UPDATE and the skies of Portland over the past few weeks

UPDATE: Slept well until around 3:15 a.m., then slept off and on until 8:30 a.m. I've been outside before the predicted rain started so that I could get in some walking. I'm walking in the building off and on now. I don't have much stamina yet, but I'm working on it. In fact, I walked the two blocks to Subway and got a tuna sandwich which I carried back home in a rain shower--I wore my hooded raincoat on purpose, y'all, so I was fine and able to rest at the somewhat wet picnic table at the Blue Diamond's back door on the way there and back. Y'all, thanks for your continued prayers, love, and concern.



I took this photo today, mid-morning, when I went out for a walk. For me, the sky tells the tale of why this flag flys at half mast--the heaviness in a lot of folks hearts and minds after the murders at Umpqua Community College on October 1. I assume that's th case, that Albertina Kerr followed the President's call to lower the American flag to half mast; however, they've not returned it to the top of the flag pole yet--the order was half mast through October 6.



Portland has some fantastic blue skies, sometimes with clouds which magnify their impact. I took this photo on October 8, six minutes after I took the next one on today's post. I was on my way home after work. I waited at East Burnside and NE Grand for a 12 or a 19 bus. That building on the left will end up 21 stories, not all visible from this position since the ground floor of it rests below the height of the Burnside Bridge, and I'm at that height here on East Burnside. The one on the right tops out at 10 stories. Both of those heights are what I found online in early stories about the construction--I assume there have been no changes.



Thirteen blocks south of the previous photo, same day, 2:34 p.m. I took this one as I sat at the Portland Streetcar shelter, waiting. I like the juxtaposition of the rust-induced-chocolate-truffle-colored public art with the blue sky. The sculpture's title is Inversion Plus Minus.



Downtown, outside the Portland Art Museum, September 26, when Leland and I had been inside at The Artisans Cup American Bonsai exhibition. I'm sorry to report that I don't know the name of this sculpture; it's in the outdoor courtyard between the two buildings that make up the PAM. The 175-foot tall church bell tower peeking between the trees and the cloud is across the South Park Blocks; it's the First Congregational United Church of Christ and is amazing in its architecture and Povey Brothers Studio stained glass windows.



One last photo of Portland skies, this one taken as I arrived at work on September 22. More of Inversion Plus Minus, the public art which also appears at the opposite end of the block and is shown in an earlier photo in today's post.

Douglas Brinkley and "Cronkite"

Here's a photo that I took after the Oregon Historical Society sponsored event at First Congregational Church, downtown Portland. I got there early, bought my already-signed copy of the hefty book, found myself a seat in the beautiful sanctuary on the first non-reserved-seats-row. Turns out folks like former Governor Ted Kulongoski and his wife, President Nixon's brother Ed, and Senator Mark Hatfield's widow Antoinette were among those sitting in the reserved seats. The only one I actually recognized was Governor Kulongoski.

And it wasn't until I overheard Brinkley talking with someone as we walked after the event to the Oregon Historical Society building next door for the short reception and more book signing that I realized the former president's brother had been in the audience. So, when I got home, I Googled Ed Nixon and realized he had been in front of me! I had said, "Excuse me," to Mr. Ed. Nixon as I made my way to talk with Governor Kulongoski and his wife after a superb 90-minute-lecture in which Brinkley had the audience in the palm of his hand, as the saying goes.

Yes, I wanted to talk with the Governor and his wife because one day after he had left office last year, I found myself seated on the homeward bound bus, with him standing right in front of me, holding onto the strap as we turned onto NE 16th. I looked at him and realized I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn't place him. When a man a strap or two away called him Ted, it clicked. Former governor! On the bus! In front of me! Kulongoski explained to the man that he was on his way home, proving to his wife that he could get off at the right stop, chuckling all the way along with the man who knew him. In fact, he looked down and me and smiled as he said that last part. So I piped up, "Governor, I moved here from Mississippi in 2006 and ride the bus everyday. I don't think you're going to have any problems at all." Both of us chuckled and he stepped back as I stood up to get ready to get off at my stop. What a neat happening! Only in Portland, I remember thinking. And here he was again, this time with his lovely wife. I just had to share the neat happening with her, and him. We three enjoyed more chuckles and smiles as I told the tale. His wife said they'd been in Mississippi last year for the historic Freedom Summer events (she showed me the folded up program which was still in the bottom of her purse) and they both were interested in why I'd moved to Oregon, both happy that I had found their home state to be such a good place for Mama and me and my sons. 

