Fun with horse rings

In Portland, as you drive or walk down a street, you are likely to see metal rings attached to the curb. They aren’t everywhere, but there are enough that if you look for them you will certainly find one. They puzzled me at first, but then someone explained that they were a holdover from the days of horses. This is where people used to tie off their horses. That was just so cool, that there were still some around. In fact, it is written into the city’s building code that if one is removed for any reason, it must be replaced. So all construction projects in the city are pretty careful with them.

The neighbors in Portland being the slightly off center folks that they are, will often use the rings to tie up their My Little Ponies, or other toy ponies. Then there are those that use them to tie up other items like flying saucers, dinosaurs, monsters, whatever. It’s a fun thing to keep your eyes open for.

I currently have a capitol improvement project getting ready to start construction, and I’ve had several neighbors, with horse rings at their curbs, call because they are worried about their rings. One of the neighbors happens to have horses tied to her rings, so I suggested she put them out to pasture for the construction phase. We talked about how she could build a diorama out of a shoe box with a meadow and mountains. We agreed that her horses might not like the curb so much after a year in the meadow.

Today I had another neighbor worried about his rings. I assured him we would be careful and that any rings removed would be replace. I also cautioned him that if he had horses tied up he might want to pasture them as well. He said they only tied up a Mustang occasionally. I pointed out that Mustangs can be a bit high strung at times, and that Pintos were a little easier going.

I love neighbors with a sense of humor!!

May Day

Today is May Day. Growing up in Texas I don’t recall ever having heard of this as being a special day. It was just May 1st. Of course we had Cinco de Mayo to focus on, but here in Portland May Day is a big thing.

Every year there is the May Day Parade, which tends to be an excuse to block traffic at afternoon rush, and to protest a plethora (don’t get to use that work often) of issues. In fact, I don’t know why they don’t just call it Protest Day. Possibly because that might imply that it isn’t OK to protest on other day? Horror or horrors!!

Portland is the most protesting city in the country, and every time someone feels like protesting guess who pay? Anyone trying to use the streets downtown. I’m glad there’s something these people feel passionate about, but do they have to inflict pain on my day? Because, I’m telling you right now, that kind of action doesn’t endear me to them or their cause(s).

Here’s the other thing, who is protesting? The unwashed crazy looking groups that’s who. You know the white kids with ratty looking dreads (hardly ever a good look on us white folks), patchouli smelling, hemp wearing, tattooed, body pierced, vegan eating, composting toilet using group. You know that group that feels superior to all the rest of us because their lives are somehow more important. Why? I don’t know!

So, to avoid the marching, drumming, chanting, superior attitudes and inevitable traffic jams, I’m leaving work early today. I’ll spend my afternoon, delivering neighborhood newsletters, finalizing details for tomorrow’s neighborhood wide garage sale, watering the garden and flower pots, and hopefully I’ll get in a few laughs with some friends. Not a big statement by standard of Portland protester, but my version of a great way to celebrate May Day.