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.