Crema Coffee and Bakery

art above crema's door
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

A great place to stop in and get coffee and bakery goods. The available Wi-Fi makes it a good place to sit and write. I enjoy drinking stumptown coffee served in a large white ceramic cup with large saucer. I like cup and saucers because the saucer contains the spills. Coffee refills are 25 cents. The other day while having a good conversation, I enjoyed drinking coffee and eating a morning bun. It is hard to make up your mind with all the pastries, cookies, cupcakes and cakes. The bakery makes handcrafted cakes and tarts made with seasonal, locally grown and organic ingredients. Current summer choices include: Coconut Chiffon cake, Princess Cake, green tea cheese cake, and caramelized pear cheese cake. Open Monday thru Saturday 7 am to 6 pm, Sunday 7:30 to 5 pm. 2728 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 503 234 0206 www.cremabakery.com

John Luby Park

We went to a very shady park to play on the playground yesterday. John Luby Park is very dense with Doug Fir trees. Five year Colby declared the park as one his favorites. He said that high swings and a tall slide were fun to play on. There are also smaller sized slides and climbing structures. Picnic tables, benches and a drinking fountain are in the park, but no bathrooms. The park is crisscrossed with walking paths. I was very chilly yesterday in the shade and decide that this would be a great park on a very hot day. The park is at NE 128^th and NE Brazee across from Russell School. Brazee doesn’t go all the way to NE 122^nd take Thompson or San Raphael to get there.

Peninsula Park Rose garden

fountain
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The oldest formal rose garden in Portland started out life as a horse race track. The city of Portland purchased it in 1909. In the sunken track they kept the beautiful fountain and plated roses around it. Brick pathways surround the fountain. Grass pathways are along the outside of the roses. When I was a child I would lay on the grass between the roses, smelling the wonderful fragrance and day dream watching the clouds go by. The other day I had a delightful time wandering amidst the roses. Peninsula Park is a great park with a play ground, community center and swimming pool. Located at 700 N Rosa Parks way. www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/

Free Oregon symphony concerts in the Park

A great way to end the summer is to go out with fireworks after the Oregon Symphony concert on the waterfront Thursday August 30, 2007. The last piece on the program is Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with cannons and fireworks. Today Saturday August 25 they play at Arbor Lodge park in North Portland. The park is off N Greely and Rosa parks blvd. We will bring a picnic and enjoy the music.

Arbor Lodge Park

August 25

2:30-6:30 PM Afternoon Festival

7:00 PM Oregon Symphony
Gregory Vajda, conductor
Free Concert

Tom McCall Waterfront Park

August 30

5:00 PM Portland Youth Philharmonic
Mei-Ann Chen, conductor

7:00 PM Oregon Symphony
Carlos Kalmar, conductor
Gregory Vajda, conductor
Free Concert

www.orsymphony.org

Swan Island Dahlias

dahlia
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

It is late August and the dahlias are in bloom. I love those big gaudy flowers. I buy most of my dahlias from Swan Island Dahlias. I enjoy walking around the farm looking the dahlias in bloom. The 2007 Dahlia Festival is August 25th, 26th, 27th and September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 10am to 6 pm. There will be food booths with refreshments to purchase. Indoors there is a large display of cut dahlias. The gardens are open and free to visit everyday while the dahlias are in bloom. 995 NW 22nd Ave Canby, OR 97013
www.dahlias.com

Oak Knoll Winery

The other day we stopped by Oak Knoll tasting room. There is a five dollar tasting fee. The wines are reasonably priced from $5 a bottle to mid $20’s. The wines that I purchased 2005 Oregon Gewurztraminer and

2006 Oregon Muller Thurgau are only available at the tasting room. They were temporary out of the Twilight Blush. I will pick some up at a store. The tasting room is easy to get to. It is just south of Hillsboro just off highway 219. www.oakknollwinery.com

Fanno Creek Greenway trail

Sunday afternoon we took the dog for a nice walk along the Fanno greenway park. We started in a park on greenway in Beaverton ending in Tigard. It is a trail in process that will eventually connect to the 40 mile loop around the metro area. Currently it is 15 miles long connecting many little parks and play grounds. Bathrooms are few along the trail. Trees shade the path. It is a good year around trail that is basically flat. www.metro-region.org has information on this park and others.

marine drive bike path

plane landing
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Along the dike holding the Columbia river out of the airport is a lovely bike path. I like to park on Marine drive close to I 205 bridge. My dog had a great walk along the path today. She find lots of things to smell. I like the view of the Columbia river and government island. The planes landing at the airport land almost on top of you. I ducked the first time I was there and one landed. I look at the birds, hawks and herons. Watch the water skiers and sailboats. People are friendly along the path. You can go for a very long bike ride on the path as it joins up with other bike paths. Go to www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=34809 for bike route maps

Powell’s Books

It is a rainy Monday. A great day to spend the afternoon in Powell’s City of Books on SW Burnside. I love reading mysteries. I started with Nancy Drew, and then moved on to Agatha Christie, my all time favorite. I am in the process of writing my first mystery novel. While doing the writing I have been exploring how other mysteries are written, The scene and setting, character development and the plot. I felt I needed to expand my reading list to new authors. Powell’s books is a great place to find plenty of interesting wonderful books. I have been known to spend my grocery money on books. Great diet feeding my mind. www.powells.com

Summer night movies

Summer is a great time to watch movies outdoors. The lack of drive in movies is made up by putting up screens in the parks. Friday night August 17^th you can choose from Flicks on the Bricks at Pioneer Court house square. They will be showing Stand by Me at dusk. Pioneer Court House Square is located at SW 6^th and Morrison downtown.

