As somebody who commuted six miles daily on a one-speed cruiser Frankenstein for several years (before I gave it away, I had changed every part, including the frame, except for the front wheel), I can much better handle the kind of clown who welds together some funky cool bikes than some other kinds of clowns I saw last weekend.

Plus it turns out we’ve got a zero degrees of separation going with some of these folks, so a big shout out to the creators and occupant of simply the best “float” in the St. Johns Parade, bar none.

I wish I had some better pictures of the bikes. Post links if you got ’em!

So there you have it… not all clowns are evil, people.

Clowns for Christ… I have not the words (but Lelo does).

Clowns on tall bikes…

Regular old clowns.

Next installment: the princesses. Here’s a sneak preview of my favorite, Princess Olivia.

The first installment of photos from the St. Johns parade: candidates walking their talk (or not).

Fritz walked.

Fish walked.

Bissonnette walked.

Branam walked, too (sorry, no picture). But what about Chris “Streetcar” Smith, the guy who wants to cut our carbon footprint in half by replicating the Pearl district on the east side?

Smith got a ride.

Say what?!?

Is that a Prius, Chris?

I don’t think so!

But it’s okay, he’s sharing the road with bikes. You can’t make this stuff up, folks!

The Mayor rode, but he hitched a ride with the convertible club. Plus, he’s a real dignitary.

The Mayor-in-Waiting, rode, too. It was good to see him looking so comfortable mixing it up with the regular folk. “Hi neighbor! Hi neighbor!” he called, trying really hard to smile. Or at least not grimace.

Next installment: Clowns for Christ. I’m not kidding. What a great day for a parade!

April In Portland…

Blossoms

Showers…

Snow showers, that is. Then some sleet. Hail? Ice chunks of various sizes and shapes, hurtling out of the sky, at any rate.

Now it’s sunny.

Vessels lined up in berths 301-305 at Portland Shipyard, North Portland.
Update: The ship in the foreground above is the navy refueling tanker USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187).

View of Portland Shipyard from University of Portland, downtown Portland in background. Dry docks #1 (left) and #3 (far right, partially visible, with lifted vessel).

Something to do on a Sunday morning…

Bulk freighters anchored in the Columbia River, viewed from Kelley Point Park in North Portland.

Bulk freighter Global Endeavor loading grain at O Dock, Willamette River, North Portland.

Happy Easter, a holiday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of their Jewish savior by eating pork products and engaging in Pagan fertility symbology. I’m not Christian or Pagan, and I don’t eat meat, but I’ve got nothing against chocolate and fertility rites. So I had a great time celebrating the weekend with my lovely family at the beautiful Oregon coast.

A few flowers from our front yard last month: