Random Rose

After being off the  road for 2 weeks, routine is starting to set in. Like taking my car instead of a relay vehicle to the car wash

not clear about what to do with the week-end

so, after prodding from a couple of buddies, it was America bound! There's the Peach Arch at the border between White Rock and Blaine, Wash.

A quick 115 mile jaunt and we are already in Seattle.

Aww heck, it's only another 174 miles to Portland, Oregon, I haven't been there since I was 21, let's check it out!

It rained on and off the whole trip

hard at times

a little hard to see sometimes on I-5

GPS don't fail me now.

When in Rome (Portland), might as well go downtown and check it out. (population almost 600,000)

I am a sucker for the old buildings and signage.

As luck would have it, the city was in the midst of their annual Rose Festival, and we just happened to be downtown on the day of the Rose Fest parade! (who doesn't love a parade!)

this building drew my attention because of the old school fire escape running down the front.

It was really cool to be there for the parade.

Hey! don't look at me! I didn't do anything!

they need to lasso a pooper scooper!

a little Alice in Wonderland theme to this group of dancers.

bagpipes! reminds me of the relay.

my favourite, the marching bands!

more randomness, inside the mall downtown was a men's choir that was belting out Beatle's classics, they were awesome!

Pioneer Courthouse square, downtown Portland

lot's of options, (too far to Tipperary, though.)

The courthouse, started construction in 1869, second oldest federal building west of the Mississippi don't you know!

In the square, very nice!

even the firehall is trendy in the historic Alphabet District in Northwest end of downtown

beautiful streets with well kept older homes

trying to get a shot of downtown Portland, but this tree got in the way!

yikes!

at the hotel , there was a Vietnam Veteran's reunion

The mighty Columbia River looking west. (begins it's journey in the Rocky Mountain Trench in British Columia)

looking east

that's it, week-end is over, back through Seattle

These four people caused a huge traffic jam on the interstate.

back in Canada. The next day I had to head to the Rick Hansen office in Richmond to pick-up some paperwork. In the parking lot I saw a for sale sign on a motorhome, man that looks awfully familiar

                              no wonder! hard to believe it was once leading 7,000 difference makers!

If you are going to keep a blog going, you have to take pictures!

The beautiful alley view in my new digs. (at least there is some open space!)  It's amazing when you are back in the real world how the camera unconciously gets put off to the side.

 Time to get out of the house! I went over to my brother's place, it was quite an exciting day. Here is Skip and my niece Erin, all dressed in their Sunday best...........

and mom (Carmen) and Megan as well! The occasion was Megan's prom!

All the ladies looking fine, gathering in the parking lot for the first of many photo ops this day, to be sure!

back at my pad, time to start putting out the feelers for the next work adventure, and maybe, just maybe an acting gig or two. (I did do one small role already in a reenactment of a break-up scene for a reality show)

In the meantime, going to the gym is part of my regular routine.

Raining outside, a good day to sort through some the the relay pics. (hard to tell but that is Kakabeka Falls, in January, just west of Thunder Bay, Ontario)

at least the rain is keeping everything lush

 Driving down the road I could see trouble ahead, that bumper sticker means "devil on board" in Italian

Driving down Broadway in Kitsilano

They say the neon lights are bright
On Broadway
They say there's always magic in the air
But when you're walkin' down the street
And you ain't had enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere

They say the chicks are somethin' else
On Broadway
But lookin' at them just gives me the blues
'Cause how ya gonna make some time
When all you got is one thin dime
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes

They say that I won't last too long
On Broadway
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home they say
But they're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm star
On Broadway

But they're dead wrong, I know they are
'Cause I can play this here guitar
And I won't quit till I'm star
On Broadway

Yes, I sold my soul to the corporate man! but they have everything at a good price, and that's where they got me!

back to alley watching, it would be cool to set up a  time lapse camera, there are so many things going on down there!