's first Birthday.

 

Happy grandpa Keys and granddaughter, Rosie 


Happy party family...  

By the weekend the ash rain stopped so it was time to get the extra long hose and clean off the front, side and back decks, the rose bushes and the sidewalk.  As I sprayed the heavy smell of charred wood swirled in the air.

     Even as all this was happening here, folks in Florida were bracing for Hurricane Irma.  I haven't kept up with the news since my TV went out Friday afternoon and still is not repaired.  Hoping a new "access card" arriving tomorrow will restore my window to the world.  

    My sisters from Indianapolis are arriving tomorrow for a 10 day visit.  We are anticipating a fun 5 year reunion from the Great Cross Country 3 Sister Road Trip that moved me out here!  

Kate 
Gram G
Betty 
August 2012

This day we also remember the tragic and heroic day of 9/11/01 when the worst was ambushed on America and America's best responded even until now.  







This has been a good, though, trying, 7 "not right" days in the life of Grandma G. 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want....even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23: 1 & 4)