Portland (OR) Daily Photo

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No.10 - Let me show you our home away from home, The Writer's Retreat, inside and out

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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The Writer's Retreat, from Bend Dutch Vacation Rentals

Main room, front door there at the right. Leland slept on the couch, Lamont slept on his sleeping bag and pad on the floor to the right of where I stood to take this photo.

Looking into the kitchenette. We didn't cook anything, we could've cooked, but why do that when everyone's tired upon arrival and interested in eating something quickly, then coming home to enjoy being together? We only used the sink to wash our hands and the frig to cool various drinks of a relaxing nature. BTW, the frig in beneath the countertop to the left of the sink. Oh, and on Sunday morning I used the sink to moisten a few paper towels which I used to clean dust from my Keens, only to discover that a seam from the shoe-lace-eyelet-placket down towards my little toe, all the way to the sole of the shoe, had come completely undone. Split open. Both shoes. Same place. On Sunday when I walked and happened to look down, each disintegrated seam opened and shut like a fish gasping for air.

The bedroom. I slept in here. The first night I faced the bed and climbed up onto it. The second night, I sat down on the edge and shimmied my way up onto it. To tell you the truth, I would have been extremely pleased to have had a shorter bed, but I did manage this one better than I thought I could. And I slept well, after I got used to snoring sons out in the main room. The wall between the two rooms didn't go all the way to the ceiling, so I decided why should I shut the door. I bet I snored, too, but neither Lamont nor Leland mentioned it. I raised 'em right, y'all!

We had a spacious bathroom with a shower/tub combo. I took this photo of Engine, the Zipcar, a Ford Escape from the window.

Some of the books on one of the bookshelves. We finally think we figured out that the woman who owns The Writer's Retreat is one of the authors of these "Weight Training for Dummies" books. There was a framed newspaper article on the wall next to the desk (the area I forgot to photograph) which mentioned her name and explained how the loft came to be decorated. I found the same name in the visitor's comments' book on the desk and then on these books. All three of us found these two shelves of books intriguing, to say the least. Why do you think that was so? Please let me know in the comments. Thank you!

Shelf #1

Shelf #2

And here are three of the four prints hanging beside the dining bar. I'm too short to take a photo of the one on the top. Besides, I enjoyed the humor in these three the most.

Print #1

Print #2

Print #3

Our last view of the loft from where we parked, as Leland backed Engine out and we headed off on our Sunday adventures.

And your last view of the loft and its house, from the street.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No.9 - Barns on the way to Bend in our Zipcar

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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I managed to take several photos of barns as we neared Bend on Friday, May 10.

Since my maiden name and my married last name both begin with an H, I know you'll think that I put this photo first because there's an H on the front of the barn, but, honestly, this is the first photo of a barn that I took on this trip. Serendipity.

Cupola.

Sign is for a company that does general contracting and structural moving.

Looks like a busy place.

The barn from the photo above this one, as we drove by. Couldn't resist the HDR-ish app at PicMonkey.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No.8 - who knew irrigations systems could be art?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Crops require irrigation in the Oregon high desert. Thankful for the green, I couldn't stop taking photos of the irrigation systems we drove by in the Zipcar, Engine, a Ford Escape.

As I looked through the couple dozen photos I took, I picked the ones with shapes and vistas which appealed to me. In the background, Three-Fingered Jack, a 7,844 foot tall glaciated shield volcano named for its distinctive shape.

One more with Three-Fingered Jack in the distance.

Next I uploaded my choices to PicMonkey to alter each one with one or more of the apps there. I am so pleased with how each of these nine images turned out.

I realized I had art here, not just photos of irrigation systems.

Dynamic, motion-filled art.

Do you agree that these images are art? I really would like to know what you think. Thank you.

Mt. Washington, in the distance, is 7,794 feet tall deeply eroded shield volcano which has as its main peak a volcanic plug, heavily eroded by glaciers in the last ice age.

