BLOGGERS
Last weekend was a busy one for us. I took Friday off work so that we could meet Barb from Riding and Running, in Portland. She was in town to run the Rock n' Roll Half Marathon, before heading to Idaho to run another this coming weekend.
For some reason we were up with the birds at 5:30 am and headed out of the house by 9. Stopped for petrol and to put the car through the automatic car wash for it's once yearly bath.
Soon we were on the road and heading North on I-5. Traffic was pretty light until we got to the outskirts of Portland. We were to pick up Barb at her hotel in downtown Portland around 11:30-11:45 am. Downtown Portland won't be busy on a Friday at noon will it?
Between traffic and road construction, I gave up on our Garmin GPS and grabbed the paper Portland city map we keep in the glove box for just such occasions. Our Garmin has always been a little bit of a plonker and doesn't always do what you need, when you need it to.
Troubadour and I make a pretty good team, he drives, I navigate. We managed to find Barb, re-set the GPS for across the river and were off.
There was a huge line up at the Mexican place we were going to have lunch so we managed to find seats at a cute little Thai place down the street. Our noodle soup lunch was great, as was the conversation. It is always so nice to meet other bloggers in person that you've become friends with over the interweb.
After lunch we walked back towards the car stopping for fresh made ice cream/sorbet along the way.
We dropped Barb off at the Convention Center so she could attend the fitness expo for a few hours and pick up her race packet. We managed to take a few pictures, get in a hug or two, and say our goodbyes.
Troubadour and I decided to make a few stops along the way home. REI to see what they had on sale, Native Foods for dinner and at the outlet stores in Woodburn too. We got home rather late actually, but avoided most of the rush hour traffic.
Saturday wasn't quite as busy. We both attended coffee, Brad rode his Tiger whereas I drove the car. After coffee he headed to the range to teach a Team Oregon IRT class and I, like a good little Hausfrau, went grocery shopping then cleaned the house and did laundry.
Sunday was another busy day.
BIKES
Sunday was the annual Oregon Vintage Motorcycle show and because it is just a few blocks from our house, we can never resist going. Of course the day dawned grey and with scattered rain storms. We waited until the rains stopped and walked to the fairgrounds.
We walked through the new car sales show to get to the fairgrounds. I took a picture of the sky to show the kind of day we were having.
 |
| (Looking west over the fairgrounds) |
This year seemed to be a little sparse both with vendors set up for the swap meet and for bikes on display. I think I said the same last year, but this year seemed to have even less. The marque this year was Norton.
I did manage to take a few pictures of bikes.
 |
| (JC Penny Pinto) |
 |
| (Yamaha SRX) |
 |
| (Honda CBX) |
 |
| (Velocette) |
 |
| (The Norton display area) |
 |
| (More Nortons) |
 |
| (custom 1976 Honda CB500T) |
 |
| (1959 Honda C71, found in a barn in Japan in 2011, 247 cc) |
There seemed to be mostly the same bikes from previous years so I didn't bother to take any more pics. The barn find above had the largest crowd around it. We kept circling back around trying to catch it without a line up of people waiting to take pictures.
As we were walking out of the fairgrounds we passed a collection of plantings. The master gardeners have a display garden and it was in full bloom.
BLOOMS
 |
| (Ninebark, aka Physocarpus) |
 |
| (For some reason I can't remember what this one is) |
 |
| ( A rose is a rose.....) |
 |
| (Another shrub rose) |
We managed to make it home just as it started to rain, and boy did it rain. Didn't last long though, just off and on all afternoon.
Sunday afternoon was also the annual spring potluck picnic for our local motorcycle forum. Most chose to take their cars, we did too. The winds had come up and although there was some sunshine between the rain storms, it was quite cool.
We had a good picnic and arrived home close to 6 pm. A busy weekend done.
This coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend and the kick off to summer. A lot of campers and drunk drivers on the road so we usually stay home while everyone else leaves. It makes for a peaceful weekend. I see yard work in my future. Maybe I'll actually get those landscape pictures taken.
- Au Revoir
" It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" - Mark Twain
.
