Walked 3.54 Miles - West Hills of Brooklyn

Today I walked in the West Hills of Brooklyn. It was a cool morning and luckily it stayed dry. I pass these flowers on the way to the bus stop each morning. I kept making a mental note to take a picture on my next walk. I finally remembered several walks later. 

Little baby pears











This house had 6 cats! That's the most I've even seen at one place. They all seemed a bit freaked, so my grand idea of getting them all into one shot didn't work so well.





Our community garden has a new path! It's hard to imagine that almost a year ago, we were in the field watching fire works. It has changed so much since then and it's great to see this space continue to grow.





























My neighbor has a huge raspberry bush. I was so tempted to eat a few while taking pictures.

Walked 5.07 Miles - Oaks Bottom

Greg and I had such a nice hike last weekend, that we decided to do it again. The only change we made was to do it in reverse. We walked down the main Oaks Bottom path to the Springwater Corridor and then took the Oaks Bottom trail home. This view just doesn't get old. A look-out deck makes this the perfect place to stop and take in the view.

I've posted a picture of this street art previously.





This gem is several feet away from the first piece. I've never noticed it before. Greg pointed it out to me.









More animals stencils where Oaks Bottom tees into the Springwater Corridor. So cool! I hope this animal series continues. I'm sure it's the same artist who created the chimpanzees a few weeks ago.





So very random. Greg carried it home to see if there is anything interesting on it. At the very least, it's one less piece of litter.











I've never seen prayer flags on a vehicle before.

Walked 2.17 Miles - Holgate and Rhine MAX Stations

Greg and I walked with our neighbors and city planners through Brooklyn to discuss the new MAX stations that will be at Holgate and also at Rhine. 

We met at the Brooklyn park and it was a beautiful morning to walk. City planners and Trimet were on hand to listen to our concerns and ideas. They wanted our feedback on how traffic should flow and how to improve the neighborhood after MAX is here. 





There were probably about 20 of us total which is a good size for this kind of discussion. It was fun walking with a gaggle of other folks.





The most exciting thing I learned is that the railroad will replace the super scary Lafayette pedestrian bridge! Greg and I were giddy when we heard this. We had been told that no repairs were going to be made and that it would remain as is. I no longer use this bridge, because it is so rickety that it sways when you walk on it. It also has holes in the wooden boards, so you have to be very careful where you step when crossing. We learned the new bridge will have elevators to accommodate bikes. This makes so much sense since the Fred Meyer corporate offices are on the other side of this bridge. Now, thousands of their employees will have quick and easy passage to the MAX line.





Soon there will be a walk just like this one to discuss the stations at Clinton and OMSI. We are hoping we can attend that walk too. Such fascinating stuff!

Walked 3.00 Miles - To SE 31st

I didn't work today, so I decided to walk early to beat the heat. I almost stayed in bed with my cuddly kittens, but I got up and was walking by 7:15am. I'm so glad I did. It was cool, but by the end I was still a sweaty mess. The early morning light was really incredible. I need to walk more at this hour. I headed over the Gideon pedestrian bridge and up Taggart to 31st. It's been awhile since I've headed east and it was a good reminder that I need to walk in this area more.

This kind of graffiti makes me sad. So pointless. I hope someone is able to repair Paul Bunyan. Previously, someone had drawn a swastika on his cheek, but luckily it was small and someone painted over it quickly. This is a much harder fix. The skate park is such a wonderful space and it's maddening to see this kind of disrespect. 





I want a pin pong table in my street.





Gnome Chomsky in the wild! I was all kinds of giddy seeing this. I've coveted this statue at Powell's for many years. I've never seen one in a yard before. Very cool. 





An entire block covered in rose petals. It looked magical.








Bachelor Buttons always makes me think of my mom. They are her favorite.

I stopped at one of my favorite houses and spent a couple of minutes hanging out with the chickens.





Cherries! 

Walked 3.35 Miles - West Hills of Brooklyn

Today I headed to the West Hills of Brooklyn. It was hot and I didn't want to deal with long waits for lights to change or construction all in very sunny, exposed areas. So I stayed closer to home and went looking for shade, often crossing the street several times to be in it.  

Several intersections were marked up with the street names and years also marked. It looks like they will push the sidewalks out more? Or  make things ADA accessible? I'm not really sure. I am curious about the need for such work on sidewalks that are in good shape and are pretty old (1912 mostly). I hope we don't lose the super cool metal rails that protect some of these sidewalks. Such great history.





