Portland

I recently visited my daughter, Krista, who lives in Portland. After a prolonged rainy spell, I luckily arrived right in the middle of a bright and sunny day. After being picked up at the airport, we immediately drove straight to Nostrana, which is our tradition. Nostrana never lets us down! We always share a salad and a pizza with proscuitto and fresh basil, and we each have a glass of wine. After that, we did a bit of shopping (of course) before heading to Krista's new apartment, which is roomy, nice, and within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, and almost anything you'd want or need.

On Saturday morning, my friend, Glenn, and I drove to the farmers market. I'd not been before, and, once again, the weather was perfect for it. Since it was Mother's Day weekend, there were a lot of people milling around, buying fresh vegetables, armloads of flowers, and just enjoying the sunshine. Covered booths are set up like this, with each merchant selling their speciality.

Here's an example of some Mother's Day flowers.

We had a great time with our cameras, as there were all kinds of subjects available. One of my favorite captures was this empty bucket. It had previously held lilacs, but all that was left were a few petals and some greenery, floating on the top.

There was live music, a balloon man, and all sorts of entertainment. Kids danced around on the grass, and many sported their balloon art.

Iris seemed to be one of the popular flowers of the day.

As it got later in the morning, the market got much more crowded. We eventually ended up at Papa Haydn for a lunch that was spectacular. Their desserts are amazing...

It was a successful Saturday...just right for walking around, looking, photographing, and enjoying the day.