Hurricane Force Winds and LOTS of Rain

For the most part, the storm made good on it's potential, with the NW coastline being hardest hit by the winds. Peak gusts along the Oregon coast were recorded at 129 MPH leaving widespread power outages with whole towns cut off by flooding and downed trees across roads.










Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski declared a state of emergency because of the wind and flood damage. Although the inner regions were spared most of the wind's fury during this go-round, the sudden rise in temperature combined with massive amounts of rainfall caused mudslides and flood stages in numerous areas. Many roads are now impassible. Even a 20 mile section of the I-5 near Chehalis, WA is totally closed at this time.










Check out the links below providing a remote overview of the 'catastrophe'.. with updates, photos and video:


State Of Emergency Declared In Oregon

Hurricane-Force Winds

High Winds, Rain Cause Major Problems

Floodwaters Submerge Roads, Isolate Towns

Landmark Sitka Spruce Succumbs To High Winds

Amtrak Service Shut Down


Here at The Pavilion, the grounds are very wet. Fortunately that's the full extent of the storm's effects. Whew!

It's That Season Again

The weather 'experts' are prognosticating yet another terrible wind storm; one which supposedly could rival some of the worst wind storms of the past. As I write this, there are actually two individual, predicted tempests that could wreak havoc; almost certainly along the Oregon coast and quite possibly all the way into the Willamette Valley. The first one is expected to arrive some time this morning (Sunday, December 2nd) and the next one later this evening, possibly stronger than today's and going into tomorrow morning (Monday, December 3rd.) Most long-time area residents know to consider these over-hyped predictions of late with appropriate skepticism.. but we also know that the Pacific Northwest is capable of producing some memorable weather events once in a while. As I write this, local conditions are still mellow. Calm as can be for that matter. We'll see what happens -or not.

Happy Thanksgiving 2007

Giving Thanks. -At least before the mass hysteria which these days passes for Christmas sets in..

Happy Halloween and/or Samhain!!

The truly scary thing is how fast this year went by..

Still-Frames of Autumn

I wanted to present some images of autumn at The Pavilion, for my cousin D.T. who is currently located in a harsh place. I could never fully know what his present environment entails, but hopefully I can share with him here, a peaceful visual of his home that awaits him. Dealing with the fallen leaves and Ponderosa needles each year can be a slight bitch, but God knows it's an easy responsibility compared to what so many others have to shoulder.

Fall arrives at The Pavilion:























































































Yep, R.H. had another successful hunt. I just
don't care for the way it stares back at me.

Summer of '07 Round-Up

Offered here for your viewing pleasure are a few images (and comments) depicting thus far, some events from summer of 2007 at and around The Pavilion...

A memorable sunset over Nehalem Bay

A frisky deer at Nehalem Bay State Park

The Big Clean-Up and some other stuff

As indicated in previous posts, The Pavilion requires no small amount of yard maintenance on a yearly basis. In early July, R.H. and I along with the help of his old friend Rad, took on the task of gathering and hauling three truck-loads worth of plant debris that had accumulated beneath one of the trees in the back yard, along with various odds and ends from other foliage in different locations. The following is a "before & after" visualization of that little project...

Quite a difference eh?

Moments following the end of July 4th festivities, as seen from Milwaukie

What cats do when it gets hot. They take long siestas

Five Years Later

Five years ago yesterday, June 9th, 2002, my dad succumbed to complications related to Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes it actually seems like his passing happened much longer ago, while so often it still feels so recent. -I've come to accept that as a natural mechanism of the heart.

This post is in honor of him; a brilliant, inspirational, hardworking guy who really loved his family. Although my dad and I had a few "disagreements" (wow, amazingly, most of which occurred during my teens and early 20's) he retained a positive outlook for humanity and myself, the son who during those years must have appeared determined to aggravate him in every conceivable way. It's been said that my dad, as a technical engineer had more patience dealing with the predictability of blueprints and machinery than people. That may have been true to some extent but he really did like people. As for his patience, I'm going to relate one of my favorite stories about him...

