The first egg is here!

And it’s beautifully blue! Now if only she can make it to the nest box next time…

Edited to add: a farm fresh brown egg for size comparison (below).

15 tips for traveling in San Francisco, California

San Francisco is one of my very favorite places! With a population a little over 800,000 it’s no Los Angeles or New York City, but it has the feel of a big city and all of the amenities you’d expect of one.

15 tips for traveling in Portland, Oregon

I was fortunate to spend some time in Portland in late April/early May this year and I loved every minute of it. Portland’s population is roughly the same as Denver (~600,000) which no doubt contributed to my feeling very comfortable in this lush ‘city of roses’.

1. Take good walking shoes and walk whenever possible. Portland’s streets are beautiful. So are Portland’s numerous parks. 
2. Take the light rail. It’s $2.50 to take it from the airport into the city. It’s hard to beat that value. Oh, and your light rail fare also allows you to use the buses and trams. You can get anywhere you need or want to go on public transportation. I’m not big on cycling but Portland is also very bike friendly. So if that’s your thing, bicycling is another great way to get around.
3. Along those lines, try to stay downtown but know that if you don’t you’ll still be able to get everywhere easily by public transportation.
4. Drink beer. Drink a lot of different beers. Portland is, after all, known for starting the craft brewing movement in the US. Visit as many breweries and tap houses as time will allow. It’s worth it. My top two picks are Green Dragon for its patio and Cascade Brewing Barrel House for it’s barrel-aged taps. They are conveniently located across the street from one another on the Eastside of the city.
5. Eat at food carts. You can find every type of cuisine imaginable, cooked fresh out of a cart. Try a few different ones. Portland also makes it easy for you: they’ve converted downtown surface parking lots to permanent food cart locations. Clever.
6. Don’t just eat at food carts. Portland has an amazing food scene. Every meal I had exceeded my expectations. My top two picks are Pok Pok and Bamboo Sushi. #1: Pok Pok has received quite a bit of critical acclaim for the Northern Thai/Southeast Asian fare served up with fresh, uncompromising,  authentic ingredients at both of its locations (it also has a NYC spot). I had a spicy boar collar that was so hot I had tears running down my face, and I loved every bite of the floral, spicy, mutli-textured dish. I would eat there everyday if I lived in Portland. Okay, maybe a couple of times a week. Oh, and it’s in a residential area in a former house. #2: Bamboo Sushi strives to provide the very best sushi, but only from seafood that is sustainably harvested. In fact, sustainability is kind of their ‘thing’. They make sure they know where their fish is coming from and how it’s harvested. Because of this, they’ve had to be creative to fill their menu. We had pickled mackerel that rivaled what we had in Kyoto. I wasn’t expecting to find pickled mackerel on a menu in the US, but there it was and it was amazing. They also had a very respectable okinomiyaki.
7. Stop to smell the roses. It’s cliché, I know, but Portland is home to the International Rose Test Garden. New cultivars are sent here from around the world to be tested for color, size, shape, disease resistance, etc. They have over 500 different types of roses and boast over 7,000 rose plants. It was a little early when I visited and only a few roses were starting to bloom but there were many other flowers in full bloom. I’m sure by late May/early June it’s an amazing sight!
8. Visit the Portland Japanese Garden. It’s a short walk from the International Rose Test Garden and well worth your time. It will take you a couple of hours to wander through the 5.5 acres of traditional Japanese Gardens. Be sure your camera’s memory card has plenty of room and don’t miss the extraordinary views of Mt. Hood. 
9. Also visit the slightly less well-known Lan Su Chinese Garden in downtown Portland’s Chinatown. It will delight your senses. I went on a sunny day and took the extra time to enjoy a cup of tea in the seating area outside of the tea-house overlooking the lake. 
10. Go to Portland’s Saturday Market. Even if you haven’t watched Portlandia you probably know about Portland’s reputation as both a hippy haven and a hipster paradise. Saturday Market boasts numerous booths of local crafts-people selling their wares, both hipster and hippy. There’s also live music and fresh food. And it’s great for people watching.
11. It’s obligatory to mention Powell’s Bookstore. And for good reason: this bookstore takes up an entire city block. It offers both new and used books on every topic, but the reason I’m including it on my list is because of its rare book room. I could have spent all day gingerly turning the pages of the historic and rare books beautifully collected and offered for sale in the rare book room. When is the next time you’ll hold a book valued at $10,000?
12. It’s also obligatory to mention Voodoo Doughnuts. It’s an icon of the city of roses. Word to the wise: take cash, and be prepared to wait in line. Frankly,  I was more impressed with the little Caffe Vita coffee shop across the alley from Voodoo, but I’m not big on sweets to begin with.
13. Take an extra suitcase. Or at least leave room in your carry-on bag. Oregon does not impose sales tax, so stock up! I came back with three new pairs of shoes. They have big name stores like Nordstrom, H&M, etc., but also check out the boutiques on Burnside for some unique finds!
14. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a great option for adults and kids. My husband was giddy to get the chance to tour a submarine.
15. When rain showers invariably hit, duck into a coffee shop. Stumptown Coffee Roasters has locations throughout the city. No need to stop into a Starbucks. And as previously mentioned, Caffe Vita serves up a great cup.

