Holiday Cookies 2011

December 11th, 2011

“It’s beginning to look like Christmas, it’s that wonderful smell of fresh cookies coming out of the ovens”. The time is here when we at BCI (Beaverton Culinary Institute) bake cookies for the holiday seasons of 2011. We have no treasurer nor we have dues, but this year we have wonderful gift of aprons. Finally, it looks like we are more professional than ever. Here are the cookies, enjoy them while they last.

Enjoy the cookies

Love those steam train!

Southern Pacific 4449

The different between a kid and an adult is the price of the toys. Today we went to see “live steamer” trains. This huge “warehouse” opens for a few hours to the viewing public for the holiday season and we are lucky enough to be able to go. It was forewarn to dress warm since heat is almost non-existence.

Enjoy the ride……

I improvised…

My "new and improved walking cane".

The need is the mother of all inventions, I do not know whether this is true or not. No, I did not invent anything, I didn’t invent the walking cane or the bicycle light, but I got the idea of combining both to make my life easier, especially for walking in the dark. It is hard to hold a walking cane with the left hand and hold a flashlight on the other. So last Saturday I went to a bicycle shop and got this flashlight.

Thanksgiving 2011

Photo by Pokie Lie

As I grow older (Hey, I do not say that I am old) and the health issue is on my side, this Thanksgiving 2011 is more meaningful than ever. It reminded me twenty-four years ago when I had a similar issue. Let’s just say that I have the third chance to further enjoy this world and the families that I found along my life. After all, Thanksgiving is all about family. The weather is perfect, meaning it was blustery, windy and miserable outside, but inside was warm and cozy, so is my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

In search of the migrating birds



Tualatin River



On a cold and dark Saturday morning, we ventured to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge that was suggested by my co-worker Rod Lemeni. The key of going is the threat of rain is gone, but we have to deal with a rather cold day. This place is actually just 7 miles from where we live, but we just do not aware that it exists until someone pointed to me. “Enjoy the day, courtesy of the creator” that was what I read the other day.

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

11-11-11

Look at 11-11-11

November 11, 2011 at 11:11:11 A.M.

I always wanted to know where I would be on November 11, 2011 at 11:11:11 AM, so today we ventured around town, still looking for the last autumn color. After breakfast at Bob’s Red Mill and buying vegan hot dogs and getting some fresh tofu, I was at Providence Hospital. No, I did not check in ! We brought cookies for the nurses and the physical therapists who took care of me last April. I was happy to see the ward has been redesigned and everything looks spiffy and modern. It was certainly good to be back to make a closure.

Look at 11-11-11

Around the House

Obsidian Street, looking east.

It’s not raining and it’s a good thing. Today is DA WIFE’s birthday, November 10th, 2011.
Happy Birthday Pokie! I came home relatively early and there was plenty of sunlight when I got home, the colors of these leaves come calling me, so off I went and got a few images. This season the leaves stay in the tree two weeks longer than usual, this is due to the warm weather in October and rainy season earlier in which the trees have a lot of sugar content.


Autumn4

Autumn Series No. 3

Teal Boulevard, Nov. 6th 2011

I went back to Teal Boulevard again this year to see if I could capture more images for my final installment for the Autumn Series 2011. It’s not raining, so off I go. Notice the words “no rain” here. A dry day is a good day from these days forward until next July of next year. To my astonishment, I was able to capture a few images to complete my series, the leaves were not turning fully this year as compared to last year, but it still gives me colors that I really want. I hope you enjoy the photographs.

Autumn Series no.3

Amtrak 40th Anniversary

Millikan Way MAX Station

On a foggy Saturday morning, I decided to go and see the exhibit of the Amtrak 40^th anniversary. I drove to Millikan Way MAX train station and go downtown and with just one transfer I was there. I thought it would be good to fill my Saturday morning. It seems that I never have enough of train. I told Da Wife that we would take the train from Portland all the way to Chicago as my retirement gift, I do not when will that’s going to be. I know I will torture her since it is a slow going compare to just fly, but the destination is the journey in itself.

