Summer's in its last month, but a lot of the produce around Portland is still going strong. Yesterday, on a bagel run, the kids and I stumbled across the new Sunday farmers' market on NE 16th Avenue between Broadway and Weidler. Small but fine, and it runs until 3 in the afternoon for us morning-impaired types. We scored some excellent strawberries -- not Hoods at this late date, but a vast improvement over the turnip-like things that the big grocery chains sell all year 'round. And some peaches, too.

That block is the site of the somewhat cursed condo bunker that, in its planning stages, was peddled to the neighborhood as the home of the next Zupan's outlet. Zupan never showed, and the grocery space was chopped up and mostly left vacant. And so now, finally, food is being sold there, albeit in the street. Neighbors who like the idea would be well advised to show up on Sunday and spend some bucks, less the comestibles disappear.

A few hours later, the kids got an unexpected call from a friend, and they and the Mrs. headed out to a U-pick blueberry operation out around Troutdale. Buckets more of nature's bounty. They took some around to the neighbors, and we all ate our fill, with plenty left over. We're blessed.