Paul Bauer lived on Russett and Union Ave in Portland. He was about 16
and inspired by Tex Rankin flying his WACO to the airport near the
Columbia Slough. So he built one in the basement of his Dad's grocery
store but he could not get it out of that space so he had to dismantle
it. Sadly, it never flew. Tex was my hero. He once gave me a ride in
his WACO at the airstrip, taxiing down the runway and back. He even
flew over our house. Maybe he wanted to check out the neighborhood. He
rented a house two blocks from us. I wanted to be a pilot. Maybe Paul
Bauer did too.

My brother Russell and I used to sit on the curb on Union Avenue and
claim every other passing car as mine or his. It was thrilling to own
a Pierce Arrow or a Cadillac or Locomobile. Many years later I was
visiting Portland. I was driving a Lincoln Continental or a Chrysler
Imperial. I wonder if any little kids on the curb claimed it?

We loved the Rose City Pie company, where cousin Howard worked; Russ
and I thought Howard owned it. We used to go there on Saturday nights,
after the drivers were all back with pies they had left over. They let
us gorge ourselves sick on banana cream and pumpkin and cherry pies.
grrrrrrroan.