For me, this art provides nourishment, not only for the crops, but also for us.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No.7 - one more sight in Madras, seen from our Zipcar

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Trailer parks and their signs appeal to me. I grew up in house trailers, going from town to town, trailer park to trailer park. My Daddy's job for the Marley Cooling Tower Company meant we moved on average every three months or less, for a period of seven and a half years. By the time we settled in my hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, we'd lived in places from Belle Glade, Florida; to Wilmington, Delaware; to Luverne, Minnesota; to Fort Stockton, Texas, and all sorts of places in between. I have memories, but I'm not sure where we were living or how old I was in them, but I do know that when I was going on 11 years old, we finally lived in a house.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 6 - riding Highway 26 with folks on their way to ski and/or race. TTTT, there is no engine in that race car.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sun, 19 May 2013 02:46:00 +0000

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While going through Madras, Oregon, we noticed these young men on bicycles on the highway. I wondered what they were doing riding bicycles, loaded with what looked like camping equipment, and said, "Gosh, that looks crazy." Meaning dangerous. Then Leland said, "I wouldn't want to be riding a bike to go skiing." Skiing? Then I noticed that strapped on with the camping gear were skis and ski poles; there's a red helmet on the back of one bike, too. Oh, this just entered my mind. I wonder if inside those bags are ski boots and ski suits, not tents and cookware and such? Maybe they've got a reservation at a resort? Do they call proper ski clothing ski suits? By the way, I took this photo at 4:31 p.m. And I just checked how far it is from Madras to Mt. Bachelor, the nearest place I'm aware of for skiing -- right at 65 miles away. We drove right by Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, snow every where.

Here's a wider view of the same photo. I didn't want to ignore the chance to show you two of the Zipcar perks on Engine, our deep red Ford Escape, stuck to the windshield, those orange things in the lower right corner. One, an Annual Northwest Forest Pass, which sells for $30, so we didn't have to buy a Day Pass for $5. And two, an Oregon State Parks Yearly Day Pass, which also sells for $30, so we didn't have to buy a Day Pass for $5. Yea, Zipcar!

And here's the race car we passed in Engine. No engine in it, no engine at all. That log building is the Black Bear Diner which a friend of both sons says has good food. Maybe another trip we'll stop for a meal--didn't work out that way this time. Oh, is TTTT a proper abbreviation in use today by those who text? For me it means To Tell The Truth. Is that a real one? Anyone? Anyone?

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 5 - riding Highway 26 into and beyond Warm Springs, Oregon.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Just before we arrived at the place where I took this photo, off in the distance a little bit, I could see a cut in the earth. A deep cut.

I said out loud, "Are we going down there?" "Yes," they replied. "Do we have to get up out of there to go to Bend?" I asked. "Yes," they replied. All I could think about was how much I hoped there wouldn't be too many curves, not too steep a drop into the cut and not too steep a rise out of it on the other side. And then we were in it.

Warm Springs sprawled before us as we continued downward on Highway 26.

Not too steep. Not too many curves. My fear of heights, not debilitating, just there. My acupressure motion sickness bracelets kept that under control. Down here at the bottom of this drop, on the left, is the Indian Head Casino. I had asked to make a pit stop and to play the penny machines for a few minutes when we arrived in Warm Springs. We left 20 minutes later, me $10 ahead. Yes! I hit a three-ball scatter jackpot on the Tiki Torch, a machine Mama and I liked to play at the Ameristar Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi, back before we moved to Portland in June, 2006. I think I bet 40 cents, but I cannot remember for sure. All I know for sure is that was the shortest visit I've ever made to a casino. Well, until Sunday afternoon when all we did was make a pit stop, no penny machines for me that time. I'll tell you how I spent my winnings in an upcoming post.

We're about to go up and out of the cut. Isn't the countryside beautiful?

My first sighting of the Deschutes River. I read online that the Deschutes is a major tributary of the Columbia River, that it flows through a rugged and arid part of Oregon, that it provides irrigation for Central Oregon, that it provides a cultural heart for that area, that is is popular in summer for whitewater rafting and fishing. After if passes through Bend and Redmond, north though the Central Oregon desert, it carves a gorge, bordered by large basalt cliffs. At Madras, it is nearly 300 feet below the plateau. Warm Springs is 14.8 miles northwest of Madras, and the best I can tell from looking at terrain maps, Warm Springs itself it at some spots 700 feet below the edge of the plateau. Yep, that's a deep cut. I don't think I saw any basalt cliffs. Still and all, I enjoyed the Deschutes' gorge very much.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 4 - what can I say? Sun shining, clouds hovering, mountains continue to be out.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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My best guess is that this is Mt. Jefferson. I don't know how far away it was from where Leland drove our Zipcar along on the highway, headed to Bend. I read online that it is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, part of the Cascade Range, and the second highest mountain in Oregon at 10,495 feet. Next time I get to see it from the highway, I'll attach the zoom lens to the camera. As it is, I think the 18-55 lens, zoomed in, took a pretty good photo even with the haze. That haze is why I altered the photo at Ribbet with the HDR-ish special effect.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 3 - the mountain's out!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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I wish I could remember exactly where we were when Leland said to me, "Look in your mirror." Amazed. I was totally amazed to see Mt. Hood in the distance behind us. For months Leland had driven this same route as part of his job at Provvista, so he knew exactly when the mountain would come out. Sweet. I checked the photo's exif data and learned that I took the last relatively close-up photo of Mt. Hood about 35 minutes before taking this one, but that doesn't really help me figure out where we were. But, we're out of trees galore on each side of the road and the terrain is pretty flat, so I know we're in the Oregon high desert.

