This morning the entrances to the RV park were closed from 10:15 a.m. until noon for the parade for the 40th annual Troutdale Summerfest. We biked over to town to watch the parade, but on the way we found the Troutdale Open Air Market. We couldn't pass up the fresh organic produce (one booth), so we made a quick trip home to put the food away before returning to town.
The Love Bomb Marching Band was playing at the fountain, and kids lining the street were making creative use of sidewalk chalk provided by the Plaid Pantry.
We talked with Buttons the Clown, who was also on a bike (somewhat different from ours). He jokingly challenged us to a race. His bike had a giant front wheel and no brakes (which made it interesting to ride downhill). He had retired from the Coast Guard and gone to clown college. He worked full time as a clown for a while, but now that he's over 62 he only works locally.
Another marching band, all wearing purple tee-shirts was called The Beat Goes On. I talked with one of the members of the band, who said they were just a bunch of old guys. He asked Ken if he had ever played an instrument. The band members are an eclectic group, mostly from the Portland area, and mostly it seems nostalgic high school marching band members.
The parade featured lots of local martial arts and dance studios, politicians, businesses, civic groups and such. The Shriners appeared in their traditional costumes, but on somewhat non-traditional vehicles. Instead of mini-bikes, they rode full-sized ATVs. One unusual entry was Pedro and his world class trick horse.
After the parade we did some biking and then went down to the Glenn Otto Community Park to see what was going on at the Summerfest. There were booths for community organizations and also for crafts, jewelry, food and other items to buy. We listened to the Worn Out Shoes, an old timey string band we enjoyed.
While we were eating dinner, Ken noticed a pair of osprey flying around the trees on the cliffside above the park. They were easy to spot with their white underparts and heads, because they conveniently perched on outer branches.
This evening we biked about six miles. I think my muscles are starting to get the message finally: it's a bit less painful to bike uphill. We're trying to get in condition for our biking tour of some of Oregon's wine country.
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