Running Path

A walk or bike ride in the early morning can be restorative. Since we've had rain the air is fresh. I think I have my pedometer set right for my stride now. I'll try it at 24" from heel to heel to see if that seems right. Yesterday we walked a mile going into town but the pedometer was not quite right on. Today is library day. I wonder how far I walk in the library.

Excuse me but-----

Did anyone actually listen to this man's speech to the UN general assembly? Who am I to say he gave an intelligent, thoughtful, good speech that rang true?

Big projects in town

For some time now the 5th Street Market and parking lot have been in process of what must be a very expensive remodel. I wonder how it will effect their business in the long run. A block or so down High Street three houses are being moved to make way for a new Whole Foods Store and a parking lot. Unfortunately, at this point Whole Foods is holding back as the cost for construction has risen. Attempts are continually being made to make Eugene upscale and it hasn't worked yet.

Voting Machines are a problem

A real problem. They can be easily hacked and a virus spread among other machines. Now who would want to do that? I am glad that in Oregon we have mail-in ballots. Here's a quote from Ben Tripp's blog:
"The evil electronic voting machines have been installed far and wide, although it has now been revealed that a mongoloid penguin could break into these devices, reverse any election result it wished, and be gone inside of four minutes, leaving nothing behind but a stolen election and the faint aroma of herring. Let us remember the apocryphal quote attributed to Joe 'Laughing Boy' Stalin: "It's not the people who vote that count, it's the people that count the votes". There are other problems, too. Gerrymandering has proceeded apace, sealing off entire slabs of the landscape from Democrats. Black people will find the nearest polling station is five hours from where they live (or used to live before the hurricane)."

Boat up the Rhone Valley

We are getting ready packing and preparing for October 6th when we will leave for Paris on Air France, then fly to Marsaille, visit Aix-en-Provence and then board a boat to travel to Arles, Avignon, etc. etc. I think it is either Arles or Avignon whose history goes back to 3000 years before Christ. At the end of our Elderhostel we have dinner in the Louve and a day in Paris. Our friend, Alice Cronin, will be on the trip with us. A few years ago we went with Alice and Frank to Spain. Frank has died since then. We are glad Alice can go this trip. She is an artist of great accomplishment and we plan to see many art galleries.

Morning view from our window

We had rain yesterday and there are clouds this morning. The building with the curved roof is our wonderful Eugene library. I volunteer on Thursday afternoon in the computer room. I love the diversity of people who use our library.

The lobby of the Hult Center

Linn and Angela waiting for the Mayor to speak.

A picture is a poem without words.

Surrounded

By art

Our Loved Ones

Lunch at Xenons

Rowan Huston

Our beautiful great grand-baby

The Parade

It was grand!

Our Slug Queen

Today is the parade for the Eugene Celebration beginning at 9:30 am. Our slug queen, Slugritha fatifa, will be pleased that it rained in the night. I got her photo at the Jacob's Gallery on Thursday. She is a great queen.

Art and the Artist

The reception for the artists whose work was jurored into the Mayor's Art Show was this afternoon. The lobby of the Hult Center was crowded with people. Awards were announced, the ribbon was cut for the opening of the Jacobs Gallery by the Mayor and people crowded in to see the art. I listened to some people looking at Linn's ink drawing exclaim how much they liked it. His work is original and shows the energy of the dancers. He had set a price on it of $50 and it sold before the exhibit opened. Several other people have ordered prints from him and they want to see more of his work. I'm sorry the photo doesn't do justice to the work. The gallery was crowded and I had to snap it quickly. Perhaps I can try again.

SAMEEG

This is the Saturday Morning Exercise and Eating Group in the 5th Street Market where they go for the eating and coffee phase of the gathering. This group exists thanks to Don England who formed it some years ago. They meet at an assigned running spot at 8:30 on Saturday mornings, run (or walk) for 20 minutes out and then 20 minutes back to the start, then convene for the social time.

We will miss this coming Saturday with them as it is the Eugene Celebration and we always go to the parade, an event so uniquely Eugene.

Along the bike path near Valley River Mall

Seeing pond turtles on a log and herons in this area gives one pause to stop and wonder. There are blue herons and sometimes the smaller green herons.

Waldo Lake

The hiking trail through the trees along the lake is level and pleasant. There were a few mesquitoes but they weren't a problem to us. We ate our lunch on a sandy beach.

Rob checks my blog

We dropped by Rob and Cheryl's on our way to Winco for groceries. I left Linn there to visit with Rob who is recovering nicely from his surgery while I picked up the various flavors of yogurt that Linn wanted and some other essentials. Cheryl gave us some vine ripened tomatoes that are wonderful. We are feasting on tomatoes in season as we don't like to get the cardboard-tasting replicas that come to the stores in winter.

The Mayor's Art Show

This isn't the picture Linn entered in the Mayor's Art Show but it is similar. I'll get a better picture once his artwork is hung in the Jacob's Gallery at the Hult Center. Sorry about the glare. Many people enter the competition but only a few are chosen. Linn's work has been chosen. It will be in the gallery beginning September 7th, ending October 26th.

The Mayor's Art Show is held along with the Eugene Celebration in September. This is a celebratory event happening next weekend. We especially enjoy the parade on Saturday Morning which is always typically 'Eugene.' Anyone who wants to can be in the parade. A Slug Queen is selected to reign.

Rock, Water, Sun and Shadow

'Beside me singing in the Wilderness,
Ah, Wilderness were paradise enow.'
-----Omar Khayyam

Whose boots are these?

Abandoned in an alley sans shoelaces. They still have some wear in them.