(no subject)

The Trans Masc event was not great. It's okay, it was within the range of stuff I was prepared for, sort of.

The queer events calendar I follow that let me know about it listed it as both 'no cover' and 'has vendors'. Both of these were wrong. There is a big difference between going alone to an event with vendors that happens to be bar a bar, and going alone to a bar. Also, they had an earlier event that day and probably the typical weekend crowd showed. I am willing to bet at least half the people in there didn't even know it was supposed to be a trans masc night. I was just at a very crowded lesbian bar and I was probably older than everyone by at least 15 years.

The bar itself is cool. It's in an old hotel and has a nice mix of well preserved historic features and modern touches, like hanging circles of stained glass of butts in bikini bottoms. I imagine it's a great place for young lesbians, but I am neither of those things.

I did sit at the bar for a bit because I didn't want to enter and then like immediately flee. I was sitting next to a girl, but then this other girl really, really wanted to be the one sitting next to this girl. It's been a long time since I was in this sort of bar situation, but she wasn't subtle. I didn't feel like putting up with her crowding me and stuff so I stood up and she nabbed the stool. So, my options were to stand awkwardly and drink beer, hit the dance floor with the people barely old enough to be in a bar or leave. I did sort of wander for a few minutes, but then I left.

So yeah, not great but I knew there was a chance I'd only be there like five minutes. Thus ended me going to one the specifically trans masc / trans masc inclusive event of Pride season.

The Bigfoot Fest

It was cute, but also pretty silly and rinky dink. It was at Oaks Amusement Park down in Sellwood and I really need to go there another day, just not for the rides. It's an old amusement park and roller skating rink that's been there for ages. Both the the amusement park and the roller rink were used in Leverage episodes. It's way down in Sellwood because it's the terminus of one of the old street car lines. Much of why Portland is the way it is, is because we were designed around street cars and horses not cars. That's why the old theaters, music venues, etc are all away from downtown and on the Eastside walking streets. The street car companies sponsored a lot of stuff so people would have a reason to ride the street cars on weekends, not just for commuting. That's also why a lot of stuff survived, or the buildings survived and got repurposed instead of torn down. Anyway, Oaks Park is interesting because it's very much a product of our old infrastructure system.

There's one of those little trains that goes around the park and by the waterfront, except that from the way the trees grew back in you can't actually see the water anymore. It's just a lot of stuff like that. But, being on the train, of course I went on the train, I did spot the view that made me glad I brought my camera, the Portland Mausoleum through a roller coaster:


The outside of the mausoleum is painted in that bird mural to not look creepy. The mausoleum is built into the side of a cliff, below it is the Oak's Bottom wetlands and wilderness area and then is the amusement park. That's a cell phone grab, I'll need to check to see if my actual camera got a better shot or not.

Anyway, yeah, the fest. Bigfoot hugged me! The hands on demo of ghost hunting gear never actually happened. A lot of the vendors were very bottom-barrel. There is this design for a 3D printed dragon that has a jointed back so it can sit nicely on your shoulder. I first saw pic of that design a few months ago. No joke, 12 different vendors were all selling it, all used the same print file. A LOT of the art was stuff they found online, many were selling the same damn stickers. One booth was just piles and piles of what was obviously AI art.

But, there was cool stuff like the booth for the movie Slash Squatch and the guy wandering around in a really good Bigfoot costume with facial prosthetics. It wasn't a mask, he could talk and smile and everything. Some people were just happy to be at a Bigfoot Fest, I was.

Serious Question Time

Poll #31497

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 13

View Respondents

Has Dirt Man reached cryptid status?

View Answers

Yes
0 (0.0%)

No
1 (7.7%)

What
10 (76.9%)

Keep a little dirt under my pillow for the Dirt Maaaaan
2 (15.4%)

In case he comes to town
0 (0.0%)

( Context )

It's actually a photo post!

Someday I will get the perfect layered shot with vintage infrastructure, nature and the city in the background. This is not the shot, too much haze in the air so the city isn't crisp, but I was there to check out the new 'accessible' path. Yeah, when I said months ago it was 'open, but not done', yeah, it needs a lot of work still.





But I like how it's got a nice urban fantasy vibe. I've taken a lot of swings at the shot in the past and did some more pics while I was there anyway.

( More pics, urban art, etc )