I took several photos, trying to focus on the mountain in the mirror. This one pleases me most. That's Lamont looking out the window, wearing his sunglasses. Oregon's high desert glistened with bright sunshine, and at one point on the Zipcar's outdoor-temperature-reader-thing, it was 96 degrees. We rode the entire 157 miles from the guys' house to our rental loft in Bend with the windows down. Glorious way to start our mini-vacation. By the way, folks here say, "The mountain's out" when the sky is clear and we can see Mt. Hood from Portland, at least 60 miles away.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 2 - zipping along in our Zipcar - hooray!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:11:00 +0000

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If you follow my blog, you just might remember the posts last September about our failed attempt on August 24 to go on this same mini-vacation to Bend, Oregon. September 6, "Mt. Hood from Highway 26," and September 12, "Adventure Interrupted." Well, this photo shows us approaching and not slowing down as we zip by where we waited for the tow truck. You see, after lucking out with our towing coverage (I have a plan with the guys' Spot Locator for towing within 50 miles of home--no extra charge), I decided next time both sons would be Zipsters, too, and we'd head out in a suitable Zipcar for our trip to Bend. Yea for us! We kept right on truckin', so to speak, in Engine, the Ford Escape!

Take a look at the collage below--you'll recognize the tall evergreen on the right of the highway and Mt. Hood itself, looming ahead.

Here's what I posted on September 12, along with the collage:

Here we are, tootling along in the Lamont's Volvo station wagon on our way to Bend, my two sons and I. Our plan, to spend Friday and Saturday nights there in a place called the Writer's Retreat, one of the vacation homes managed by Bend Dutch Rentals. The guys wanted to boulder some during the days, and I wanted to explore the parts of Bend within walking distance of the retreat plus maybe ride out to see where they bouldered. We'd spend the rest of the time together, laughing, talking, eating, enjoying each other's company. We're blessed because you can do all of those things no matter where you end up.

We'd made a pit stop at a grocery store a few miles before we came to these curves you see in the first two photos. And we'd already noticed lots of lots of participants in the 2012 Hood to Coast Relay that had started that morning at Timberline Lodge up on Mt. Hood--you can see a few running on the passenger side of that white car in the top left photo. That's not someone in the road directly behind the car's driver side. Balloons are attached to the antenna. Lots of the vehicles had all sorts of stuff attached so that relay participants could easily find them at assigned places along the relay.

Notice the wide shoulder in the third photo. Let me tell you, we three were proud to see it as quickly as we did because we'd just heard a strange clunky sound and felt a jerky movement as we rode up the ever-increasing slight incline. Lamont pulled off onto the shoulder as we approached that big tree close to the guard rail. The guys got out, looked under the front of the car, decided Lamont should pull over closer to the guard rail, then they opened the hood and found oil coming out from beneath the cap on the place where you pour oil into the engine.

First, Lamont called the auto shop where he takes the car--Atomic Auto which is within walking distance of my apartment back in Portland. No answer. I immediately said, "OK, now push the button on the SPOT." So, Lamont got it out of his bag and pushed the button for roadside assistance, one of the aspects of this little orange piece of equipment which I subscribe to yearly.

(I had bought the SPOT Locator for the guys' birthdays back in 2008 when they had decided to hike in the mountains--too many people became lost in the mountains during the first two years that Mama and I were in Portland, and I didn't want to think about their not coming home and/or getting in touch with me to let me know that they were back home within a reasonable amount of time of their expected arrival, so I said to them, "I told you that I wasn't going to come out here and live your lives for you, but I have to know where we can tell them to start looking for y'all." They graciously accepted like the good sons that they are.)

Back on the shoulder of Highway 26, in a couple of minutes, my cell phone rang. A gracious and helpful young woman on the other end verified all sorts of information, asked me for a mile marker which thankfully was right there--see the fifth photo, that's the back of it! It read 50.0. Better than that, even, was when I heard her tell me that my plan covered towing 50 miles from where I wanted to go. Oh, joy!