Portland Union Station

A typical exhibit

Autumn texture and color study

Color Study #4

It was wet in the back yard; it means the rain came last night. This morning was dark and I thought I did not have a chance to take some more images of the fall colors, but I was wrong. When the weather improved just after lunch, I took my camera and drove to the same intersection where I captured some images way back in 2007. I was looking for the “Necklace 2007” and maybe more of that, but to my disappointment, things have changed so much, nothing is permanent. Here are some more of the study images that I captured. I hope you enjoy them.

Autumn 2011 part 2

The Autumn Leaves

Osprey Street, Beaverton, OR

I always inquisitive with this neighborhood when it comes to the fall colors; it is always the first to give out colors, sort of a saying “Get your camera over here and take my pictures before the rain gets a hold of me”. So on this Saturday afternoon, it is exactly what I did.

The ominous clouds could be seen here in the first image; so far it was dry when I scour the neighborhood and not a drop of water falls on my lens. I intend to bring my camera along and search for the images in the next few days, if I am lucky I will have another two to three weeks before most of changing leaves are gone. This year, fall colors come than last year due to a colder spring and summer.

Here are more images of Autumn 2011

The changing leaves

The necklace - 2007

It’s time for me to get the camera and shoot some fall colors; fortunately I do not have to go too far. It is right in the neighborhood within a few miles. This Saturday, I plan to scour the neighborhood and see if I could capture some changing leaves.

Here are some of the images I took in the past: Fall of 2007 and Fall of 2010

Tashina Iron Horse

Tashina Iron Horse
Photo courtesy of www.abcnews.com/2020

Meet Tashina Iron Horse, well, actually we have not met her personally other than watching the 20/20 news magazine last night. Tashina lives in the poorest Indian (Native American) reservation in South Dakota. What struck me the most at the beginning were her three wishes to President Obama namely, fresh water, bubble gum and a backpack. So an idea came up yesterday to send some bubble gum, then I told my wish about getting and sending them to my wife and she said, "Why not a backpack as well?" I am happy to say that we fulfilled her two wishes, we left the fresh water to the government.

It's beginning to look like autumn in Portland

The leaves’ colors are turning, the temperatures are dropping, and sweet corns are in season. It is definitely autumn season in the Northwest area. Soon, I will lug my camera again and hunt for those beautiful color combinations. I am just hoping that the rain will have a chance first in bringing down the leaves.

Endangered species

Phone home?

Soon these public phones will be gone from most commonplaces and you could only see this in the museum. On the way to the market I saw the remnant of such thing and I am happy that my camera is not far from me. Cell phones are very common these days and more and more homes get rid of the so-called “land line”, we eliminated ours about a year ago and even Internet service we use WIMAX (wireless), so no cable goes into the house.

No rain today and this weekend.....



Pittock Mansion



Today is not raining, so I consider it a good day. This weekend forecast is just partly cloudy, so it is still good! Time to explore the farms and look for some sweet corns, the harvest is late this year.  Summer in our neck of the woods (Northwest) is relatively very short. I guess after living here for more than 13 years, we know what to expect.  We just ignore the rain if we need to do something and it has become small nuisances. I feel like ants sometimes, when the weather is sunny, most people are out and about including us.

My first trial of blogging

Multnomah Falls

http://www.yongkieandpokie.com/2011/falls

Aaah...the sun is beginning to hide in the Northwest, the rain will take over from now on until the end of June of next year. This is my first to blog and I have no idea what this design will look like. I will add picture(s) later on in the blog. On my spare time I take pictures for fun and share them with others. I also am a Motorman volunteer for the Willamette Shore Trolley, but...my trolley has been sick for 2 seasons now.

Willamette Shore Trolley

http://www.yongkieandpokie.com/2010/wst