Getting out

The dry weather has arrived in Portland just days after the summer solstice, hopefully our rainy June will be replaced with sunny days in July.

I did manage to squeeze one bike ride at the beginning of the month, I headed out of Portland in search of nicer weather in central Oregon. I was optimistic, so I headed east and managed to out run the rain. My luck held out the whole day until I was ready to cross back into Oregon at the Bridge of Gods. I got caught in one of the biggest, wettest rainstorm I’ve ever been in.

I got soaked! It was raining so hard the cars were pulling off the highway. I pressed on for the next thirty miles and was almost dried out when about ten blocks from my house, the Oregon weather gods emptied their clouds on me again.

I’m hoping to get out of town for another trip after the fourth of July, wish me luck!

Hot hot hot

Everything is hot in NE Portland right now. The pavement, the days as well as the nights, but especially the real estate.

The rate at which properties are being snapped up, the speed at which houses are being torn down and going right back up, and the height at which the prices are sky-rocketing is astonishing. That is what comes with progress and popularity. Portland is having its day in the spotlight. On each and every single block in my neighbourhood; there is a sold sign, a moving truck parked, or a construction crew. Pools and retaining walls, renovations and new construction, multi-family and multi-purpose buildings on the main strip. Everybody's doing it. So much has changed in this last year. I believe it will continue to happen, as the city spreads further out. Young families are settling in. Retirees are immigrating from other parts of the States. New businesses pop up on a very regular basis on Alberta Street. It's exciting times for the neighborhood and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

In particular, I'm watching a house go up on the bluff. The lot has a great view overlooking the city just above the treetops. Even though it's going to be the newest and most modern house on the block, it blends in peculiarly well. I can't wait to see the finished product. It happens to be designed by a Vancouver architect. I'm not talking about Vancouver WA either. We're talking its Canadian counterpart, Vancouver BC.

So while the real estate and weather continue to heat up in Portland, make sure you stay hydrated and don't forget your SPF. Stay cool out there.