After making sure she knew that we needed a tow truck that would hold all three of us, she told me she'd text the name and phone number of the company to me shortly and that the truck should be there within 45 minutes, plus I would get a text right about the projected time of arrival to ask if indeed the tow truck had arrived. The first text came at 3:13 p.m. Purdy's Brightwood Towing was on the way. I called Bend Dutch Rentals and let them know what had happened and explained that I'd call again when we knew the outcome.

The guys got their bouldering crash pads out of the station wagon to rest their weary buns--they work hard at their jobs with Provvista Specialty Foods. I was on my third day of vacation that week, feeling good. But not good enough to take the guys up on their offer of a crash pad for me. I figured I needed to save all of my energy for getting into the tow truck which I figured would be high off the ground. So I kept my not-so-agile buns resting on the guard rail, watching passing sights like the tractor-double-trailer rig loaded with green bales of hay rumbling down the incline. Another thing we noticed--more Hood to Coast participants who ran by across the road were women. Leland mentioned it first, then I chimed in with, "Yes, and it was the year of the woman at the Olympics!" Ever the fount of trivia, that's me.

Purdy's arrived and by 4:08 p.m., I had already texted "1" for yes to the query, "Has roadside assistance vehicle arrived?" The attendant whose name escapes me checked for oil, found it too low but with enough there so that he could deftly drive the car right onto the flatbed of the tow truck. Next he attached it securely while Leland and Lamont checked the spot where oil had dripped out of the engine. By 4:13 p.m., he leveled the flatbed and was just about ready for us to climb into the cab, the guys through the back door, me through the front door after I had grabbed hold of the appropriate handles to help me make that huge first step. By the way, do you notice that tiny turquoise dot at the left corner of the flatbed in the next to last photo? That's a woman running in the relay.

I clicked my seatbelt and watched the passing scenery all the way to Atomic Auto; first we had to continue away from Portland until we came to a spot where the man knew he could make a looping turn and head us back in the direction we wanted to go. He didn't waste any time, let me tell you, driving those curves at a clip which gave me pause. However, I successful squelched my natural tendency to squeal when frightened in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle. If I remember right, he told us that his first tow call that morning had been at 6:15 a.m., way up on Mt. Hood.

By 5:52 p.m. he had the station wagon unloaded at Atomic Auto, eight minutes before closing time, and Lamont was on his way to talk with the guys there about getting her checked out. Lamont uses the female pronoun when referring to his station wagon. By the middle of that next week he had her back, good as new with some sort of new trap/filter something or other that had become clogged and allowed a build up of pressure which had to escape somewhere. Plus he had some brake work and front sway bar bushing work done--I think I remember that right.

We walked to my apartment and decided to not go to Bend, period. I myself felt like we'd come through the situation very much to the good. I didn't want to get into Leland's car and tempt fate--know what I mean? We'll reschedule before too long, just you wait and see.

Mother's Day Mini-Vacation, No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

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Joan of Arc bid us a safe journey and great memories for our trip from Portland to Bend. I felt like her golden form, reflecting the sunshine and blue skies in Portland meant we were in for a good time. I took this photo at 1:36 p.m. on May 10, as we headed for I-84 east and the start of our drive, with Leland at the wheel of the Zipcar Ford Escape, named Engine, a dark red vehicle; Lamont sat behind me because he had more leg room there. By the way, when we rounded this traffic circle or roundabout in Laurelhurst, little did I know that this method of intersection would play a large role in our being out and about all weekend.

Here's what I found out about the golden statue on the Internet:

The Joan of Arc statue was added to Coe Circle in 1925. It was one of four statues given by Henry Waldo Coe to the city of Portland. It was made from the original molds of Emmanuel Frémiet's statue at the Place des Pyramides, which Coe saw on a visit to France. Portland's Arc statue arrived from France in 1924 and was dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1925, honoring the Doughboys of World War I.

Happy Mother's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Roses for you on your special day. Love to all the mothers out there.

In honor of Mother's Day tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sat, 11 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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In honor of Mother's Day on Sunday, I give you my little Mama! She's out front of the Virginia Cafe in downtown Portland, about to go off to the casino with me in our Zipcar of the day! I took this photo on July 29, 2010.

Degrees of separation, count them. Six. Yea!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:23:00 +0000

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My connection to Thursday's Blues Music Awards in Memphis may seem tenuous. Nevertheless, I claim it, wholeheartedly as a lover of the blues. Here we go. Sunday, April 7, at the end of my most music-filled day in Portland (Portland Art Museum's Members Gospel Brunch, Patrick Lamb's matinee concert at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall), I stopped in at the Blue Diamond for the Kevin Selfe and the Tornadoes Blues Jam. More live music. Yea! What a good idea that turned out to be! Great music, and I got to take a few photos. I wish I knew everyone's names, but I don't, doggone it. UPDATE: Just found out that the musician on the far right is Allen Markel.

