Month: October 2013
Time Flies, Trees Grow
Well, this will be a bit disappointing, as I have tried but cannot find some old original photos from about 1996, to be used as comparisons here. We then took advantage of a special City program and planted two trees curbside, one for Nik, one for Ivi, at roughtly ages 5 and 3, respectively. These trees weren’t much taller than Nik at the time. But when driving around last Saturday, I saw how they look today (click images for larger views):
Saturday Shopping
Kim and I take a walk for some fall color and include some downtown shopping at two of our favorite stores — looking at used books and kitchen stuff. I document many wish list items, notice an interesting wine label from Walla Walla, and watch Kim walk off into the autumn sunset.
What Is Your Social Class?
You might want to take this intriguing quiz set forth by the Christian Science Monitor at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2013/1017/What-is-your-social-class-Take-our-quiz-to-find-out/dream-vehicle .
Your Shot
National Geographic has started a new photo-sharing blog. See it here.
You can also check out this preview gallery here.
Parents’ Weekend – Part 7
Goodbye Portland.
Parents’ Weekend – Part 6
Unsuccessful in finding parking around the zoo or Washington Park, we move up to Pittock Mansion where the parking is nearly as bad. We find that the structures are being renovated so we hike the dense, verdant grounds, take in some views and watch the many visitors and tourists. Kim takes a couple of photographs.
Cups & Taps
Parents’ Weekend – Part 5
Escorting us on a tour of the campus, Ivi brought us to the Hoffman Art Gallery, a clean, simple, minimalistic high-ceilinged space reminiscent of traditional warehouse/loft galleries seen everywhere over the years. The work of only one artist was featured, Stephen Hayes, a veteran Oregon artist who is/was? an OSU art professor, showing a 30-year retrospective of his work. While photography was not encouraged, I did grab one of Hayes’ self-portraits, seen below. Really a fine show; I could have spent much more time there than we did. However, you can see more online.
Next, we visited the Library, itself brimming with art on almost every wall. Here the featured exhibit was an extraordinary display devoted to Denis Diderot, the French philosopher who was the main powerhouse behind the early Encyclopédie of the mid 1700s. Along with a few pictures below, we brought home the exhibit catalog and booklet, a copy of which was targeted for Grandma Janet.
The Library turns out to be Ivi’s second “home” on campus, where she apparently spends the great majority of her waking hours, even to the extent of friends delivering meals to her there as she works/studies/researches. I likedthe place myself, and can understand its pull. Ivi points out that the young woman incorporated as subject into one of the art pieces on the wall happened to be her RA from last year.
Parents’ Weekend – Part 4
Off to Farmers’ Market on a city block of the downtown PSU campus. Chilly morning. Spent hours there, sampling cheeses, pastries, juices, unidentifiables, you name it. Had the best tart, ever. Great signage, plenty of people watching, lots of music. Rampant color, gurgling with activity. Came back with cheese, sprouts, other stuff, as much as we could carry. Ivi says that she and her friends often go there for an a la carte walking breakfast.
