Portland

Cannon Beach, Oregon from the prospect of Ecola State Park

Like everyone else in Portland, Oregon, we were just trying to find someplace to park.

Our search took us unexpected places, such as the Portland Japanese Garden "the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan." 

And to Pittock House, another in the series of huge houses erected by prominent men for wives who died before or shortly after the place was built, and whose family then fell short of ideas about what to do with the mouldering pile which was eventually damaged by storm or neglect and then saved by local fundraising efforts and now finances its existence as a tourist attraction (see Casa Loma, Taj Mahal, etc.).

The longest possible odds: finding a spot next to the same Subaru.

Jeff, who did all the driving, had a rare gift for finding the right spot. 

And these two were parked on the windowsill in an apartment across the courtyard from ours, mostly hunting crows until someone with a camera distracted their attention.

We're back home now, but the place is in an uproar, so we're going into voluntary kitchen renovation exile and are on the train to Belleville this afternoon. 

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Seattle

Persian Ceiling - Chihuly Garden and Glass; by the Space Needle, Seattle

We're in the pacific north-west on the US side of the border, where I have never been before. We're letting Seattle reveal itself to us through the usual tools (Google maps, Yelp), and (at least for Bruce and me) the less usual tool of short friendly chats with the locals.

When we set out this morning with Annikka and Jeff (who likes to talk with the locals), we were certain we would ride the monorail to Seattle Centre, and less clear on what we would do after that. 

After seeing what everything cost, we took a deep breath and got tickets for Chihuly Garden and Glass and the Space Needle. 

The former was a miracle of colour and form, the latter a familiar study in human behaviour: line them up, make them wait, put them someplace they'll find amusing, and then get them to exit through the gift shop. 

And take their photo. Twice.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Change of Scenery

Horseshoe Bay by the ferry terminal, 12 October 2023

It seems the older I get the more amazed I am that I can hop in a cab at 6:30 a.m. in Toronto and be on the west coast of Canada the morning of the same day.

What's even more amazing is the state of the home that I left behind. There's nothing in the fridge; the cupboard is literally bare. The dining room furniture has been pushed to the walls so our new appliances can wait there for their turn to be put into useful service. 

Daniel, the project manager for our kitchen reno, asked us if we had done it on purpose, scheduled a trip and a major home project at the same time.

Well, no, that was a coincidence. The trip's been planned since April. We didn't start talking about the kitchen reno until July. We thought we might be able to overlap the two, but most of the people we talked to said they were booking into November.

As it is, the tear-out is scheduled for October 25, and our return flight is on the 26th. We're going to couch surf at a friend's place in Toronto for a couple of days, and then go into voluntary exile in Belleville for the duration. 

I deeply and completely wish everyone in the world right now had our problems.

Thanks for reading.

Karen

A rule at the Tigh-Na-Mara resort and spa
that feels especially necessary these days.

 

Star Dust

Everything that we know in our lives - our bodies, our homes, our cars - was made in the heart of a star. It's where we came from and where we will return.

For example, this beach on the Leslie Street spit is made of bricks that were once alluvial clay deposits that were formed into regular shapes, baked in ovens and used to build houses. Now the lake is helping them go back from whence they came.

But, some stubborn artist regularly visits the spit to fight against all that entropy. Constantly, repeatedly, doggedly he or she gathers the bricks and strings them like beads on fronds of rebar.

This is futile. The lake's going to win. But I will always admire the efforts of artists.

***

In other news about imposing order on chaos, our renovation start date has been set for October 25, nine days later than they originally estimated, but what the hell.

This 3-D model image gives you an idea of what it will look like:

Thanks for reading!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Karen