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| One has not done Portland until one tries at least one Voodoo doughnut. There's even a Voodoo Doughnut truck, kind of like an ice cream truck, that makes the rounds. |
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| So may choices! |
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| Okay, if you're going to devour a doughnut, it might as well be one slathered in Oreo cookies! Not pictured is the doughnut covered in M&Ms. |
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| Right in downtown Portland is Director Park, a delightful place to hang out, read in the sunshine (at least on this day), catch lunch at the outdoor cafe, play in the fountain . . . . |
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| Trains are Otis' very favorite thing in the world. Thomas the Tank Engine and Percy (another engine) traveled everywhere with us. We took the light rail into downtown Portland for a day at the library and Director Park. |
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| Fox's first train ride: Thursday, September 1, 2011. She was quite a hit with the band members sitting across the way. One passenger wondered why they don't make striped jammies with feet for grownups too. |
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| Otis loved getting behind the wheel of the rental car. |
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| But I should have checked that everything was off when we got out! Turns out the lights were left on. Luckily, LaWanda had jumper cables. |
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| Otis and I spent Monday afternoon at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. He was fascinated by the ball hovering above a stream of air. |
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| One of the first things I did in Portland was go with Skyler to Angel Ink in Oregon City to watch him touch up a tattoo he'd done a few weeks before. I'd never seen him tattoo anyone before. This client wanted a medicine wheel in honor of her Native American heritage. |
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| Jade started crawling at about 4 1/2 months. Here, she's after a rattle Anjanette made for her from a bread bag with seeds inside. |
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| Emma celebrated with Austin friends Katy, Sara, Lily, Marissa, and Hannah at JumpStreet on Saturday, August 20. She ordered a chocolate cake with her favorite orange and yellow trim, a tribute to her favorite Pokemon, Flareon, and a plain top so she and friends could decorate as they chose. |
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| Emma started off with a Pokemon (Umbrion, I think: check Bulbapedia for the exact name). Here, Lily and Marissa add their personal touches to Emma's cake. |
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| Ta-da! |
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| Emma, Hannah, and Lily tug tubes to the top of the ski slope. |
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| Emma and Marissa |
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| Emma and Marissa |
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| The drought has caused the ground to shift, breaking our neighbor's gas pipe. Long story short, our gas pipe had to be replaced too. The crew dug a hole at the edge of the yard, detached the pipe from the meter next to the house, pulled the old pipe through the hole, then fed new pipe along the path left by the old pipe. They took out our 1947 gas meter; we now have a newfangled 21st century electronic meter. They came inside to relight the stove and water heater. I'm impressed that they could do all the repair work without digging a trench across the yard. |
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| We met Al, Joyce, and Emma in Georgetown Tuesday, August 16, and Emma came home with us for a few days. She agreed to help pick tomatoes, but only if she could put socks on her hands. As you might have guessed, she doesn't like tomatoes. |
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| Before Emma's visit, Papa Tom and I only knew how to use the iPod Touch as a stopwatch for jogging and could listen to the music that Amon so kindly downloaded for us. Thanks to Emma, we now know how to connect to WiFi, take photos and videos, download games, etc. |
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| Emma composed and recorded songs while she was here |
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| We stopped by Dragon's Lair, of course, to check the Pokemon card selection |
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| Emma doesn't like watermelon: she LOVES watermelon. She found a good one at the farmer's market. |
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| So hot out! Who could resist a run through the fountain at the Triangle? I joined Emma. The bricks were scorching on the bare feet! |
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| Emma's friend Hannah and her parents came over for dinner Thursday nght |
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| Somehow, during Papa Tom's 60th birthday party, the other Papa (Bear) ended up on the roof (uh, Mya?). Luckily, Daddy was willing to balance on the railing and sweep Papa Bear into Mya's waiting arms. |
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| Hard to believe an iPod is all you need to reproduce the sound of the 60s. Back then, we needed the vinyl records, the turntable, the tuner/receiver, and the tall-as-me Altec Lansing speakers (in the background). |
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| River missed Papa's party, but we played with Mardi Gras beads on Sunday morning |
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| Getting ready to go to Chuy's for Sunday lunch |
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| Piano man! |
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| Sacrilege that Chuy's stapled all this vinyl to the wall, until Papa notice how scratched the records were. |
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| Kirk with Evelyn, mother of the birthday boy. Thanks, Evelyn! |
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| Brandy, Joseph, and Ryder look on as Papa reads from The Onion's Our Dumb World Atlas given to him by Joseph. |
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| Tom's niece Beka and husband Scott took time away from their yoga studio to fly in from Chicago to celebrate. |
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| Tom's niece Sarah and husband Kirk |
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| My friend Cheryl with Mya, who's chomping on a pepper from the garden |
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| Our Georgetown friends Jimmy and Sharon stopped by on their way to a March of Dimes fundraiser in San Antonio |
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| Ryder's friend Joseph and best man at Ryder and Brandy's wedding |
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| Tom's friend Roy, tossing Mya |
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| Mya worked up a sweat entertaining so many of us. She brought a moonflower in from the front yard. |
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| Tom, Joseph, and Roy say "Goodnight all!" |
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| Mya loved picking tomatoes, peppers, a honeydew melon, and peaches during her visit: August 4, 2011 |
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| Destry, Colton, and Camille playing Pac-Man at Bird's, waiting on Colton's haircut |
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| Donna giving Colton haircut advice |
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| Colton, Destry, and Camille at Barton Springs on Friday, August 5: soooo hot! |
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| Destry, Camille, Colton, and Donna waiting for Esther's Follies to start: Friday, August 5 |
