Alexsandra Stewart, Broker -Portland Oregon Real Estate-

In 1854 my great grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Langworthy, was born in what is now Washington County, Oregon. She was 5 years old when Oregon Territory became a state. Thinking about the Oregon Sesquicentennial, I was doing math. How old would she, and the state have been at the time of her 1930 death when I had a huge mental jolt. The state celebrated 50 in 1909. My dad, Robert Maxwell, was born that year, the year Oregon turned 50. Never made the connection before now! If he were still living he'd be 100 in November, and talking about the changes he's seen, the history he's witnessed, how it used to be when he was a boy.

He often talked about his great-greats and how they came to Oregon Territory on the Oregon Trail.

They had come from England to Connecticut, went to Indiana after 150 or so years and then to Missoui to join a wagon train to Oregon. In 1848 they left for the west, came across country and along the Columbia Gorge.

They first settled in Grays River, across the Columbia, where his grandfather, Thomas Foss, ran a logging operation and boarding house with a Chinese cook for the loggers. It was quite a deal for him. Less so for my siblings and me. Now I wish I'd paid more attention.

He was a walking history lesson; perhaps a living history lesson is a more apt phrase. In his teens and after high school he logged.

Familiar words of our childhood included cat skinner, donkey engine, skid road, dog line, gyppo. At one time I could have told you the meaning of all, now I'd have to look them up.

I think he may have been a boom cat for a short while, a dangerous job that involved herding the logs at the water dump into rafts for sorting or transport.

No longer a logger, and working for a newspaper distribuiton service when he married my mother, he eventually spent most of his life in the lumber industry.

As children in Southern Oregon near the lumber mill, with the acrid scent of burning sawdust surrounding us, we played our own dangerous game, climbing on and around the redwood logs. He encouraged us, to our mother's horror but she did take the snap shots.

Some of his favorite times centered on the highways of Oregon. I think he loved the highways, the beauty of cliff-face construction along the Columbia River Highway. The grandness of the Oregon Coast Highway which took him through the Coastal Range and forests was a favorite. Started when he was 10, after the enactment of the nation's first gasoline tax, it was completed in 1932, perfect timing for a 23 year old.

All his life he drove those roads, and becoming a family man did not deter him from his beloved haunts; he still drove the roads and took us with him. The Tillamook Burn, really a series of four fires, the first of which began in 1933 at Gales Creek Canyon, was pointed out on every drive to or from the Coast.

Drives from Portland to Astoria or Seaside almost always included a picnic at Fort Stevens and a trek to see the skeleton of the 1906 shipwrecked Peter Iredale. The ship was wrapped in barbed wire which stretched to Point Adams after a Japanese submarine fired on the coast in June of 1942.

Or we'd stop at the Sitka Spruce, and hear that Lewis and Clark had described the newly discovered species as a marvel: "..., and in several instances we have seen them as much as 36 feet in the girth or 12 feet diameter perfectly solid and entire. They frequently rise to the height of 230 feet and one hundred and twenty or 30 of that height without a limb." (Meriwether Lewis Journal, 2/4/1806)

Six generations of my family have seen that tree, walked around it, taken snapshots of it, and in my case even hugged it, or at least tried to wrap my arms around it before they put up the walkway barrier. Now, damaged by lightning in the 1950's, wounded again in the coastal storms of 2006, the more than 700 year old tree received a fatal blow during the winter of 2007 when the top snapped at 75 feet. It is dying and he would hope that the tree would be allowed to fall to the forest floor and become a nurse log for future giants.

He knew Portland and its neighborhoods. Pointed out who built the big houses in Irvington and the Alameda. Described attacks on the Chinese and how they would hide in tunnels under the Benson Hotel. True story or not, there are tunnels throughout Old Town, Chinatown. Today they are called the Shanghai tunnels; even though there is some dispute as to how active the practice of being shanghaied was here in Portland.

When he managed a lumber mill in Southern Oregon we'd go to Crescent City on the Redwood Highway through Jedediah Smith State Park. He'd name every type of tree along the way. In his 80's he was still selling lumber. He could estimate the board feet of a tree just by looking, and be accurate. In the old days he might have been known as a timber cruiser. One of his last deals was to broker to the government enough board feet to build barracks in South Korea.

Not a fan of Franklin Roosevelt, he nevertheless bragged about many of the works completed during the Depression by the Works Project Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During the Portland years, a Sunday drive might take us to Timberline Lodge, a make work project of the WPA which opened in 1937. The post-war years' Saturday morning drive might mean a stop at a lumber yard for a sale on our way to the Oregon Caves where an old CCC camp cabin still exists.

One of his legacies to me is the appreciation of structure: houses, tunnels and stone walls, tall redwoods that we walked or drove through, and bridges.

I 'collect' bridges. I love them. I photograph them, or memorize them. My mind sees the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a small depression era bridge outside Myrtle Beach, and the Golden Gate; but more interestingly my favorite bridges are the McCullough bridges of Oregon.

