Seen on the streets of Portland, No. 12

A beauty, don't you think?

What year? I believe it's a Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

First, an exuberant aside, then the Canby Cruise In Photos--1961 Volkswagen Deluxe Station Wagon with a plus at the end--please read/look to the end.

I'm feeling joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic and have to share the reasons with you.

After work today I boarded a bus and got a ride closer to a mailbox so that I could mail two things, then I boarded another bus and got off on the other side of the river and boarded a different, less crowded bus, then I got off at Fred Meyer and bought the groceries that Mama and I needed, then I boarded another bus with my rolling black bag, a tote bag bungee-corded to its handle and a smaller tote bag on the crook of my arm, then I got off and walked to Elephant's Deli where I bought a nice chunk of an affordable, scrumptious sheep's cheese, Sole di Sardegna, that they'd put back into stock because I requested it, and then I walked the rest of the block home. All of that had taken an hour and twenty-one minutes. How wonderful it is to live in the city!

After eating a really good supper that Mama had fixed, bless her sweet heart, and washing the dishes, I sat down to my little iBook, Honk, to look at e-mails and comments. Some were about a writers' group I've been invited to join, Write About Now. Lamont met a member, the mother of one of this friends, who sent me the invitation to post on their blog which I will do soon, and the group's founder sent a welcoming e-mail, with this quote beneath his salutation: "It's never too late to be what you might have been" George Elliot 1819-1880. I read that and felt buoyant with hope all through my 61-year-old self.

Then I went to Abraham Lincoln’s About Brookville where I read his latest thought-provoking, insightful, thrilling post, accompanied by the expected but always splendid photos. And I felt awe and a twinge of sadness that they just don’t make enough men (and women) like his Colonel Houser these days. Nevertheless, I felt hope that by sharing Mr. Lincoln's post, others would feel the strength of character he's written about, maybe being strengthened themselves in the reading and understanding. Like I commented to Mr. Lincoln, I cannot imagine my life without the chance to look at his numerous blogs where I learn untold amounts of wisdom and appreciation every time I click.

Then a few minutes after "Law and Order" started on NBC Wednesday night, I walked by the table and got another look at the two thumbnail value studies I had finished Tuesday night, for my watercolor class this coming Friday night. Rene Eisenbart, our teacher, asked us the first night to silence our critical voice, which is not easy to do. I've tried. When I put the paper down last night, I wasn't very happy with either one, saying it aloud to Mama. But now they've grown on me. In fact, what I thought was, "Enough time has passed that I've fallen in love with these two little watercolors." And I felt a great deal of joy at that quiet realization.

So, I couldn't help myself, as I so often tell you. I had to take photos of the two thumbnails to share with you. And as I took the photos, I knew I'd have to write all of this, too. It feels important to me to let you into my exuberant feelings. I want us all to find things like this in our lives to keep us sane and healthy and functioning. We have to do this, I firmly believe, or in the face of each day's news, we will suffer even more.

The thumbnails.





Now for the most fantastic VW bus I've seen since 1972. Be sure to look all the way to the bottom so that you can see what I'm talking about. Thanks!





















When my darling LeRoy and I planned our wedding on December 31, 1972, we were so thrilled that his friend and landlord Bob had given permission for us to wed in his wonderful home. My family came from Jackson, Mississippi, to Kansas City, Missouri, in my parents Champion motor home. For our rehearsal dinner, everyone climbed into the VW bus you see in the photo below and went to a spaghetti place, the name of which escapes me. I'm hoping Bob can remember. This is Bob's flower-covered jewel. When I look at it and think of my straight-laced, hippie-hating-probably-because-they-scared-him Daddy riding in this van, near my handsome husband-to-be whose hair was longer than mine, I get a great big grin on my face. Daddy's gone now, just like my darling LeRoy. Mama and my brother Howard, and my darling sons Lamont and Leland, and Daddy's sister Baker and her husband my uncle JL, and I miss the two of them, but we have some wonderful memories. Thanks, Bob, for sharing the photo.

Sunday, July 20, 2008 ... Bug Convertible

Behind the VW Bug convertible, you can see the green wall of Elephant's, with a banner that advertises their Garden Party Room.

I believe it would be great fun to drive this car. LeRoy and I had a VW Bug for a couple of years before he died; he used to drive it to work when we lived in Houston, Texas. I can remember how much Lamont and Leland enjoyed riding in it with him.

Do you have any VW stories to share? Or any sleek cars you used to know/have/love that you could tell us about? Eventually I know I'll find a 1955 four-door Chevrolet, a 1966 Chevrolet Impala and a Chevy II, maybe a 1962--Mama and I have FMD about that date, failing memory disease!

