Days 37, 36, 35, 34, and 33... busy enjoying Portland not blogging about it;)

Boutiques that have tons of sewing machines on the floor that you can sit and sew, affordably (ifn' you don't have a great/working machine, but you have a project). "Modern Domestic"
Metallic Q-huts that have magnetic poetry arranged along them
Ample bicycle parking.. rockstar parking
Blackberries and raspberry-lined allleys
Farmers markets thoughout the city at different neighborhoods on different days
Make your own soap, shampoo, places
Thoughtful & creative architecture and use of "all" space.
Skateparks (and skateboarders and skateboard shops) for folks who are interested in that kind of thing (I am not but something about skateboard-accessibility & nurturing skateboard-culture helps make a city feel safer)
Superb egg-white cocktails (i.e. the Whiskey Sour at Central) and that the eggs are locally-sourced from free-range organic hens
Superb cocktails!
Microbrews and growlers (not that I'm a big beer drinker)
Gluten-free friendly options (hence, Dove Vivi; one of the best pizza parlours in town, and with all gluten-free crust).
Captured by Porches! The only beer that doesn't make me drowsy (well, other than Full Sail's Session Black).. and the hundred bottles of beer on my wall, that I've made ginger ale in.
Everybody's Bike Rental
Abraham Fixes Bikes
SoupCycle
So very many bike businesses of all goods & services: soup delivered by bicycle; bike repair shops, bike rental shops, community (low-income) bicycle shops, tri-bike shops, road bike shops, cyclocross bike shops, mountain bike shops, bike apparel shops; local fabrication shops (wheels, forks, frames), cargo bike shops, innertube recycling shops, hundreds of bike shops all within "walking" distance from anywhere you are in-town (as you wouldn't be able to bike there if you're bike was in full gear).
Comprehensive bicycle maps
Thorough bike routes that make sense for the bicyclists thoroughfares, not just because they're not streets used primarily for cars.
Green boxes painted where bikes meet high-vehicular traffic for increased visibility
Eastbank Esplanade
Springwater Corridor
Pickathon [music festival]
Oregon Country Festival
Pedalpalooza (2+ weeks of early-summer bicycle adventures)
access to Wine Country
access to ski country (cross-country, telemark, and alpine-downhill) i.e. Mt. Hood Meadows
access to the Gorge and Hood River and hiking through lush forests with clean springs and waterfalls
access to a great big body of water (the Pacific Ocean)
access to hot springs (haven't been there yet, but Breitenbush comes to mind)
Bubble Tea
Kombucha microbrews (Dr. Townshend's & Captured by Porches & Tao of Tea)
Tea shops (Smith, Townshend's, Tao of Tea...) as well as...
Coffee shops (Stumptown, Coava, Clive Coffee, Ristretto, Barista...)
New Seasons (a locally-owned thoughtful chain of incredibly enriching grocery stores)
Multiple co-operative grocery stores and being a member of 3 (People's, Alberta, and Food Front)
Dried mulberries in bulk
Dried mangoes in bulk
Dates
Vanilla
Raw food [movement]
Pok Pok and their pandanus-leaf water
Socially-responsible banks and credit unions (I've banked with Albina Community Bank for several years and love them!)
REI plus!
Additional outdoor stores that are locally owned and unique including:
ClimbMax
Outdoor Mountaineering Community (best ice axe/ crampon rental in town!)
Next Adventure
...and many many more
Everyone seems to have some meaningful hobby, craft, artisan, trade beyond a typical "9-5 job" that enriches the community.
Poles woven with knitted socks adding color to the "9-months of [grey] winter"
Powell's bookstore (particulary the middle-reader children's section in the Hawthorne store as well as their cooking and housing annex)
Muse + Art art supplies, locally-owned
SupPortland
Whatever I need to Live; seems to be accessible in Portland! (?? please elaborate, dear)
local game-makers with sustainably harvested wood products (i.e. Chris Howell from Etsy)
Etsy-frenzy!
Adult-gamers
local chapters of national/international well-renown associations (Toastmasters, Net Impact, ISSP...)
Ultimate frisbee leagues
Capture the flag leagues
Bike polo leagues
Architectural heritage, pride, and renovation
Used & vintage goods stores for "hipster antiques"
Handmade aprons for sale
People that care about cooking good healthy food from amazing local and well-stewarded fresh ingredients
Bamboo Revolution!
Woodcrafters
Running routes: hundreds, each unique
Tall old-school chimneys and gatherings of friends & family to watch the swallows at dusk
Boutiques.
Not many buildings taller than about 4-5 stories with very few exceptions... making it to feel like a city scaled to walk/bike ability.

38 days (Tuesday July 24th)... after a bike-ride across Clinton, a run down Belmont, and a walk with the West's golden retriever.

Community gardens; all over the city (in "safe" spaces) that are accessible by walking or biking...sunflowers, corn, and beans growing high on poles.
Treehouses [built for adults] in backyards.
Lots and lots of sidewalk chalk, all over the place in the summer months, AND...
...Lots and lots of sidewalks, AND...
... Lots and lots of people using the sidewalks.
Many different types of trees that make pleasant noises in the wind around people's properties.
Many different types and varieties of shrubbery, hedges, and flowers... always something to "discover" when walking or running about.
Craftsmenship of fences and gates; making them look intriguing rather than "unwelcoming."
Alleys that hold intrigue and foster European creativity; not places of spooks, strange, or waste.
Creative greenery with arbors that closet the waste cans (and mask the odors).

... it's been another pleasant day, living in an "inspiring" city and falling in love with Portland, all over again!

39 days (Monday July 23rd)... after a day with SoupCycle! and laps at Dishman pool...a grand exhaustion.

Locally-owned bookstores that still feel like good ol' bookstores.
People that care about the sourcing of their coffee (fair trade, biodynamic, etc.)
McMenamins: Bagdad, Kennedy School, Edgefield... Backstage pool tables until 2:30am; quality of artwork>> fantastical and inspiring
Stumptown coffee
Pine State Biscuits (Meat (Bacon), Cheese, Egg with Marionberry jam) REAL jam! Real bacon! Excellent biscuits... showin' up the Pine State.
"Summer in a Spoon" SoupCycle's delicious seasonal soup made with freshly chopped mint, rosemary, and basil...ummm, delicious!
[free AND family-friendly] movies in the park.
Sunday Parkways.
The Barefoot Sage.
Salt n' straw
DELICIOUS food (that's sourced with care & consideration for environment and social justice ethics)!

40-days [and beyond] of loving Portland...the countdown; Day 40.

Every day for these 40 Days of Summer between July 22nd and August 30th; I am going to brainstorm for "just five minutes" things I love about Portland.  THEN, on August 31st, there will be no more [required] blogging, instead we'll have a PARTY!!!  I love you Portland!

Bubble tea at Townshend's teahouse, particularly the roasted mate with coconut and tapioca pearls
Sailboats and humble ships on Sunday evenings beneath the Hawthorne Bridge, especially those [of you] who fly pirate flags.
The Hawthorne Bridge.
The Steel Bridge
The feeling of running across the Sellwood Bridge, standing in the middle to take an upstream picture of the St. John's bridge (stretching your imagination and your legs); knowing that you're only halfway there for your marathon-training, and that you might just be the last one standing, before the bridge collapses... whatever shall we do?
Memories at the and of the Veritable Quandary.
A thoughtful local government; "we planned, it worked."