Sunday, July 5, 2009

Full Tilt Summer



If I ever had a better 4th of July weekend, I don't recall it. And mostly I'm keeping track of this one by the way it smelled. There was an honest to goodness seabreeze blowing down the Willamette on Saturday night, so much that I expected to look out over the water and see the Pacific. My pals and I took the max down to the river and walked across the Burnside Bridge just as the fireworks were going off. My friend Joe used to have a professional gig as a fireworks pyro guy, setting off displays with a company out of Ohio. He said the evening was perfect for the fireworks because there was just enough wind to blow the smoke away, but not so much as to mess with the rockets. With all the sanctioned and outlaw explosives going off in town, the air also smelled like gunpowder, sulfur, city and hot dogs.

We spent the day driving around the Willamette Valley visiting wineries as part of a benefit for EcoTrust and their farm to schools program, geared at getting more local produce into the school cafeterias in Portland. We went to Anne Amie, Coelho, Four Graces, and Amity Vineyards. It was mostly about the pinot grape and a few others, and it was a totally beautiful hot day. All the mountains were out. This morning was a gigantic brunch and a bike ride and now I'm just going to watch the sun go down on Sunday.


Vic Chesnutt - Independence Day


Galaxie 500 - Fourth of July


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1 comment:

Mike said...

Tell me about it-im getting murdered by pleasure this summer. Can this month get any better out here in the gorgeous pac n/west...