Fast forward to April 20 and the Concert for Sandy Relief at the Keller Auditorium. Curtis Salgado and his band opened for Aaron Neville. For me, that show could be put on one of those Ground-Hog-Day-repeats. My goodness, but that was fine, fine, fine. Stay with me, now. Thanks to being a Facebook friend of Kevin (on guitar on the left in these photos), I found out that Curtis Salgado had won the B. B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. So, there's my somewhat tenuous connection to the Blues Music Awards held in Memphos May 9. Salgado also won Soul Blues Album for "Soul Shot," and Soul Blues Male Artist.

Now, back to being at the Blue Diamond on April 7 and those few photos. When I finally got around to uploading them to Flickr today, lo and behold, there with Kevin Selfe on guitar and other musicians stood Curtis Salgado's guitar player! I recognized him from the April 20 concert--I had a front row seat practically right in front of him. Wow!

Me - Blue Diamond - Kevin Selfe - Vyasa Dodson - Curtis Salgado - Blues Music Awards!

In the middle, Vyasa Dodson, Curtis Salgado's guitar player. On the left, Kevin Selfe, a right fine musician. And I'm sorry that I don't know the saxophone player's name.

Portland Art Museum, Members Gospel Brunch, Sunday, April 7, 2013, No. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:10:00 +0000

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From the card beside my water glass at the table where I decided to sit--right in front of the stage--I know that the man on the saxophone is Renato Caranto, that the man on the Hammond B3 is Louis Pain. I wish I knew the drummer's name, but it's not on the card. I mean no disrespect, but my lack of information bothers me.

Still and all, I like the photo too much not to share it with you. Perhaps someone will see this post and provide us with the man's name. For all three men, their music spoke of their talent and their love of performing. We who attended enjoyed them as we stood in line for the buffet and ate and drank before the program began.

The sold out event had been advertised thusly--"Join us for a one-of-a-kind event in the Kridel Grand Ballroom, featuring amazing live gospel performances and a southern-style buffet brunch. This foot-stomping event will definitely end your weekend on the right note." I jumped at the chance for preferred seating because I knew I wanted to be as close to the stage as possible. All I had to do was arrive early and place myself strategically at the front of the crowd, then I briskly walked across the length of the ballroom, heading for my ultimate destination, already revealed to you in the first paragraph. About the food, I couldn't eat the quiche--too much dairy--but I enjoyed the fruit, pastries, sausage and bacon, along with orange juice.

Your perfect commute?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:57:00 +0000

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Since I saw this good lookin' vintage pickup truck on my March 9, 2013, after-work commute, I have decided that there is someone out there who gets lucky twice a day, Monday through Friday. What I mean is that if you can't luck out and live on a bus line or a MAX line (and be able to afford the daily cost of a ticket) and therefore have the opportunity to use mass transit for your workday commute, I believe this would be the way to go. Feast your eyes on my serendipitous capture of a 1950s Chevrolet step-side on it's way south on NE 20th Avenue. Did you notice it's vivid blue matches the recycling bin on the sidewalk? That the red letters on its hubcaps that spell out Chevrolet match the red hand in the Don't Walk traffic signal? I don't have to ask if you realize just how happy I was to have my camera around my neck as I walked the block and half from my bus stop to my apartment door.

Please tell me the year of this truck. Thanks!

Zenabe Court Apartments, seen on the AHC Historic Multi-Family Housing of NW Portland Walking Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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We walked and looked and listened and repeated it, gladly, for a couple of great hours on Thursday, May 2. I especially liked this multi-family unit with the deep courtyard entrance. We learned from our docent/tour guide that Elmer Feig was the architect for this building--twenty-one of his apartment buildings from the 1920s are in NW Portland. The accoutrement on the facades range from Art Deco to Moorish to Mission to Egyptian. While I like the wrought iron arch at the entrance, I adore the clinker bricks. A bit about those bricks: In early brick firing kilns, the surface of the bricks that were too close to the fire changed into the volcanic textures and darker/purplish colors. They were often discarded, but around 1900, these bricks were discovered by architects to be usable, distinctive and charming in architectural detailing.

Here is the information that the Architectural Heritage Center put online and in their newsletter to entice us into going on what turned out to be a spectacular walking tour: Northwest Portland’s Alphabet District is often thought of for its beautiful mansions, when in fact, it has a surprising history as a "rental" district. The Couch family built some of the earliest upscale rental units. In the 1920s, Elmer Feig became well known for his Northwest Portland apartment designs, and a housing crunch during World War II led to the conversion of many classic homes into multi-family units. We hope you’ll join us as we explore this fascinating aspect of one of Portland’s most endearing neighborhoods.