When I was seven years old, I got one of those AMT model kits of The USS Star Ship Enterprise. It was a very advanced model for a second grader to attempt building. The kit contained lots of small parts and decals that had to be carefully applied. With my dad's expert help, the project took several days but damn, that was such a cool model when it was completed! (My dad had the steady hands of a brain surgeon when it came to model building.) I couldn't wait to show The USS Enterprise off to my friends in the neighborhood. I brought it over to a friend's house, a dweeb named Peter. After taking turns "whooshing" it around his backyard for a bit, we set the model down on a small patio table and went inside to grab some Kool-Aid or whatever.. We ambled back out onto their deck, just in time to see Peter's youngest brother Bradley, (in all fairness, not much older than a toddler) clutching The USS Enterprise in one of his snot encrusted little hands. He let out a shrill noise and hurled it into space. I watched in total horror as THE USS ENTERPRISE smashed into the wooden planks of Peter's outdoor deck and exploded into what looked like a ba-jillion pieces. I vaguely recall combing the deck for sections and fragments, finding plastic parts that were broken/separated in places they weren't meant to be. I knew it was bad. I definitely remember walking home with angry tears in my eyes, carrying THE USS ENTERPRISE in a PAPER BAG! The debris was jangling together like Lego pieces.. Luckily for me, (and The Enterprise Crew) my dad was an "Original Trekker" and he didn't gave me a hard time about the accident. He was up to the seemingly impossible challenge of engineering the repairs. Fortunately the "saucer section" was still mostly intact, but the "deflector dish" and "nacelle struts" had suffered major structural failures. (Cracked plastic.) Dad explained that we could save The Enterprise but due to those cracks it might take "some head scratching." He devised an elaborate structure comprised of little beams and C-clamps that held the ship together while the repairs commenced and the glue dried. It was basically a tiny dry-dock on the dining table! There were a couple of small, plastic braces that were shattered beyond repair but they were located inside of the model, so tiny wooden replacements were hand-fashioned and worked just as well, if not better. Thanks to my dad, the USS Enterprise flew again for some time, safely dangling from a fishing line in my bedroom, alongside the airplane models I later built all by my 'ownself ..

Hey, it was either this story or the one about fixing a crow's broken wing.. or rebuilding a dead carburetor on a ' 69 Toyota, Corona.. or repairing a vintage, Fender Champ .. etc... etc... etc.

Dad, you are loved and missed as ever...

1955

Gratulerer med Syttende Mai!

(Happy Birthday Norway!)

On May 17th in 1814, Norway declared itself an independent nation.
In a historical twist of fate, the Second World War ended in Norway just nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. As a 2nd generation Norwegian, I've always enjoyed celebrating this date. My parents first met each other at the local Sons Of Norway, Norse Hall; (a fortunate happenstance from my perspective.) Norse Hall remains as much a local, cultural fixture as ever and has enjoyed new popularity in recent years. From the outside, the old building looks like it always did, well kept and sturdy, but the lodge now hosts a library, with computer stations and an informative website. The ballroom is very well maintained and the "Oslo Lounge" is a friendly, well-lit establishment, were one can purchase a "Horny Viking" cocktail or a pint of "Erik the Red" beer to wash down an ice-cold shot of "Akvavit." The lodge also offers dance lessons and rents out to conventions, weddings and other special events. For me, every time I come back to Norse Hall is a bit of time travel experience. I still recall those huge New Years Eve parties and of course folk-dancing in the Children's Leikaringen. As a typical guy with two left feet, I have no idea how I ever pulled that off as a kid. Some of those Norwegian folk-dances are quite intricate!

This year for Syttende Mai, it was cool to see such a great turn-out. I brought my friend Chris with me. Even though he's only Swedish, he still enjoyed himself! ;-) The weather couldn't have been better; not too hot or cold. Along with the parade was an assembly of Norwegian "Fjord Horses" and Portland Police. The former was magnificent. The latter group looked a bit restless and bored; understandably.
However, it was nice to see the Local Police assisting the community in this way. They were friendly and professional.

Chris and I first visited the downstairs area, where the "authentic" norse food was being served. By the way, there was NO lutefisk offered on the menu. We both ordered a couple of "varme pølse" (tasty Norwegian hotdogs) before heading back upstairs to check out the parade and hang out in the "Olso Lounge." While there, I had the fortune of catching up with my Norsk language instructor, Mr Tom Bernie, from PSU and meeting some other nice folks, including Vidar, the official Norse Hall web master, who assisted in obtaining some pictures of a beautiful, (Swedish Bunad) ...Tusen takk, Vidar!! ;-)

Beyond this ramble, I'll let the pictures tell some of the rest...

Please click here for MORE PICTURES

The Big Lebowski...

