Spray Paint Laws

In this county it's a big hassle to buy spray paint since the law changed last year. Merchants have to keep the stuff locked up, you have to show ID, they log everything into a notebook, including specifically what paint you buy.

Today I bought half a dozen cans at Shucks Auto Supply. While the guy was writing all my info down into their log book, I glanced at the birthdates of about 30 previous purchasers of spraypaint. There was one person who was 28 years old, but most of the people buying spray paint were my age or older. Birth years from 1945 to 1966, a couple in the '70s and then the one from 1980.

Rooftop in Hollywood

Rooftop in Hollywood
Originally uploaded by Paul Hehn

Late last night Iris, Maria and I walked over to the rooftop parking by the Hollywood Theater.

Mr. Showalter's 1955 Ford

Last year while we were in Medford Amy and I met a couple, Marjorie and Kirk, who live near the Eastwood Cemetery, where we go for walks. They have taken over a chunk of city property leading up to the cemetery and planted gobs of flowers -- a couple of very nice beds that extend probably 60 feet or more.

They also bought a burial plot and turned it into a flower bed (their yard is next to the cemetery).

This year they showed us that someone else had bought the plot next to theirs and put in a bench:



We also learned more of Kirk's hobby -- the restoration of vintage autos. For his high school reunion -- Class of '55 -- he restored a 1955 Ford. He showed it to us with pride. The next evening Amy and Cleo and I walked down there and said hello, and he ended up giving us a ride around the eastern side of town, around where the Holmes family used to live when I first met Amy.

He then gave us a ride back home, and Iris and the rest of the family, including the three Warren boys, got a chance to sit behind the wheel and pose for pictures. Here are a few:

Today's JUMBLE

Silverado

Lyle invited me along to see the inside of the old Silverado Club, most recently called Club Portland. For many years it was a bathhouse and bar and meeting place for men.

I took photos, which are in the Picasa gallery (linked from the title of this post). Here are a few:

Some Photos

In the front yard.


At Old Wives' Tale restaurant, after Iris's Promotion Ceremony from 8th grade.


Outside Memorial Coliseum the night of Andrea's graduation from Grant High.

Bcuz Iris is Cool

Scribbled at the Memorial Coliseum. I did the really clever, almost life-like part and Iris added the messy, nonsensical "punchline" that diminishes my artistic effort.

Junior Rose Parade in Black & White

Piano Moving

Last night, after watching Iris get congratulated at school for being an honor student, I helped my friends Adam and Jenny move a piano.

We didn't have to move it very far -- from a house not too far from mine, just a mile or two to Adam and Jenny's groovy bungalow up the hill. We had help from a friend of theirs (Andrew? Adam? Petruchio? Bernard? I can't remember), and it went pretty smoothly. At one point I got a quick pinch on the end of my finger, but I didn't think anything of it.

Later it got all bruiseful and began hurtilating a little bit. It looks worse than it feels, which is why I took a photo of it:

From Around the Yard

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Last Saturday Greg "Salsa" Boyce and I went out to the Tualatin River wildlife refuge, out by the U-Pull It auto wrecking place on 99W.

It turned out to be a sunny, warm morning by the time we were out of there. The place was nicer than I expected it to be. There's a walk that loops around it that goes through open fields and forest, with one viewing area overlooking the river. We didn't see a whole lot of bird life, but got good looks at Common Yellowthroats, Savannah Sparrows, Killdeer, Red-Winged Blackbirds and a rough-skinned newt, which sat still for a photo session.

There's no real easy -- traffic-free -- way to get out there from our house, unfortunately. But I will go again.

Here's Greg at the fancy-schmancy HQ building:


Welcome to Oregon! Hybrid vehicle drivers get to park closer -- you'd think they'd be willing to walk more, not less:


The Tualatin River:


Most of the place is open like this. There are some great trees there:


Here's newt:

Crazy Local TV

I could describe this fellow's cable access program, but I think this photo says it all:

Then and Now

Inspired by the gossip site TMZ, I created my own "Then and Now" feature:

Drift Creek Falls

For our anniversary last week we rented a house in Lincoln City. On Friday (9 May) we went up to Drift Creek Falls, where the foot suspension bridge overlooks the 75 foot waterfall. It was cool at first, but sunny and warm by the time we got to the bridge (twenty minutes). Lots of bird life, no people... very nice.

Don't Let the Car Fool You

Today I saw a car of some sort -- I tried to figure out what kind, but all I could grok was a newer model black sedan of some sort -- with a bumpersticker that said:

DON'T LET THE CAR FOOL YOU. MY TREASURE IS IN HEAVEN.



By the way the woman was driving, I'd say she was maybe eager to get that treasure.

The message gave me pause. In that WTF? way. I couldn't tell if it was some sort of commentary on the value of the car, since I don't know a lot about the value of cars or which ones are supposed to be status symbols to which constituency.

So I couldn't help thinking it was about the value of a human soul, which I'm now led to believe is greater than that of an average automobile.

Seems to me it would have been more helpful if the bumpersticker had said:

MY ETERNAL SOUL IS WORTH MORE THAN THIS CAR

But... I don't know. Is that overstating things?

Heh Heh

From a fan of The Incredible Hulk (and not, apparently, a fan of Edward Norton).

Back Yard Birds

We were away for the weekend (more about that later?) -- when we returned home the back yard had some unusual visitors: Wilson's Warblers and Black-headed Grosbeaks.