From the KBC Management Web page: Zenabe Court, 708 N.W. 20th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, built in 1929, was designed by Elmer Feig in the Spanish Colonial style. The unique, staggered brick façade creates a warm impression. A wrought iron arch invites one into the tropically landscaped entry court. Colorful tile accents welcome you through the front door. Zenabe is a short walk to nearby dining and boutiques, yet is located in a decidedly residential area of Nob Hill. Convenience, balanced with a residential flavor, provides a perfect mix for the vogue Zenabe Court.

Studio and One Bedroom flats have been carefully restored to accentuate original details. Beautiful hardwoods, cove ceilings and originally tiled bathrooms are featured throughout. Built-in armoires or walk-in closets provide ideal storage. Several floor plans include arched wood burning fireplaces, accented by original artistic plaques. The Zenabe is simply stunning.

Studio 460-520 sq. ft.
Double Studio 625 sq. ft.
One Bedroom 620-800 sq. ft.

APARTMENT FEATURES:

Golden hardwoods
Tile bath flooring
Period light fixtures
Large walk-in closets & armoires
Cove ceilings
Fireplaces in select floor plans

AMENITIES:

Laundry room
Bike room
Entry intercom

No pets or smoking permitted.

Sidewalk slice of life.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:16:00 +0000

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The sidewalk scene in front of City Market NW, 735 NW 21st Avenue. I took this photo on May 2 while on the Architectural Heritage Center's Historic Multi-Family Housing of NW Portland Walking Tour. Naturally I have lots of photos of said housing, too. More on them later. I've been in the City Market, back when Mama and I lived in the neighborhood. On a weekday after work I bought Farmhouse Country pate from Chop, right there inside the store. Yummy.

Sunshine captured

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:53:00 +0000

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In my old neighborhood, I came across these iris almost exactly three years ago, May 10, 2010. See the sunshine captured in each blossom, glowing golden and deep purple, as well as subtle lavender?

Public Art - a vivid mural on the corner of NE Grand Avenue and NE Broadway Street

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sat, 04 May 2013 14:21:00 +0000

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I took this photo on Saturday, April 27, while waiting for the Portland Streetcar so that I could go to the Farmers Market at Portland State--I decided to take the scenic route on it instead of a couple of buses. I got off the streetcar for a quick stop at Walgreens, looking for a wristwatch. They don't sell wristwatches at Walgreens! Gosh! Anyway, while I waited for the next streetcar, I finally got to take a photo of this mural. Next time maybe I'll have enough time to walk across the street and try to get one without parked vehicles covering up a bit of the lower border.

Naturally I'm curious about the subject of the mural, so I went Googling.

Found on another photographer's Flickr: Sponsors of this mural are the Portland-Mutare Sister City Association and Africa Aids Response. It was hand painted by the people of Portland in 2007. It is located at NE 6th & Broadway.

Also found on the Internet:

Hope is Vital, 2007 Artworks: Mural (painted)
Artists Matt Bellingham, Heidi Schultz
Collection City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council Materials
Latex paint on concrete
Dates: Installed, 2007
Description: This mural's purpose is to create global solidarity and educate the Portland community about Portland's sister city, Mutare, Zimbabwe, and humanitarian efforts there. Underneath the inspiring message, "Hope is Vital," the sun shines on a yellow medical clinic Portland helped build for its sister city. In a show of support, persons from both Portland and Mutare hold hands, dance, and drum to celebrate life, above the text "it takes a planet to save a village."

Seeing pink in Portland.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Sat, 04 May 2013 02:20:00 +0000

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One of several things that I miss about living in Northwest Portland's Alphabet District--seeing the color pink in the spring. Pink-petal-blanketed sidewalks, streets, and vehicles. Saw this nostalgic sight after the AHC Walking Tour NW Sacred Spaces on Sunday, April 21. I'm headed to West Burnside to catch a bus home to NE Portland. Those folks ahead are some who were on the walking tour. Looks like they are still walking, looking, and talking. We had a great time--thanks Architectural Heritage Center.

