Ailantha
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

In Portland They Love Lucy

3/28/2016

4 Comments

 
       If you'd like to savor the quirky  flavor of Portland,  Oregon, you should tune in to  Netflix and catch the hilarious but affectionate comedy series "Portlandia".
Picture
      However  I  have a story that captures the spirit of the city at its best.
      This past Thursday  I arrived in in Portland for a few days' visit with my sister Romaine. 
      My sister wasn't at the airport to meet me as planned, but had left me a voice message to the effect that she'd be a little late picking me up because Lucy had run off and she'd had to go looking for her.

Picture
     Lucy is Romaine's dog, a sweet, friendly young pooch she adopted a few weeks ago,
...several months after the death of her beloved Luka, here with her kitty Cookie Bordeaux.
Picture
Picture
      Romaine quickly discovered  what a love-bug Lucy is,
...and what a wild child.    
   In Romaine's neighborhood there is a gourmet grocery store called Zupan's, where one can find, among other goodies, the freshest vegetables and flowers and the yummiest fresh pastries and coffee.

Picture
Picture
Picture
      A fan and frequent customer, Romaine had incorporated into Lucy's daily routine a walk to Zupan's.
     There's a local gentleman - whom I'll call "J" - who can often be found sitting at one of the cafe tables outside Zupan's where customers have their pastries and coffee. 
     Lucy and J took an immediate liking to each other, and while Romaine did her shopping Lucy would wait outside with J, who petted and played with her.
     Last Thursday morning Romaine let Lucy out into her fenced backyard to play.  But a little while later when Romaine looked out back for Lucy the dog wasn't there. 
     Had she jumped the fence?  Somehow crawled under it?  Romaine didn't know.  But one thought did flash immediately to mind:  Zupan's!
    As Romaine was hurrying up the block towards Zupan's, a girl in a car pulled up beside her.  Inside the car was Lucy.
     The girl's name was Abby and she  worked at the Zupan's bakery. She told Romaine that a few minutes ago Lucy came trotting into Zupan's, stopped in front of the bakery where the Abby was standing, and rolled over onto her back as if asking for a tummy rub,

...as she is wont to do.
Picture
     "I know this dog! The lady who owns her comes in here all the time!",  Abby exclaimed to her co-workers, who also recognized Lucy as the dog who plays outside with J.  But J wasn't sitting outside that day, so they figured that Lucy must have entered the store looking for some love.
      It was deduced that Lucy's owner must live somewhere close by and was probably out looking for her pet at that moment, and so of course Abby should put Lucy into her car and drive around the area to try and find her owner.
      A block from Zupan's Abby saw Romaine hurrying towards the store.
     And so thanks to the kind-hearted dog-lovers at Zupan's Lucy and Romaine were reunited.
     But not for long.
     Later that afternoon, wanting to kill some time before my delayed arrival from Los Angeles to Portland (see post from 3/24/2016), Romaine decided to have a soak the hot tub in her back yard.  She let Lucy out with her, figuring that if Lucy tried to bolt again, this time Romaine would see how and where she got out before and could then secure that breach.
   But the weather was cool and the water was hot and so relaxing that Romaine dozed off in the tub.   
    She'd probably
dozed for not more than a few minutes, but when she opened her eyes the dog was nowhere to be found.  Lucy'd bolted again!
    As  Romaine jogged towards Zupan's a car once again pulled up beside her.  This time it was one of her neighbors who'd been in Zupan's shopping when Lucy made her second appearance.  She hauled Lucy into her car and was driving her home when she saw Romaine.
    So once again Romaine was reunited with her ramblin' Lucy.
   Later that evening after I'd arrived in Portland Romaine and I walked to one of my favorite local eating establishments,

The Laughing Planet,
Picture
...where we had some delicious healthy chow,
...Romaine choosing a tasty vegetarian option,
Picture
Picture
...while  I opted for some yummy beef over vegetables.
     After dinner during  our walk home we stopped by Zupan's.
   Abby was still at her bakery.
Picture
      Romaine thanked Abby again and  promised that she'd make sure that Lucy's last escape would indeed be her last.
     But Abby laughed and told Romaine not to worry, that everybody at Zupan's now knew and loved Lucy and she joked that Lucy could stop by any time.  A few of the other Zupan staff members came over and seconded Abby's fondness for Lucy.
      Still, Romaine promised the staff that in the future Lucy would get her ration of love outside of Zupan's, fearing that, in truth, a dog regularly hanging out in a grocery store might be a little too Portland even for Portland.

Picture
4 Comments
Claire
3/28/2016 11:44:21 am

What a sweet story! I'm glad Lucy found hey way home!

Reply
Romaine
3/28/2016 01:34:22 pm

thanks Patti! I enjoyed your re-telling of the story!

Reply
Patti
3/28/2016 09:25:25 pm

You should share with Abby!

Reply
mary
4/5/2016 03:00:58 pm

Lucy is too adorable for words! Her sweet loving sense just broadcasts through her photos. I would love to meet her. Is she a fan of bacon? And my word she is smart - not only to escape twice on the same day, but she memorized how to get her favorite social hang out!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
     by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
    Picture
    ​"Hail Mary"
    by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1684334888
    Picture
    "Tropical Depression" 
    by Patti Liszkay
    ​Buy it on Amazon:   
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTPN7NYY

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    I am a traveler just visiting this planet and reporting various and sundry observations,
    hopefully of interest to my fellow travelers.

    Categories

    All


























































































  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact