A beautiful snowflake
I had a tough hobo-choice to make last night: sleep in a (non-vehicular) tunnel or under a bridge. I ultimately chose the tunnel for its accessibility and its greater protection from rain and high winds.
Day 145
Multnomah Falls
August 18th, 2010
Dropping 620 feet (upper and lower falls combined), it's the second-highest year-round waterfall in the US. Hyphen.
According to a sign at the falls:
"September 4, 1995 at about 5:30 p.m., a 400-ton rock slid from the face of upper Multnomah Falls and dropped 225 feet into the Falls upper plunge pool. Weighing as much as a school bus filled with concrete, it sent a 70-foot splash over the Benson Bridge-- drenching a wedding party."
This young feller was my walking companion yesterday as I crossed the 3000-mile mark on a short stretch of the Springwater Corridor Trail. In case you're wondering, that crab squeaks when you squeeze it.
I received many emails from people in the Portland metro area offering me places to stay as I passed through, so I decided to line up four nights with different hosts on a leisurely stroll across town.
I spent last night with this lovely family. Emma took charge right away, helping me unpack, showing me around, and keeping me company while I got situated in the guest room. After dinner she brought out a special dessert for the occasion: mini-cupcakes (brightly colored!). Michele, Dan, and I stayed up talking for a while after Emma retired for the evening. It was a really nice, relaxing way to end the day.
From left to right: Michele, Emma, Leya, Dan
Emma made me this beautiful piece of paper towel art to celebrate my arrival!
Therefore, we can further deduce:
CartWeight < [(5 tons) x (Factor of Safety) - MattWeight]
I had read that these berries are edible, though very sour, so I tried one. I spit it out immediately. I did some further reading, and found that it takes a frost or two (which increases the fructose content) to make the berries palatable.
The plums and apples were pretty tasteless. The blackberries were still delicious.
The view of the Portland skyline is stunning. Unfortunately, phone cameras aren't good at capturing stunning views when the sun is shining directly into them, hence the white blob off in the distance.
When I passed by the restaurant where he was sitting yesterday evening, Rich left behind a cold beer just to come walk with me for a while.
I spent last night with these guys, eating, talking, listening (to what, you will soon find out), and walking (we took a post-dinner stroll around nearby Lone Fir Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Portland).
From left to right: Betsy, Scotty, Mark
Day 147
The High Reel
August 20th, 2010
Betsy and Mark put on a private concert for me. I can't upload videos longer than 40 seconds or so, but here's a snippet of one song.
Day 147
This Gloom on My Soul
August 20th, 2010
Another beautiful tune. For more info, check out their website.
