Birthday pictures and fall weather

So rather than posting them all here, here is a link to the lovely pictures that Briel took on my birthday. It was a nice, very low-key evening, to follow a very low-key day. 31 seems promising so far...

And on that day, fall came to Portland. Up until then, it had been hot and sunny for months, I don't even remember when it last rained. On Wednesday afternoon it got dark and cloudy, but still dry. Then yesterday it rained and rained. Which felt good and right, long overdue. This is Portland, after all. So today I got out my warmer clothes (OK, not yet put away after moving, anyway) and a jacket. I'm sure I'll miss the sun soon, but for now, it's good to close the windows and drink tea.

The only problem was that I had this box taped shut labeled "magazines." It had been in my basement for a year, unopened. So I decided that I should just recycle it all, not get sentimental about my old music magazines. So I left the box outside near the trash. It rained. Then I opened it to put the magazines in a proper place for recycling, and realized it also contained my high school yearbook, some vintage travel books, and a copy of a totally out-of-print book that my grandfather co-wrote with Margaret Mead in the 60s. Brilliant. Anyway, at least I saved those things, and they weren't too wet.

Tonight I am off to see Jim Brunberg open for Kelly Joe Phelps at the Aladdin, and talk to Mike Meyer about a new Americana radio show I'm going to help him with (on KMHD).