Festivals & Markets

I've never had a lot of experience with the Iranian culture. Today, I decided to change that. There was an Iranian Festival at the South Park blocks here in Portland. The draw of this festival was that the PSU Farmers Market is also occurring in the same area. I'd never been to either, so I decided to go to both. Why not?!

I hit up the farmers market first, as it closed first. The one question I asked myself over and over was, "Stephanie, why in the world have you never come to this market?" It was pretty impressive and I loved it. I vow that I will return. I will. I got an amazing gluten-free savory scone from New Cascadia Traditional Bakery. I saved it for later, and very much enjoyed it later.

Next, I made my way over to the Iranian Festival. There wasn't a whole lot going on.

But, there were some beautiful rugs....

...and some amazing pottery items...

...and of course, some Iranian food. That was delicious.

There were also some Iranian musicians that played beautiful music.

Overall, it was a grand day.

“Secrets are made to be found out with time.” ~Charles Sanford

I am at one with this secret these days. Yes. I am. And don't get me wrong. This isn't one of those deep dark secrets that could ding me later, do any damage. It is just cute, quirky, and provides a little more insight to me as a quirky person to you, my reader. Heck, this is a very public place. I wouldn't write anything here that I didn't potentially want the world to know.

Here goes:

There is this weird side of me. Yes, I am weird and this is one of the contributing factors to my weirdness.

I LOVE, absolutely love, random roadside attractions. It's true. Shhh....don't laugh so loud. I've never been embarrassed by this, I just chose to not tell most people. I'm not even sure my parents and brother know this side of me. Well, maybe they do. Maybe. Any potential husband and future children are in for it. I sort of feel for them. But it still won't stop me from wanting to see some strange/unique things!

Anywho, I have, in the last couple of years been especially tuned in to random things I'd like to see in my life. Yes, things like the World's Largest Egg housed in Winlock WA, the Peace Candle of the World in Scappoose OR or its near neighbor, the Damascus Centennial Peace Candle, and the Paul Bunyan Statue in North Portland.

There are also other odd attractions that are a distance away. Things like L. L. Bean's Giant Boot in Maine. The Giant Pink Elephant in Wisconsin, Foamhenge in Virginia, and the Fremont Bridge Troll in Seattle, the giant bench in Mitchell OR, and the World's Largest Radio Flyer Wagon in Spokane.

And then, there are the more "acceptable and reputatble" sculptures and attractions (and I say this because they can be and are considered art, whereas all the above attractions are truly random). I'd love to see the Peanuts Characters in Minnesota, the largest easel and Van Gogh painting in Kansas, The Awakening near Washington DC, the headless statues in Grant Park in Chicago (I actually prefer to call them the Leg Statues-it doesn't sound as morbid), along with some other statues and sculptures also housed there.

Recently, I was gifted two amazingly fun books from a friend, Tera, a student intern spending her summer with us at work. Looking through those books prompted my admission via blog. One is called Oregon Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff and the other is Larger Than Life: Saskatchewan's Big Roadside Monuments. When I looked up the Oregon book I soon discovered that there is one for Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and most other states. Hmmm...a bad thing could have been started. Anywho, they are fun to have and I will have to start checking the sites off. Thanks, Tera!

So, now that you know of one of my quirks, don't think any less of me. And furthermore, I promise, if you have a secret desire to see any of these random sites, I won't think any less of you. Promise.

Things I like this Summer:

Fresh fruit; and lots of it.
Reading. Writing. Thinking.
My balcony.
Farmers Markets.
Time with new friends. Time with old friends. Time by myself.
Thriving Ivory, John Prine, Jakob Dylan, Iron & Wine, Owl City and even a little Uncle Kracker.
Time in the woods; hiking. The views. The falls. The smell. The sounds.
Events in parks.
Happy hour group.
Salad. Burgers (with buns). Peanut Butter & homemade Jam sandwiches (hated them as a kid...living my childhood over in this regard).
Running; again.
Spire Hard Cider. Milkshakes. Not at the same time, mind you.
The sky.

(as prompted by a friends Facebook post)

A misty start in bear country!

I want to do an outing to the beach with some of my folks from work. I prefer to preview places I am going to take them (so I know what I am really getting myself into)! Therefore, I declared today, "day trip to the beach for preview purposes, and I'll hike as a bonus." Yes, it would be my first trip to the beach for the year...sad, I know.