 At the signing, I asked Mr. Brinkley if he could personalize my book, which he graciously agreed to do. As I stood there, I just had to mention Lemuria Books, the best independent bookstore if the whole world--to me and lots of other folks and not meaning to disparage Powell's which is grand in its own right but it's not in my birth-city-home-town! He smiled real big and we talked for a few moments about Lemuria and his visits there before I asked if he'd like me to give a message to John Evans and/or Joe Hickman. He smiled and said, "Yes, tell them I'd like to bring Cronkite there!" So I called John later in the week and e-mailed Joe, too. What fun!

What an evening! All thanks to Douglas Brinkley and the Oregon Historical Society and First Congregational Church. Next up, reading "Cronkite."

About the event: Acclaimed author and historian Douglas Brinkley will share a fascinating lecture surrounding the release of his latest book, "Cronkite." In "Cronkite," Brinkley presents the definitive, revealing biography of an American legend: renowned news anchor Walter Cronkite. Brinkley has drawn upon recently disclosed letters, diaries, and other artifacts at the recently opened Cronkite Archive to bring detail and depth to this deeply personal portrait. He also interviewed nearly two hundred of Cronkite's closest friends and colleagues, using their voices to instill dignity and humanity in this study of one of America's most beloved and trusted public figures. Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University. Seven of Brinkley's books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. One of his most recent books The Wilderness Warrior, became an instant New York Times best-seller. Brinkley is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and The Los Angeles Times Book Review.

 About Brinkley from Harper Collins: Douglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him "America's new past master." Six of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. His most recent book, The Great Deluge, won the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.

The Interior - First Congregational Church, downtown Portland, Oregon

The Povey Brothers designed and made the stained glass windows.














The pipes certainly are beautiful. Wish I could have heard the organ.




The craftsmanship makes these details exquisite.






More curves and arches--they're throughout the sanctuary.








I don't like those light fixtures one bit. Can you find the two people standing in front of the window? If you do, you'll be able to tell just how huge it is.

The Exterior - First Congregational Church, downtown Portland, Oregon

Found on the WWW about First Congregational Church--it faces onto the South Park Blocks in downtown Portland:

Swiss architect Henry J Hefty. Cost $100K to build over five years 1889-1895. Venetian Gothic style, resembling Boston's New Old South Church. Two 100' towers were removed in a 1940s modernization, leaving only the 185' central tower. Cruciform interior 92'x92'. Slopes down to pulpit, with gallery, capacity 1100

Welcome to Portland's First Congregational United Church of Christ!

Our Vision -- We are a progressive Christian community in the heart of Portland. We celebrate diversity through our warm and inclusive welcome. In our worship and in our lives, we believe that God is still speaking and that the risen Christ lives in and among us. We covenant together to:
create a sacred space that is accessible and welcoming to everyone;
work for justice in our community and in our world;
express, in our living, a care for creation and a stewardship of all God's resources;
nurture our relationships with one another through our listening and our caring;
grow in faith, learning and service.
If this vision catches your imagination, we welcome you—whoever you are, whatever household of faith into which you were born, whatever creed you profess, whatever your race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, you are welcome in this place if you come looking for the presence of God or to rededicate yourself to God’s purpose. Please do not leave this place without a prayer for yourself, your friends and famly, and for all those who worship here; for our nation in these times of trial' for all hapless victims and recovering survivors throughout the world; for the fellowship of the Christian Church universal; for the advancement of God's realm of justice and peace; and for all men and women of every nation, race, and faith who sincerely desire to live together in unity and peace. We invite you to join us in our mission of peace and justice by becoming a member of our church. We stand ready to assist you in every way possible. God is still speaking and the risen Christ lives in and amongst us.

Our History -- First Congregational United Church of Christ was established in 1851. Our current sanctuary and 175-foot bell tower was built in 1891, designed by Swiss architect Henry J. Hefty to resemble Old South Church in Boston. The stained glas
windows were designed by Povey Brothers of Portland. We are people of different ages, education, races, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identities. We hold varying theological and political beliefs and come from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. We celebrate and find strength in that diversity and view it as a way of understanding the inclusiveness of God's love.

We celebrate the image of God in every person and we affirm all relationships of support that are founded on the principles of love and justice. We encourage all members to share their talents, gifts and energy in the life, work and leadership of the church. We are a community which is spiritually alive, intellectually curious, and open to new learning, ideas and scholarship. We are tolerant and supportive of other religious traditions and committed to learning about and from them.

