Month: June 2009

Friday night activities are hard on me. I’m usually tired from the work week and want nothing more than to collapse on the couch and read. Also, I’m done with work at the super early hour of 4:30 pm and this makes it inconvenient for me to attend gatherings which usually start at six or seven pm. Do I go home and come back? Do I hang out downtown for a few hours? It seems to much to figure. Every once in awhile, I do venture out on Friday night. Here is how one such adventure of filling time turned out.

Today, we were meeting at 7 pm. It is the end of the school year (yet school goes on and on!) and I was exhausted. I headed to the library to pick up some holds, read there until close to six and then wandered down to Pioneer Square to hang out on the steps until seven.

I had no idea what an amazing pick-me-up this would be. Each year Pioneer Courthouse Square is decorated during the Rose Festival for a Festival of Flowers. The display has a theme each year, this year’s was “Parterre.” After the event is over the general public can purchase the flowers and shrubbery at greatly discounted prices. The displays are usually visually striking, but this year I was in love with the Adirondack chairs. As were many other people. I sat and read and people watched and drank in the city until I felt much, much better.
I eventually switched chairs so I could have a footrest and had this view. The clouds didn’t even deter me. When it started to sprinkle, I got out my umbrella and kept reading.

The view from my second seat.

As a bonus, on the way to the restaurant, I came across this great old-timey band.

Ahh. Much better.

My mother and my Aunt Pat joined me for the Grand Floral Parade. We had great seats right at the beginning and enjoyed not being rained on, despite the ominous look of the clouds. We did not enjoy the many, many delays even though we were about 300 yards from the beginning of the parade. The picture theme for this parade was “find the girl drummers” and there weren’t very many. So there are other pictures too.

Not only are their costumes fabulous, they also have accordions marching with them.

Sunset High School!

Look! A girl drummer!

Westview. Will it have a girl drummer?

One of our favorite games to play is “spot the band director.” This gentleman makes it easy by sporting a tux. Sometimes they are a bit more stealthy.

Westview does have girl drummers, but they are bass drummers which don’t count because the girl drummers are often relegated to bass drums.

Civil War reenactors.

And a Civil War fellow who managed to time travel to a period where 4X4s exist.

As I say during every parade, “Back when I was in marching band, we had no parents toting water for us to drink. We just sucked it up and marched!” Also, I miss the flared cheerleader skirts. The whole fun part of the cheerleader costume is that flaired skirt. Kids today!

Lincoln has girl drummers, but once again they are relegated to the bass drums.

The Marine Band did not have girl drummers, but they sounded fabulous!

I love the Royal Rosarians and their simultaneous hat tipping. Their cream wool suits and capes are nifty too. I hope to someday be a Royal Rosarian.

The really old ones get to ride in old cars.

When this school from Japan walked by I finally hit the girl drummer jackpot. EVERY drummer was a girl. How could this be? Because it is a girls school!
I love their uniforms, even though purple isn’t my favorite color. They have flippy skirts AND knee socks.

How about the Canadians? Has their socialized medicine led to more girl drummers?

Indeed! There is one right there.

And the pipers. They need drummers. Do they have girl drummers?

They do! And not a few!

Pictures of the Grand Floral Parade wouldn’t be complete without some rodeo queens.

Portland State University has an art exhibit consisting of advice. As I recall, random students were asked to tell of some advice they had been given, then their words were put on the walls around PSU. I thought this one was worth remembering.