We are enjoying the rhythm of living in The Pearl. When we were still in La Thebauderie we often talked about baking bread, cooking new things, and cooking old favorites when we returned to the US. I am baking bread, the only bread we buy is a baguette; Safeway actually has a pretty good rustic style loaf. Wherever we have lived Tricia has dried herbs, it is so convenient to have them in a small jar in the kitchen, and of course they do make for a good sketch.

Last Sunday I made one of our old favorites, tweaked a bit. I used the seafood blend from Trader Joe’s, originally it was just small scallops – the frozen blend was just right – Shellfish and mushrooms in cream sauce. Served with a wonderful baked rice, this is the best way I know to cook rice.

On Monday we took a long anticipated drive out the Columbia River Gorge to Hood River. It is famous as one of the most beautiful places in the US, in the world for that matter. Multnomah Falls is one of the most photographed places in the country. This view of the Columbia River and Crown Point has been captured so often by photographers and painters.

Living here in The Pearl it is just a short walk to plenty of places where people hang, so random sketches just naturally happen. These were done at The Fields Bar & Grill.

This week we are preparing for a big family gathering here. We have reserved the Sky Lounge on the 16th floor for Saturday evening. Our three kids and their spouses, my granddaughter and her husband along with their two boys, (my great-grandchildren), my grandson and his wife. We have never had all of this group together so we are looking forward to it so much.

Tricia is posting later today on our trip to the Panama Canal. After seeing the amazing operation that Panama is doing and meeting the wonderful folks of Panama we are convinced it should be left in their hands. Jimmy Carter knew what he was doing.

I hope your week has gone well, wherever you have journied I hope it was enjoyable. And of course I always encourage you to capture the moment on a sketchpad or IPad sketching app.