Fleet Week

Well, rather more weekend nowadays.

Rose Festival started last weekend. (Portland is known as the Rose City and well this is the yearly festival)

This weekend is called fleet week. The Navy vessels come and dock down at the sea wall at waterfront park and the festival with amusement rides is in full swing. Its unfortunate that the fleet has shrunk to a 4 ship (USN) fleet (the USS New Jersey came once), the ships are under heavy guard, and the river is closed off to recreational boating. Use to be so much more festive when taking a tour of a ship wasn't so fortified and cruising up to the ships with the more capital minded crew selling hats and the freer women trading top peaks for hats.

This weekend is also the grand floral parade. A Portland tradition I still don't understand is taping off and setting out chairs to mark your spot to watch the parade days in advance. Nobody steals chairs and respects others marked spots. (To the general readership....which has shrunken down to maybe one reader) Do other cities do this for parades too?

Alright, off to get a few hours of sleep before watching the UK game........