Junki's Place Is No More

5Out at the end of Stark Street, just before you cross the bridge, there is a thing on the right and a thing on the left. On the right is a wedding venue, very romantic, with trees and waterfalls and a sumptuous building and the gate reads Yoshidas Haven Estate even though it's not called that any more on the web. It's a wedding and event venue.

On the left is a place that, until February, was a fine-dining restaurant called Junki's Riverview Restaurant. The Junki is Junki Yoshida, the man who brought easy Asian sauces to the PNW and beyond, and was reputedly quite the character.

When the Stark Street Bridge re-opened after its closing for reconstruction of the east end, I noted, going through there, that there was a sign on the gate saying it was closed for renovations through March. Now, it just said 'closed'.

The signs proclaiming Riverview Restaurant have been changed to read Sandy River Gardens.

And so it goes. 

It's Almost Fujii Time

4The farmer's roadside stand for Fujii Farms at the corner of Troutdale Road and SE Stark Street has the 'help wanted' up. Roadside produce season will commence soon ...

The last two miles of SE Stark Street are a curious thing. Along the north side, east of Troutdale Road, is a tract of berry field that still grows berries and various produce for the legendary Fujii Farms concern; it's an echo of what must have obtained all along Stark east of Portland before sprawl took over. 

I remember eating a raspberry that my wife gave me when we stopped there one very warm summer day last year or maybe the year before.

The sweetness of that berry was culinary poetry. 

ATC: Halsey Street at Sunset

3The Artist Trading Card I did today was inspired by a picture I took looking west down NE Halsey St at 201st one sunset when I was out with my wife.

Diminishing power poles have always been evocative to me.

The Latest Artist Trading Cards

2I've stumbled into Artist Trading Cards.

I've yearned to be an artist for more than two decades now. Keeping the wolves away from the door takes the spirit out of you, though, and a try ... and a fail ... at becoming a graphic designer (and this was back when QuarkXPress was still huge and InDesign was coming on the scene) that resulted in no change it life trajectory (despite historic pushings on my part) really exhausted me. Ideas that used to flood stopped visiting and for years I carried blank books but never put anything in them.

Loved my art supplies. Always have, always will. 

Latterly, Art Supply Center (locals knew it as I've Been Framed and it kinda still is, but more on that in due course) has encouraged their customers to contribute ATCs. There's a show and swap coming up not too far off my birthday in May, and these are due the 15th of May, but you go there (4950 SE Foster Road) and pick up a free ATC or two and do something to it and turn it in and they'll show it. 

I got one and figured I'd fling one. But a funny thing happened: I did one and six others fell out my fingertips. Has a habit at last been unleashed? I don't know. I've cooled off before after coming on hot.

But here's what I have so far. More as I create them.

Mt. Hood from Stark Street, Trouttdale

First Street, Silverton

The St Johns Bridge

Bobbie the Wonder Dog

Salem's Flag

Haystack Rock

The View from Planet Oregon

1After more than 20 years keeping another blog, I'm changing my angle.

We all have to have an angle. In 2025, that's the planet we're living on. 

Back when I started The Zehnkazen Times, blogs were a way to get known. I didn't exactly achieve that but it was a lot of fun and occasionally something I did almost went viral and people liked it. Made a few friends. Not a total waste of time.

But here, this is going to be about the view from here, not necessarily forging a path but painting a picture. Fewer stylistic pretentions, just plain heart ... the heart of an aging Oregonian.

I'm planting a flower, Let me see if I can grow just one in this life time.