Day broke on Sherman street, and as our residents drank their coffee, they had to check their messages, their email, and update the GPS. The dogs seem to say that all this technology is ridiculous and that we just need to go for walks instead. The dogs are right. They usually are.
Our group split up into separate adventures today. I took some of the less glamorous duties. I got the car washed – it was beginning to smell awfully doggy even for people who like dogs – and I also got one of my dogs washed. Edie, who seems to enjoy smelling doggy, did not enjoy that.
John took Sherry and Giles out to explore Portland. They went on the Epicurean Tour of Portland. I did this a couple years ago and it’s a lot of fun. You have a small group of fellow tourists and a knowledgeable tour guide.
The guide takes you into a couple dozen food shops, bakeries, breweries and the like where they tell you about the food they prepare or sell, and you get to sample a bit. Here are some of the selections from the Pearl Bakery.
After this, John took them to that most famous of Portland institutions, Powell’s Books.
In the late afternoon, Bill, Ellen and Mike’s next-door neighbor, stopped by for a visit. He mentioned that there was a free concert this evening in Laurelhurst Park. It stuck Ellen and me as a great idea, and we planned a picnic. Bill came with us and brought along a fantastic rhubarb cake. As you can see, our friends from Louisiana had a great time. So did I.
The concert was offered by the Portland Festival Symphony. Although the concerts are free, they are quite professional. The players are all members of the Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera Orchestra, or other professional classical music groups.
The concert started a little late because of some light sprinkles. The program consisted of the Dvorak “New World” Symphony and the Hayden Symphony 104. It concluded with Hayden’s short “Toy Symphony”. The children were invited to come forward. They were given recorders and other musical instruments and their improvisations were incorporated into the piece. It was magically fun!
