Baby, It's Cold Outside In Portland

     This time of year it's rare to have a bright, sunny day in Portland, Oregon.  This is the rainy, overcast season in Portland.  Actually, most of the year is the rainy, overcast season in Portland, but winter especially is.

   Not that the Pacific Northwest cloud cover in anyway diminishes Portland's funky charm.

     But when I arrived in Portland last Thursday I was welcomed with a sunny day, one of the benefits of which in Portland is a clear view of Mount Hood off on the horizon.

   Here's a photo I took with the help of my zoom lens from sister's car on our way home from the airport.

   My sister Romaine,   

...a few days visit with whom was the purpose of my trip to Portland,  always says that Mount Hood moves around.  You'll see it on your left while you're driving, then it will disappear, then it'll pop up  later on your right, or behind you, or maybe off in the distance ahead of you.  Kind of like a magic mountain.

     As infrequent in Portland as is a bright sunny day in winter, a prolonged cold spell with temperatures well below freezing is just as irregular. Portland at its normal coldest tends to hover around freezing with a few colder days popping up a time or two throughout the winter.  
       The day I arrived in Portland I got to experience a double Portland rarity:  a sub-freezing cold sunny winter day.
      Not that it was all that cold in Portland by Columbus January standards.  In Columbus, Ohio it's been in the teens for the past week.  When I arrived in Portland the temperature was in the high 20's.  But then I wasn't arriving from Columbus;  I was arriving from Los Angeles,

...where I'd just spent the last ten days enjoying picnic-in-the-park weather,

...so that when I stepped out into that cold though sunny Portland air, if felt cold!  Which it was, by Portland standards. 
       But the cold weather didn't keep us inside.  At least not until the sun turned to rain and the rain turned to ice and I missed my plane and as I write this I'm still here in Portland, already a day late getting back to Columbus, though I hope to be able to catch a plane by tomorrow.
      But that's tomorrow's story.

     Soon after we arrived at Romaine's house in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Southeast Portland,

...one of Romaine's friends popped over to say "Hi", and as it was close to dinner time we all decided to go out together for some Mexican,

...to a nice little neighborhood place called Sandoval,

...where the food is muy tasty,

...and so, they tell me, are the margaritas.

    The next day, Friday, we went downtown for brunch at Mother's,

...a cute, popular Portland eatery.

    Mother's serves up a nice breakfast.  Especially good are the fried potatoes.

     After brunch we decided to catch a matinee at a nearby theater. 
    As we had about an hour to kill before our movie, we decided to walk around downtown for a bit.

     After about five minutes I felt as if my tuches were about to freeze. 
     Fortunately we passed a Ross Dress For Less store, where I was able to pop inside and purchase some long undies which I put on in a dressing room before venturing outside again.

      I felt much better sporting my under new togs, and hence up for more walking,

...and snapping.

     We eventually arrived at the theater where we saw the wonderful but heart-gripping movie "Lion", 

...the true story of a lost child who, as an adult, seeks to find his way home.  If you go see it be sure to bring along  a couple of kleenex.

     Later when dinner time rolled around we tried out a Cuban restaurant near Romaine's house,

....called El Cubo de Cuba.

     It was a really neat little place.

  I ordered The Havana,  a delicious pork dish with beans and two kinds of plantains,

...while Romaine had a spicy shrimp dish which she pronounced equally yummy.

    By Friday night the weekend weather forecast was sounding ominous:  no more sun in store, but snow for Saturday and an ice storm on Sunday, which was my departure day.
     To be continued...