Hawthorne Street Fair and more, 2019

Dear Liza,

Portland summers are packed with activity! Because our winters are wet and cold, we tend to mostly stay inside from November to about March. But once summer comes, look out!

This past weekend, for example. It is the last weekend of the Oregon State Fair, which draws thousands of folks to Salem, and there were still thousands more in town for the Timbers Game.

On Saturday morning, Grandpa Nelson and Auntie Bridgett rode in the Portland Parkways neighborhood bike ride. This is the one that I did last year, over the bridges and into downtown, then back up the hill and home. Eight miles, with the last two being uphill! I stayed home to work on my story.

They were sure pooped when they got back!

But they rallied. After some water, food and rest, they were ready to head to the Hawthorne Street Fair. This is the second to last fair of the season, and is always full of interesting booths and people.

We saw some old friends, like the group for Voluntary Human Extinction, and some new folks, like The Juicery, who opened a new shop on Hawthorne and had a booth right out front to sample their juice goodness.

Auntie Bridgett found a new, water resistant bag from Portland Gear to use when the weather gets wet again, and Grandpa Nelson enjoyed some shave ice and Karmelcorn.

Auntie Bridgett and her new bag from Portland Gear

It was very warm and sunny, and we were always on the lookout for shade. But some folks seemed to seek out the sun, like young violinists and the talented musicians from Gaeasoul.

Walking home, we passed the HiLo Gallery, where we met sculptor Jim Gion a few years ago. Jim has passed away, and his family are selling some of his works. He loved to sculpt dog portraits! We enjoy his pride of lions at the zoo, and he puts the same love and detail into his dogs. It was nice to see them, as well as a few lucky humans.