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