Damian Lillard, Rookie of the Year, Portland Trail Blazers' point guard. Congratulations, Damian!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:11:00 +0000

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October 21, 2012--my first chance to take photos of Portland Trail Blazer rookie point guard Damian Lillard--Wells Fargo Fan Fest. The young man impressed me with his ability at the microphone when he and Meyers Leonard and Will Barton took questions from eager season ticket holders. Afterwards, I eagerly awaited my first chance to see him on the court. Now, all these months later, he's been named the Rookie of the Year! He won Rookie of the Month for our part of the NBA, every single month of the season! I will soon go through my loads of action shots and find some of those to share with you.

City Daily Photo Theme Day, the Creative Artisan: St. Mary's Cathedral, seen on the Architectural Heritage Center, Northwest Sacred Spaces Walking Tour, Sunday, April 21, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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I cannot get the link to the rest of the Monthly Theme Day posts to work for me. They can be seen here, if you copy and paste it. Thanks!

http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/may-theme-day-creative-artisan.html

West Transept Stained Glass Windows - The Four Evangelists

East Transept Stained Glass Windows - St. Patrick, The Blessed Virgin, St. Brigid and St. Dominic.

From the Religious Artworks Packet, available for download at http://maryscathedral.com/artwork

TRANSEPT STAINED GLASS WINDOWS The historical stained glass windows in the transepts are from the earlier cathedral built in 1885 and removed when that building was demolished after the great flood in 1894. They may even date back to an earlier cathedral from the 1870’s. After having served in the present church for seventy years, these windows were restored by Cummings Stained Glass Studio of North Adams, Massachusetts. Now that the side balconies have been removed, these two windows occupy places of prominence and are much more visible.

At the top of the left transept window (west) are images of the four evangelists. Above each head is their traditional symbol. A winged man for Matthew a lion for Mark, an ox for Luke, and an eagle for John. At the lower left is the image of Mary, the mother of the Word of God. At the lower right is St. Jerome who translated the gospels from their original languages into Latin.

Depicted in the right transept window (east) are St.Patrick, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Brigid and St. Dominic. At the lower left is the image of a woman and child.

Found online at the Multnomah County Library's "The Historical Oregonian, 1861-1972," in an article from 10/01/1894: As many of the windows of the present Cathedral are valuable, and most of them donations, they will be placed in the temporary Cathedral for their better preservation and to give the place a more ecclesiastical and home-like appearance. It is the intention to replace the old Cathedral with a business block in the style of the section now being completed at Third and Oak streets. Just when the Cathedral will be torn down, is not known, but as the windows will be taken out within 60 days, it is safe to presume that the demolition of the building will not long be delayed."

Would the scooter guy appear so calm if he realized an art van followed closely?

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Saturday, April 27, not the first time I've seen this van. I took these photos in Northeast Portland. The van has evolved quite a bit since I first saw it in July, 2007, when I was set up to try to sell some of my arts and crafts at Last Thursday up on NE Alberta. A man in clown face drove it and had a chimpanzee puppet sitting up front with him, looking out the driver's window. You can see versions of the van from 2009 in some photos at the bottom of this post. The owner has rearranged some of the accoutrement.

Here's a closer view for you. No clown face for the driver on this particular ride--I looked closely at the photo in its original size, just to check it out so I could let y'all know.

Pay close attention to the position of the hand on the back window.

Pay close attention to the position of the hand on the back window.

Pay close attention to the position of the hand on the back window. Yep, it's waving bye-bye!

Here's what I found online, by Googling Portland art car van clown, posted August 31. 2011, at Neighborhood Notes Dot Com:

The Never Never Van Driven by Extremo the Clown (a.k.a. Scott Campbell)
For many years, Extremo the Clown drove the most noticeable art car in the city of Portland. Extremo—the professional artist Scott Campbell—is known for wearing distinctive clown makeup, driving with performing puppets, singing karaoke, and laughing manically. “Scott has a little bit of a compulsion,” Emily Hall says, “and the compulsion is clown face.” Besides his work as Extremo the Clown, Campbell is a successful and prolific graphic artist. His primary form of artistic expression, and income, is painting advertisements in the windows of local businesses. “Anywhere you go in Portland, you’re going to see these goofy window paintings,” Hall says. “And he makes a really great, straight living off that.” Extremo the Clown maintains an active presence on YouTube, which hosts videos of his local television appearances, and has shown all types of unique art around town. Extremo’s well-known car, the MSV, no longer runs. The Never Never Van, his current work in progress, is based on the story of Peter Pan.

These next photos were taken downtown Portland, April 25, 2009. The van had not completely become what you see in the photos above. Still interesting, though. Looks like the ladders he uses to paint ads in store windows are up on top of the van, inside that red metal rack.

The van is heading west on SW Morrison. The MAX Blue Line is heading west to Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland.

Two more photos, taken the same day.

