Chickweed is good!

Over the weekend, I chewed on chickweed, miner's lettuce, and fennel - not in a fancy $10 salad at Le Fancy Restaurant, but instead on weedy patches of wayward land in the my own Neighborhood in North Portland. I was on the Wild Edible Plants Bike Tour let by Shaun Deller (locally more known for his fashion design sense - deller caps & Bonnie & Clyde), who was offering up his free knowledge on a gorgeous 70s F Earth Day. Shaun told stories about some of the urban foodies he's read about, cut up samples of root, and told us how we could always identify a Douglas Fir Tree (Oregon's State Tree) - If you pick up the cone - it looks like little mice (legs and tail hanging out) have crawled up under each little shingle of the cone. Of course Shaun's biggest advice was to learn all the poisonous plants before you start stuffing any kind of weed in your mouth!

The bicycle tour was a perfect way for me to celebrate Earth Day. The tour was very empowering - as I get older I get more and more pratical - and I love the idea of making use (in salads and such) of so-called-weeds growing outside my back door. I hope Shaun continues to lend out his knowledge at a further point. I missed the latter half of the tour since I had to cut out for the Buckman Art Show & Sale. To Keep tabs on Shaun go to his blog.

My Friend Big Pink

Whenever I'm walking or biking around Portland, and I feel a little lonely, I can almost always look up towards downtown and see my friend 'Big Pink'; from North Mississippi,the Alameda Ridge, East Esplanade, or Chinatown - Big Pink looms. When I first moved to Portland I read through a travel book and learned how to say 'Couch St.' , 'Willamette', 'Multnomah', and 'Oregon' so no one would out me as an outsider. I also learned the local name for the US. Bancorp Tower is the Big Pink. But you'd be surprised how many so-called locals don't know this. This tall pink skyscrapper is one of the tallest, if not THE tallest building in downtown Portland. But yet it stands alone, away from the other tall buildings further southwest. I've taken so many pictures of Big Pink over the 5 years I've lived here, that I always think I'll curate a 'Big Pink' Art Show - but then again I always think, hasn't every art student done that. Also it is to be known there are actually two Big Pinks in Portland. The other is in Oaks Amusement Park - a pink potato sack fun slide.

Matt makes perfect Pancakes!

See:

A Gilligan Oasis

I think it's a first...I went camping in March, well the last day. Matt & I arrived to our host Brian's house in Tillamook on the Oregon Coast around 5:30 pm on the Friday, we were told he had a spot set up not far from his house on a spit between the bay and the ocean, a mile walk out from the parking lot. In fact, Brian and his dad who is a local veterinarian, had been working hard all week to create an amazing 'Gilligan's Oasis' in the sand dunes. They had cut firewood, dug holes to secure poles for a thirty-foot tarp, and stashed water and other necessities for us out there. Brian was expecting a big beach-party campout as 20 people said they would come. So it was pretty disappointing when everyone flaked or found something else they had to do, & another group had car trouble. For awhile it looked like Matt & I would be the only ones to enjoy the beach, then we got the good news that two more, Charlotte & Matthias would join us -- but they were still in Portland, only just returning form another camping trip in the Gorge. They thought they could arrive the next day thinking it was a two-dayer, but when they realized no one was coming, immediately found a flex car to rent and drove out that night. Meanwhile after seeing a beautiful sunset on our walk out along the beach, Matt, Brian, Brian's Dad & I set up camp. Brian's dad even built us a table before leaving - he was on-call so he couldn't stay the night. Brian got a fire going - so we chatted while roasting veg dogs, drank beer, and ate chocolate. At 11 pm we hiked into the dark woods on the spit to meet our late arrivals (and ooh it was a scary walk!). Back at camp our group of 5 heartily made smores with our new provisions using up the few pieces of chocolate left. It rained lightly on and off, but by the fire it was nice cozy. During the night, it stormed; we kept dry though I slept poorly having left my thermarest at home (never again!).


On Saturday morning, the sun came out for breakfast (more smores and veg dogs, plus oatmeal!). Soon a beach expedition was formed. We walked the entire spit and beachcombed. Scattered across the beach a couple miles was a torn up fishing boat where 3 men (I think) lost their lives three weeks ago. Rope, wood, chairs, buoys were everywhere. A memorial cross had also been erected.
I searched and searched for a full sand-dollar - and finally succeeded - my first in 30 years - though my roommate Devon claims those things are all over the place on the Oregon Coast. On our way back on the bay side of the spit, Brian told us what he knew about clam digging. We hardly had the right tools or boots, but Charlotte, Matt, & I gave a go. We walked out to a sand bar and started digging when we saw little bubbles. Brian said the clams move fast. I only found little tiny ones. Back to camp for lunch, and a siesta nap - The sun left and it poured rain again. But once again the weather was on our side as the sun came back out for our pack up and hike out of the beach. On thedrive home from our relaxing beach weekend, Matt and I contemplated if we could bike out on Route 6 sometime in the future. I think it is definitely doable. We will be back.

See the Photos from the trip. The group photo pictured is by Brian Cameron - a great photographer!

April Fooled

I thought I once again made it past April Fool's day without being gulliable, well I was had, by none other than Traveling Dan. Dan was writing a blog (Traveling Dan) way before any one else was, and I read in religiously. So after this weekend I tuned in and was happy to see a new post. Two sentences into the post Dan was telling a crazy tale about how he ran off to Costa Rica for two weeks to attend a astrology camp with a friend who got a companion fare. So crazy I believed it cuz Dan's the kind of guy who will not let a (traveling) opportunity pass by.. anyway well done Dan for getting me good. Luckily I only passed it on to two people. Here's Dan's blog, reprinted without total permission, but I'm sure he won't mind:

04.01.06
Well, what a day. I got up thinking I'd mainly just practice my songs for the little house concert/potluck I'm participating in tomorrow at my friends' Pam and Jamie's house. Then go to work later. So how did I end up in Costa Rica at a seminar on sidereal astrology? It started with an unexpected phone call from my old friend Jules, who i havn't been in contact with much recently but knew was intensively studying astrology from her home in Seattle. Seems she was registered for this workshop, and at the last minute as she was printing out her e-ticket from the airline website, bells and lights went off (so to speak) and it told her she was eligible (due to having racked up a zillion frequent flyer miles) for a free quick-reedem companion fare to the same destination (in this case Costa Rica from SeaTac.) She knew I had a budding interest in astrology, particularly its relation to human symbol systems and cultural memetics, so on a whim she called me up and said "Dan, do you have a passport and what do you think of sitting in on a conference at an eco-tourist lodge in the Costa Rican jungle?" After lifting my jaw off the floor I said, heck yes, why not? I've got 2 weeks of sick days racked up at work. And tomorrow's show can go on without me. So here I am. The lodge is very "rustic", and if you are single they will often put you in a double room with a total stranger. Thus I am lodging with a wild eyed Australian who offers up a "crikey!" every time one of the 3 inch long roaches scurries across the bamboo floor.
Well, all for now, as I'm writing from the only public computer at the lodge. There's a cocktail get-together with the 65 other astrologers, then a full day of talks and seminars tomorrow.