Saturday, July 19, 2008 - VW Squareback

Found this beauty near the apartment. The young man who owns it came over when he saw me taking photos of it and gave me this information--1971 Volkswagen Squareback Type III. He didn't mind if I used the photo of the whole car as long as I blurred the license plate. It took some time, rubbing that little iPhoto retouch brush over and over and over that Oregon plate, but I did it because you really need to see the whole car. Plus that building in the background, where you can see the red letters and the green symbol--that Elephant's Delicatessen. Sunday's sleek photo comes from one of their parking lots, out of sight to the right.

Thursday, July 17, 2008 ... Volkswagon, Redux

Sleek? You betcha. Remember, the definition of sleek, having trim graceful lines. Here's trim, as an adjective, from Merriam Webster Online: exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure. Need I say more? OK. I can't help myself. Graceful--pleasing or attractive in line, proportion, or movement.

You're with me now, I feel it.

The interesting, the unique, the beautiful ...Portland

Honestly, you never, ever know what you're going to see in Portland. It's a wonderful place to be.

Not long ago I walked around my building after eating lunch and saw the Hot Lips Pizza delivery vehicle waiting at the traffic light. "Shoot," I thought, "I left my camera upstairs!" I knew I'd get a shot of it for y'all, eventually. Saturday two weeks ago, I wandered the East Rose Garden in Ladd's Addition, taking photos, hardly raising my head, until something made me look up. There it sat, parked as the driver made a delivery across the street! Click, click. Satisfied, I walked back towards the car and spied one of the most unique vehicles I've ever seen. The Thing, all Volkswagen, all orange, all convertible. If I hadn't stopped to smell and photograph the beautiful roses, I'd have missed the interesting and the unique vehicles.












For the curious:

A bit from Wikipedia about The Thing:

The 181 has become something of a cult classic, due in no small measure to their funky angular styling, which leaves no question as to its strictly utilitarian purpose. The doors are removable without tools and the windshields fold down (like a Jeep). The interior is a perfect illustration of form following function, and its painted steel door panels and split, flat bench seats look appropriately post-modern, industrial chic today. Prices range from $3000 USD for restorable units to upwards of $15,000 for nicely restored examples. In early 2007 four 181 "Things" sold at the Barrett-Jackson auto auction for well over $20k each, with one 1973 example selling for $42,560 USD.[1].

If you have time and are curious, click here to see Ladd's Addition from the sky, http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=45.50854&lon=-122.64940&z=15

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about Ladd's Addition:

Ladd's Addition is one of the oldest residential districts in Portland, Oregon. It is in the Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood, located in the near southeast part of the city. Ladd's Addition is known in Portland for its peculiar diagonal street pattern relative to the rest of the area. It is roughly eight blocks (east-west) by ten blocks (north-south) in size (by reference to the external grid) and is bordered by SE Hawthorne, Division, 12th, and 20th.

Ladd's Addition is named after William Sargent Ladd, a nineteenth-century Portland mayor. He originally owned a 126 acre (500,000 m²) farm on this land, and in 1891 decided to subdivide the land for residential use. Rather than follow the grid that the majority of Portland was based on, Ladd was inspired by Pierre L'Enfant's plan for Washington, D.C. Ladd designed the plat based on a diagonal street system surrounding a central park.

In addition to the off-kilter layout that has confounded many Portlanders, the narrow streets in Ladd's Addition are lined with American elm trees and many lead to a large traffic circle in the center. Other streets lead to four smaller, diamond-shaped "circles" located to the east, west, north, and south. Each of these "circles" contain one of Portland's test rose gardens, with the northern garden's rose bushes being in a slightly different layout than the other three.

FLAG - Friends of Ladd's Addition Gardens, raises money and volunteers to maintain the beautiful rose gardens, and Save Our Elms inoculate the elm trees yearly for Dutch Elm Disease. They sponsor fun neighborhood events such as BBQ's, a neighborhood yard sale, and home tours.

The entire neighborhood is designated a Historic district. The neighborhood also hosts several churches, a hat museum, a few shops including an espresso and dessert house (Palio) and "Funky Church," a residence that was formerly a church and currently hosts small concerts and other events. Portlanders directionally savvy enough to navigate the web-like neighborhood can often be found walking their dogs, or admiring the many early 20th century homes and gardens.
Musicians Elliott Smith and Neil Gust lived in Ladd's Addition after graduating from College.