Friday night at 3 Doors Down Cafe, SE 37th and Hawthorne, once again

Draught prosecco is now available at the restaurant. If you look closely you can see an empty glass in the center of the photo with the Bayern label and lion's head just to the left of it. That glass is attached to the handle that you pull on the machinery that contains the prosecco. I guess that's called a spigot that the liquid flows through, though I'm not sure at all.


My drink was prosecco, lemon sorbet with lemon peel. Very refreshing. This is the same shaped glass that is on top of what I'm calling the spigot.


I took this photo with my iPhone--I love that phone's many uses, but as yet I am not too crazy about the camera aspect of it. However, I could not get a decent photo (not enough light) of this big, hearty bowl of soup with the D50, so I used the iPhone and it's flash. The soup is mini meatballs and escarole in chicken stock. Let me tell you, I have eaten many a meat ball at 3 Doors Down Cafe, but none exactly like these. They were firm yet light. By that I mean they held together very well as meat balls and cut easily with the spoon, but they almost didn't need to be chewed--they just sort of melted and/or crumbled apart in my mouth. And that escarole was tender and tasty. Finishing it all of--grated parm. Along with the chicken stock, these ingredients added up to a soup I would like to have again next Friday.


My next and last course was this appetizer, a great combination of smooth, creamy Miticrema fresh sheep's milk cheese from Montesinos, Spain, along with Padron pepper jelly (made by chef owner Dave), prosciutto rossa, 30-year-old balsamic vinegar and grilled bread. First I picked up a slice of the bread, then spread a bit of the cheese on it, followed by a generous dollop of the pepper jelly. Then I cut a bite of the prosciutto with my fork to have at the ready after I took a bite of the loaded bread. Wow. Taste, texture, and just enough heat from the Padrons. To get this photo I took my plate over to a table near the window--you can see the light still outside that filtered in through the blinds which allowed me to get a photo that I liked with the D50.

All in all, if I were to score tonight's dining experience at 3 Doors Down Cafe, I'd put it at 10 out of 10. Can't help it, y'all. It's true.

Seen from the bus, July 28, 2010

A plant too tall for the vehicle, so the one who is taking it home just opens the roof and lets it stick out for the ride. I love it.

Another dog at Elephant's

Patience, hopeful patience.


Well, maybe anxious patience better pertains to the situation.


All told, this is a healthy-looking beautiful dog.

I've forgotten her name, doggone it!

She calmly joined her extended family in Portland at the Elephant's Deli a half block from our building, a Labrador, Australian shepherd mix. Mama had felt good enough to walk there for dinner which meant we got to see this beautiful dog--it was August 12, 2010.

Shooting "Leverage" at the Schnitz, downtown

Could you be this laid back high above busy SW Broadway in downtown Portland?


See what I mean by high above Broadway? He's waiting until his next move, ensconced on a crane in front of the building where I've been to see Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain, the Beatles tribute band 1964, and Sting. Here's a bit about the building:
The beautifully restored Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall opened in 1984, and was originally the Portland Public Theatre, built in 1928. The Italian Rococo Revival architecture was said to be the national showcase of Rapp & Rapp, renowned Chicago theatre architects. Visitors are greeted by a 65 foot high “Portland” sign above the Broadway Marquee, which contains approximately 6,000 theatrical lights. You can read more from Wikipedia about the Schnitz at the link in the caption below.


These two lights are trained on the lobby of the venerable building, what many consider to be the anchor of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Portland sign has 5 foot tall neon letters.

"Leverage," seen on TNT, has filmed all around downtown for its second and third seasons. All I've ever managed to see are equipment trucks, cast trailers, and lights on cranes. I've never been to Boston, but Portland is standing in for Boston on this series.

On the street, July 24, 2010, a lavender umbrella and a breeze

Sunny, breezy morning. As the woman waits to cross West Burnside at NW 21st Avenue, the breeze swirls around her head, lifts strands of her hair. The lavender umbrella makes a bit of shade, enough to satisfy her. Is she worried that her umbrella will be blown inside out?


She crosses the street and continues south on SW 21st Avenue, every glistening hair in place, no evidence of the breeze left behind. Intact, the umbrella still functions.

NW Portland Area Indian Health Board 5th Annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW, 9/24/2010, Part 2

The feathers are fabulous. Imagine the work that went into making this decorative piece. It's amazing. Do you think they're turkey feathers?


What about this headdress? Is it badger? For some reason, I think it's badger. It certainly looks great.

NW Portland Area Indian Health Board 5th Annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW, 9/24/2010

I missed the best first bus home after work last Friday, so I took the next one. Then I got on the second bus so that I could ride it and get closer to the third and last bus. It went less than a block and stopped at the curb with the front door standing open. I walked to the front and asked, "Are we broken?" "It's the sign; he's going to try to fix it," replied the bus driver. "I'll go elsewhere," I said as I stepped through the door. The bus driver allowed as to how he'd like to do that himself. He couldn't. I could and did, walking north on SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

Imagine my surprise when I soon heard the deep rhythmic beat of Indian drums accompanied by singing. I headed across the street at SW Yamhill and walked into Pioneer Square, Portland's Living Room. As soon as I saw the men in their Indian finery, I found a spot to sit on the brick steps and settled in to enjoy a beautiful exhibition. Turns out it was the 5th annual Dancing in the Square POWWOW in celebration of National Indian Day, presented by The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board.

As the MC stated, the men danced to the drums, when the drums stopped, they stopped. I found the spectacle delightful, a serendipitous find on the way home on a Friday. I didn't go by 3 Doors Down Cafe because I had gone on Thursday to wish Lamont an early "Happy Birthday" since he had Friday, his 35th birthday, off from work.

