Cannon Beach and an Urban Farm Picnic

Three and a half weeks in Portland was a very nice way to spend mid-spring. With Blinky Palermo for company (Emily's cat, not the ghost of a dead artist) and Wendy and Christina visiting before I left, as well as already having a couple of friends in Portland, I had plenty to do and see and eat and shop for -- hello, sales-tax-free Oregon!

My second weekend outing was to Cannon Beach. Scenic and windy, a nice drive, a nice walk, a nice lunch.

SO MUCH sand in my shoes by the time I finished my walk!!

Little Big Burger is a new discovery for me in Portland. It's a casual burger place with a very limited menu and to-die-for truffle fries. I only ate there once but thought about it daily for the next two weeks.

The weekend before I left, Christina and Wendy came to visit from Seattle and we went on a lunchtime adventure to an urban farm. The afternoon was hosted by Dov and Kathryn, and a nice family from B.C. joined us for a farm-fresh lunch; we picked some of the ingredients just prior to eating them.

the empty bowl contained some of the best hummus ever. 

Canadian luncheon companions to the left (and Wendy); our hosts to the right. 

everything was cooked in cast iron on a white-hot open-pit fire.

veggie pizza on a seeded crust

girlfriends

I got home last week; spring is almost over, summer adventures ahead.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

I'm back in Portland for a few weeks - same as last year about this time: Emily goes on a big trip, Norway last year, where she and Tom got engaged; now I'm at their downtown-PDX condo with Emily's cat, Blinky Palermo, while they're on their honeymoon in Africa. We've worked out a very nice system for me being in Portland cat-sitting while they travel for a few weeks. Win-win.

Multnomah Falls is quintessentially Oregonian. There's always a photo of it in every brochure or website about Oregon, so I'd seen a million pictures of it but never been there, so on Sunday I drove the 45 minutes to the short trail and found myself staring into the sun at the top of the waterfall. At first the light made for very difficult photo-taking, but in the end, I decided I liked the effect.

on the way to the parking lot/trailhead

I really like this kitty.

Winter + Cabo = Awesome

There was more snow on the ground than had ever fallen before in Seattle with more to come, when I left town two weeks ago. It was pouring rain when I arrived in Sacramento; San Diego was sunny and weirdly cold; but Cabo was sunny and 75 -- all anybody needs. My pal Lisa and I got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30am to catch a 6am flight last week, but our bleary eyes and bundled up bodies arrived to warm weather, a lovely resort, and five days of relaxing in the sunshine.

Hacienda Encantada

The highlight of the trip was probably the day we spent at Flora Farms, outside San Jose del Cabo. The salsa making class we signed up for started with a tour of the farm, and then we made a variety of salsas in an outdoor kitchen, watched a demonstration of guacamole being made in a very traditional way, made tortillas from scratch, drank cocktails made with tequila and carrot juice (surprisingly delicious), and sat down for a fabulous lunch. The land which comprises Flora Farms was purchased and developed over the last 30 years by a California couple who clearly love Mexico with all their hearts. 

Flora Farms

 

Farmarita - no law says you can't use carrot juice in a margarita. 

salsa making class

table set for lunch which was...

...fish tacos, the two salsas we made, the guac made by Jose and Inez, salad, cilantro rice, and black beans

would never have guessed that rosemary is a great addition to guacamole

key lime pie for dessert

Our day on the water probably tied with Flora Farms as the highlight -- whales, whales, everywhere! We didn't get to see a giant humpback breech, but there was a baby who put on a real show.

Whale Watch Cabo

Climate Change

This was my street in Seattle two weekends ago:

view out back

This was my view last weekend from a hotel in San Diego:

It was a nice change.

It was Mom's birthday, a big one, and all she wanted was warm weather and her family together, so Nilan flew to San Diego from D.C., I flew to Sacramento to meet up with the parents, and we all met up in sunny Southern California. We spent Mom's birthday driving to San Marino, which is next to Pasadena, and walking around the Huntington Gardens. I had been there once before, but only for a short visit and I didn't actually explore the gardens, I just had lunch at one of the restaurants. This time, we spent four hours walking around spectacular gardens in beautiful sunny but cool weather, and having a beautiful day outside.

The Huntington Gardens in San Marino:

Coronado:

The next day, we went to Coronado Island and spent the day walking on the beach and generally basking in Southern California glory, before heading back to the hotel for a rest before having a huge seafood dinner at the Hotel del Coronado. Great weekend with the family.