Portland @ MindSay

There are nine historic lighthouses along Oregon’s coast and slowly we have been visiting each one and exploring the surrounding coast. Yesterday we went to Yaquina head and Yaquina Bay, near Newport ( where the aquarium is located) and had a splendid day. Low tide let us scramble all over the rocks and see sculpins, urchins, stars, anemones, lots of kelp, murres, puffins and tons of playful harbor seals. We brought lunch with us and stretched out on the warm basalt cobbles the wash up at the beach. It was a cloudless day, neither of us grumped at the other and it was great to get home before dark ( the sky is still light up here after 10) and play with the Abster before bed.

The problem is that I am wearing a Cheong and Skirt  which was worn in the Qing ( formerly Ching or Manchu) Dynasty... the last Dynasty before the republic. The dress porn in the Ming (1368-1644) dynasty was a Hanfu - more like a kimono and very flowing and silky as the women who would have lived in a scholars' garden would not have done any work - in fact the Mings were still binding feet- whereas the Manchus stopped that practice. And I think a Hanfu would be lovely but totally impractical so... as you can see above... I took a costume from the next dynasty. On cold days I wear a black and white Scholar's gown which is lined and very warm and the long sleeves are great on a chilly day as I can hide my fingers up my sleeves. today is forecast to be in the 70's so I wanted something cooler. If you ever go to Portland make it a point to stop and visit the gardens

It's a big deal here in Portland with parades and boat races and a whole carnival set up along the water front. The Dragon boat races were especially interesting. I had no idea there were so many rowing clubs on the river.

And the arcades were great. I got my hand hennaed and won a huge stuffed tiger for Abigail and we took the tiger with us on the ferris wheel because we didn't have anyone to leave him with.

Now if you want a great way to meet and talk to new people. walk around carrying a five feet long tiger through the streets of downtown Portland., Cars honk. people stop and babies want to pet "him" Abi seems to like him so far but does not like him facing her when she enters a room.

I am very happy to say that the atomic orange of my henna hair on day has mellowed ( oxidized actually) into a wonderful deep red color and I adore it. And so I went to Dana Pinkham's Millinery shoppe and bought myself a custom cloche in a liight wine color which looks fabulous on my hair and I am wearing smashbox auburn on my eye brows as we are seeing OBT tonight- house guests are at the shore birding and we have the night off.

And I am very proud of Hillary's gracious speech at the Building Museum  ( a very beautiful space in DC between the white house and capitol) and of course I am now whole heartedly behind Obama as we MUST have a democrat in the white house or we are doomed. to January 20, 2009. but i confess I still wanted her to get the nomination. Seneca Falls wudda liked it too.

our weekend began early with dinner at a friends wednesday night. we thought it would be an early night but everyone else was going over to a jazz bar. I recall the days that those types of places were off limits due to all the smoke. But as people get enlightened about second hand smoke more and more laws prevent exposure to the non smoker nice pink lungs type like me.

and last night we went to the ballet and ate at the Heathman first. OMG do I ever love the Heathman. very NYC, busy, delicious and an amazing cocktail menu. so I had a raspberry crusta (crustas were the class of coktails invented in the 1850's with a sugar rim----- grandparent to the margarita and cosmopolitan... which not only TASTED great but had an aroma like flowers. I definitely need to learn to make this one. It may be my favorite ever. then we split a beet and blue cheese salad. and split bacon crusted salmon with spinach risotto and asparagus. and dessert was pistachio profiteroles.

I think we almost slept through the first ballet piece at thye Schnitzner ( dress circle) ...Whitebird finished their season with a bang. the four largest and maybe best West Coast ballet companies: Eugene, Portland, San Francisco and Seattle. SF had a guy with the most amazing ass since Baryshnikov. yikes, I was mesmerized at first by the tush and then his dancing actually brought me to tears.

Jim filled the sedan with  gas yesterday and it cost $63. I must confess that I am not bugged by these high price tags as much as most Americans because we have  never been into car commuting and  never owned a gas guzzler SUV. so if these prices change people's car  and driving habits and maybe makes cities rethink mass transit it will be a very good thing. W wants Americans to remain in  love with their cars but I feel things must change and if it's the pocketbook that does it. good.

Most of the front yard decking is done. I have to finished enlarging the baby pond in front and then line it with the basalt I dug up. and then mulch the beds. Then start looking for a price effective stone pagoda. A friend pointed out that the reddish wood contrasts with all the green and makes everything pop. makes sense. so if we dont get rain tomorrow I will do the pondette... and if It rains I will work (finally) on the window coverings for the guest room ( red and white toile) cool huh?