Finding the Obscure: Vintage Shops of Portland

     Oregon is never dull. There is always something interesting to see. For my latest adventure, my buddy and I took to the streets of Portland, in search of the obscure and noteworthy. Our first stop was the City Liquidator's store. It screamed interesting and unique. I had to grab a photo of the mural on the side of the store.

Inside was just as amusing. There were antique vehicles hanging from the roof including this cute bike.

These helmets and armor are perfect for when I stock up for a zombie attack. I wonder if I can find a katana there?

  

Look it's an elegant statue of Scooby Doo!

 

This couch belongs in our house. I want it now!

 

Leaving the liquidators store, I caught this bike rider pulling a small trailer. It just screamed Portland.

 

Our next stop took us to Vintage Pink. What a spiffy store. I could spend hours and tons of money at that place. 

 Isn't this tandem bike adorable. It would be fun to ride it with the hubby through the streets of McMinnville.

 I loved the color of this dress. Too bad I'm not skinny enough to dream of wearing it.

Hehe, this would make for an interesting piece of furniture in our house.

 

Boots appropriate for a zombie attack. In fact, I want them for anytime wear.

 

I liked these owl salt and pepper shakers. It was only later that I really looked at the squirrel behind the shakers and thought What the heck? I think those are nuts it is holding.

 

 Cute vintage slippers that are nothing like the above boots, but still fit under Laurie's style.

 

Driving up in the hills I saw this building. It looks like the perfect place for a haunting. I want to go inside and see what the interior looks like.

My bike is now painted and hubby will start putting it back together soon. Expect another biking post within the month. Can't wait to get back on two wheels.

Naughty Girls get Haunted

Ooh, I've been a naughty girl. I'm just asking to be haunted. I left that beautiful little pumpkin at Joseph Houk's grave, then I didn't come back to clear it up all winter. Now it looks like this. Blech, can you see the slug on the pumpkin?

     Aren't you grateful that I shared that photo with you? 

     But I quickly remedied the situation. I cleaned up the nasty mess and planted daffodils next to Joseph's headstone and the broken, anonymous one next to him. I have officially dubbed this grave "Edgar's grave" since it is so prominent in the book I wrote. So here are photos of Joseph and Edgar's graves.

  

     Speaking of Edgar. In my book, Edgar-the-teddy bear ends up thrown in the trash heap at the cemetery. For anyone interested, the trash heap does exist. But I promise you, the teddy bear I found will never end up in this heap.

     For sunny, damp days like this. I took an emergency blanket and cut it into squares. This makes a nice little seat for me to sit on without getting my big bum all wet from the moist ground. I set up my square on the ground next to the headstones and proceeded to write for awhile.

    

    I love this cemetery because it isn't over-manicured. So many cemeteries don't allow you to plant flowers near the graves. The grass is always green and nicely trimmed. It is absolutely boring. Every time I visit the South Yamhill Cemetery, there is a new treasure to discover.

 

There were lots of spring flowers blooming at the cemetery. A patch of violets caught my eye because I could smell them as I walked by. You don't expect such a pleasant smell at a place dedicated for the dead.

Here are a few more photos I took of the cemetery before a bunch of people showed up. I like my solitude. Whenever there are other visitors, I get annoyed and leave. How dare they trespass in my cemetery?  Perhaps, if I am buried there someday, I will haunt anyone who dares to enter my graveyard.

An Unexpected Adventure

Nothing is more enticing than a sunny, winter day in Oregon. That brief lapse in the rain is a stolen moment of bliss. Wednesday I took advantage of the weather to take off on another adventure.

My goal was to go to Baskett Slough near Salem for a hike at the wildlife refuge. Of course, after driving all the way there, I learned that the trails were closed. Still it was warm and beautiful, so I didn’t want to waste the day.

Driving home, I decided to turn off on a side road just to see where it led.  I ended up in Perrydale, a tiny, forgotten, little town.  There was basically one intersection with a garage housing this antique contraption.

And this old, Italianate home.

And finally, this beautiful Victorian home.

Again, I turned off on an unknown road. It led the itty-bitty town of Ballston. I call it a town, but it really is a huddle of broken down buildings. For instance, the general store with it’s broken sign.

And the strange little boat with creepy dolls as occupants.

