**** A Sizzling 4th of July ****

Portland is celebrating hot weather for all the July 4th celebrations - particularly if they are near water.  Today is the second day over 90 degrees with a similar forecast the rest of next week.  We're walking a little slower, wearing less clothing and drinking lots of liquids (hopefully, Margheritas count as liquid) and enjoying the sunshine.

The pepper plant on the front balcony has grown about three inches each day and it's full of blossoms so we're hopeful that we'll actually harvest a few later in the summer.

Roger and I enjoyed an early morning walk to the Farmer's Market where our favorite purchases were a dozen quail eggs and a container of honeycomb right from the bee hive.  Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries are now local so the 'fridge is full of fruit.

Roger is taking photography classes this summer so he's busy preparing for a quiz on Monday and I'm looking going to sitting in front of a fan and starting a new Victoria Holt novel.

Manuel "Silky" Mayer & Irvington Farmer's Market

Today, Bella and I made an early start to the day by driving over to the Sunday Irvington Farmer's Market on Broadway and 16th Ave.  It's a small market with specialty items for sale and, even though my main reason for going was to hear Manuel play his guitar, I also enjoyed some shopping.

One thing I've never seen before is black raspberries.  They are fresh from the Schedeen's Farm in Gresham and the ones that I bought will soon be baked in a puff pastry streudel for tonight's dinner.

 "Silky" is the husband of my friend, Callie, and he's a talented guitarist and singer.  When I parked the car a block from the market, I could hear their music (today another guitarist and a percussionist joined him) and their sounds give a festive feeling to the entire area.  His specialty is Smooth Pop and Latin (two of my favorites) so I had a nice visit with Callie while we enjoyed some great music and rhythms.  Silky will be back at the market on Sunday, July 21st. 

His web site is: www.silkymayer.com

A great way to spend Sunday morning.

Picnic in Cannon Beach..............

This morning we enjoyed a beautiful drive to one of our favorite coastal towns, Seaside.

After a short walk on the beach and some window shopping we headed to Cannon Beach  where the Ecola State Park is located.  It's one of Oregon's most beautiful parks with views in three directions and beach access.








Roger takes his barbecuing seriously so our picnic turned out to be a spectator sport.  By that I mean that a few at a time, every one picnicking suddenly found a reason to stroll by to peek at what was cooking.  Roger was in charge of the meat so he marinated lamb chops and chicken drumsticks and he also brought chicken sausage patties and hot dogs.  The little gas grill was full and Bella and I got to sit back and enjoy..............  With cheese and crackers, side dishes and a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, it was a feast to remember.

Celebrate Rachael's Day..............

Happy, happy 25th birthday to our lovely Rachael from Grandpa Roger and Janice.

Today it's all about YOU so celebrate and enjoy every minute!

Father's Day

Today we celebrated Father's Day with American and Iranian food for lunch so our tummies are extra full.

It was great seeing Carolyn, Brian and Rachael and we had a chance to relax and catch up on family news.

We all got a laugh when we saw the "halo" above Roger's head.  No, he hasn't been granted Sainthood yet..................................

Viewing Rose Festival Floats...

Today Roger is experiencing bad after effects from his recent chemo so Bella and I left him resting and took the MAX to view the floats from yesterday's parade.  They're not quite as perky and perfect as they are the day of the festival but it's fun to get up close to appreciate the minute details of the designs and also to see the variety of materials that were used.

My favorite was the alligator who is lounging with a drink.  This shows only half of him.  His body extends the length of the float.  It was interesting to see how the body was formed with Brussel sprouts and various sizes of artichokes.  It gave his skin a rough and textured surface.  During the parade his mouth opened and closed.







My other favorite is one of the prize winners for incorporating roses into its design.  The Indian maiden is beautiful with intricate detail.

Rose Festival Weekend............

The Rose Festival parade started at 10 a.m. so I made an early walk to the Farmer's Market for farm fresh eggs and fresh bread.  The parade was excellent with many very impressive floats.

