A little of this and a little of that, all in a mad dash.
We celebrated Mother’s Day with the annual boys’ (young men) helping me put the yard in order. They also brought me a Vietnamese clay pot, and they made dinner in it. Catfish and eggplant in clay pot, and Vietnamese beer to go with it.
This was inspired by a cooking class we took in Vietnam in 2009, and a Southeast Asian Flavors class we took at Portland’s Culinary Workshop last month. What a cool gift, and there were no leftovers.
Last week some friends and I went for another urban hike, this time in Macleay Park. We went from Pittock Mansion down to the Stone House and back again. I chose this hike because I wanted the view of Mount Hood from Pittock Mansion, but it was a pretty hazy day.
(Doing a little work up there, clearly)
Most hike guides go from Lower MacLeay Park up to Pittock Mansion and back, but I wanted it to to be a little shorter due to time constraints, so we started at the top and went down and back up again, skipping the portion below the Stone House. This meant all the hard work was at the end. Oof. But it was pretty!
The Stone House was a comfort station built as a 1930’s WPA project; when it was damaged in the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, the city opted not to repair it. The stone walls are all that remain. Kind of creepy cool.
Balch Creek
Maidenhair Fern
Magic lighting!
Share the trail
Is this some kind of rose?
Reward!
In other news, I’m working on a few design ideas. I’m using this bit of stash for one of them. It’s Knitted Wit Bling in Fuchsia Basket, a CSY color from last year.
I’m knitting at a loose gauge, and blocking even airier for a lovely springtime accessory. Surprisingly, it’s not a shawl this time! We’ll see if it matches my vision. I’ll know soon. I’m also working on a couple things for September…
PDXKnitterati 
Can’t wait to see your new design! The hike looks beautiful. Now it’s on my list of must dos!!
I got sidetracked by a design project with a deadline, but I’m back on the pink Bling as of today! Enjoy the hike. There are so many wonderful places to hike around here; I am just getting into it and am amazed by the possibilities.
Definitely some kind of rose 🙂 Here’s just one of the many five-petalled rose varieties, many of them wild. The Tudor Rose is modelled after this style of rose. http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/rose/rosa/nrose.htm
Yes, I’m pretty sure it’s some wild rose. So pretty! Thanks for the link.
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That building is beautiful. It’s a shame the storm damaged it so badly. On the other hand, it makes for some interesting pictures.
Love the snail —– outta the way! Got SNAIL STUFF to do!
I think it would be a great place for a photoshoot, but it’s hard to really capture all of its charm without a wider angle lens. At least up close when you’re in it.
The snail was on the path, and I was worried that someone was going to step on it! But not worried enough to move it. The laws of nature, right? There were also lots of banana slugs, but they aren’t nearly as cute, so I didn’t post those…
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I always love your yarn-on-the-piano shots!
Sounds like an amazing Mother’s Day!
I love old buildings that are in ruins. There is something haunting and sad, yet intriguing, about them.
Great picture of the snail!
Never thought I’s say this, but Love the Snail! Cool pics!