Update! Important Update! Where is our blogger? A special message before the end of the Tour Guide Perk: Downtown Walking Tour with Peter Chausse

I copied and pasted this from Amir's Web site.
"I gotback Home
•29 June, 2009 • 79 Comments

I gotback home.
I am Amir…
I am FREE.

Thank you All friends around the world for your prayers, activities and helps. LOVE you ALL.

2009/6/29 – TEHRAN"

Curious to learn more? Go to Tehran 24, Daily Photos from Tehran.


Members of the City Daily Photo community take a stand with a special theme day on Sunday, June 28. From the CDP Web site: This is a special 'blog day' in order to help spread the images and stories coming out of Iran, and raise awareness of the issues that the people are protesting currently. I can connect you with everyone participating around the world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants. You might want to click on the link every few hours because as time passes, I feel sure that more and more CDP bloggers will participate. From Paris Daily Photo, I learned that Amir, a City Daily Photo blogger from Tehran, has at the very least stopped posting as of June 17, 2009. Hilda at My Manila says this on her blog, "Freedom of expression—that was all our fellow City Daily Photo blogger from Tehran was exercising before he was arrested with hundreds of his countrymen."

For the first time ever, I have used Picnik to alter my photo of the marquee at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in order to open the post with the all encompassing question, "Where is our blogger?"

And now for the end of our walking tour. Thanks for coming along!

Our tour leader Peter Chausse shared interesting information with us at every stop. I just can't remember some of it, so I've found bits and pieces to give you by looking all over the Internet. And I oh so badly wanted a map to share with you for this next part, especially when I heard Peter tell us that the South Park Blocks aren't really "blocks," as in the same square footage as the rest of Portland's "blocks." They're 100 feet wide while regular blocks are 200 feet wide. So I've searched and searched for a map to put here that would give you that dynamic visual. I found it at Travel Portland Dot Com's Self-guided Tour: Portland, Oregon. However, you'll have to scroll down a ways to see it. I thought it only proper to lead off with a photo I took while on our walk. It's a single yellow rose, one of many in the gardens between the Portland Art Museum and the Oregon History Center.



Please use this link to match the numbered circles on the map with information about each one of them, available at Travel Portland Dot Com's Self-guided Tour: Portland, Oregon

From Travel Portland Dot Com: The Park Blocks (the narrow, teal green blocks on the map)

The original intention of a group of Portland pioneers was to set aside a long promenade park that would traverse the entire town site, from the Willamette River to the base of the West Hills. But their good intentions were only partly realized. The results were the 12 South Park Blocks, from Jackson to Salmon Street, and the six North Park Blocks, from Ankeny to Glisan Street.

The South Park Blocks form the center of Portland’s Cultural District. They were donated to the City in 1852 by Daniel H. Lownsdale and William W. Chapman, who both have downtown squares named for them. Around the same time, numerous lots surrounding the South Park Blocks were deeded to churches and fraternal organizations.

The South Park Blocks then were known as “The Boulevard.” Early photographs show it as a narrow clearing, cutting through the town like a flat ribbon. But in 1877 the City Council authorized the planting of 104 poplar and elm trees. By the turn of the century, homes and churches bordering the park blocks enjoyed the shade of those trees, as they still do.

As we walked southward on the slightly inclining sidewalk towards the Simon Benson House, Peter stopped and explained about the beautiful trees running parallel toward the outer edges of the South Park Blocks.

While I listened, I took this close-up shot of the elm we stood near.


Here's a photo that I took on Saturday, May 9, right after I left the Portland Streetcar and made my way towards the Portland Farmers Market that you can see in the distance.


That's Peter in the red hat, in front of the Benson House.
From Travel Portland Dot Com: You can see Simon Benson’s house several blocks north, on the Portland State University campus, facing the Park Blocks at Montgomery Street. Originally on a lot facing The Old Church, Benson’s abode was moved in early 2000 to house the offices of the PSU Alumni Association. The two-story, green, Queen Anne-style house was built in 1900 and was the Benson family home until 1912.


Here are more photos from the rose gardens.




That's the Portland Art Museum in the background.


From Travel Portland Dot Com: If you go directly across the park blocks to the Portland Art Museum (map #6), pause and admire the rose and flower gardens surrounding the statue of Teddy Roosevelt, wearing a Spanish-American war uniform and riding a horse. Its title is Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider. (My photo of this is coming up soon.)

The Portland Art Museum, built in 1933, was designed by noted Portland architect Pietro Belluschi. The brick modern-style building was renovated in 1995, in time for the blockbuster “Imperial Tombs of China” exhibit. Since then the museum has been an important stop for numerous other large exhibits. The museum has an impressive collection of its own. A new wing, opened in August 2000, houses its large Native American and Northwest art collection.