I dig the bright light green of new growth.

Walked 5.06 Miles - Oaks Bottom

Greg and I got up and headed to Oaks Bottom. We definitely wanted to walk while it was still cool. We thought the Oaks Bottom 5k would be just perfect.

Once we got halfway down the path, I saw the trail to the left. I've always wanted to go that way, but being a girl alone wearing headphones I choose to stay on paved paths that are well traveled. With Greg by my side, we headed that direction and it was really incredible to see this part of the park. 














The woods ended and we crossed through this meadow. From here we gained access to the Springwater Corridor at Oaks Park. 





So much pollen everywhere! This puff mirrors the clouds in the sky.





The walk ended up longer than we had anticipated, but it was a great change of pace. We even saw 6 blue herons together in a line as we walked along the Springwater Corridor. What a wonderful way to spend the morning.

Walked 4.37 Miles - To Morrison

I don't usually work on Fridays, but I did have to work a half day today. The weather was pretty much perfect this morning and I impatiently counted the minutes until I was free and able to walk.





I dropped off 10 more books at the small lending library on 14th and Clinton. I was surprised to see it empty. Even the book by Ross Perot had been taken.





From there, I decided to walk over to Maitripa College. I saw the Dali Lama speak less than a month before on my birthday. As I walked around this building, it was nice to reflect on that amazing day. Once I realized that I was only about 8 blocks from the goats, I had to walk over to see them.








The minute I cross Hawthorne, I'm immediately on the look out for Kanye stickers. I found this gem on Morrison.








After I took this picture, I walked around the corner to the windows in the background.





And took this. I can't decide which one I like better.





As I took this picture, I realized that today's unintentional theme was buildings and the sky above them. Probably because the sky and clouds were so gorgeous that I spent the majority of the time looking up. I kept high stepping my steps to avoid tripping since I wasn't looking where I was going. I'm sure I made quite a sight.








I haven't seen these signs before. Having goats here is a good thing. I really hoping they will be here for years to come.





I got to pet this little baby since she was laying so close to the fence. While I was petting her, a dude with a dog also stopped. The dog and goat were nose to nose sniffing each other and neither one seemed to mind. 








Another picture of a building with the actual building behind it. This drawing of New Seasons is more informal than the other ones I've seen. I do love the addition of the cat on a skateboard.





I passed these flowers when I was carrying books to the lending library. I made a mental note to get a picture on the return trip home. I was pleasantly surprised to find the bush covered in bees. 





I've posted a picture of this cat before. Today she wouldn't stop rolling over. She rolled it over at least 5 times while I visited her.

Walked 3.32 Miles

Today was a perfect walking weather day for me. It started off sunny and warm, but then a storm moved in and I ended my walk in cool light rain. So refreshing. I headed up to the West Hills of Brooklyn and just took the time to enjoy my surroundings. 

Before heading west, I checked out the progress of the Milwaukie-Portland max line. I'd spent Memorial Day in Ashland and it was exciting to see changes on 17th. It looks like they are getting ready to put a sidewalk in next to the new road. 





This is on 17th right where I turn to get to my house. I smile whenever I see it. I like the positive outlook.








A year ago, I would have never walked along McLoughlin. Today I decided to check it out since it's a stretch of sidewalk I hadn't covered yet. It was wild walking past cars that were at a stand still. It makes me appreciate my commute to work which on a bad day is all of 5 minutes long. You can see the storm rolling in over downtown Portland.





My walk was full of friendly cats. This little guy tried to follow me, but luckily I was able to shake him after a couple of house.








The first strawberries of the year! Last year, I only saw a few the entire season. Today, I saw several more patches as I continued walking. I hope to see more. They are my favorite fruit.





This might be my favorite neighborhood cat picture yet. She rolled over right as I was taking the picture. I love how content she looks.





Also, first artichoke of the year.

Walked 3.23 Miles - Ladd's Addition

Today I walked with a purpose. Ever since I saw the small lending library less than a mile from my house on Clinton, I've wanted to leave some books there. Today I finally rounded up some books and headed that way. It was a very cool morning and I almost brought a jacket. I'm glad I didn't, because after a few minutes of walking I was plenty warm. It was kind of awkward walking with a bag of books and I didn't take any pictures before reaching my destination.

I left 10 books and I'm so glad I did. There were only a few books here when I arrived and one was by Ross Perot. I want to bring more books the  next time I head this direction. I think this is such a brilliant idea and I want to help it grow.