Yaquina Bay, the Siuslaw River Bridge, the Rogue River Bridge at Gold Beach are three of the more than 600 beautiful bridges Conde McCullough either designed or for which he supervised the design and construction. I absorbed them all in the many drives we took as children, and later as an adult visiting my parents after their return to Portland. We always took a drive some where.

I'll pick up and drive some where, any where, doesn't matter where - it's the going, the driving, the looking along the way that's important - at a minutes notice. A silent passenger, my dad is always present, pointing out a piece of history, or a change, something new, when I drive some where.

An Oregon legacy, a father's legacy: the love of the road, of the drive to somewhere.

Oregon was admitted to the union on Valentines Day, 1859 - shouldn't that mean Oregon is for Lovers, not Virginia? After all we have had 150 years of love, not just 40!

All kidding aside, the 14^th is the start of the Oregon Sesquicentennial Year. Special events and doings all year! Over 500 statewide events featuring elk viewing, arts and crafts festivals, trail clean up, painting contests, win a trip contests (see next post), paddling the South Slough Estuary at the Oregon Coast and many more incredibly fun and exciting things to do.

From the Coast to the Blues, the Columbia to the Redwood Highway,

you'll findsome great activities and events! From Portland, Albany, Eugene, Newport, Astoria and all along the Oregon Coast, to Philomath, Dayton, St. Paul, Salem, Lafayette, La Pine, Sisters, Baker City, you'll find something almost anywhere you go. Many events are planned for the 14^th, the annual Charleston Crab Feed for example - but you'll find more than enough to take you into spring, summer and fall by visiting the Oregon Sesquicentennial web site.

Speaking of love - I Love Oregon Wines (who doesn't?) is a Valentine's Day and weekend event in wine country starting Saturday, February 14^th. You can celebrate Valentine's through the 16^th at number of tastings and culinary events (think fine chocolate and great Oregon cuisine!). The weekend also kicks off 150 days of wine in the Willamette Valley in honor of the 150^th birthday.

Birthday Bash events in Salem, the capitol city, include Family Day, the Sesquicentennial Soiree, and the Oregon Ball. You could be dancing next to the Governor!

Another way to kick off the next 150 years in grand style, and benefit the Portland Art Museum at the same time, is thePortland Art Museum's Beaux Arts Ball on Feb 21^st. Themed after the famed Ecole des Beaux Arts Balls of 17^th century Paris you'll find all details at their web site.

There's lots more going on and lots more to let you know about. It's a great year to visit Oregon, it's better than ever here! As always I'm available to answer questions about Portland and the state that I love - real estate and more. Let's stay in touch! I'll post some more sesquicentennial notes in the next weeks.

It's that time of the year. My garden is in horrible shape, seemingly fatally wounded by winter's wrath. While Portland gardens most always are fairly uninspiring and bleak in January, this year the garden seems to be in worse condition than usual.

The artichokes look dead. Leaves of mush and slime, lying against dirt. Over half of the strawberry plants are brown, brittle, broken. And the swiss chard which has wintered successfully for two years - with a little protection on a few nights each year - has disappeared. Melted I guess. December's ice and snow have really taken a toll.

January's high winds have flattened the grasses, broken the thermometer, and tossed a bird feeder to the squirrels.

Daisies, and phlox stems which were left in their beds for visual interest, now look stranger than fiction, primed to topple and stifle any nearby growth.

The vine encrusted weather-vane frame is also a victim of the east winds. It now lies on the flagstones waiting for assistance: the roots not strong enough to withstand the gusts.

Now it's the first of February, and I wonder if the garden can be saved, will be as beautiful as in years past. I know it will come back.

The signs of life and renewal are already there. Green shoots of crocus, daffodils and tulips have poked through grey and webbed leaf debris. The irises are at least 7 inches high. The dandelions, almost as great a harbinger of spring as the fat robin, are planning to erupt with bright yellow any moment. Newly folded, tender leaves lie against thorny rose canes, ready to pop at the first sunny, 55 degree day, and the rose buds won't be far behind.

It's time again for weeding, and cutting back, trimming and pruning. Some of the plants won't come back and will need to be re-seeded. That's true every year. Maybe there will be a few more casualties this season - that will give me a chance to plant something new, try a different variety. The garden won't be the same, with the same beauty as before, but it never is. Each year the garden is a new garden.

Perhaps you've already seen it? The similarity this garden has to the business of real estate? There's been ice and snow in the industry: the media reports daily on the frozen banking and loan industry. If you only listen to those reports, you miss the full picture, just as if you only see the damaged artichoke. Under the layers of media reporting, there is something else. Buyers ARE obtaining loans, making offers, receiving acceptances and moving into their new homes. Sellers ARE pricing appropriately, putting their properties into tip-top condition, getting offers, and moving on with their lives.

The high winds of change, of correction have taken a toll. In 2008 new homes sold at the slowest pace since 1982. According to the National Association of Realtors, there are 10% fewer real estate agents than two years ago. Short sales and foreclosures have become common words in our vocabularies. This has been a hard winter for many; some roots were not strong enough.

