I’m trying to limit the events I sign up for this year – mainly because they get spendy. But…

I am signed up for another RunDisney weekend later this year. (Woop, woop!) I can finish their races at the 16:00 pace. But, I like to dilly dally. I like to stop for photo ops. I like to look around. I’m not there for a PR. I’m there to run a good race, feel good when I complete it, and have fun. That being said, I prefer not to be assigned to the last corral. I want all the extra time I can get, so I don’t have the pressure to need to run my hardest.

I signed up for Race for the Roses 10K with the hopes to PR – so, I can submit the time to RunDisney with the hopes of it moving me out of the last corral.

PRE-RACE

The race started at the Convention Center. I loved that!

It was great having a warm(ish) place to be while waiting for my start time. More importantly, I got to use a real bathroom before the race began.

There was lots of swag you could grab, if you wanted it – champagne glasses, pins, tattoos, hand sanitizer.

THE START

I waited inside until about 10 minutes before the start. Awesome! The start line was literally right outside the huge door of the conference room.

THE RACE

The course took us past the Moda Center, over the Broadway Bridge, through the Pearl District, to Vaughn Street, and back. I enjoyed the route. I don’t often go to those areas of Portland. I’m pretty sure, though, that was not the route that was posted. Not sure what’s up with that.

THE FINISH

It’s always a great feeling to cross the finish line! I was greeted with a rose, medal, and water. So many thank you’s to the volunteers.

Did I PR? Yes. Yes, I did. It was a couple minutes faster than my previous PR, but also a couple minutes slower than what I was aiming for. Either way, I updated my 10K time with RunDisney.

DONE!

Back in the room at the Convention Center – mimosa’s, photo op, and a lovely assortment of food.

I would absolutely sign up for this event again. I can’t think of anything I did not like. It didn’t even rain!

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My first legit race of 2017 – the Shamrock Run in downtown Portland. In 2014, Farmer John & I ran the 5K. We had a great time, but I haven’t ran it again… until now. And, I upped my game. I ran/walked the hilly 15k.

FLAT JENNIFER

I bought a new shirt from Sparkle Athletic and a skirt from Sweet Spot Skirts for this event. I love them both. The tulle tutu was fun last time, but this outfit was so much better.

THE START

A friend from high school celebrated her 40th birthday the night before the Shamrock Run. I didn’t drink too much or stay up too late, but being downtown early still kinda sucked. The start time was 8:50 and I got there with plenty of time to tend to all the pre race things, like visit the port-a-potty. I forgot just how big the Shamrock Run is. I was surprised to see the crazy amount of people lined up for the 15k.

FIRST COUPLE MILES

The first section of this course was similar to the Portland Marathon I did in October. Start at the waterfront, run south on Naito to Barbur Blvd. This time I knew what to expect for this part of the event. It’s not real steep, but definitely at enough of an incline that you feel it.

I remember looking up on the hill at OHSU thinking that’s where we’re headed. Eek!

THE HILLY MILES

Once on Terwilliger Blvd it was up, up, up. It reminded me of the hill I run at home, except this was longer and not gravel.

The few glimpses of the Willamette River were awesome.

Bagpipes! Somehow that beautiful sound just makes you want to do your best. It’s very encouraging.

It was a welcome sight when I saw the loading dock of the tram at OHSU. I knew the worst of the hills were behind me.

THE END IS NEAR!

Down I ran. Then, through the tunnel I could see the Koin Tower. Woop, woop! Just a little bit further!

DONE!

I crossed the finish line strong and grabbed the water, thermal blanket and medal I was handed. I did it!

I had been training, but I hadn’t gone a 15k distance in a number of months. I was a little concerned about how I would do, especially with the hills. I came in under a 12:00 minute pace. I’m thrilled with that. It’s not fabulous, but it’s right where I should have been. Most importantly, I felt good at the end.

AFTER PARTY

It was a chilly day to be wearing a tank top. So, I was looking forward to the warm potato soup at the end. Not going to lie, I wasn’t impressed by the looks of the soup and was slightly disappointed. But, remember that saying don’t judge a book by it’s cover. This soup was delicious.

A friend of mine and her neighbor finished the 8k right around the time I finished by race. We hit the beer garden together. I’m not a fan of beer. But… it’s an Irish themed run and the sun was out and I enjoyed my run. So, I grabbed the free beer. We listened to the band and had a jolly time.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, friends!