More dancing and drumming pictures soon.

My son Lamont is 35 today. My son Leland will be 32 on Halloween. I am blessed.

At first I thought I'd make a post about Lamont's birthday today, then later on make one about Leland's birthday. However, they're together, as brothers should be, in lots of photos, so I'm combining their birthday posts today.


In this photo, Lamont is between four and five and Leland is between one and two.


Lamont was three years, one month, and one week old when Leland as born.


When Leland was six weeks old in December, 1978, the four of us moved from Kansas City, Kansas, to Jackson, Mississippi. My parents came in their Winnebago so the kids and I could ride with them. My husband LeRoy drove the Ryder truck. My brother came, too, in his own vehicle to help out with any and everything. Here we are, early spring 1979, at the John Bell Williams airport out from Raymond, Mississippi. Our friends had flown down from KC to visit us, in that airplane right there beside us. I'm holding our older son Lamont. LeRoy is holding our younger son Leland. LeRoy and I loved our prescription glasses that got darker out in the sunshine. We look pretty doggone cool, I think.


Our friend, Ronnie, the pilot. Our friend Lyndall, holding Lamont. My sweet, dearly departed husband LeRoy, holding a dozing Leland.


Baby Leland with me, his Mama.


About 1990, Lamont and Leland with their great-grandmother Vivian, my Daddy's Mama. If it really is 1990, then she's celebrating her 92nd birthday!


Mama and Daddy's backyard. We've got seated, left to right my Aunt Baker and JL's grandson Patrick, my son Leland, Patrick's fraternal twin brother Michael. Standing, left to right, my son Lamont, and the twins' older brother Steven. Lamont is in 6th grade.


Lamont and Leland horsing around on Leland's 21st birthday.


Leland's kindergarten graduation.


I think this is kindergarten, too.


I think Lamont's about 18 months old here. We're still living in Kansas City; he's wearing a sailor hat that he loved to wear.


Our cutie's a bit tired here.


Precious son Lamont.


Precious son Leland.


Lamont with Papaw, my Daddy. Lamont's got a Tupperware lettuce storage bowl on his head. He loved to wear it!


Leland's a few months old here--it's 1979.


Lamont's standing on a chair in our house in Kansas City, at the kitchen sink.


The guys are six and three here.


Here they're four and one. Love that jacket on Lamont and that bow tie on Leland.


LeRoy with Lamont who is probably close to one year old.


LeRoy with Leland who is probably five or six months old.


My two precious sons. I love them very much.


Lamont and Papaw.


Grandma and Leland.


The guys, taken on July 9, 2004. They got up early to see us off back to Mississippi before they had to go to work at their respective restaurants.


And here they are, the photo that I started the week with--I took it on 9/11/2010.

City Hall Roses and the Morning Commute

I took this photo on July 30 on my way to work, waiting beside City Hall for the last of the two or three morning buses that I catch to go from home to the job.


A bit past its prime, this City Hall rose still is beautiful. You're wondering why it's two or three buses, right?
I get on either the 15, 17 or 20 first, a few blocks from the apartment. If I ride the 17 or the 20, I transfer to either the 4, 8 or 33 when I get off. If it's the 4 that shows up first, I ride it all the way to work. If it's the 8 or the 33, I ride it to a block from where I can catch either the 4, 10 or 14 at the bus stop right beside the City Hall roses. Any of those last three take me to the bus stop across the street from my building. If I ride the 15 first, I have the option of the 4 or the 33. You know the story on each one of those as far as either getting straight to work on the 4 or taking the 33, then catching either the 4, 10 or 14.


I took this photo on July 9. Oh, after I get off the 17 or the 20 I also have the option of catching the MAX, either the Green Line or the Yellow Line. I can ride it to within one block of where I can catch the 4, 10 or 14 for the last leg of the morning commute.


Here's another rose from July 9. If memory serves, we'd had a hot spell which I believe severely impacted this beauty. It hadn't given up as much as its nearby buds had, though, who were losing their petals. It had the option of surviving a bit longer.


Options are a great thing to have, especially when you ride to work on mass transit like I do. What option did this lovely yellow rose have prior to July 9 that the red one didn't have? I wonder if the heat didn't impact it because of its color? It seems to me that the bright yellow just might reflect more heat than the deep red which I see as absorbing heat. Anyone know anything about this for sure? I'd love to hear.

Primary Color Red #2

All seen at the Olympia Street Rod Association Car Show at the Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester, Washington, August 14, 2010.

Tail lights on a 1965 Chevy station wagon.


1964 Chevrolet Chevelle.


1952 Oldsmobile convertible.


The convertible's engine--someone loves this car and its engine!


The interior of the convertible. Look at all that chrome!


I bet you could open up this trunk to make some shade and take a nap in the trunk. It looks huge! Of course, it was so doggone hot that day that I doubt anyone would want to try it.


One last view of the beautiful red vintage vehicle. I see from the ornamentation that this is an Olds 88.


1970 Chevrolet Chevelle


A jewel on the move. What year is this Corvette?


Another jewel on the move. What year is this Ford Galaxy XL?


The Ford Galaxy XL. Surely it's from the mid-1960s.


1962 Corvette with a Texas tag!


1952 Chevy Coupe.


You don't have to wonder what this car's owner thinks about Fords, do you?


1964 Pontiac GTO.


Another view of the GTO.


One view of a 1965 Chevy station wagon. Those are its tail lights at the top of the post.


1965 Chevy station wagon, another view.


1959 Edsel Corsair.


The Edsel's interior and dash.


A final jewel on the move.