I decided to hike Cape Lookout State Park. When I arrived and parked, this Oregon Coast mist is what greeted me! I love it!

I hiked the Cape Trail, from "You Are Here" to the end of the cape!
Old growth forest and trail in the mist.

Really?! Thankfully, I didn't have to raise my hands or hold my coat open!

I'm a big fan of fog and mist. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

Sweet tree!

Memorial that would have been easy to miss if I hadn't looked up at just the right time.

This remaining trunk was HUGE!

Proof that I was there.

Ocean views

The ocean and beach all socked in by fog and clouds.

This was one of the views from my lunching site.

This is another view.

These "bridges" over muddy areas proved to be VERY helpful, as long as you didn't slide across them. I didn't, but I could tell some had due to the skid marks they'd left.

On the hike back to the car.

View from road level .

I decided I couldn't be this close to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and not stop for some squeaky cheese and ice cream. That would just be wrong.

P.S. Can I say, with all honesty, I went to the coast to check out that outing location....remember? Yeah, well, I didn't! Excellent, outing with the old folks, completely unprepared, here I come! Sweet!

July Poem of the Month

RAGGED OLD FLAG
written by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, "Your old courthouse is kinda run down.
"He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town.
"I said, "Your flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it.

He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down.
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town?
"I said, "I think it is." He said, "I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And it got powder-burned the night Francis Scott Key
Sat watching it writing _Oh Say Can You See_.
And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams."

"And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on through.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag."

"On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low by the time it was through.
She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam."

"She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.
In her own good land she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused."

"And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more."

"So we raise her up every morning,
Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground
And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag."

Tamanawas Falls and Mountains that Anchor

I own a glorious book called "60 Hikes in 60 Miles." Now, as I have discovered, not all the hikes are 60 miles or less from Portland, but I can't take much issue with that, as I have yet to be disappointed by any of the hikes I've done that come from this book. When I first bought it about 5 years ago I tabbed all the hikes I wanted to do. It has taken me 5 years to get to lots of them, and a lot of them I've done in the last year.

The Tamanawas Falls hike is one I've wanted to do for some time, but the drive was daunting. And now, I don't know why. I headed out and drove, not the recommended way. I think I prefer the way I went. You see, I had amazing views of Mt Hood scattered throughout my whole trip. I have really come to realize in the last year that this mountain is sort of an anchor for me. Recently a friend asked me if I had enough pictures of this wonder. My response was that if I could take a picture of Hood every day, I would. And that still wouldn't be enough.

I loved that I could take a turn on the road and voilà, there she is in all her glory. Hood looks so different depending on the angle, lighting, etc.

Once I got to the trail I came upon this fawn. Ignore the scary, glowy eyes!

The Cold Creek running by my lunching area.

Wild Columbine!

There was this pretty sizeable "rock slide" area. I lean more towards calling it a boulder slide area.

If you look in the center of the picture you can see a group of people. They are really small, hence the "rocks" are more like boulders.

Zoomed in on the trail.

This is me: really blurry. Couldn't get the picture right. I blame it on the sun, not on me.

A glimpse of the falls.

From the side. The mist was really powerful, and quite prolific.

The area above the falls.

I was sitting at the base of this cliff. It wasn't until later that I realized something dropping off that wall could have killed me. God must not have wanted me to die right then.

I'm a sucker for waterfalls. Really. I am.

If you look closely, but not too hard, you can see the rainbow that graced me with its presence my hike down from the side of the fall.

This is above the boulder slide area and I was really impressed with the stone.

You can see a previous footbridge that had washed down stream. Glad I wasn't on it when it tumbled.

I loved the jigsaw puzzle look of the tree trunk.

This was a tree that had toppled...roots with their rocks and all.

Crossing a footbridge.

Time for a little meditation on the trail?! That is what this rock configuration reminds me of. Must have seen something like it on a Zen book or something...picture worthy, nonetheless.

The drive headed home from the trail. I love all the trees and hills.

The mountain that anchors me. From just outside of Hood River. I fell in love with this area.

This was a tricky picture...don't worry, I did it pulled over to the side of the road.

I also had amazing views of Mt Adams. Like I said, I loved this area.

It was a wonderous day. Nice drive, nice hike, some amazing views and guests for dinner when I arrived home! A priceless picture to come...once I download!