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I have taken a step back on running this summer and have been concentrating instead on getting in at least 10,000 steps a day according to my fitbit. However, I signed up for my 2nd half marathon. Eek! My goal when I started running was to finish a half marathon. I’m ecstatic that I enjoyed that accomplishment enough to go for it again.

I signed up for another Run Disney event, which means I will be placed in a starting corral. Last time I was in corral D. I’m hoping to at least be in a similar corral since that worked well for me. To do so I need to submit a time from a 10k (or longer). So I signed up for a couple over the summer. The first one was the Red, White & Blues at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland.

SWAG

At packet pick up I received these goodies. I love that it came with a cherry pie for American spirit, but I’m a sucker for those pink and white animal crackers.

GETTING THERE

The event took place at the Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

THE RUN

The race started bright and early at 7:00. I didn’t appreciate my alarm that morning, but it was worth it to not run in the heat. We ran through Old Town, over the Morrison Bridge, through an industrial area and back over the Hawthorn Bridge to the finish line. The 5k was one lap, the 10k was two.

AND, DONE!

I could certainly tell I’ve been slacking on my running. But my real goal was to get a decent finish time, and I accomplished that. I know last year for the Tinker Bell Half, the time I submitted was somewhere around 12:30/mile. I was able to keep under a 12:00/mile pace for this run. I can’t complain.

AFTER PARTY

Crossing the finish line, I was handed a medal, a water and a flag. I also had tickets attached to my bib for a water or soda and beer or wine. I chose a Snapple Punch for my kids to try and wine. I drank the wine while watching the awards get handed out. I’m always amazed at how fast some people are.

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Keep Portland Weird has become the city’s slogan. Why we need to be weird, I don’t know. I appreciate weirdness when people step outside of the box to better themselves or community. But, weird, just to be weird, I don’t really get.

And wouldn’t ya know, near the Keep Portland Weird sign is Voodoo Doughnut. They are definitely a “weird”, but extremely popular doughnut shop.

Whoever thought of advertising underneath the slogan is a marketing genius.

Across SW 3rd from the Weird sign is Voodoo Doughnut.

The doughnut shop is located in the Skidmore/Old Town District of Portland. I think there is always a line to get your doughnuts.

The shop is small and there is always a wait. But, once you make it in the door there are many interesting decor items to hold your attention.

The menu includes many original doughnut flavors with names like Captain my Captain, Dirty Snowballs & Portland Cream.

The shop is cash only, so make sure to bring your paper money.

There is seating outside.
Notice the pink box on the first table. That’s the very recognizable pretty pink Voodoo Doughnut box.

Left: The Loop & The Dubble Bubble Doughnuts. Oh man, that bubble gum one is delicious. Way too sweet, but so good

Right: The front doughnut is what Voodoo is known for, the Bacon Maple Bar. I’ll be honest, I didn’t love it. The cold bacon just didn’t do anything for me and my taste buds. Although, I thought it would be good if I brought it home and heated it up just a tad. One day I will try that.

Well, there it is, a peek at our wildly popular doughnut shop.

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

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Powell’s Books is the largest new & used bookstore in the world. The Burnside location in downtown Portland is one entire city block. It’s huge with more & more rooms filled with books. It’s also slightly quirky, which fits in perfectly with Portland.

The entrance at Burnside & 10th

View of the 2nd story from the street.

Inside the Store

Rows & rows of books

The building is divided into rooms.

It seems as if staircases are everywhere leading to the various rooms.

Peeking out a 2nd story window. Of course there would be a Starbucks in view. Powell’s has their own coffee shop inside the store. There’s also a Peet’s Coffee right across the street on 11th. People around here are crazy about their coffee. Not me. Blech. Coffee. But, probably 99.9% of the rest of the population love coffee.

Throughout the bookshelves are mini categories and signage to appeal to your interests. I love Downton Abbey. I’m sure I would enjoy many of these books.

Another mini category: Whiskey. Interesting. I thought the only alcohol Portlanders cared about were micro brews & wine. Apparently I was wrong since Powell’s has this display. I’m not a fan of beer or wine, so I would take the whiskey option any day.

Sometimes a book’s cover draws you in.

I enjoy the signage on the end caps.
Am I the only one who thinks about how you get a job making these signs? I certainly can’t write the books, but I’d love to find cool ways to display them.
I also wonder this when I’m at museums. Coming up with creative ways to show off the history of an area, or an artist’s work seems like a job I would enjoy. I guess I missed my calling.

Souvenirs of all things Portland.
Bridges. We do have lots of bridges.
Biking. Oh boy, do we have lots of bikers.
Bigfoot. I haven’t seen him in our forest… yet…

Don’t forget to purchase your books on the way out.