Trimming and pruning are not just spring tasks. I've examined where and how I spend my media dollars, taken time in evaluating leads and client lists. Assessed how motivated sellers are, reminded buyers that we'll only know we've reached the bottom when we look back at it. And meditated on which networking events will provide the best seeds for repopulating the pipeline.

As in the garden, I spend time noticing growth where I see it. Sales are up in some of the national markets that were hard hit, and nationally, December's existing-home sales were up 6.5 % over November. Houses are affordable. Sellers are flexible. Loans are available. My January this year was stronger than January of 2008.

It's still true, people need and want to move, to sell and buy homes, to create their own gardens. Just as I see flowers in the earth, under fallen leaves and know they do come back; I see buyers and sellers, and under the uncertainty the pent-up demand I know is there. I see their hope, their desire.

The market blooms each season, differently than last season's. Each one is new, just as each year the garden is new.

All photos by Alexsandra Stewart

I'm a bit nervous about the energy efficiency of my house. Today is the day the Energy Trust of Oregon is doing an energy audit, and since my house is 107 years old, I am pretty sure I'm going to get a bad grade!

There is a LOT of equipment on the front porch - no clue what it is all for, other than I know they'll be doing a blower door test, which is designed to gather factual information about the energy leaks in a house.

And 7 people in the crawlspace where the gas furnace and tank-less water heater are located. They've been down there about 15 minutes and talking the whole time. What ARE they saying!

I've had the shorter version of an energy audit. The Energy Trust spends about an hour and checks insulation, assesses windows, the types of light bulbs being used and points out ways you can reduce your energy use. They bring a low-flow shower head and Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL's) with them which give you a head start on some simple ways to save. When they're finished the occupants receive a list of other ways to save energy. That list covers such things as insulating floors and ceilings, walls and joists, outlets, updating furnaces to more efficient models, installing tankless water heaters and so on. The list also includes some priority recommendations for changes that will give the home owner or renter the most savings on energy bills. There is no charge for this service for customers of Pacific General Electric (PGE) and 2 other utilities because the Trust is funded by a small surcharge on each bill. Any customer in those service areas is entitled to have this audit.

Today though is different. This Home Performance Audit is part of a class the The Energy Trust is teaching for contractors who want to become Building Performance Institute sertified and part of the Trade Ally Network.My house gets to be their case study. This list will cover energy loss in much more detail, as well as any health or safety hazard they discover. Normally this kind of audit is conducted by one of their certified contractors and usually costs somewhere between $300 and $500. This will vary by contractor, and may even be waived at times.

They have an infrared scanner that shows the degree of cold infiltration in the exterior and interior walls. Who even really thought about heat loss from interior walls? I had not. They are also planning to test carbon monoxide emission levels from the gas stove and oven. They are checking the heating ducts for leaks, and discovering what is going on at the returns.

Although the written report is yet to come, I've already learned I have a lot of leaks! The interior wall by the chimney glowed green in the infrared scanner. The new back door, with weather stripping and a top of the line sweep at the bottom glows blue! Blue indicates the heaviest influx of cold air. There is no caulking underneath the windows. I can feel a draft when I place my hand below the window sills. Easy fix - -run a bead of caulk.

Great news - the furnace appears to be 90% efficient! BUT, the electronic filter system needs to be housed. Currently when it starts-up, it sucks up some dust from the cellar, and defeats the air cleaner's purpose.

A surprise? Canvas paintings add a layer of insulation to walls! The scanner showed a lower level of cold air where some art is hung on the exterior walls.

The bad news? A significant health and safety hazard was discovered. No surprise that there is carbon monoxide being emitted from the oven, a small amount would appear to be normal - at least if I understood the conversation. But the level is approaching 9 parts per million, and that is not good. The short term fix, open a door or window when I turn the oven on. The long term fix, install a vent to the outside.

I'll let you know what the final report has to say. And keep you posted on other fixes I need to make.

all photos by Alex Stewart

Not enough words to describe the snow today. All the trite ones have been used - fluffy, drifting, winter wonderland, magical, and so on. The flakes were lazy, floaty, light appearing, but still heavier than air.

The snow fell. The fallen snow was greater than a dusting, and while there were white-out conditions in the Gorge, I don't think it could be classified as a blizzard - at least not by mid-west standards.

The trees are more than frosted, flocked. Walking leaves a crunch that lingers in hat covered ears. Chained tires roll past the walkers with off-key notes of worry. Sidewalks have disappeared and skis and sleds have claimed the side streets.

There are drawbacks, there always are when Lady Nature throws a loop at us. Planned life was interrupted, days and nights disrupted. People who were traveling for the holidays are now sleeping in the airport. Roads and ramps closed, parties cancelled, and the Christmas Ships won't parade the Willamette on their last two nights to shine.

Freezing rain is next on the weather agenda. Portland will stay shut down a short while longer.

photo by Alex Stewart