Party In Portland
Since I haven't been to the Justice Center area downtown Portland for a while, since the night of July 4th exactly (wow these last couple of weeks flew by) I decided it was time to go and see what's new down there. I mean even the mayor (Ted Wheeler) supposedly got teargassed the other night and I definitely do not want to miss out on any excitement. And exiting it was ! It was a party in Portland.....if this continues and from the size and looks of it I think it will, I can just get my bike out and pretend it's Burning Man in Portland this year! There is a ton of food if you are hungry, not for me but the majority are not vegetarian (SADLY). 
Live music.....which was awesome. 
And dancing. This was my favorite place because it was FUN and people were truly enjoying themselves. 
So whatever scary stuff you hear about Portland on the news.....ehhhhhh forget about it! I am inviting you to come here and partake in the festivities, I am offering you my services as your personal downtown tour guide. I can't guarantee it but chances are high that you will also see fireworks, hear loud bangs....it's only mortars being thrown around so nothing to worry about and you might also get a whiff of teargas and hear rubber bullets fly around. When I try to describe Burning Man to people, which is difficult to describe because you have to experience the event to understand all the beautiful and amazing qualities of Burning Man....but when I do try to describe it I usually say that it is like stepping into a Salvador Dali painting. To describe Portland I would say it is like stepping into a movie called "Escape from New York". If you haven't seen that one yet you should. I have been down to the Justice Center are in Portland several times now and I am still alive and unharmed. 
Live music.....which was awesome. And dancing. This was my favorite place because it was FUN and people were truly enjoying themselves. So whatever scary stuff you hear about Portland on the news.....ehhhhhh forget about it! I am inviting you to come here and partake in the festivities, I am offering you my services as your personal downtown tour guide. I can't guarantee it but chances are high that you will also see fireworks, hear loud bangs....it's only mortars being thrown around so nothing to worry about and you might also get a whiff of teargas and hear rubber bullets fly around. When I try to describe Burning Man to people, which is difficult to describe because you have to experience the event to understand all the beautiful and amazing qualities of Burning Man....but when I do try to describe it I usually say that it is like stepping into a Salvador Dali painting. To describe Portland I would say it is like stepping into a movie called "Escape from New York". If you haven't seen that one yet you should. I have been down to the Justice Center are in Portland several times now and I am still alive and unharmed.
Yesterday I had a calmer day and here are some snippets from it....First of all the weather has been so nice and I have been enjoying that. Felt an undeniable craving for a waffle at a place called Smaakens where I have been before, it's a food cart inside a food cart area located on the South East side of town. So I drove there from my part of town, the South West and had a delicious waffle with whipped cream and drank a hibiscus iced tea. So yummy! 
I like the recycling station at this food cart place. I am a fairly diligent recycler. Absolutely no littering. 
After my waffle I went on a looooong walk through the city, across two bridges. I love walking, exploring and seeing new things. 
Like this, I had never noticed this until yesterday, the Bill Naito Legacy Fountain. A beautiful poem is inscripted into the steps. 
FOR THE PEOPLES OF THE FIRST NATIONS WHO CAME TO FISH THE RIVERS AND INHABIT THE LAND – FOR LATE ARRIVING PACIFIC EXPLORERS AND TRAPPERS – HAILING PROUD FLAGS OF RUSSIA – BRITAIN – FRANCE – SPAIN FOR THOSE WHO BLAZED TRAILS OVER THE WIDE INTERIOR – AND FOR THE MULTITUDES WHO DROVE THOSE TRAILS IN A GREAT WESTERN MIGRATION – AMERICAN PIONEER ADVENTURERS – THE HEADSTRONG – THE HARD PRESSED – THE RESOURCEFUL – STAKING CLAIMS – FELLING TIMBER – TILLING SOIL – NAMING VILLAGES FOR THE IRISH – GERMAN – CHINESE – JAPANESE – JEWS FROM THE EASTERN PALE – SWEDES – FINNS – DANES – NORWEGIANS – ITALIANS – ROMA IN CARAVANS – GREEKS – MEXICANS – CHILDREN OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA – REFUGEES FROM WARS AND TYRANTS – BUILDERS OF BETTER FORTUNES – FOR THE HISTORIC WAVES OF MOVING PEOPLES WHO BECAME NEW NEIGHBORS NEAR THESE WILLAMETTE BANKS FOR MERCHANTS AND LABORERS – AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES – WORKING THE ROADS AND RAIL LINES – THE DOCKS AND SHIP YARDS – THE FACTORIES AND MILLS – PLANTING FARMS AND ORCHARDS – TENDING STORE COUNTERS – FILLING SCHOOL HOUSES AND LIBRARIES – GATHERING IN CIVIC CLUBS AND SOCIETIES – HOUSES OF WORSHIP – SALOONS – PARKS – MUSIC HALLS – RIVER LANDINGS – TRAIN STATIONS – STREET CORNERS – FLOWER GARDENS FOR ANCESTORS WHO TRAVELED COUNTLESS PATHS FROM OTHER LANDS TO THIS PLACE – WHO CAME BY TRAIL AND BY OCEAN – BY RIVER AND BY RAILROAD – BY HIGHWAY AND BY AIRWAY – IN COURSING HUMAN STREAMS – DREAMING IN MANY LANGUAGES – FOR THOSE WHOSE VOICES STILL ECHO TODAY AND FOR THOSE WHOSE LEGACIES ARE QUIET – A PORT CITY HARBORS THEIR HOPES – AND A FOUNTAIN FLOWS HERE IN THEIR MEMORY.
