Jesuit Twilight Relays

If you are a HS track fan this is a great meet featuring some of our best athletes in Oregon. At this level the access for amateur photographers is really great. Stay tuned for some great pics of the girl's 100 m run. Great race - great athletes.

Christ Church

Hawksmoor Church
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

This is Christ Church in Spitalfields - A Nicholas Hawksmoor church. I was here at the wrong time of day and this is the best shot of the bunch and think it is a little better as a B & W picture.

Screech Owl in Lithia Park

Nope a Screech Owl
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Just returned from a nice weekend in Ashland. While taking a long leisurely walk through Lithia Park - we saw the rare breed of bespeckled Ornithologist. Complete with Nikon D2 and 400 mm lens - said species eyed this oak tree. Thankfully I can communicate with this rare breed and said Ornithologist was kind enough to give us a look.

If left to my own two eyes I would never have seen this cute little guy who blends in so well with this oak tree. This is a screech owl. He is sleeping so soundly about 30 feet above a very noisy kids playground. Amazing how wildlife can adapt to our strange environment.

Isn't he/she adorable?

What happened?

Daisy or Dinner?
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Where did everyone go? Well we had a snow storm and then that thing called Christmas and New Years and darn if they didn't make us all go back to work.

The best news is that for Christmas I got a new lens! If I want I can get really close to cows... and not just in the hamburger and steak way that makes me most happy.

A really incredibly nice person in my life did this for me and I will not be able to repay them - except they will get a lot more pictures of their sons now. Thank you so much.

Athens in Turmoil

Byzantine Church Athens
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

There have been riots in Athens for the past week after the police shooting and death of a 15 year old from northern Greece. I always hate to see Greece in the news this way - as there is so much about Greece and the people there that is so wonderful. But the political situation there has always been volatile - pretty much since they gained independence from Turkey in 1821.

Although Greece and Athens was the birthplace of democracy - it has had a hard time regaining that glory in modern times. It is something Greeks are always in conflict over and is reflected in their modern poetry and art.

It's a fascinating and beautiful place - and I hope they find political peace soon - it likely means that the current Prime Minister Karamanlis will be deposed.

So this picture is absolutely no reflection of what I'm talking about - but it is a beautiful Byzantine church.

It was a good day

Nike Cross Nationals - The Hills

If you take enough pictures of this hill - Christian does appear. This is harder than it looks.

Minutes Away

Pre race
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Winston looks happy - it's his birthday!

Nike Cross Nationals - Getting Ready

It was yet another beautiful day for cross country. And what a special day for Christian - certainly not a day he will soon forget. Looking serious here with about 8 minutes to the start.

This is the BEST!

Ben and Andrew
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Ben - Our Hero

AFP - Ben
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

Yesterday - Ben and his friend Rory received the AFP - Youth in Philanthrophy Award down at the Marriot Hotel. The room was jam packed (est. 600-700 attendees) with dignitaries and a veritable who's who of Portland's best.

Ben got up and gave the greatest acceptance speech in front of all those people. He is the most amazing 9 year old on the planet and I am so incredibly proud of him and so happy for his mom and dad.

I guarantee people will be talking about this guy for quite some time.

Cup Champions

Nicholas and his mates from FC Barcelona won a hard fought battle in the championship of the President's Cup yesterday. They won in double overtime 3-2. But more outstanding - Nicholas had an assist on the team's second goal - on what easily could have been a goal itself. A hard shot into the upper right hand corner forced the keeper to jump and block - which he did well but unfortunately for him - the ball fell right to the feet of Nicholas's teamate who knocked it in.

It was a beautiful day for soccer and a beautiful day to be a champion. Congrats Nicholas.

Irish Thistles

There they are!

Roundstone Harbor

Roundstone Harbor
Originally uploaded by thistleamy5

I love Ireland for two reasons. One - I fell in love with running again when I was in Ireland. I would get up early and run in the cleanest air in the greenest spot on earth. Eventually all that clean running made me do a marathon.

The second reason was because it was there that I stopped at a golf course and I bought a friend of mine a hat. It had a Thistle on it. And when I got home - I gave that hat to my friend and in that moment she paused and asked me to do something.

And 2 months later she was my boss.

Steak Frites

Steak Frites
Originally uploaded by otheradam

I am not sure there is a greater pleasure in life than a really good steak. Except perhaps a really good basket of deep fried appropriately cut potatoes drizzled with salt. So when given the opportunity to travel in a country that has as its’ national dish – something called steak and frites – I am on the next plane to Paris.

Such a simple concept – and when executed well – it is divine. Key is to start with quality raw goods – if you have the time and acreage – raising your own cow, butchering it and then cutting the primest part of said cow (now affectionately called ‘Daisy’ by the rest of your family) – is the best way to achieve steak and frites nirvana.

But you can also do ok at any local market. Or for that matter you can do pretty well if you go to any Portland restaurant that serves steak frites. Carafe immediately comes to mind… very authentic and reasonably priced. I don’t have the wardrobe or pocket book for a place like Bluehour, Fenouil or 1001 – but I hear they do this dish up real nice.

Oh and it tastes even better if you go run 10 miles in the rain beforehand. Good steak, a basket of fries and a tasty red wine and boom – 9 hour coma.

