Dark Monday Morning

It's a dark morning and there's thunder rumbling. I accidentally left the window closed and the kitten was locked out for the night. I think she slept in the big cedar tree, because she started meowing at me when I sat on the toilet, and when I responded she emerged from the tree and came to the bathroom window. I walked to the other end of the apartment and opened the window for her. She ate a few kibbles and is now settled down to sleep off her long night in the wild streets of Portland.

I myself haven't been sleeping very well. The heat definitely reduces my sleep, but last night was cooler and I still didn't go to sleep easily or deeply. I awoke tired, but lacked any faith that staying in bed would give me more energy, so I am up. The nice thing about a dark gray morning is that Portland stays asleep. There is nothing moving in my neighborhood but the crows. A few big drops of rain are beginning to fall and the crows are retreating from the streets to the trees.

I don't remember any dreams from last night.

Trip Report: middle White Salmon

Yesterday morning Kathy picked me up and we headed over to the Columbia River Gorge, crossing the toll bridge at Hood River and finding our way to the takeout. The falls is right at the takeout, so we scouted it from the bridge. We left Rick's car at the takeout and headed to the putin, BZ something. The level was 2 and a quarter, which is the high end of the levels that these boaters consider good to go. Any higher and it would be very fast with few eddies and stout holes. Any lower and it would be pleasant eddy hopping without push. At this flow it was bankfull and slightly pushy, but only when it was narrow. There were lots of eddies but the mid-river ones were small and often behind rocks that were just below the water's surface, making them hard to see from upstream. The run is BZ Corner to Husum, 5 miles, 90 feet per mile.
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Hans Rosling on World Health, Wealth and other Statistics

Another fascinating talk here:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Food Contamination Scares

Remember the tomato salmonella scare? The outbreak began in April. 1,423 people were sickened and
the produce industry lost more than $200 million. I heard the warning about tomatoes from all sides. I had tomatoes in my fridge. I took them out and washed them a second time, and put them back. I ate them, too. I didn't get sick. Then a few days later the FDA suddenly decides that it's not tomatoes, it's peppers from Mexico that are contaminated. OK. So grocery stores toss all their produce and people get all freaked out about whatever they just ate....and the FDA tells us to avoid this and that kind of produce.

Here's what you should freak out about next: jalapenos, basil and cilantro. On Friday the FDA rep (Acheson) said that the agency has increased testing of Mexican produce and found more salmonella contamination, and different strains, on these three foods.
( and the FDA is up to their usual antics )

Rowing Pix

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on_the_dock Hawthorne bridge in background