Just a few more of the mugs that came out of my cone six glaze kiln last night. Loving the colors and how well the glaze pools & breaks on the stamped details. You can see them in person this weekend at the GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR!!!
Spiraled & stamped… and you know how I LOVE a good spiral.
Another new platter fresh out of the kiln and headed to the
GLENVIEW SUMMER ART FAIR this weekend on the grounds of Lyons School.
11:00am-5:00pm both Saturday & Sunday.
Another quiet morning with a layer of low clouds floating along the horizon.
Less humidity with a nice chill in the air was a welcome surprise!
A sampling of the route.
(Photos by Maria Schur)
Maria Schur, a.k.a. “Bicycle Kitty” is a Portland-based bike lover and ride leader. You might have sampled her handiwork if you did the World Naked Bike Ride. In this post she shares her experience as a volunteer at the Ride to Defeat ALS earlier this month.
I’m not sure whether to feel terrible for Lou Gehrig because he died young from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), or because his name has become almost synonymous with this debilitating and often fatal disease instead of for his illustrious career as a talented professional baseball player.
I didn’t know much about ALS before joining the Ride to Defeat ALS last Saturday. 75 miles gave me a lot of time to think about the privilege of good health, and the struggle of the folks diagnosed with ALS and their families. ALS is a motor neurone disease, weakening the victim’s muscles until eventually they’re unable to breathe. It’s always fatal and a diagnosis usually means the patient will die within five years.
Mmmm, hops.
That five year mark is especially meaningful to me. I’ll never forget the day best friend called to tell me he had tested positive for AIDS and just wished to live five years. That was the early 1990s, before the HIV-fighting drug cocktail was invented. He lived almost five years to the day of his diagnosis, at age 30. This may seem like a tangent from ALS, but 22 years later, I still live with the grief of losing a loved one.
Vision Zero also comes to mind. Our aspiration to prevent tragic traffic deaths is highly fueled by the fact that these deaths are preventable, and unnecessary. We all deserve our full chance at hanging around this strange sapphire-colored sphere for as long as we’d like.
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This year’s local Ride to Defeat ALS raised over $167,000, exceeding their $150,000 goal. These funds go to supporting programs and care services so they may be provided for free to ALS sufferers and their families. Pretty inspirational stuff.
I’ve participated in many charity rides over the year, and of course, they’re all worthwhile. However, the Ride to Defeat ALS really set itself apart in my mind. First, there was the army of ALS Association volunteers setting up at 5am on event today, so that riders could enjoy breakfast, get a bib number and slather on some sunscreen before heading out into the heat of the day.
The course was planned and marked by our amazing local event organization, Axiom Productions. These are the fine folks behind our beloved Petal Pedal, Portland Century, Worst Day of the Year Ride, Tour de Lab and many more. The route was absolutely stunning, featuring those stiff rolling country roads we all love.
On course, one could several motivational notes. Each team had a roadside sign cheering them on. Each huge hill had a series of white signs. The first said something like “Fighting ALS”, then “Is like climbing a hill”, finally near the top “Don’t ever give up!”. It reminded the riders why they’d worked hard to raise funds, and why they were pedaling all day.
As designated sweeper, my job was to hang out near the tail of the ride and offer medical, mechanical or moral support to any riders who needed it. The trick here is not to reveal that you are the sweep, as no one wants to know they’re in last place in a ride that’s not a race. I had the privilege of assisting one gentleman, who was riding his first event ride ever. He’d purchased new shoes to try clipless pedals and couldn’t clip out on either side. I was able to catch him, get his cleats tightened and his pedals loosened.
It took just a few small turns of an allen key, but he was grateful.
I spied the same farm stand I had stopped at for strawberries during the Petal Pedal, this time there were one pound bags of blueberries on display. I ate as many as I could without getting sick, and tucked the rest away for later. Roadside farm stands are a favorite roadie delight.
The finish line offered quite a bit of fanfare. First you pass through the great red arch, and there’s a team of folks ringing bells and whistling and cheering. You can’t help but smile. Then a nice lady runs up and hands you a cold wet washcloth. As you enjoy that, another lady approaches and hands you a school lunch sized box of chocolate milk. Finally, they put a small medal around your neck.