The dragon boat races are this weekend so I'll try to catch a few tomorrow and walk over to view the floats from close up.  They are covered with all natural grains, seeds, flowers and grasses so it's always great to see them close and appreciate all the hard work.

Earlier in the week we planted the pots on the front balcony with chives, parsley, tarragon, basil and jalapenos and they are growing so fast we've already been able to cut some of the herbs for garnish and cooking..  Yesterday we added some flowers so we're enjoying our small "garden".

Roger had his fourth chemo on Thursday and Friday and he's doing better than last month (so far - - - cross fingers).

Happy Birthday, Cheryl !!

Last evening, Bella, Cheryl and I walked down to Riverfront to enjoy happy hour at a chic cafe "Thirst".  They furnish lovely table settings outside overlooking the marina and the weather was warm so we enjoyed a couple of hours drinking and "noshing".

Bella loved it, too, because there are always puppies being walked so she got lots of sniffs from the dogs and lots of pets from the people.

Cheryl's birthday is Sunday but we decided that a birthday should be celebrated for at least one week so it was fun jump starting her special day.

Two Special Birthdays !

Today we're celebrating the birthdays of two special people in our lives -

Pam Musante

Helia Hatefi

We send our love and best wishes to you both!!

NEW Bistro Marquee

When we first moved to Portland we found a cute cafe about three blocks from the condo called Carafe.  We were disappointed when they closed about a year ago, however, another restaurant did some remodeling and opened as "MKT".  They lasted only about six months and now another owner has taken over the place and named it "Bistro Marquee".  It's across the street from the Keller Theater so it has a convenient location.

Today Bella and I walked over to check it out and have a late lunch.  They've only been open for a week and they're clearly still "finding themselves" with a limited lunch menu and some eclectic choices.  I only found two things that sounded appealing; a burger (which I tend to eat too often) or a steak and frites so the steak won out.  Bella was happy because she got to share the pieces with gristle and those that were rare instead of medium.  She'll give them 5***** - I'll give them 2** but I'm going to try a couple more times with the hope that they improve.  The happy hour and dinner menus look much better so I'm hopeful that it will become a regular place to enjoy a meal with my friends and, of course, Bella..................................

Portland Saturday Market & Rock Bottom Brewery

This afternoon Bella and I took MAX down to the Saturday Market (they are there on Sunday, too) where artisans sell hand made crafts, jewelry, paintings, fabric art and more.  It's huge so it takes some time to see everything.  My goal today was to find sterling earrings and do some people watching.  Bella and I found a place to sit near a huge fountain that is made for small children to play in.  It was warm enough today so there were dozens of little tots running, squealing, laughing, and splashing in the water.  The water comes in cycles so they never know where it's going to squirt up.  My favorite was a little guy probably about 15 months old who started with a diaper but ended up with it off so he was running around with his cute little bare behind having a wonderful time.

Our next stop was the Rock Bottom Brewery where we found an outdoor table for a late lunch and more people watching.  Bella was the "star" so we had lots of conversations with adults and children who wanted to pet her.  She was tired and dragging her tail by the time we got back home so now she's in her "nap mode" for the rest of the evening.

Roger took some time off from his painting to barbecue fresh halibut for dinner.  A perfect ending to a lovely day.....................................

Portland Food Carts App - CART COMPASS PDX

I found a great app for my phone and I want to share the info with my Portland friends.

It's name is "CartCompass PDX".  The app finds your location and gives you detailed info on all the nearby food carts including reviews and ratings.  I found a Chicago hot dog cart located at Jamison Square so that's going to be one of my next destinations.

Crunch Time...........

Just a little over one week and the spring term will end so Roger is extra busy finishing up art projects for his four classes.

Lately, Bella's favorite spot to lay and/or sleep is on the floor at the back of Roger's chair while he paints so I always know where to find her.

We're looking ahead to a warm and sunny day so after the Farmer's Market this morning, Bella and I are taking a walk down to the river for lunch.  A lovely way to spend a Saturday morning..................