There's the Never Never. See in the photos that I took last Saturday, the Never Never is gone from the bumper.

One last one from April 25, 2009. I wonder if the change in adornment facing vehicles driving behind the van came about because this seems so high as to be a detriment in traffic. Maybe I'll run into him sometime and get to ask.

Felt good enough to go to the Portland Farmers Market Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

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Saturday evening I ate a small, fresh-baked baguette--no kidding, I got it at the Dollar Tree in a package of two which you're instructed to bake on the oven rack for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, imported from Holland, of all places--a sensible amount of Pearl Creamery Artisan Goat Cheese, a sensible amount of Rose City Pepperheads' Mango Madness, a sensible amount of Chop's Farmhouse Country Style Pate, and a sensible amount of Unbound Pickling's Bread & Butter Pickles. Wow. Then for a late lunch today, after a laundry marathon, I ate a sandwich on Pearl Bakery's honey wheat bread--with, once again, sensible amounts of goat cheese, pate, pepper jelly and pickles. I eat sensible amounts of these goodies because I want them to last all week. I cannot get over living in Portland where I am allowed to happily spend my hard-earned cash on products produced with pride by locals. I am blessed. See more details about my purchases below. I'll bet your mouth will water, maybe your stomach will growl. Let me know, OK?

My friend Sarah, a recent graduate of University of Gastronomic Sciences in Bra, Italy, has found a great job with the Portland Creamery. She sweetly posed for this photo holding my purchases. I bought Artisan Goat Cheese, Sweet Fire Artisan Goat Cheese (the addition of marionberry preserves adds the sweet, habanero pepper adds the fire), and Cajeta, Artisan Goat Caramel. Swoon city, y'all. Creamy, flavorful, spreadable yumminess. I am very excited to have these products in my frig, even more happy to have them on my plate!

Sarah didn't know that I stopped to take this photo. I love the look of concentration on her face as she listens, ready to answer questions and offer tastes of Portland Creamery's products.

I bought Bread & Butter Pickles, pure perfection. From their Web site, every word the truth in my opinion: sweetened with blueberries and pear. Bread and butter pickles, subtracting out large quantities of sugar from the formula while adding fresh Willamette Valley blueberries and pear juice to sweeten the taste equation. Perfect on sandwiches and cheeseburgers or add a flavorful and joyous touch to your tuna or chicken salad.

I bought a loaf of totally wonderful, great textured honey wheat bread (see the one still there with the big white label in the low basket to the right) and one satisfyingly sweet little pastry called a rugelah, I think that's how they spelled it. I decided to eat it slowly; it's small enough to be gone in two bites, but that would be plain stupid. I made it last for five bites. Yea for me! It's in the case on the top shelf, right, as you look at the photo. The lady had just helped me and had a smile on her face--I caught her in this photo with what I'm sure was a passing moment of farmers-market-been-there-since-probably-6:30-a.m. fatigue. I took the photo at 1:03 p.m.

I bought my all-time-favorite pepper jelly, Mango Madness. My gosh. That stuff is so good! Sweet and spicy, a nice-to-the-tooth-and-tongue consistency. Spreads like a champ!

I bought a couple of pears, green and red anjou, if I remember right. I know they're going to be good because every other single piece of fruit I've bought here over the years has been. I trust fruit from Draper Girls.

When I go to the Farmers Market, I have to have enough money with me to get a box of Cherry Country Dried Cherries & Milk and Dark Chocolate. So outta sight good, melting chocolate and chewy cherries. I can eat them one at a time without cheating myself by eating them more quickly. I really can! There are 20 in the eight ounce box. I like to get the mixed chocolate because variety is the spice of life. I also got a jar of Montmorency Tart Cherry Jam. I shall have Pearl Bakery honey wheat toast and Cherry County jam for breakfast this week. I am blessed.

I bought Farmhouse Country Style Pate, to which I readily admit I am addicted. You can see tidbits of it there on the edge of the cutting board, right in front of the Chop man. In my haste to get into the package, I tore through the label, rendering it unreadable. To tell you the truth, I'll be buying it again before too long; I'll be more careful so that I can share the ingredients with you--I'll even take a photo of the slab inside the butcher paper.

Finally, I bought a bunch of both the yellow irises and the purple irises. I stopped by the Blue Diamond on the way home and left them for the sweetest bartender in town, Janessa. Her birthday is this Wednesday, so those flowers are her birthday happy from me.

I've been sick for a few days, and now I'm sick at heart.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynette) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:27:00 +0000

After what's happened in Boston, I cannot focus on photos.