I spent some time in the South and East rose gardens in Ladd's Addition. I love seeing this many roses in bloom. What a wonderful asset to the community. Some of these roses were planted in the late 1970's.





These benches are so peaceful and I see them in use a lot. 





Underneath the bench was this plaque. "Find courage, gaiety and the quiet mind." 














I was walking down an alley and heard some squawking. I turned and these chickens were staring at me. They have a window to the outside world. I peeked into their space and they had luxurious digs.











This cat ran down her front porch steps to greet me. I didn't think I'd get a picture, because she wouldn't stop pacing in front of my feet. Finally she stopped for a few seconds. Such a beauty.





The Gideon pedestrian bridge looked festive today.

Walked 3.23 Miles - Oaks Bottom

I  had a really great walk today. I felt strong and I walked fast. I was enjoying the walk so much that I had to remind myself to look for photo ops. Not a bad problem to have, especially when a year ago I would take photos as an excuse to stop and rest. Not that I'm entirely pain free, but it's no longer getting the better of me. I headed to Oaks Bottom and I was so grateful when I started the descent into the park. The air was cool and fresh on this very sunny day. Lots of folks were out and it's always fun to exchange smiles. I even passed a couple of walkers! Ok, so one was a woman who looked 13 months pregnant and the other was an old man pushing 100. But still! I passed them and that added to my good cheer. 

The flowers on this dogwood are sticking straight up. So interesting. These blooms were a few inches over my head.











I've seen a lot (a lot) of flyers around Brooklyn advocating for the protection of KBOO. Most are full sheets of text which I can glean bits and pieces of when I pass by. This one is definitely my favorite.





The Pac Man at Oaks Bottom has been updated. I think it's pretty rad.





When I was walking to Oaks Bottom, my expectations for greatness was low. It's a well travel route for me. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw this chimpanzee art under the railroad tracks at the of the Oaks Bottom path. There were about 6 total along the walls. Chimpanzees and Pac Man? Such a good day.








2 blocks from home, I walked on this long stretch of sidewalk filled with 'I love you's. There were also rainbows and smiling suns. What a wonderful way to end my walk.

Walked 2.98 Miles - Maitripia College

I knew that the Dalai Lama would be speaking at the Maitripia College which is slightly over a mile from my house. I knew that I should walk there on my walk. I'd kick myself if I didn't check it out. I started walking just after 8am. That's pretty early for me (I like to sleep in a little later on my day off), but I was up and decided to get a jump on the day. The weather was perfect this early. Not too hot and there was a slight breeze. Really nice.

I checked on the construction at 12th and Division. As I standing there, I saw a bald eagle circling the area and he landed on the cell tower (he is the black dot on the left in the middle). Pretty amazing.





This is what I saw when I got to Maitripia College. There were probably about 200 people hanging out. The group inside (on the screen) were chanting and I liked hearing that. Did you see the secret service dude on the roof? There were about 4 on the roof and several others walking around the perimeter.





There was a stage set up behind the big screen. Many people were gathering around the fenced stage. It was just before 9am, so I was hoping that there was a chance the Dalai Lama would make an appearance outside before the official program started at 9am. I figured that if he was going to come out, I should switch to my regular iphone camera. Sadly, he didn't come outside. Just after 9am, we heard the Dalai Lama on the big screen and the program started. Most folks moved over to watch him on the screen.





I stayed about an hour listening to the Dalai Lama. The whole group gathered was very friendly and nice. There were many monks in the group and it was fun to people watch. 











This secret service dude rocked my world. 





I walked through Ladd's Addition on the way home. I love the tree lined streets. It's so peaceful here.





The debate about fluoride in our water continues to rage. I'm so hopeful that we will be able to vote this down. I do not feel that it's the right decision to add fluoride to our water for 3 very simple reasons. 1. Water is life and a healing source. Even if fluoride was a miracle cure (and it's not), it shouldn't be put in our water. 2. Medicating the population without their consent is unethical. People in the surrounding areas will be affected by this and they don't even get to vote. 3. The gain does not outweigh the risks. Fluoride added topically is way more affective to oral health than putting it in the water. As you can see, I feel pretty strongly about this issue. I hope people will vote and will decide that this is not the right decision for Portland. 








There was nobody at the skate park (this never happens) today, so I got to poke around and explore this area a bit. I love all of these skateboard pictures. 

