A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

It's wet and spitting snow outside. On a day such as this, it's nice to think about the warm, green days of summer. Here's Jay in Portland, Oregon.

Labels: Portland, road trip, weather

There's not a single toll booth between here and Tijuana.

US Interstate 5 is a very important chunk of asphalt. Although it's probably not environmentally-correct to admit, I love being able to roar through Seattle during non-peak hours. It reminds me of a video game.


This photo was taken on our way back from a summer trip to Portland, OR.

Labels: Portland, Seattle

The weather was extremely nice during the trip to Portland. I can't believe that it's Friday already. I must spend several hours preparing the materials for this weekend's classes. More importantly, I must take time to finish correcting the midterm examinations! I think I'm suffering from a short vacation hangover.

Labels: Portland

The truck's been idle for a while. Today, it will get a work out as we head back to Canada. I'll blog from home tomorrow!

Labels: Portland, road trip

I'm a bit late getting in a posting today. We were out exploring before most of the city was up. Yesterday was an interesting day too. I'm glad I brought my walking shoes. Portland's streets are quite clean and surprisingly tree-covered. There appears to be quite a lot of recent development and I couldn't help make comparisons to San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC. All are a bit quirky. Portland although small, or perhaps BECAUSE of being smaller, now beats Seattle on my opinion list.

As we've been walking around, I've been thinking about the wonders of the human mind. We sort of know that we can continue to learn information without running out of mind space. On most day-to-day activities it is of little consequence. Yet, when figuring out a new city, we don't automatically forget other cities we've learned about. Portland, OR is not replacing Istanbul, Turkey. Over time the exact names may disappear but knowledge of the 'lay of the land' remains intact. I think I've always been a bit special. Let's test: As you are reading this, do you know the compass directions? I am always aware of which way, say, the Pacific Ocean is. I've met many people who never know where they are.

Labels: Portland

Things went without a hitch. We settled into a place that has wireless. So here's a picture from down by the river taken yesterday evening.

Labels: Portland

We've only been there in passing. Portland, Oregon is more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) south. We have a few days off and it looks as though Jay will be working pretty much full-time during August; therefore, we're heading there today.

The weather report shows the stalled high-pressure system hanging overhead with highs on Tuesday at 33C (over 90F). Phew. I'd better pack the sunglasses and some extra sunblock.

Driving leisurely, it'll take the better part of the day just getting there. (I am positive we won't be on the road at dawn.) So, we'll stay for three nights, returning on Thursday. I'm not sure if I'll be updating the blog during the time away. Yet, you can surely check the reports upon our return to British Columbia.

Labels: Portland