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

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The kids & I love going to the Audubon Society. We enjoy seeing their education birds & exploring the trails.

Depending on the direction you’re coming from, you may drive through a cool tunnel like this one on Cornell Road. The sign says it was built in 1940.

Interpretive Center & Nature Store

One of our favorite things is watching the birds outside the windows at the bird feeders.

Farm Kid2 & I attended a book signing by author & illustrator Lisa C. Manning. The book is titled Falcons in the City and based on Peregrine Falcons, like this education bird Finnegan.

Interesting Trees

In between the Care Center and the Nature Store are two particular trees of interest.

Left: The Giant Sequoia is the largest tree in the world. I don’t know how this one compares to others, but it is huge.

Right: The Dawn Redwood is said to be a living fossil. Prior to the 1940’s the tree was only found in fossil form. In 2005 it became Oregon’s official state fossil.

Wildlife Care Center

One room of the Care Center is open to visitors and has birds & turtles to see.

Education Birds

Some of the education birds are inside, others are in outdoor homes.

Left: Aristophanes, the Raven

Bottom Right: Ruby, a turkey vulture

Trails

The Audubon Society is a 150 acre nature sanctuary with miles of trails to hike.

Left: Notice the English Ivy climbing the tree…
The setting for the book Wildwood takes place here in the urban forest that is part of the Audubon Society. In the story, Ivy is a villain. In truth, English Ivy is a huge problem. It climbs everywhere and threatens native trees and plant.

Right: Balch Creek, which is also mentioned in the Wildwood Chronicles.

More Trails

Across Cornell Road from the Care Center & Interpretive Center are more trails part of Audubon’s Sanctuaries.

Also, if you head east up Cornell just a short way you will reach the popular Wildwood Trail. Pittock Mansion is a 25 minute hike up the trail. Continuing on you will reach Washington Park, home to Hoyt Arboretum and the Oregon Zoo.

To see what others are sharing for the month of October check out write31days.com

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The Rose Parade, or more formally known as the Grand Floral Parade, is Portland’s largest Parade. It is held during the first part of June during Portland’s Rose Festival.

The Rose Festival has been a tradition for over 100 years & is still going strong. There are many activities taking place during the Festival, but the most popular is the Rose Parade.

WAITING FOR THE PARADE TO START

The parade is such a big event that we arrive a few hours early to get a decent spot. We get up early, hurry to get downtown, then wait. And wait some more. Luckily, there is enough entertainment around that we don’t get too bored.

If you go to the parade with friends or family, you can trade off saving your spot and walking around. One year we walked to Pioneer Square to see the tattoo created from flowers for Festival of Flowers. It was amazing.

Top: Lots of vendors walk by before the parade. I don’t ever buy anything, but it’s fun to see what they’re selling.
Bottom Left: The Grand Floral Walk follows the parade route.
Bottom Right: Police make their rounds & hand out stickers.

THE PARADE

Floats
made from thousands of flowers and other natural materials. They are fantastic!

Rose Festival Court
Girls from Portland area high schools

The Royal Rosarians
Portland’s Official Greeters & Ambassadors of Goodwill

Horses with Pretty Girls

After the horses, come the Pooper Scoopers
It’s always amusing to see the names they come up with. This one is Pooplandia, a spoof on Portlandia.

Clowns

College Spirit

Military

Celebrating Cultures
These groups of people always look and entertain fabulously.

And More

Clean Up
Right after the parade ends, and I mean right after, the street sweepers come through. You have about 30 seconds to get out of their way.

AFTER THE PARADE

Downtown Portland is a busy place with a lot going on the day of the parade. Sometimes we go home right after the parade. Sometimes we take advantage of being in the city and explore.

Top: City Fair is a carnival at the waterfront.
Middle Left: Playing in the Salmon Street Springs fountain at Waterfront Park is fun.

Middle Right: Watch the Dragon Boat Races.
Bottom Left: See the parade floats up close.
Bottom Right: Enjoy the views from the Willamette River.

If you’re in the Portland area in June, this parade is a must see.

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To go along with our unit on Native Americans, I took the kids to the Portland Art Museum to see their Native American collection. We saw a variety of art. Some work was modern & used as decoration, some work was once used in celebrations, & some work was used in everyday life. I was surprised & impressed with all the different styles.

