“Lose better” Oregon Ducks and Blazers. At least don’t lose on the same day. In the same time window. One is enough, and if I had to pick one loser on Saturday it would have been ‘your Portland Trail Blazers.’ This is where I start crying about the Ducks. Again. Waaaaaa.
BOOMER TIMING? THE ‘BETTER LIFE’ CLOCK STARTS NOW
Boomer timIng started the moment mom and dad decided on a better life for themselves. “The kids will have a better life because of us,” weren’t their exact words. Some of our parents grew up in rural life, out of town. For them, living in town was a better life. Recently I spoke with a […]
PORTLAND CROSSROADS: SW 3rd AND ALDER
The Portland crossroads are the same at every intersection. North, East, South, and West. It’s the same where you live if you don’t live in Portland. Pick a side and proceed with caution. Why SW 3rd and Alder? Why not. What’s your favorite? Burnside and Broadway? Too easy. Burnside and the Willamette? Here’s the deal: […]
HOLDING GRUDGES TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF STRENGTH
Holding grudges is a time honored tradition between races, religions, nations, and families. “We don’t like them.” “Why don’t we like them?” “Why would we?” This exchange gets played out between young and old, men and women, brothers and sisters. Eventually holding grudges turns into something completely different than how it started because no one […]
FINDING FUN YET? IT’S AROUND HERE SOMEPLACE
Finding fun is a state of mind. Let’s start right there. More than a good laugh, fun is contagious. It’s one contagion that’s good to share. An expression, a sign, a street, or a dangerous looking critter preserved for all time. Some are funnier than others, but it helps to stay vigilant. One person’s fun […]
Five Miles From Tigard Equals Yellowstone?
Looked for wildlife far and wide from Idaho to Wyoming to Montana and Washington. Then I looked near Tigard in the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge five miles from home in Oregon. There was more wildlife in one place than there was in four states. Go Tigard, Go.
MOUNT RAINIER CALLS JOHN MUIR, ME, AND YOU TOO
“The mountains are calling and I must go,” said John Muir. If go you must, then go prepared. Most important is going with the right people. Or person. It’s not a marriage, but there are some similarities with a good travel partner. Can you take it if they make fun of your driving? Make […]
ROSLYN WASHINGTON SATURDAY EVENING OASIS IN THE WOODS
Quick reaction: What’s the first thing that comes to mind walking past a bar like this in Seattle, or Chicago, or Milwaukee? Cross the street? Hogs at the curb, chunky guys in black SECURITY shirts. It’s a scene ready for action. If you’re a stranger to such parts, you’d walk past in other […]
THE REAL WESTERN AMERICA OUT HERE IN OREGON
The real Western America isn’t Texas or California Readers around the world see the American west through movies. From John Wayne in his cowboy costume, to private eye Jack Nicholson in LA’s Chinatown, to policeman Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry franchise, they view the west through a distorted lens. Forget about the red rocks of Colorado, […]