...Is one of my favorite, modern cult/comedy films. A one night only, big-screen presentation took place last Friday night at the McMenamins Bagdad Theater. The film was scheduled to start at 11:00 PM but was delayed to midnight due to the line of movie-goers that stretched down the street and well around the block from the popular brew-pub/theater. My buddy Chris arrived dressed in a bath robe, as did many other patrons. (The theater offered free admission for anyone honoring "The Dude" by wearing a bath robe.) Even though Chris and I were in line by 10:00 PM, we were among those who were standing around the corner. We doubted if we'd even get in to see the film when the line finally began shuffling forward. Luckily the historical Bagdad Theater is a good sized place so we were able to find seats in the balcony. The various McMenamins establishments with movie theaters are unique in that they sell alcoholic beverages to legal ages patrons. One can sit back and sip a beer, a cocktail, glass of wine (and/or munch on pizza) while viewing a movie. -A cool concept for a public venue! Unfortunately for the drinkers that night, the line to the bar was formidable to say the least. Lebowski fanatics craved pitchers of their favorite McMenamins brew -or- "White Russians," the iconic beverage consumed by "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges) throughout the film. Chris and I wisely chose to forgo the booze line during the movie, as we'd have missed most of it otherwise. The audience was rowdy, constantly hooting and hollering through the movie; interacting with their favorite Lebowski dialogues, similar to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" experience. Despite the ruckus and not being able to obtain a beer, all in all it was cool to see this film on the big screen. The beers were later addressed after we left The Bagdad. Chris and I wandered into another establishment right before last call. His nappy bath robe garnered a few bemused stares up until some other similarly dressed Bagdad patrons showed up and explained the background story. I'm confident this was one of the experiences that D.T. would have enjoyed. (Next year, Man!)

Flora & Fauna Part ll

At this time of year at The Pavilion, the annual battle with the foliage commences. Every chlorophyll based life-form explodes into action, determined to engulf the property. The advancing growth is so rapid, it is noticeable on a daily basis. Seemingly if one stands still long enough, listening closely, you can hear the stealthy creeping of bamboo, ivy and blackberry vines among the other numerous invaders.
Armed with the usual weapons, lawnmower, pruners, clippers etc, R.H. and I combine forces against the green enemy. As always, the sweaty skirmishes end in temporary stalemates with both sides regrouping for the next engagements. There are no true winners or losers, yet in the midst of this leafy blitzkrieg, there is beauty on the battlefield...

Flora & Fauna Part l

Some of those who have visited The Pavilion have caught glimpses of the family of raccoons who reside on/around the property.
They congregate up in the trees, as was further verified by D.T. when he discovered their "scatological leavings" a hundred feet up in one of the pines. (One might rightfully wonder why D.T. was scaling the pine tree but that's a story for another post.) Nocturnal by nature, these critters are shy but curious. The younger ones tend to be more active and visible than their elders. Last week I was working late into the early morning hours when I heard the familiar racket of young raccoon siblings bickering outside the window of the home office. To someone who has never heard this before, the sounds are a bit startling; high-pitched squeals and chatters like they're disemboweling each other and fighting over the entrails. Apparently this a harmless, adolescent ritual. (Like mosh pit antics.) Hoping to catch a sight of them, I slipped outside with the digital camera. The sun was just coming up and I spotted three kits up in the tree near the window.
They noticed me right away but allowed me to approach them within just a few feet. Evidently the curiosity went both ways.




The ornithology family also contributes to the bio-diversity of The Pavilion. A couple of these birds have taken up local residence over the last few years. I first heard and spotted one pecking away on tree trunks and even tapping on the aluminum hood of a street lamp! Although they move fast, they really stand out from the usual assembly of crows, jays and robins. After taking this shot, I finally identified the breed on the web as the Northern Flicker.

A Loving Dedication to my Cousin, Paul Jr

I'll never forget that night at the 'old house' on Fremont Street, during the time our families got together. It is my first clear memory of you, being I was just a small kid then. The city light pollution wasn't what it is today so you were able to point out to me, the Milky Way formation and giving names to other wonders in the night sky. We sat on the swing set; a kid intently listening to his older cousin talking about the stars the planets, and the guys who had (then) recently walked on the moon. Over the following years we barely got to spend much time together but you most assuredly left an indelible imprint on my spirit and imagination.

Ad Astra, Cousin Paul ...and thank you.


**To see a great tribute video of Paul, put together by his friends and colleagues, please click H E R E

A Job Well Done... Kinda' Sorta'

Late last week, the new fence along the Northern boundary of The Pavilion was completed! Gaze upon the craftsmanship. Try to imagine if you will, the sense of excitement. Not quite feeling it? Maybe it's the uneven height of the posts and the cross beams? Oh well, for now it beats what it replaced -and most importantly this marvel of woodwork was assembled at no expense to The Pavilion. Maybe it's just me but it seems like $3,000 + for such a short section of basic fencing should have included little hand-carved gargoyles or something... Or at least level posts and beams. Then again, I'm no Bob Vila. ;-)

Patching Up The Borders

The old fence which had finally succumbed to last winter's howling winds is being replaced, courtesy of the guy next door -and a jurisdictional technicality. The fence had originally been constructed on the neighbor's side of the property line; a fortunate arrangement for The Pavilion considering the "three large" that the neighbor dude is cheerfully shelling out for the replacement. It was only last week he'd mentioned to R.H. that he was going to commence with the project, so I was surprised to look out the window two days ago to see this unusual view:


As of today, the contractors are coming along with it pretty well:



It seems ridiculous that a building permit is required just for a fence. Gotta' love the bureaucracy.

Updates to follow.....