We went to the Art Museum on a day there was a public tour of the Native American art. The woman in the photo below was our docent & was great at asking the kids questions. The tour was about an hour. The first 30-45 minutes the kids were really engaged, then I think the talking got to be too much & they started getting antsy. I’m happy knowing they did learn at least a little bit because occasionally they will mention something the woman told us.

After Boarding School: In Mourning
Kaila Farrell-Smith. 2011. Oil paint & pastel on canvas.
This painting tells a story I never knew. My kids were saddened by it, as well. I never knew that well into the 20th century Native American children were taken from their homes to go to school. They were taught the ways of the Euro-Americans. They were forced to cut their hair & not speak their native language.

Anthropomorphic Figure
unknown Columbia River artist. Before 1750. Basalt.

Honoring the Family
Family items made by Native Americans in the Columbia Plateau

 Elk Tooth Dress
unknown Crow artist. ca 1890. Wool cloth, elk teeth, bone, and glass beads.

Girl’s Dress
unknown Cheyenne artist. ca 1890. Leather, glass beads, and paint.

Dress
unknown Blackfeet artist. ca 1890. Leather, glass beads, and wool cloth.

Cradle
unknown Kiowa artist. ca 1890. Wood, metal, leather, cotton cloth, glass beads, gourd, and hair.

A dried gourd on the cradle was baby’s rattle.

Woman’s Boots
unknown Kiowa artist. ca 1890. Leather, rawhide, paint, glass beads, metal tacks.

Moccasins
unknown Plains artist. ca 1890/1900. Leather, rawhide, cotton cloth binding, porcupine quills, glass beads, metal cones, and dyed horsehair.

Celebrating the Horse
Work of the Plateau Indians

Singing Maidens
Allan Houser. 1979. Tennessee marble.

Duck Pipe
Glenn LaFontaine. ca 1975. Clay and acrylic paint.

Basket
unknown Cahuilla artist. ca 1920. Sumac and juncus.

Because of the cold weather in Alaska, these Native Americans had fewer colors & materials available for their work. To be honest, these items were not my favorite, but I did appreciate them.

Mask
unknown Yup’ik artist. ca 1900. Wood, feathers, paint, and sinew

 Killer Whale Mask
unknown Kwakwaka’wakw artist. ca 1900. Wood, paint, cloth, and string.

Wolf Forehead Mask
Tlingit. ca 1880. Wood, hair, copper, opercula shells, cloth, paint.

Raven to Sun Transformation Mask
Kwakwaka’wakw Tribe.

Dzunuk’wa Feast Dish
unknown Kwakwaka’wakw artist. ca 1900. Cedar and paint

When we first saw this, we were in awe. It’s huge. We didn’t know what it was. We thought maybe some kind of canoe or maybe a casket. Turns out it is to serve food. The Native Americans would use it to serve meals at large celebrations.

In this area of the museum we learned about the Pacific NW Native American art style, including the ovoid. It is definitely a shape & style I recognized, I just didn’t know it had a name or was so significant. An ovoid is a rounded rectangular shape. It is used to create things such as eyes, bodies, wings, fins, & can even be used just to fill up space. The ovoid shape is used many times in this feasting dish.

The Sculptor and the King
George de Forest Brush. 1888. Oil on wood panel.

Cheyenne Encampment
Ralph Blakelock. ca 1873. Oil on canvas.

Figurative Mola
unknown San Blas artist. ca 1940. Cotton.

Magpie, Guy, Wolf & Flat Screen
Joe Feddersen. 2012. Fused glass.

I am always surprised when modern or contemporary art grabs my attention & I like it, a lot. That’s not usually the type of art I tend to like. But this I really enjoyed. And, so did my kids. The artist is of Native American heritage & is a member of the The Confederated Tribes of The Colville Reservation. He combines his heritage with modern items, such as a tv, in his artwork. He is a basket maker & these fused glass pieces are a new way to create that weaving pattern. Now the kids & I want to take a fused glass class.

I am so thankful for all the great museums & places to visit within driving distance from our home.

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Yesterday I ran my first 5k event of 2014: The Shamrock Run in Portland.

It is a big event with over 30,000 runners & walkers. As well as the 5k, there is also an 8k, 15k & kid’s run.

I don’t have a constant running partner & sometimes I run solo. But this time I talked my hubby into running with me. This is as close to a date as we get. We’re not great running partners since I am much slower than him. But, he stayed back with me the entire run.

FITNESS FAIR

Picking up our bibs & shirts was an event in itself. This was no ordinary packet pick up. It was a Fitness Fair held at the Oregon Convention Center. I had my kids with me & they thought it was fabulous. There were lots of vendors handing out freebies & plenty of things to purchase.