A Stroll with Greg on Mt. Tabor

I wanted to walk somewhere different on my birthday and decided on Mt. Tabor. The base of this mountain is 4 miles from my house, so it's too far for my normal walks. Greg and I drove and parked about halfway up this cinder cone at the visitor center. From there, we strolled to the top, took time to sit and look at beautiful downtown Portland, and just had a wonderful time. The weather was perfect (in the shade) and the park was filled with folks. 

Some of the bathrooms here are truly beautiful.








Mt. Hood looks amazing in the distance.








I think this is some type of beetle, but I'm not exactly sure.





As we were getting ready to leave, we decided to check out the bulletin board posted with notices. Underneath was a squirrel munching on sunflower seeds. I kept sneaking closer and closer to him, but he didn't care. He was solely focused on the food. Getting some squirrel time made the day more special. I also saw a hummingbird as we were walking down the mountain. I always feel lucky when I see a hummingbird. It was really a wonderful walk and a perfect day.

Walked 3.28 Miles - West Hills of Brooklyn

It's hot! Ok, it's only 75 degrees and I'm a total wimp. Most of my friends are basking in the sun, but I'm already over it. While they are energized and happy, the sun makes me tired and sweaty. I'm wishing for the rains to return and a few more cooler days weather before summer really hits. I walked in the West Hills of Brooklyn just because I wanted to keep it simple. My path was dictated by which block and which side of the street had more shade. I noticed, after awhile, that I was letting out audible sighs whenever I entered a shady area and the temp dropped about 10 degrees.

Salmon fingers unclasping the bright green. I couldn't stop thinking about salmon with jazz hands after seeing this.














These Oregon stickers are everywhere. I own one too. This person doubly loves Oregon.

Walked 5.39 Miles - To Reed College

Today I decided to walk through the Reed College Campus. I was looking for somewhere away from construction. Previously, this distance along with the hills prevented me from getting all the way to Reed. Today I decided to give it a try.

I walked through the very industrial area just south of Holgate. I went this route because the buildings provided shade. It's going to be much hotter next week and I'm already dreading it. I had some decent leg pain which stayed with me for over half of the walk. That coupled with the heat made it not a great time. But by the end, I felt better and I was glad I did so much hill work. My time was fast since I didn't stop to take too many photos. I think how I'm feeling during my walk is a direct link to how many pictures I take. I passed by several opportunities, because I just wasn't feeling it.





I get to Reed and these signs are posted about every 10 feet. I took a picture and then proceeded to cross the fence onto campus. I was about 50 feet in when I realized that today is May 3rd. Doh! I'm pretty sure Renn Fayre must be this weekend. So I turned around and decided that I'd walk around Reed. 





This is the north entrance on Steele. I used to visit a friend at Reed and used this entrance since it was close to his dorm. I had a moment of feeling really old, because if these tree were there back in the day, they must have been tiny. And most of this area was a parking lot.





I didn't make it all the way around campus. I got to 37th and called it quits. I'm really excited to return when campus is open to the public again. The grounds are just so beautiful and now I can actually walk all the way here. This is a path leading to campus.





The neighborhood surrounding Reed is kind of boring to walk in. The houses and lawns are perfectly manicured. There were also no sidewalks which cut down on the interesting things one might see when walking. I was so glad to find this house to break up the monotony.





The same house had a tree filled with palindromes. 





I'm getting braver on my walks. This poppy was too stunning to walk past even through there was a dude working in the yard. Normally, I would walk on by and not stop. But today I did. Every little baby step helps me build my courage.





I was mentally honking in my head.

Walked 4.04 Miles - Hawthorne

Happy May Day! I've always love this day. I grew up leaving flowers on neighbors' doorsteps, ringing the bell, and running away. I've only done this once or twice as an adult. I'm always surprised when people have never heard of this tradition. 

This cat's eyes are enormous. I'm really starting to get into photographing the cats I see on my walks. It would be fun to have a whole collection of neighborhood cats.





The American Heating building is about halfway down. Gideon is starting to become bare. The very large brick building is still left. It will be wild when that, the last building standing on that side of the street, is gone.











Since it was May Day, I wanted to head to Hawthorne to see if I could find any May Day stuff.








I do not agree with this statement. Everyone needs to vote and be heard. I'm waiting for my May ballot to arrive in the mail, so I can vote 'No' to fluoride in our water. 





I love walking around this Buddhist Temple. It's so beautiful and peaceful.








One pane is not like the others.








I haven't seen the duct tape camper in ages. The last time I saw it, there was just the sun and flowers. I'm curious to see what this will look like when it's all done. 





What a nice surprise.