Ninebark is extremely popular here. It's a good plant for color- some stunning leaf colors! Spirea is another big one here. I think your area and ours would have similar choices since we both deal with shade a lot. There are a lot of trees in WI...clouds, too, so I get a lot of requests for shrubs that flower in the dark. #:^c
ReplyDeleteI recognize that white flower but I can't tell you what it is. My brain is a knot from all there is to do at work, all there is to remember, all the customers and spending the days on asphalt. Summer will be a challenge to say the least.
Looking forward to your landscape photos. Show me some flowers that bloom in the dark- :^)
Ninebark grow really well in these parts. Usually to 8 feet tall or more. I think we have four in our yard of various sizes, two just planted this year. Spirea are popular too, we just added an Ash Leaf Spirea this year, so pretty.
DeleteHow big of shrub are you thinking? Hellebores are popular under story shrubs around here as our hosta and heuchera but those two are more just perennials. Red Twig dogwood and Bleeding Hearts bloom nice in the shade, although not for long period of time.
Hostas are ubiquitous- loved or hated (I like them for the most part); heuchera isn't big enough, bleeding hearts are not big enough ...people want shrubs that flower in dark places. Hydrangeas are massively popular here/Rhododendrons, too. Meh. There is only so much and for this zone of 5. Oh and those flowers have to bloom all summer, too. :^D Customers!
DeleteReading that last comment makes me glad I am not in customer service. I remember hubby not being impressed when a customer asked him to hand wash/wipe each leaf on a hydrangea before she would purchase it. He was not happy, but of course he did it.
DeleteMaybe Pieris. They do really well here and are abundant, but don't bloom all summer long. We've transitioned to interesting foliage to compensate for lack of bloom time to some extent. Colorful Ninebark and also Barberry and Spirea too.
Make that "shrubs" that flower in the dark. I know about begonias and impatiens, etc.
ReplyDeleteAny idea on what the side tanks were on the barn find bike? If they're fire extinguishers, was the bike some sort of early firetruck used in Japan? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea what they were. There wasn't any more information on the bike other than it was a barn find and what it was. I didn't see the owner anywhere either. I'll check with hubby tonight to see if he got a closer look.
DeleteI was wondering the same thing. I'm not sure if I want to ride a bike that may be a fire hazard. :)
DeleteFire extinguishers? Gas cans? I dunno.
DeleteI checked with Brad and he said it was used for putting out fires. There were two large red emergency lights mounted on the handle bars, you can see the back side of them in the second picture. Mystery solved.
DeleteInteresting! Thanks for checking.
DeleteNice pic of the stormy cloud conditions, I find those provide nice backgrounds for pictures and the lighting is usually soft and even....
ReplyDeleteThanks Dom. Dark ominous clouds can certainly add some drama to photos.
DeleteToo many words..!
ReplyDeleteHA, cheeky man!!
DeleteWhat an eclectic post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including a lot of photos from the vintage bike show A friend has been working on his Norton and is now riding it on a regular basis. He even found a new gas tank and side panels that were brand new, i.e. never been on a bike before. It looks and sounds wonderful. He also has a number of Honda CBXs (there's a typo in the photo caption) that he is in the process of restoring.
And not too many words!
I could have broken out the post into individual ones, but decided to meld them together.
DeleteNormally we'd take more pics, but there weren't many that caught my eye this time. Thanks for the typo heads up. I fixed it. Fingers went down the keyboard instead of up. Dyslexic typing.
Your friends bikes sound pretty cool. You'll have to take pics and post them one day.
Oh, and Conch is teasing me for a comment I left on his blog the other day.
Other than the housework, it seemed like a great weekend. But, you shouldn't let a little thing like rain make you drive a cage to a bike picnic. That just seems wrong.
ReplyDeleteMost people drive to the picnic since it is a family gathering so they have dogs and kids with them, not to mention too much food. People who ride usually bring whatever fits in the tank bags and saddle bags, chips, etc.
DeleteWe rode to the picnic once - took pretzels, lol.
oooooooh, yay for meeting barb! i follow her (secretly, or lol, maybe just quietly) as well. super fun stuff trobairitz! looks like a blast of a weekend! and, i just love that custom honda. great pics of fun times! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd she is just as sweet in person as she seems on her blog. You know, the blog you stalk. You should comment, I am sure she'd enjoy it.