I got in the women’s XL line to pick up my shirt. The guys handing out the shirts said they ran a little small. And right away when I received the shirt my first thought was no way was it going to fit. I admit I was kind of bummed. Not so much because I couldn’t fit into what they were calling an XL, but because that was their largest female size & if I didn’t get it I’d have to get the men’s unflattering shirt. Not a big deal. But, kind of a bummer. Before trading mine for a men’s shirt, though, I stepped off to the side & pulled the shirt on over the regular shirt I was wearing. It was definitely way tighter than anything I typically wear. I always wear the non-form fitting, unflattering shirts. Mr. T right away said in such a sweet voice, “Mom, you look so skinny.” I have not heard my name in the same sentence as skinny in years. I kept the women’s XL shirt.

WAITING TO START

We waited in line for about an hour. At other races I’ve gotten extremely bored waiting. This time it actually went by fairly quickly. Announcers, music & dancers kept us entertained while waiting for our start time of 9:20am.

Top Left: Photo bombed by a leprechaun
Top Right: Selfie of my bottom half while waiting to start the run.
Bottom: 5Kers waiting to start

WE FINISHED!

I didn’t take many pics along the way because I ran most of it. I get a better time & feel better along the way if I run at a faster pace & walk a bit when I get tired than if I run a slightly slower pace & try to run the entire thing. This run was no different. I walked a little & ran most. I ended up getting a personal record. Woo hoo!

I play such weird mind games with myself. As I was running & breathing hard, I felt tired & wondered how in the world am I ever going to meet my goal of finishing a half marathon. Then when it was over, I thought that wasn’t so bad.

Top Left: I was tired at the end. But, since I was able to smile for this pic just after crossing the finish line tells me I’m getting better at this running thing. There is no way I was smiling at the end of the first few 5k’s I ran.
Top Right: Stanford’s served salmon chowder to the runners/walkers. It was only a tiny cup, but was the perfect amount. It was really good, but I’m not sure I could have eaten much more than that after running. Beer was also served, but we skipped that. Not that I’m against alcohol, I just don’t like beer.
Middle Right: After running & eating the chowder we walked along the waterfront to old town.
Bottom Right: We lucked out with the weather. It was raining at our house when we left & I was afraid we’d have a wet run. But, it only drizzled on us a little.
Left Bottom: Portland has a great Saturday Market with many vendors & lots of food. It was lunch time & we were hungry. I had a Philly cheese steak with onions & peppers. That is not something I ever order. The only other time I’ve had a Philly cheese steak was in Philadelphia at a place called Chubby’s. But, that’s what sounded good & it was delicious.

I’d call the day a success.
There was very little rain. The whole event seemed well organized. I spent time with my hubby – kid free. We both finished the race. I beat my goal of 40:00 & ran a PR at 39:26. Back in August, I ran a 5k in 45:00 & was so happy. 7 months later, I ran it 5 minutes faster! I also felt better after this race than the one in August.

After such a good day, I need to  sign up for a bunch of summer 5k’s while I’m motivated.

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As part of our Amazon Rainforest study we visited the Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit at the Oregon Zoo. This is a section we don’t generally spend a lot of time exploring. So, this was a great excuse to look a little closer. I had Farm Kid1 answer a few questions such as Which animal is the most colorful? Why? Which animal is the hardest to find? Why? Can you find all the colors of the rainbow in this exhibit? Farm Kid2 had a piece of paper & a few crayons. He drew the animals.

I’m not sure about you, but I never realized how high the waters get in the Amazon. I guess I never thought about it. The seasons in the Amazon are marked by the rain. During the rainy season the Amazon basin will flood, the waters getting extremely high. Eventually the water will recede showing off the forest floor. Some how the plants & animals have figured out how to adapt to these changes every year.

RED-HANDED TAMARIN
Emerald tree boa in the background. It appears as though these two are in the same area, but really they are separated by glass.

EMERALD TREE BOA

GREEN ANACONDA

PACU
Also in the exhibit are big fish called pacu. We learned that pacu in the wild eat the fruit from trees when the water is high, then poop out the seeds. When the water level recedes the seeds grow into new trees. These fish are an important part of the system.

DWARF CAIMAN
Not exactly the prettiest set of teeth.

ARRAU TURTLE
They are an endangered species.

We spent a good 45 minutes examining this small, but educational, exhibit. We all left with a better understanding of the rainforest.

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