Megaband 2010

My folks visited me this weekend and helped me out with various projects around the house. But I think the real reason they came to Portland was to go Contra Dancing at the Megaband Dance. :)

Here is good description of Contra Dancing.

"A dancer and his or her partner dance a series of figures, or moves, with each other and with another couple for a short time. They then repeat the same figures with another couple, and so on. The figures are similar to those of old-time square dancing. The figures are combined in different ways for each different dance."

Imagine sharing this experience with 550 dancers. To add to the experience there is live music thanks to a band of 70 musicians. Put all of this together and you have the Megaband. During the course of the evening I danced with women from Seattle to Corvallis. The dancing was fun and invigorating, the music was a treat.

In 2005 Oregon Public Broadcasting's show Oregon Art Beat televised a story on the Megaband. It showed the band rehearsing and then ended with some shots of dancers twirling around at the dance. Only recently did I learn that I was one of the dancers filmed in that episode. You can find the link to that episode here.

Winter Daphine

The garden bed by my front door is dominated by a Winter Daphne. In late winter it has an aroma that will stop you in your tracks. In April 2008 my mother and I transplanted it from the pot into the garden bed, feeling it would thrive planted directly into the soil. The move must have shocked the plant, because its sweet fragrance was absent the next winter. For a year I waited and crossed my fingers.

Well this year the Daphne is back. I have been enjoying the aroma for the past couple of weeks. Often it catches me off guard, when I least expect it.

In addition the daffodils and bleeding hearts have bloomed and the tuplips are on their way. Spring is just around the corner....

Teacup Lake

We were quite concerned as we drove to the cross country ski trails at Mt Hood's Teacup Lake. Passing through nearby Government Camp we saw very little snow on the ground. Thankfully conditions were better at our destination. The sky was blue, the snow was not too fast, and the crowds were light. Perhaps everyone had hear about the lousy snow conditions this year and forgotten about the ski trails.

This was my first time skiing for the year. I had signed up for the Mazamas Nordic class in January, but missed all sessions due to illness. Until last November, it had been more than a decade since I had clipped into a pair of XC skis. I was delighted how fast all the skills that I had learned as a boy came back to me. As I fell into a steady rhythm and glided along I savored every moment.

Elevator Shaft

Now, how could you not like a hike called the Elevator Shaft? True, it does not have near the elevation gain as Mailbox Peak near Snoqualmie Pass, but this unmaintained trail in the Columbia River Gorge is sporty. The trail, if you would call it that, makes it way up a talus field, often disappearing.

Along the way my trusty companions and I stopped by the Trails Club of Oregon's lodge. As we passed by the door opened and we were welcomed inside and give a short tour.

It has been four years since I've hiked here. Since I plan on leading this hike in April, I wanted to scout it out, as the maze of trails up above can be confusing. Thankfully we were able to navigate past the Christmas Tree Ornaments (I kid you not) and find out way back to the main trail, which passes by Multnomah Falls. It was good to see the crowds out to see this popular Oregon attraction on such a brilliant day.

Disc Golf

This weekend I dusted off my discs and headed to North Portland's Pier Park for a round of disc golf. It has been months since I last tossed my drivers and putters about as disc golf usually gets second fiddle to my other hobbies. Since I was looking for a mellow outdoor activity this sunny weekend, disc golf seemed like the logical choice.

I am fortunate to have an 18 hole course just over a mile from my front door. Even better was that my friend Len came over to join me for the afternoon. Thankfully my extended absence did not impact the quality of my play most of the time. And once again I was reminded how much I enjoy watching the disc gracefully arc through the air. It is even better when it avoids tree trunks and branches. The only drawback was that most of the course was shaded by the trees, so we did not get as much sun time as I would have liked.

Can you fool Mother Nature?

It is only the end of January and the daffodills are starting to sprout out of the ground. It has been a warm month.


In addition the Lilac has been growing buds.

It is exciting to see the new growth, but I'm a little nervous about the early arrivals as well.

New Years Ride

The New Year started out with a classic Northwest sucker hole. It was sunny when I opened the window blinds, just the perfect ruse to lure me outside. Soon the skies had turned gray and I heard the patter of rain on the skylights. I was lucky as the worst had fallen before I departed for a New Years Ride sponsored by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).

Nearly 70 cyclyists gathered under the west side of the Morrison Bridge for this leisurely 14 mile ride. The BTA puts this ride on annually to highlight some of the improvements made to bicycle infrastructure during the past year. We paused to note the disappearance of an unnecessary Stop Sign near OMSI. In the Sellwood area we cruised along SE Spokane street, the newest Bicycle Boulevard with its 'channelizing islands'. We also crossed the Sellwood Bridge and our guide explained the issues regarding the replacement of that bridge.

But there was much more to see than infrastructure for we also got a taste of Portland bike culture. We stopped at the Zoobomber Pyle, a sculpture that also serves as bike storage for those who blaze down the West Hills on kiddie bikes. And little did I expect that I would be carrying my trusty bike into a church sanctuary. Inside St. Stephens Episcopal Church we learned about their shrine to Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron saint of bicyclists. Our trip ended at the PSU Bicycle Cooperative, were we warmed up on cookies and hot drinks.

As I biked home I could not how empty the streets were. It must have been a combination of the New Years Holiday, rainy weather, and the Rose Bowl game. My rain gear may have been soaked, but I was warm and happy to be out and about.

Bikeportland.org posted an article on the ride that included some photos. You can get there by this link.