Big Screen on the Green is showing Raiders of the Lost Ark at dusk in Laurelhurst Park. SE 39^th and Stark st.

The rest of the Big Screen on the Green movies:

18 August Saturday Hazeltine Park Madagascar

24 August Friday Brentwood Park Happy Feet

25 August Saturday Sellwood Park Shrek 2

31 August Friday Brooklyn Park Blades of Glory

7 September Friday Lents Park Stomp the Yard

8 September Saturday Dickinson Park Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Portland farmers market

Portland farmers market
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

I love fresh produce right off the farm. The Portland Farmers market provides a huge amount produce to choose from. You can find every thing that you need for a meal or picnic; meat, fish, cheese, bread, prepared foods and flowers to go with your fruits and vegetables. I bought purple string beans which I haven’t been able to find any where else. I tasted a yummy coconut lentil soup. Located Saturdays in the South Park blocks by PSU, open 8:30 am to 2pm, Wednesdays South Park blocks SW Park between Salmon and Main 10 am to 2 pm. Thursdays Ecotrust building and Eastbank.
Melon madness and Corn roast festival is Thursday August 16, 2007 at Ecotrust building NW 10th between Irving and Johnson, 3:30 to 7:30 pm. Thursday August 23, 2007 at Eastbank SE 20th and Salmon, 3:30 to 7:30 pm
www.portlandfarmersmarket.org

The Barn

The Barn
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

The Barn is a farmers market located on NE 148th between Airport way and Marine Drive. It is Open Monday thru Saturday 9 am to 6pm. It will be open until Thanksgiving. Drive into the large parking lot in front of a big red building. Inside the large barn is lots of seasonal produce. Currently there is yellow, white and bicolor corn, tomatoes, peppers and summer squash. Blueberries and stone fruits, peaches, plums and apricots. Everything that you need for canning is there. I keep going back for yummy produce. They accept food stamps and credit cards

Washington Park Summer Festival 2007

We have been enjoying the wonderful free concerts in the Washington Park Amphitheatre. Curtis Salgado was full of life and in fine form. His song summertime blues was perfect for an August evening. People of all ages were dancing to his music. Courtney of Three Torso told funny stories. It was enjoyable to listen to bus ride to oblivion and frog spy. Portland Festival Symphony did a pleasant job playing Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony. The concert got cut short due to a few rain drops. Instruments are destroyed by rain and had to be protected. The Washington Park amphitheatre is a great place to view and listen to a concert. The concert risers make it look like an old greek or roman amphitheatre. I have fond memories of going to events at the park. I saw musicals and opera there when I was a child. I danced in a full length Ballet, the melancholy princess. When my children were little I took them to concerts there. Children are very welcome at the concerts and it is a great way for them to learn about music. The free concerts run from August 3 to 18, 2007. 6 to 8 pm. Monday August 13 are The Stolen Sweets, Tuesday August 14 is Janice Scroggins, Wednesday August 15 is Misty River Band, Thursday August 16 is Rebecca Kilgore, Friday August 17 is Rigoletto, and Saturday August 18 is Cana Son.

7th Annual Portland Zine Symposium

Audrey selling Yog's notebook
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

August 11 – 12, 2007, 11 to 5 pm.
www.pdxzines.com

I had a fascinating time wandering around the Smith Memorial ball room at Portland State looking at zines. An amazing amount of zines are on display at the Zine symposium. Stop by the table selling Yog’s notebook and enter the coloring contest. Yog’s notebook is a quarterly magazine of science-fiction and horror.

www.yogsnotebook.com

PGE Park

Tonight August 9 at 7 pm the Portland Timbers play Minnesota. Beer is usually cheep on Thursdays. The Timbers army has a lot of fun cheering for their team.
Tom wrote this after having a great time going to a company picnic at a ball game.
Located at 1844 SW Morrison in downtown Portland, PGE Park is a great place
to watch some summer baseball. The Triple-A Portland Beavers play 72 home
games at PGE Park each season. The season begins in early April and
concludes in early September. The tickets to a game are reasonable, from $8
for general admission up to $13 for the infield.

The stadium is located close to MAX, and to bus lines. There is limited
on-street parking, but there is also parking garages, including a Smart
Park, nearby.