UPDATE and someone else I noticed while out and about on Saturday

UPDATE: Still not much energy or appetite but, thankfully, still less pain. I'm making it, y'all. Thanks for your continued prayers, love, and concern.



Once the long freight train started going by, I couldn't stop watching. I love trains! When I noticed this woman stretching, I figured that I could get a good photo, too. Lucked out, now that I've cropped it and added some fill light so that you are better able to see it. I like how it looks like the guy is holding the American flag when, in reality, it is painted on the side of the locomotive. Serendipity!

September 11

We will never forget. I took this photo on the day before Independence Day. The American flag flew above the Oregonian Front Porch Stage at the blues festival.

Happy 4th of July from Portland, Oregon

Our Flag

I decided that this photo would do well for my Memorial Day post. I wanted to post a flag today after watching the news reports and reading them in the local paper about various dedicated people all over the country who place a flag on each person's grave for today's memorial.

This flag flies at Talladega Superspeedway. I took it before the NASCAR race on 11/1/2009. The flag is between half and three quarters of a mile from where I'm sitting--that's my best guess anyway. It's a huge flag. The tractor-trailer rig that you see there beyond the flag pole is actually on I-20, going east. It's probably another half to three quarters of a mile to the interstate. I boosted the colors at Picnik.

Perspective #1

A symbol of one of the secret ingredients rests outside the building

Outside the Tillamook County Fairgrounds rests a symbol of one of the things the area is best known for--cheese. That's a giant baby loaf of Tillamook medium cheddar cheese in the grassy circle surrounded by National Guard vehicles. And how about that American flag, flying high over the whole thing? Neat.


As Mama and I left the fairgrounds after the Chef's Blackbox Cooking Competition, I noticed that cheese and pulled into the next driveway so that I could walk back and get these photos.

Lamont's efforts, and those of his brother Leland, were judged second to his competitor's at the competition. All of us took the decision in stride. We went over there to have a great time, and we did--even the guys who worked creatively hard at something they love to do.

Stay tuned. I have loads of photos to look through and details to get straight with the guys so that I can post them for you in the next day or so.