Half Day Off Work

 Canbyland enjoyed a third installment in our stormy winter today.

It's very unusual for the Willamette Valley to get three snow storms in a row. Typically, we will get  a (single) serious ice storm every ten years or so. In between, we get mild winters, or gray, rainy winters, or one inch of snow which causes the nation to poke fun at us Oregonians as life comes to a complete standstill.

Over in Central Oregon, they are digging out from five feet of snow - also somewhat unusual.

In any case, I drove 20mph to my job this morning in the snowy ice only to have most of the package deliveries cancelled. Taking my chance, I asked if I could go home and if, (IF???) I had to come back for the afternoon. I usually work a 12 hr split shift with an hour or two (or three) for lunch in the middle. I am so tired of these continuous 12 hr days. And they have been seven days/week for what seems months.

Once home, I put away my 1000 airplane ornaments and the rest of Christmas.
And then I got the phone call - to stay home. There might have been a praise god in there.

I have plans to clean my house this afternoon after another episode of Downton Abbey that I am binge-watching on Amazon Video.

 My friend in Finland surprised me with some Moomin cups and bowls. Probably because I served her coffee in my other Moomin coffee cups....when she visited back in September.

Plus some Marimekko fabric to play with. Today I decided what I would make her with some of these beauties. I'm not ready to turn my sewing machine back on yet but I do have next week off work to do some family interventions with my little sis from Minnesota.

We'll have to see if I can carve out some time.

When I am doing continuous overtime, I sometimes buy myself a gift. The last time was my Pfaff sewing machine. This time? A 2hp Vitamix blender.

Boy howdy, can this machine pulverize celery, apples, zucchini, bok choi and other fun, healthy vegetables. And the clean-up is so much faster than my old way of making green juice.



***Why is Oregon the laughingstock of the nation during snow?


Because one inch of snow creates *ice* as we don't usually get below freezing. We have mountains, curves, and very few straight roads. We cancel school, work (Except for where I work), and all other activities.

The black ice hides under the snow dusting and creates havoc for drivers. Because we don't get much snow and fall under freezing temps often, Oregon doesn't really have snow plows, or other snow removal tools. We might have leaf blowers but few snow blowers.

Oregon is also raised green so we can't salt our roads like other states do. Salt kills vegetation and poisons our rivers.

After our last big ice storm nine years ago, Canbyland bought a plow attachment that can fit on a big dump truck. It was quite controversial at the time as we didn't need it for another nine years.

Generally though, most communities are ill-prepared for snow and ice and so we just cancel activities instead. Who doesn't need a snow day as an adult?

****Do I really have 1000 airplane ornaments? Ahem, I haven't ever counted them, but my kids will say I might have a few too many. My collection will be worth millions someday or I might be buried with them...

A Tourist With Parkinsons In Oregon; Part Three

To properly see Oregon, you must go on a balloon ride. At 6:30 in the morning.

One of my guests has Parkinson's Disease. When visitors come, we usually take them around to see the sights which involves a lot of walking, something my friend, Asko, doesn't do well. Trying to think of new touristy ideas, my husband suggested a balloon ride.

 Late September is definitely almost the end of the season for balloons (until springtime).
Portland Rose Balloons operates out of Aurora Airport. Local to me.

That's the basket. It can hold more than 12 people, which we had. I've been on two other balloon rides with the more usual smaller basket which holds 4 -5 people.

The pilot had two of the three grammas lie down when the balloon was near  round, and scoot into the basket. He also had my friends do the same on the other side. This is for two reasons. One - very accessible for older people. As the balloon continues filling and coming upright, those people also come upright without having to clambor over the sides of the basket. Two  - now you have some weight in the basket so it won't float away ( UP!)

Yes, you heard me right, three old grammas. That makes this super accessible for any person. I'll tell you - those grammas were calling people (all the bars are in the sky), texting, talking. They were more connected than me.

Our pilot and our three grammas.

Hazelnut/Filbert trees in the background. These are newly planted filbert trees in the foreground.

