Garden time

Our yard has pretty much been in total disarray ever since I moved into the house. And it has only gotten worse since then. We don't have a functional lawn mower, blackberries have decided that they should own our yard instead of us, no one wants to clean the yard up when it's rainy all the time.

Luckily the sun is here and this year, my roommate's girlfriend (who I think is tired of sitting around watching my roommate play video games), is helping us clear everything out.

The blackberries are being beat into submission-much thanks to her. We still have plenty of roots to dig up but there is an end in sight which is such a relief.

Taking components from our back yard that were previously covered by the blackberries, I've built a small garden area in the front yard to grow succulents, tomato plants, basil and hopefully carrots soon. I ordered some lady bugs for my tomato plants which are currently infected with annoying aphids. I've been wiping them off but can't wait to get some predatory action going against those little buggers.

This is the garden area that I made in our front yard. Hopefully to be added onto in the near future.

There is currently only one tomato plant and some hardier "found" plants growing there right now.

Succulents that we found growing on the sidewalk and being tossed by neighbors (also, a somewhat stolen strawberry shoot).

Hopefully, we can make this happen. The growing season isn't exceptionally long here but I have faith that it will turn out well. Wish us luck.

Wowee

That's all I can say.

Got too excited about the boy. It didn't work out. He wasn't as excited I guess. I deserve someone to be real excited about me so it's ok.

Trained my last day at work today. Held it together in only a slightly frazzled way. Work alone on Wednesday and then my regular schedule kicks in on the 20th.

Happy Mother's day Mom. I love you.

This weekend:
Drank fancy margaritas for cheap.
Helped friends move.
Cried.
Slept less than necessary.
Rode in the sunshine.
Bought sweet new high top sneaks.
Scavenged free stuff.

Today:
Worked.
Talked to a stranger for 3 hours.
Realized I need to see my friends more than once a week.
Made a peace offering out of leftover pastries.

It's summer time.

Held up

It's been a while since a blog update. I've been hanging out with that boy, Nick, some, starting my first day of work, and hanging out in parks.

Ups
1. I really enjoy dating this one and we flew a remote control airplane on a date the other day.
2. It seems like the people I'm going to be working with are really cool and I can wear whatever jewelry I want (good because I have a nose ring in right now).
3. The weather's getting nice!

Downs
1. That boy is leaving Portland in October anyways (there's no one out here for me).
2. Work is a pretty long commute from my house. About a 40 minute bus or bike ride.
3. There's no downside to nice weather.

What to do? Enjoy things while they last? Take some chances? Get really strong from biking at least one leg of my work journey every day? I don't know. Those all sound like decent options actually. Sorry, I've been held up from posting by life. I actually don't know what to write about to y'all right now. Hope this will tide you over.

Weekend "Adventures"

This obviously, isn't a picture of me (unless you readers who haven't met me believe me to be a 7 year old boy, then believe what you want). But, this is about how I looked like yesterday while learning to fly a kite. A short run, is good for ascent, is what I learned.

Why did I go kite flying you ask? I went as an adventure for the weekend. I was supposed to go canoeing with a boy that I met last week as a sort of date.
Unfortunatly it ended up being to cold to canoe so we flew kites at a local park when it got warmer. It was magical.
This picture and an article on flying kites are brought to you from http://www.dailycandy.com/kids/san-francisco/article/82847/Tips-for-Successful-Kite-Flying.

Aside from our kite flying adventures we went to a show on Friday together, out to get lunch the next day before my time at the Restore. We met up and watched a movie in the evening after the Restore and regrouped again for brunch and kite getting/flying adventures the next day.

We spent all morning hunting for a specific article of clothing at the mall, collecting a couple of kites (the first few places we went didn't have any), and getting chicken samples from the Mall's food court. Did you know you can do that?! I had no idea. It was weird to be in a mall but kinda fun to be there ambling aimlessly, looking at people, and eating free food. Afterwords we successfully tried to fly kites and then hung out with my roomie Sauce.

It feels like Romance is in the air. Though if could just be allergies. Don't get too excited people.

All the best,
Rachel

Bagby Hot Springs

This Sunday, as a special welcome to Oregon treat (to me), I rented a zipcar for myself and some friends and we went up towards the mountains and to a hot spring known as Bagby Hot Springs.

I have no experience at a hot spring and this was an interesting start. The place was up a beautiful hike passing the gorgeous Clackamas river multiple times and finally getting to a rustic, but developed, hot springs with a set of wooden tubs.

Unfortunately, the day that we went there seemed to be some difficulty with the water flowing into the tubs. So, it was a very long wait for a hot springs fed tub for the group. Still, the company and the trip was pretty much worth it even if we had ended up absolutely nowhere.

The trip back (some would say the highlight) incorporated a very strange safari themed restaurant in which we spent over two hours despite being one of only two tables there. It was a bizarre restaurant full of taxidermied exotic animals, a stage with a disco ball, hunting themed video games, and very few unfried vegetarian dishes (I'm talking friend zucchini, fried mac and cheese, and onions rings as a selection of the meatless options). Pretty sure the healthiest option was fettuccine alfredo.

While, there were some set backs in the operation of the adventure machine, It was still a great time. It was weirdly, invigorating to drive a responsive car through curves and up hills. And, it was really nice to see everyone that came along and admire the beauty of this state that I now live in.

Hope you all got into something fun this weekend.

Himalayan blackberry: a battle and the war

Today, I fought my first battle (since I got back that is) against the invasive Himalayan blackberry plants in our back yard. The stuff is growing like a 'roided out  Chia pet with vicious thorns and a STRONG will to live. I spend about 2 hours fighting the good fight but am nowhere near a cleared out yard. Blackberries, you may have won the battle but trust me. I'm gonna win the war. Trust Me. Here are some pictures for y'all's enjoyment.

The plants that I pulled up (I didn't want them to root down again so I put them on the table).

 The space that I cleared!!

An example of what that space looked like and some of what's to come. 

So, I've got a lot of work cut out for me, but taking out these blackberry plants will let better things grow (these plants don't really produce good fruits because they block themselves out). I'm sure it will be a continual fight as the roots try to sneak up new, evil, baby plants for years to come. But the first step is taken. Welcome to my yard better plants. Welcome in. 

Home, sweet, spring, home Again

I arrived in Portland yesterday afternoon. Starving and dirty, I was whisked away by my generous and driving friend, Dan to visit the good people of the Habitat for Humanity Restore-which made me feel like I belonged somewhere for sure.

I'll back up a minute and say the moment that I walked into the train station in Portland I was greeted by my friend, and former coworker, Nick, which really, really, made me feel loved and welcome back. I am lucky to have amassed a few people that are willing to go out of their way simply to greet me or who will take time out of their busy schedules, when I come back into town, to grab a drink and be a little silly with me.

Yesterday, I fixed up my bike and bought some potting soil.

Today, I planted the tomato plant that was gifted to me by my friend, Rachael and some baby basil seeds(because everyone knows that basil is meant to be had with tomatoes). I bought my first batch of groceries and went to my first prepaid, yoga class of the month. I walked around and explored the spring with friend Natalie reaffirming the realization that Portland is, truly, a beautiful city.

I'm about to miss the East Coast and all of the good people of the East but I am determined to take advantage of all the freedom  and opportunities that Portland (and current unemployment) allot me. Next up: Bagby Hot Springs.