Leaving Ballston, I headed west, ending up on some little dirt road. I had to take a picture of this Espalier fence with hubcap lining the posts.

It reminded me of something I'd see in the areas north of Spokane, where I grew up.

Speaking of which, this also reminded me of that area.

Bwahaha, I would love to know why they did this. Is it even street legal?

Luckily, I eventually drove west long enough to hit highway 18, from there I found my way home.

Another Adventure: Drift Creek Falls

I miss my bike. It is sitting on the floor in our dining room, dismantled and stripped. The hubby is finishing up the sanding this week. Then this weekend it gets painted. I picked out a spiffy peach color that was made in 1989 for Hyundais. I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Since I am bikeless, I chose to go on foot for my latest adventure. Of course I had to go with my adventure buddy because these kinds of jaunts require a compatriot in ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶i̶t̶y̶ zealousness.

Armed with hazelnut hot chocolate, we headed west towards the coast in search of Drift Creek Falls. We had to take a few detours, including a too-long-to explain side trip to try and reach the Delphinium Scientologist School where Tom Cruise’s children had been sent (We failed to get anywhere near there. An ominous gate and no trespassing signs were enough to stop us).

We also stopped at this covered bridge which is near the Drift Creek trail.

This water pump reminded me of the old pump we had in our front yard. Somehow the water always tasted better out of it.

This dog was actually wearing a diaper. The owner took the diaper off to let the dog go potty. Poor dog, how humiliating to go in public with a diaper on.

Drift Creek trail is a beautiful, wooded trail that gradually slopes down to the river. The woods are mossy and dark and the trail is littered with mini waterfalls and creeks. Here is a photo of Adrienne taking a picture of the trail.

The moss hung like tinsel from all of the trees. It made everything look wispy and surreal.

 I loved how twisted the branches were on these trees.

There were several little foot bridges like this one that kept your feet from getting too muddy.

At the end of the trail, you reach this amazing suspension bridge that is the longest in Oregon.

It is 240 feet long and spans a canyon housing a spectacular waterfall.

When you walk on it, you can feel the wind swinging it back and forth. It is both exhilarating and heart-clutching to have someone jump on the bridge while you are standing out in the middle.

 The trail ends at the waterfall where there is a little picnic table and plenty of rocks to crawl around on.

We had so much fun hiking and taking pictures, we almost got home too late to pick up the kiddos from school. I suggest this hike to anyone. If you would like to know more about the bridge, check out this site: http://www.sahale.com/drift.htm

Valentine's Day Should be a Banned Holiday

I have crawled out of my chocolate-induced coma long enough to write this post. I am living proof that a diet of only chocolate would probably kill you within a week. I received a large box of chocolates from my Hubby on the morning of Valentine's Day. Thinking I would save myself some calories. I skipped breakfast and lunch and only ate my chocolates.
     The physical effects of such a decision soon manifested. By the end of the day, my stomach was playing ping-pong with my chest. The next morning I dragged myself out of bed long enough to take the kids to school. A raging headache was barely soothed by another chocolate. Needless to say, I didn't get my run in that day. I did stagger on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I think that was a major accomplishment on its own.
     Two days later, I still have chocolates left. I'm not weighing myself for anything, and I still feel like ripping my head off.
     Starting Monday, I really need to get my calories under control. I have been awesome at my exercising: five days a week every week. So I need to concentrate on the food. I'm thinking a written chart might help.
    It would really help if food didn't taste so good.

Big Bummed Boot Camp week 6

Finally! I've started losing weight again. I am at a 7lb weight loss. And since I'm not doing low carb, I know this isn't water weight. Hurrah!
     It probably helped that I was able to work out for the entire week. No sickness, no laziness, I did it all. I ran, even though my lungs were dying.
     By-the-way, "Pump It" by the Black Eye Peas is the best running song ever. I can't not run when I hear it. I even turn the speed up on my treadmill because that song makes me want to fly.
     Today my runs switch to 5 minute intervals. I admit, I'm nervous, and have done my fair share of whingeing about it. But I am prepared to not stop, no matter what. 
    Since the sun has been so awesome as to bless us with her presence so much this month, I think I will plan a few extra hikes in while I am at it.  I'm hoping for further success when I weigh-in next week.
     Hope everyone out there is moving and grooving. Let me know if you have a favorite song to run to. I'm always on the search for music.