Your humble scrivener.

Now snug at home with quill in hand, waiting for my quick oats to congeal, I will attempt to recount for you the events of this fine January day. We simply intended to go get some bread and oats, but we ended up going back in time.

Reed between the buildings (Photo: Paula Funatake)

Our party convened at Waverly Heights UCC, which has been serving Portland since 1911. Their amiable manager was kind enough to open both their lobby and their restroom to us, and greeted us with a steaming kettle. The five of us then saddled up and set out into the mist over century-old streets, listening to an array of solid gold hits and lesser known tracks of the past 50 years, and passed through Reed College (Est.1908) into Eastmoreland, where houses date to the early-twentieth century.

Photo: Paula Funatake

Del left us on the steps of the Bob’s Red Mill Store at 12:02 p.m. Paula, Carye, Maria and I ate in Bob’s cafeteria and discussed Shift, social rides, and our own bike histories for about 57 minutes. I bought 25 pounds of oats and then, across the street at Dave’s, purchased 10 loaves of bread and a Sin Dawg.

As it was in 1918.

At approximately 1:08 p.m., Maria then bid us farewell and Carye took Paula and I to the Milwaukie Museum.

Built to last.

Art fills the void.

We learned why Milwaukie is spelled like it is and saw curios of all kinds from time immemorial. And now our ride is itself a part of history.

Oats were invented in 1973 during the oil crisis.

Freezer full.