The finish line feast, which was served within the Mt. Angel Community Festhalle, included more dishes than I can recall. There were at least five types of sausage, and many pickled things. I ate more bags of kettle chips than I’ll admit in writing. And, of course, there was beer, and souvenir pint glasses, for everyone.
— Maria Schur, a.k.a. “Bicycle Kitty”
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PBOT’s cute graphic about the scooter launch looks like it belongs in a preschool class.
(In case you haven’t noticed, BikePortland has been in vacation mode since last Friday and will continue to be until middle of next week. That means I’ve been out-of-the-loop on the e-scooter launch (and other things) and I’m up late posting while everyone else is asleep.)
How’s the e-scooter launch going so far Portland?
All I’ve heard so far is that someone at PBOT made a very poor decision about a Twitter post and that the Willamette Week is looking to cover how annoying and dangerous they expect the scooters to be. Oh, and it looks like our friends at TriMet are big fans.
I’ve been a believer in these things since the beginning, so I’m eager to see how it’s all shaking out once I get home next week.
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I realize so far just two companies — Bird and Skip — have been given the green light and that both of them have yet to activate their full fleets. The pilot program will have up to 2,500 scooters on the street at any one time, so I don’t think we’ll be able to judge their impact until they are all up and running.
Even so, I’m curious! What’s the vibe so far? Has the sky fallen? Is Portland ruined forever? Or are scooters the street saviors I hope they’ll be? Would love to hear your thoughts and updates from the streets.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Need a change? Or maybe you’re looking to get your foot in the door of Portland’s dynamic cycling industry? Check out our latest job listings.
Learn more about each one via the links below…
–> Bike Valet Attendants – Go By Bike
–> Warehouse Manager – Castelli USA
–> Consumer Service Representative – Yakima Products, Inc.
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For a complete list of available jobs, click here.
Be the first to know about new job opportunities by signing up for our daily Job Listings email or by following @BikePortland on Twitter.
These are paid listings. And they work! If you’d like to post a job on the Portland region’s “Best Local Blog” two years running, you can purchase a listing online for just $75. Learn more at our Job Listings page.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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BikePortland needs your support.
The post Jobs of the Week: Go By Bike, Yakima Products Inc., Castelli USA appeared first on BikePortland.org.
Saturday is the farewell party.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
The Weekend Event Guide is sponsored by Abus Bike Locks. Thanks Abus!
If you’ve been meaning to swing by Velo Cult, this Saturday will be your last chance to soak up its legendary atmosphere. Let’s give Sky and Anthony a proper sendoff!
And if VC hanging isn’t your thing, we’ve got a few other rides to tempt you with.
Sunset Moonrise Ride – 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at P’s & Q’s Market (NE)
The Urban Adventure League wants to show you the fun of that special time when the full moon rises the same time the sun sets. Expect an easy five-mile ride to a good viewing spot. More info here.
Slow Poke Ride – 9:30 am to 11:00 am at TriMet Park & Ride in Parkrose (NE)
Join members of the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club for this ride to the Troutdale General Store. More info here.
Beginner No-Drop Road Ride – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Western BikeWorks LoveJoy (NW)
Been wanting to start road riding? This is a great opportunity to check it out. Led by the knowledgable and nice employees of Western Bikeworks, expect a 1.5 – 2-hour ride. More info here.
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Biking About Architecture – 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Grand Central Bakery (NE)
Portland-based architecture buff Jenny Fosmire will once again lead this mostly-fun-but-also-educational tour of interesting houses in the Beaumont and Roseway neighborhoods. More info here.
Velo Cult Farewell Party – 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Velo Cult (NE)
A very bittersweet final bash at VC. After 12 years in business (six in San Diego, six in Portland), VC will no longer have a brick-and-mortar location. Come say thanks and raise a glass to Sky Boyer and his creative partner Anthony Borreno. More info here.
Zoobomb – 9:00 am at the People Bike Library of Portland (SW)
Hot summer nights are perfect for cool bombs down the west hills from Washington Park. Bring MAX fare and a good helmet. More info here.
Stay plugged into all the bike and transportation-related events around the region via our comprehensive event calendar.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The post Weekend Event Guide: Velo Cult’s farewell, moonrise, slow pokes, and more appeared first on BikePortland.org.