Big or Little Pumpkins

Our balloon ride took just over an hour and five miles as the crow flies.
Slow and beautiful.


How can you top that morning?
You  go on a lunch cruise on the Portland Spirit up the Willamette River.

City of Portland

We each selected different items for the limited menu ( five entrees to pick from). Mine was fresh steelhead.  Everyone agreed their meal was delicious.

Once you board in downtown Portland on the waterfront, they immediately seat you. When the boat gets underway, lunch is served.
The cruise is about two hours in length.

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 As far as accessibility, this is a very steep ramp (september --when river levels are low). There is help available if need be.

Parking is best as a drop off for the passengers and then the driver can park about two blocks away. There is a short, flat, walk to the waterfront of maybe 300 yards and then this steep ramp down to the boat.

Once on the boat, you would only need to use the stairs if you want to go up on deck.  Banks of windows are on each dining deck  (two) and if you have accessibility issues, then reservations will seat you on the first deck closest to the water.


So, other than the steep ramp, this cruise is very accessible.

The new, old, Sellwood Bridge

 After lunch, I immediately pop up to the top deck --which is just for viewing. I love being on a boat. However, I rarely get to do so in our Portland. We used to have a little fishing boat but we would put it in south of Milwaukie.

The lunch cruise of the Portland Spirit cruises from Portland down to Milwaukie. If you went further, you'd hit Oregon City and then pass through the locks (which are currently closed because of maintenance) and hit Canby where we live.

We have used the Columbia and Willamette rivers to find our way home when clouds unexpectedly closed in when we were flying home from an airshow years ago. These  rivers are a big help for navigating the wide open skies. Even when cloudy, there will be breaks in the clouds above the river.

Waverly Golf Course. 2nd oldest golf course west of the Mississippi.

There are some homes that defy tiny houses.

 You were so focused on that Mediterranean humongous house, you might not have seen the floatplane docked there.

Floating homes. It used to be you did not have to pay Oregon property tax on these homes as they were floating. That tax loophole has since been closed up.

Coming back up river.

This is our brand new pedestrian bridge crossing the Willamette river. It's only for pedestrians, bicyclists, and trams. No cars allowed.

It finishes up on the left at the new OSU/OHSU medical building where my son was one of the first students.

 

 The Willamette, as well as the Columbia, serves a lot of big ships. Dredging has to be done to keep the channels deep enough for ocean going ships.  Most of the ocean going vessels stop just north of Portland. South of Portland is for the smaller boats.

During June, many military ships dock right on the Waterfront during our Rose Festival.

Directly ahead on the east side of the river is our acclaimed O.M.S.I. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. There is even a submarine to climb aboard.

Maria and Asko really enjoyed this day.

Having friend s visit allows you to see your home in a new light. Because of Asko's Parkinsons, we stretched our tourist thoughts and saw some Oregon highlights we might not have seen otherwise.

Asko's problems with walking is the eye/brain connections. If he can see a line to follow - a rug, a flooring line, a sidewalk line, he can walk quite normally. Otherwise, he has to shuffle. Which makes long walks out of the question. 

He can and did ride my bike up and down my street. He rides motorcycles quite well. However, he knows as his Parkinson's progresses and trike motorcycle will give him more stability.

Police Horses

One of the benefits to working downtown Portland these last couple of months has been walking during the lunch hour. My cubicle-mate, Darcy, forces me to do this every day.


We start our walk by Union Station and climb the stairs to cross over the rail yard. Then we walk through a short plaza lined with Gingko trees until we break out along the Willamette River.

Union Station is one of the favorite filming locations for the Portland-based TV show Grimm.
We have lingered for a while while film crews put the extras through their takes.



Our halfway destination is the Police horses paddock.


As we brush the workday cobwebs out of our brains, the river and the horses entertain us.
Our Portland weather has been stunning this fall.


Old mill across the Willamette River.


After we see the horses, we walk back up the Willamette, turn around to get back to Gingko Alley and then cross back over the rail yards. 47 minutes.