I'm Sick

I often look around my “reading room” – also known as converted garage with carpet, 2 windows and bookshelves. And I think what kind of a sick person am I that I own so many books that I will never ever read? I can’t possibly read them all – no one lives that long.

I had always figured that this one bad addiction would suffice. And who was I harming anyways? I was keeping hundreds of authors – not to mention publishers – employed. And you just never ever know when you will need to read a book about the origins of goddess sculpture in 5th century Greece now do you?

Well in the past two months I seem to have entered a whole new arena of addiction. Let’s just say that iKnow this is bad, iCan’t seem to stop myself, iLove these products even though iKnow iHave to stop.

And bless his cute little Duck loving heart – but when Andrew was messing about with a particular iProduct that requires a lot of ‘touching’ - that as much as iLove this new toy – I let Andrew really touch it a lot… grimy fingers and all.

Did I mention you can download books with this thing?

More Thistle Junior Kudos

Another Thistle Junior in the news. Johanna Volz had her name in print this week as an All League Honorable Mention Midfielder for the PIL. Johanna is only a sophomore so we expect big things from her and her young Grant team in the next few years.

Johanna also had a very successful summer with her club team – Bridlemile Soccer Club. Last summer they traveled all the way to Virginia for a national competition after winning the regional tournament in Boise. Wow Boise has been very, very good to the Thistles. Cary Wilson may be on to something.

On to Nationals!!!

They've done it again! The amazing Crusader 7 ran a great race on Saturday at the Nike Nationals Northwest Regionals - finishing in a strong 2nd place - qualifying for the Nike Nationals meet on December 6.

The weather was cold but beautiful in the desert climate of Boise, Idaho. The boys championship was the last event of the day - so we had a lot of time to explore the course, enjoy the beautiful weather and for Janice and Peter - get nervous. I have to interject a brief word here about the girls race - which was run wonderfully by a gal from Gig Harbor who won in a course record time. But following her was Anna Marie Maag - Jesuit's top runner - she ran a very smart race and finished very strong in 2nd place. She is only a sophomore and I have rarely seen a runner who runs so smart and is so tough. And she is only a sophomore. Great things to come for her.

On to the boys race - it was a tough course to negotiate as a fan - either you ran all over to be right on the fence and within yelling range. Or you you could spend the whole time on the "hill" - although you would be far away from the action - you could see almost the whole course. I chose fence level which was also better for my photo assignment.

It was a very quick race so I will make this quick as well. Christian charged out front and held the lead among the Jesuit runners. For most of the race I would say he was in 15th - 16th place. He was followed closely behind by the next 4 runners from Jesuit. The key to scoring well is to have your 5th runner in a really good place and they have done that so well all year. But this was a bigger and more competitive race so there was concern.


But they ran within close range of each other and the 1 through 5 runners for Jesuit were within I believe approx. 30 seconds of each other. That is amazing! Christian ended up 2nd for Jesuit behind Ben Demaree. Again I believe he finished in the top 20 for the entire Northwest. And this is only his second year running cross country. This is a real tribute to his hard work this year - daily doubles - early morning long runs on the weekend - and an unrelentless desire to win - and to win as a team. It has been a joy to watch.

Favorite Travel Writers - #5

I am going to devote the next few blog entries talking about my Top 5 travel book writers. There are so many great travel books I couldn’t limit myself to the Top 5 favorite travel books - so I am cheating by talking about my 5 favorite travel book authors. Cheating – maybe – but its my blog so I can do whatever I like. And if you get bored with all this top 10 or top 5 list crap – then you absolutely need to read “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby. It is a brilliant book. Read it. Now.

Ok I will work backwards – to create a false sense of excitement – for the 2 of you out there reading this.

So we start with #5.

Lawrence Durrell was one of most beautiful and lyrical travel writers ever to put pen to page. He painted such a beautiful picture with words that you want to abandon all responsibility and get on a plane and visit Sicily, Corfu, Crete or Cyprus. You want to sip ouzo with a goatherder, and listen to bouzouki on a back street in the Plaka of Athens. You yearn to see ancient temples, to swim in the warm sea and to smile at toothless Greek grandmothers dressed in black.

I will speak later of Patrick Leigh Fermor who also writes about Greece but Fermor and Durrell do so in such different ways. Durrell is a hopeless romantic frequently referencing Homer, Lord Byron, Sappho, Cavafy and others - creating visions of rosy fingered dawns and wine dark seas.

From “The Greek Islands”:

“The days dawn fine and cool at this time of the year, and the memory of countless Greek dawns over the land and sea are something which every traveler will value and treasure long after he has returned to the mists of the north. Their crisp, dry felicity is almost shameful.”

For Durrell, Greece is a long lost lover that he can write endlessly about and for – who doesn’t want to go to a place like that and fall in love?

Here is a lovely passage about the famous generosity of the Greeks – something which I have been a victim of.



“And even today it is dangerous to express admiration for something, you will certainly find it in your baggage as a farewell gift when you leave. You cannot refuse. They are adamant. I knew a lady who got a baby this way.”

If you are even remotely thinking of going to Greece – pick up “The Greek Islands” or “Reflections on a Marine Venus” and I guarantee that you will soon find yourself underneath an olive tree overlooking the Aegean, reading Homer or Seferis and wondering to yourself “what took me so long to get here?”.

Lindsay Brown Zapolsky

September 16, 1957 - August 31, 2008

Lindsay - we miss you.