Postcards from Aunty Cranky.: U.S.A. - Portland, Oregon

Friday, August 30, 2013

U.S.A. - Portland, Oregon - 14.8.1962

A Northwest Sawmill and Log Pond.

Photo by L.L. Perkins.

Portland, Oregon - 14.8.1962

Dear Pen,

That thing like a windmill without any sails is where the sawdust is burnt (I think!) Have been twirling the postcard stand round and round trying to be sure I haven't picked a card I've sent before,

Love Nan

PC- 1 -- Disaster at sea many years ago is represented by the rusting hull of the ill-fated Peter Iredale. At low tide it is possible to inspect this remaining bow.

Portland, Oregon - 14.8.1962

Dear Tim,

Thank you for your letter, it was so nice to hear from you all when I got to Fairbanks. I had more letters than anyone else in our party. At present a combined one, should be arriving for you 4 kids some time. Think you were very clever at your exams.

The 'Centennial Queen', river excursion boat which plies the Wiliamette from Portland and it's mouth adn up the Columbia passing through the Burnside Bridge in mid-Portland.

Color Photo by Georg Nilsen

Greyhound Bus Depot, Portland, Oregon - 14.8.1962

Dear Mer,

Once again in this city have I forgotten that Standard Time is used everywhere but by Greyhound, so I've got here an hour too early. Your mother can explain what I mean (I hope). Next card from San Francisco, then no more until October some time.

Love Nan

1.     World's Longest Floating Bridge.
2.     Seattle, Docks and Mount Rainer.
3.     University of Washington.
4.     Metropolitan Seattle.
5.     Government Locks - Second largest in the World.

Portland, Oregon - 14.8.1962

Dear Fish (Nick),                     Tell the other kids I'll send them cards from
                                       here if I have time tomorrow,
                                   but this is a special one for your, N.

     I tried to get you a more interesting long card but will have to see if I can find one as I travel back to San Francisco. Please tell everybody my address will now be C/o Mrs P. McFarland, 1215 Oak Street, San Mateo, California. I'm going to be all night on the bus tomorrow and won't that be fun? Ha! Ha!

     Lots of love, Nan

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About these Postcards.

Meredith, Penelope and Timothy.

My Great Aunt Nancy enjoyed travelling the World during the years from 1957 to 1962. Nancy was my Grandmothers younger sister, she was a Nurse before she met John Watson who was a patient of hers, he thought she was a very cranky Nurse so from then on, into their marriage, he and those living at the 'Homestead' called her 'Cranky' so 'Cranky' she remained at 'Wollogorang', the Sheep Station they lived on.

My family called 'Cranky' by her given name of Nancy, Nan for short but I lived at 'Wollogorang' on and off during my late teens even working there for long periods so she became 'Aunty Cranky' to me.

Cranky and John had one daughter, Susan, my first cousin-once-removed who spent some time traveling with Cranky and some time, at what was called back then, 'Finishing' Schools.

I loved my Aunty Cranky very much, I could spend hours and hours just sitting and listening to her long stories of her travels, she also bought me most of my childhood books which along with these postcards introduced me to the Big Wide World which I have now seen much of myself, but never with her style.

These Postcards were sent to me, my brother Timothy, my sister Meredith and when he was born to my youngest brother Nicholas. When Mum and Dad moved to a smaller home, Mum was going to throw these Postcards out but I, being somewhat of a hoarder, couldn't bear to see that happen so I saved them.

My brothers and sisters can follow this Blog and remember along with me those wonderful postcards that arrived at regular intervals from places some of which we had never heard... Wonderful Memories!

There are 320 Postcards on this Blog, many are obviously missing and who knows how many never arrived, what a prolific Postcard sender our Great Aunt was.

Someone in our family decided that they were a Stamp Collector so almost none of the cards still have stamps on them which is a big pity... I wonder where those stamps are now! In some bin I suspect.

BTW Cranky was far from cranky to me, she was loving if a little strict on how I should behave, she had a desire to turn me into a 'Lady'... which she failed at I'm afraid although I remember a few do's and do nots.

Enjoy, along with me, this view of a world in the late 1950's

P.S. 2015.

I put all these postcards into a large folder, then when my sister Meredith lost everything and her home to savage bush fires in Perth I sent her the Postcards to keep.