Administrative offices for the museum are next door, in what is now known as the North Wing, but originally was the Portland Masonic Temple. The monumental 1927 structure is also home to the Northwest Film Center, the museum’s rental sales gallery, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Northwest Print Council, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Main Street Theatre. The two buildings are linked by an outdoor sculpture garden, featuring works by Barbara Hepworth and Pierre Auguste Renoir.

I took a few photos of a few sculptures back on October 18.

Roy Lichenstein's Brushstrokes, 1996


Desert Harvest, 1982, by Allan Houser


Coyote VI, 1999, by Gwynn Murrill

I took this photo last October 18. The blue and gold banners are on some of the Oregon History Center buildings.

From Portland Online: Between Jefferson and Madison stands an 18-foot-tall bronze equestrian statue of Theodore Roosevelt by New York sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor (1860-1950), who was known for his western art. Mounted on a 14-foot tall base of California granite, the statue entitled Theodore Roosevelt - Rough Rider portrays the colonel in the actual uniform and accoutrements he wore in his famous ascent of San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.

It was presented to the city by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe. When Dr. Coe was just beginning his medical practice in 1884 in North Dakota, he met the young Roosevelt, who was there trying to regain his health. Their friendship lasted until Roosevelt's death in 1919. Aside from his personal friendship, Coe (who moved to Portland in 1891) admired Roosevelt's politics. It was mostly for this reason that he decided to express his admiration in the form of a public statue. Calvin Coolidge broke ground for the statue in August 1922 and it was unveiled on November 11 of that year. The block on which it stands was named Roosevelt Square.

Here's another shot from October 18, the vista of the South Park Blocks in the fall. The gray basalt building on the right is the First Congregational Church, organized in 1851. From Travel Portland Dot Com: Two blocks north is First Congregational United Church of Christ (map #13) (1126 S.W. Park Ave.; 503.228.7219), at Madison Street. The stone building with the dramatic 175-foot, cream-and-red-latticed bell tower was dedicated in 1895. In Venetian Gothic style, it was modeled after Boston’s Old South Church. About the South Park Blocks, from Portland Online: In 1852 Daniel H. Lownsdale designated eleven narrow blocks of his plat at the western edge of town for public park space. Between 1852-75 the park was an unimproved roadway on the outskirts of the city center; the southern portion up to Jefferson was part of the Great Plank Road. In 1877 the first landscaping of these blocks occurred when the city council authorized florist and landscape designer Louis G. Pfunder to plant 104 Lombardy poplars and elms between Salmon and Hall Streets. Over the years, much has been added to the park, but there seems to be a consensus that the blocks should remain "a cathedral of trees with a simple floor of grass."

The bell tower at the church--I took this one while on our walk.


Oregon History Center
From Travel Portland Dot Com: Across Madison Street is the Oregon History Center (map #5). Be sure to look up when you’re at the main entrance, off a courtyard facing the South Park Blocks. The eight-story-high mural was painted in 1989 by Richard Haas on the 1923 building, originally the Sovereign Hotel. The mural’s trompe l’oeil perspective depicts members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Another mural, on the building’s south side, illustrates the early development of Oregon. The Oregon History Center, established in 1873, has exhibits, photo archives, historical collections and a research library.

From Emporis: Companies involved in this Building* Architect: Wolff & Zimmer Associates, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership. Other companies: Pietro Belluschi, consultant during the 1967 remodeling.



Close-up of the mural.


Peter led us to the exact spot to look up and see the wall and the trompe l'oeil from the side, so that we could see the actual painting, without the perspective.


Once we left this corner, we continued north. Peter stopped on Broadway, opened his well-used copy of "Portland Then and Now (Then & Now)" by Linda Dodds, Carolyn Buan, and showed us a 1930's photo of the Portland Theatre, next to a modern photo of the same building, now known as the Arlene Schnitzer Hall. From Travel Portland Dot Com: From Pioneer Courthouse Square, walk south on Broadway, using the huge “Portland” sign as your beacon. Lit up at night with 6,000 brilliant bulbs, the sign marks the location of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (map #2), part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA).

In this photo, Peter's pointing to the location of the PCPA. In this photo that I took in the bright sunshine on May 14, the brick building is the PCPA. You can barely see the Portland sign at the right of the photo--such a glare that particular day.


Here's the Portland sign on a blue-sky February 28.


We were back at the start, finished with our walk. I had a splendid time, as did everyone. I walked a few more blocks, caught the MAX, then the 15 home.