(Pictured: my boar collar served up with mustard greens and sticky rice at Pok Pok.)

The chicks are growing!

 And boy are they are growing fast!

That’s our 7 week old Buff Orphington Korma in the middle. She’s flanked by our two 6 week old Ameraucanas/Eater Eggers, Tandoori on the left and Vindaloo is on the right. Tandoori is normally such a camera-whore I can’t believe she shunned the camera for this shot! We also have a 5 week old Silver Laced Wyadotte, not pictured. They are really showing their individual personalities now! Each one has their own ‘voice’ and I look forward to how they continue to develop.

The 4 of them are getting pretty big for the small cage I’ve set up for their brooder, and I hope weather will permit me to put them out in the coop in about 3 week’s time. Korma could go out sooner, but I don’t want to separate them so I’m waiting for Tiki to fully feather before putting the group outside.

I’ve also discovered treats that they like, and others they couldn’t care less about. Currently, apple and fennel greens are the winners. Freeze dried meal worms (much to my surprise) are the losers.

I have to say, I’ve spent way too much time just watching them go about their daily business – it’s delightfully meditative and entertaining!

15 Tips for Traveling in Santa Fe

 

Santa Fe, New Mexico is quite possibly one of my very favorite places in-the-world. It’s old (for US standards) having been a Native American dwelling from as early as 900 B.C.E., and was colonized by the Spanish in 1598 B.C.E. The rich history is evident everywhere you go, but it also has cutting edge contemporary culture. And a traditional Japanese style spa (onsen). 

1. If possible, stay downtown. Santa Fe is a small city and mostly walkable. If you stay downtown you can park your car where you are staying and walk everywhere, which is nice because traffic downtown can be a nightmare. I highly recommend the Inn at the Vanessie.
2. Eat at Pasquals. Period. Be warned though, there is limited seating and it’s not uncommon for there to be a line forming at the door at 7:30am before they open at 8am. It only gets worse throughout the day.
3. Eat authentic New Mexico style green chile at as many mom and pop shops as possible.
4. Stop in at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi for a service. It’s beautiful regardless of your spiritual preferences.
5. Check out the exhibitions at Site Santa Fe, in the Railyard District. Since 1995, Site has been putting on outstanding contemporary exhibitions featuring today’s most important artists.
6. While you are in the Railyard District stop in to some of the galleries in the area – they are well worth your time. More so than those along Canyon Road.
7. Okay, okay. Walk Canyon Road too. It’s quite a sight to be seen: over a mile of galleries, shops and cafes. The galleries vary from traditional craft to contemporary fine art. It is exhausting to try and see it all, so do a little research about which galleries are important for you to see.
8. Take lots of pictures. The quality of light in northern New Mexico has drawn artists to the area for over 100 years and is renowned for it’s unique glow.
9. Slow down and stop in to one of the many cafes and watch the tourists pass you by. Eat more green chile.
10. Walk around the plaza, but explore the shops one and two blocks off of the plaza too.
11. You’ll be overwhelmed by the volume of silver and turquoise jewelry for sale. Get some if you like but shop around a bit.
12. If you are visiting during the summer make the short drive up to the Santa Fe Opera and take in a performance. It’s worth it, but be sure to take a sweater as it gets chilly after dark even in mid-summer.
13. When you decide to go to the opera, take the highway a little bit further to Los Alamos. This small town has a really interesting 20th century history, having been one of the locations where scientists worked to develop the atomic bomb in the 1940’s. It’s now the location of a major National Laboratory, which runs a delightful science museum. Kids and adults alike will enjoy a visit. There’s also Bandelier National Monument, which features hiking trails that lead you to historic cave dwellings.
14. Go to Ten Thousand Waves. It’s an authentic Japanese spa (onsen) in the hills outside of Santa Fe. Part of it’s authenticity is it’s ‘swimsuit’ optional policy. However, unlike Japanese spas the baths are mixed and you will see nude men and women together. If you’re with your romantic partner splurge and get a private spa.
15. Enjoy!