DeleteTrobairitz:
ReplyDeleteI also liked that old barn find. I love to look at old technology but after having a few collector cars I would rather something modern and reliable. My friend has a Norton Commando 850 and he bought it new back around 1971. It is in showroom condition.
so glad you managed to get home before you got soaked but I suppose that Troubadour could have gotten soaked instead by walking home and driving back in the car to collect you.
We generally stay home on long weekends too. The USA border line was already 2 hours long at 8am and later reached nearly 4 hours. When I come across the border I generally like to get there before 6am and even then I have to wait 15-20 minutes.
Our bike swap meet was cancelled this year due to policing costs.
bob
A weekend photographer or Riding the Wet Coast
Policing costs at a vintage show? Not a law enforcement officer in sight at ours. And here I thought the Canadians were the polite ones.
DeleteMind you the OVM purposely chooses to hold the show on the weekend of Rhodie days in Florence where all the 'real bikers and 1%s' hang out and party. Keeps the riff raft out.
I am so happy to have met you both! Glad to read that you took your time getting home, moseying along and avoiding the Friday afternoon rush hour traffic. What a weekend you had! I love looking at vintage bikes, and your photos show quite a variety.
ReplyDeleteOur pleasure. It was so nice to be able to meet and visit with you if only for a few hours. And thank you again for lunch.
DeleteTrobairitz,
ReplyDeleteA fantastic post. I never know the flowers but for me, it's almost better that way.....all beautiful. I'll be sharing this post with a few friends that will very much appreciate that old Honda. Your photo of the JC Penny Pinto has a Sears Puch right behind it......a Department Store theme I'll bet you didn't know you shared with us!
I agree that all flowers are pretty. I can identify a lot of them, but don't know all the different roses, way to many for sure. For fun I say the latin name for the flower when I see it, just to test myself, then repeat the common name.
DeleteI did not notice the Sears Puch behind it. As you can tell from the pic, there were quite a few people in that area. I don't think we managed to see every bike even though there weren't as many this year.
Such a fun time! I loved looking at the old motorcycles, especially that old Honda.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flower shots too!
I am glad you enjoyed the post Deb.
DeleteWow a woman who rides a motorcycle and also knows how to read a map, no wonder troubadour married you. If he didn't then I would have.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a bit of a crap day to have a motorcycle show, lucky its near your house so its easy to get to.
Ha, You're funny Steve. Not only can I read a map, but I've always thought it would be cool to do one of those cross country rallies. He could drive and I'd navigate.
DeleteInteresting post - I loved that CBX !! I have family living in Portland so if I ever get the chance to visit I will give you a call. Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteLet us know if you ever get over this way. I have an "email me" link in my profile. And thanks for stopping by.
DeleteSo that's where all the Norton Commandos went. Probably got my old Roadster 750 hidden there! When I sold it for £375 I thought I was well in the money!
ReplyDeleteApparently they've been hiding out in Oregon this whole time...... Imagine what that Roadster would be worth now. Well, I guess things are only worth what someone will pay.
DeleteIt always sucks being a Hausfrau. Sounds like you had a nice visit with Barb. That's a REALLY crazy sky. Hopefully your weather has improved since then. Of your bike pics, the Norton #60 is my favorite machine. Loved your flower pics, especially the Ninebark (Physocarpus), which I'm pretty sure I've never seen or even heard of before. I hope you get some ride time in this weekend!
ReplyDeleteYou know,, if there was ever an end to the housework it might not be so bad, but it is never ending, lol.
DeleteBrad is teaching this weekend and so I went in to work for 3 hours yesterday, went grocery shopping, and also did laundry. See, it never ends.
I typically don't ride much in June as my allergies are the worst. Just as well Brad is teaching 3 out of 5 weekends this month.
How fun to meet up and then enjoy a show like that. Looked great. Pretty Pretty flower photos too!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! It was a busy weekend. I am just glad we managed to get up to Portland to see Barb, the rest was just gravy, so to speak.
Delete