PSU Weekend

PSU weekend, an annual event put on by the PSU Alumni Association, happened this…well, weekend. I am still trying to figure out just how active the alumni association is. I have a lifetime membership, so I should get some type of benefit of being a member (besides being called on my mobile phone every so often to hear pleas for donations). I do get periodic announcements of alumni events, but I have been unable to attend past events because there has always been a conflict. For the past few years of PSU Weekend, I have been out of town, until this year. The event usually consists of a series of free seminars (which were really interesting) and a keynote luncheon (which I had to miss). What struck me about the gathering was the overall mono-ethnic population. What struck me as odd was that I actually noticed to begin with. Usually, I don’t care if I am the only Asian-American in the room, but this was a university-wide event. You’d expect actual university students there in addition to the throngs of alumni. There is an active Multi-Cultural Center on campus, as well as more than several student ethnic groups, and not one of them attended. Their loss…they missed some interesting seminars. The PSUAA recognizes that learning isn’t just for students. I attended: Youth Culture 1968 vs. 2008: Where have all the riots gone? The Artist as Time Bandit: How to find the time to be creative in a world that makes no allowances for such frivolous behavior; and Embraced by the Octopus: How railroad barons shaped history in the Pacific Northwest.
Well, I would have attached a link here to the site, so everyone can see what a fun time we had and what you all missed, but whoever manages the website hurriedly yanked all the information off of the site. Either they didn’t think PSU weekend was all that good and don’t want to brag about it, or they were in a rush to thank those who made it possible (with a terse “Thanks to everyone who made PSU Weekend such a great success!” I think they need me to help them with their publicity.

Bagby Hot Springs

Bagby Hot Springs is about an hour out of Estacada where you can soak in the hot springs for free. You have to buy a parking pass from the ranger station, and then you hike in about a mile and a half. It is a beautiful hike. I think it must get really crowded in the summer or on the weekends. This being a weekend, Joe and I got up really early in the morning to make the two-hour drive there. I was reading the flyer the Forest Service gave us; it said that on busy days, there may be a 30-minute wait to actually get into a hot springs tub, and to pass the time, visitors can hike to another spring and play in the cold water. Ha! As summer was over, it wasn't so busy. We were able to get one of the five private rooms that has a hollowed out log for a tub, which was really nice. While you may get what you pay for, this hot spring is worth it.

The Swifts

Those of us who grew up in Southern California know about the swallows who come to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano for the winter. Apparently, the swifts stop in Portland for a short spell on their way South. There is a chimney at Chapman Middle School in NW Portland. Apparently, it is a Portland tradition, which I have never heard of before. People bring blankets and picnic dinners and make an evening of it. You can see the swifts flying around by the thousands, and then just before dusk, they start flying in the same direction, whipping up a cyclone cone, only backwards, almost like a whirlpool. Then the swifts dive into the chimney until they are all tucked in. There was a hawk hovering near, hoping to get a snack, but there were so many swifts that they chased it away.

Time-Based Art: City Dance

We got to see part of a performance by Third Angle New Music Ensemble: The City Dance of Lawrence Anna Halpin, as part of Portland's Time-Based Art Festival. The dance/music performance took place in four parts, each part taking place at a different fountain (Keller, Pettygrove, Lovejoy and Source) that was built during the city's first urban renewal project of the South Auditorium District (where we live). I could only handle the first two parts; I really don't get modern dance. But it was impressive that the dancers were able to move the crowd in a certain direction. Portland audiences are so obedient.

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge is the only wildlife refuge in Portland, and administered by Portland Parks & Recreation. It has a nice walking trail which connects to the Springwater Corridor biking trail along Oak Park (Amusement Park). There were interesting trees with fuzzy red caterpillars and one great blue heron (supposed to be the city of Portland's official bird). The Springwater Corridor looks like a terrific place to ride a bike; much better than downtown Portland where there is too much traffic.