My Name at Player Palooza, Feb. 2, 2015

All of the active season ticket holder accounts got their names put on the floor was it redone prior to this season! Can you find my name? Can you tell by the blurriness of this photo that I got very excited when I saw it and clicked the photo? There I am! Olga Hanson! Sweet sight for this ol' lady who loves basketball and in particular, the Portland Trail Blazers of Rip City, Oregon!

I needed no help to straighten myself to standing upright.

A brand new perk of being a season ticket holder, having one's name included in the font that spells out Rip City, Oregon, alongside the court! Here I am, in all my rather large old lady glory, pointing out my name! First time I've been able to get to the floor and see it! I'm proud of my team and to be "on the court" with them! Thanks again for taking the photo, Janessa! And thanks, Blazers, for Player Palooza when I had the opportunity to see my name!

Found on the Web, from the Portland Trail Blazers' organization about our names being included in the brand new court's design: “Just as our team is not complete without you, neither is our court. In honor of you, the fans who have always stood beside us, we would like to include your Season Ticket Holder account name on the newly designed playing surface. Your name will be integrated into the fresh design and unveiled on opening night! Now, every home game this season will feature the entire Trail Blazers team, including you.” Once again, be still my basketball, Portland Trail Blazers' lovin' heart!

Foggy morning commute, April 7, 2014

Once I crossed the street after stepping off the first of two vehicles which make up my morning commute, either two buses or a bus and a streetcar, I immediately realized I had to get my camera out of my backpack and take a few photos. Fog, the streetlights on the Burnside Bridge, the Big Pink disappearing into the fog, the neon Portland, Oregon, sign. All called out to me. Happy to have had the chance to take several photos before the streetcar arrived.



I took this photo as the streetcar slowly headed south on MLK--a split second opportunity.

Sentinel Tree, Sublimity, Oregon, No. 5

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Here's the altered image that inspired the comment from my Flickr friend which, in turn, inspired these five posts this week and my name for the tree. He commented, "Looks like it is the guard for these rolling fields."

Say good-bye to the Sentinel Tree, but if you missed any of the other alterations, please take a look at the posts from Monday through Thursday this week. Today's alteration, the Orton app from PicMonkey.

Sentinel Tree, Sublimity, Oregon, No. 3

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In case you haven't been here this week, here's the back story: A Flickr friend who lives in Portland commented on an altered version this photo that I will post later this week. I took the name for today's post from his comment, "Looks like it is the guard for these rolling fields."

Today's photo of the Sentinel Tree was altered with HDR at PicMonkey.

Sentinel Tree, Sublimity, Oregon, No. 2

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The photo from yesterday, altered at PicMonkey with the Cinerama application. I knew that the app would cut some off the bottom and the top of the photo. I like that. I'm not sure why the color was changed when I used the app. But I do like the starkness brought about by that change.

Sentinel Tree, Sublimity, Oregon, No. 1

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A Flickr friend who lives in Portland commented on an altered version of this photo. Not this one. All I did here was resize it at PicMonkey. I took the name for today's post from his comment, "Looks like it is the guard for these rolling fields."

Come back this week to see four other treatments of this tree. I hope you enjoy seeing them. Thanks!

A sunny Sunday this September

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Serenity seen near Sublimity, Oregon.

Creative Problem Solving, #2

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Richard's bicycle came up with a flat tire on its rear wheel as he rode near Sublimity, Oregon, on Sunday afternoon, September 8. I just happened to have pulled off in the gravel nearby to take a photo when I noticed him sitting on the railroad ties used to separate the parking area from the grassy area. I pulled closer and asked if all was well, and he told me yes and smiled. I told him that I have sons so I felt compelled to check, then I asked if I could take his photo and put him on my blog. He smiled again and gave me permission. I told him my blog's name and wished him a good ride the rest of the beautiful afternoon. He agreed that it was a wonderful day in Oregon.  I did not ask if he had walked along for a while with the flat tire or if it had happened just before he arrived at this spot on the highway. I did know that I had carefully passed him not long before. So, here's Richard, creatively solving the problem of having somewhere to sit while he changed his flat tire.

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

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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.

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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?

Adirondacks all in a row at Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Salem, OR

On Memorial Day, a few hours after I took this photo of long row of empty Adirondack chairs, each one held at least one person, maybe two, or more if a child was involved. You see, from when I arrived and parked as the third vehicle in the lot until the BBQ began at 11:30 a.m., more and more people arrived to enjoy themselves in the sunshine and flowers.
 

I didn't notice if the same size chairs sprinkled more randomly alongside and at the opposite end of each display garden had filled with folks, but surely they had. By the time I'd eaten my BBQ, every seat at every table situated beneath the canopies you see here was taken, too, with other folks surely as hungry as I had been.

Artsy fun with Monet's Blue irises which I saw on Memorial Day at Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Salem, Oregon

One version of the Be Funky artsy effect, underpainting.
 

Another version of the Be Funky artsy effect, underpainting.
 

The actual beautiful irises.
 

A different view of Monet's Blue irises, as altered by Be Funky's artsy effect underpainting.
 

The actual beautiful irises. About Monet's Blue from the Schreiner's online catalog. It is a tall bearded, light blue iris originated by Schreiner in 1998. The description. Boldly ruffled petals finished in soft heavenly blue elicit the same shimmering feeling conveyed in the works of Claude Monet. Each flower is saturated in this lovely blue color, as close to "true" blue as an iris comes. Its tall stems consistently produce three branches and a spur with 7-8 buds. Growth habit is vigorous.

Folks among the flowers, No. 6

While I can't be sure of it, I believe it was something he said that led to the joyous smile and throwing back of her head in full-tilt-boogie laughter which you see there on the face of the woman with her hand on the stroller. I mean the man in the bee hat, of course. See the next photo for what I consider a great big ol' clue.
 

The reason I think that is how he's acting here in the second photo which isn't very good, but after all, I did take it on the fly so to speak, from my seat in a shuttle which transported folks from their vehicles and/or around the tulip fields. You do see his bunny ears, the man in the bee hat, right? Do you think he could have said something that made that woman laugh out loud?

 And how about the couple in what I would call Dutch costumes? Cool sight to see, there among the tulips.

Folks among the flowers, No. 5

Finally, my favorite photo of the little girls. When I saw the one in front, holding her nose, I pushed the button on my camera and said a little prayer that I got the photo. I did!

And I could smell every bit of manure that she could smell, from the moment I stepped out of the car. As I walked through the field of tulips, taking in the beautiful colors and shapes, seeing so many people out enjoying the flowers and the sunshine, for the most part I soon didn't notice the smell. Too much.

Folks among the flowers, No. 4

I've altered the photo at PicMonkey, trying to shed some light on her pretty face.
  Hope y'all aren't tired of these two little girls yet.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, Tulip Fest, Woodburn, Oregon, Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Folks among the flowers, No. 3

Sisters? Cousins? Friends? I don't know, but I do know that the one in the back had stood there long enough to make her feet tired and/or hurt. I don't think she realized just how much until she got to move a bit when the other girl joined her. The adult taking the pictures had them move here and there in that narrow furrow between the two rows of tulips. Thank goodness as little girls their feet could fit there.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, Tulip Fest, Woodburn, Oregon, Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Folks among the flowers, No. 2

I asked one of the grown-ups with her about her native costume and discovered she is Hmong. More photos of her and another lovely girl coming soon. 

Woodburn Tulip Farm, Tulip Fest, Woodburn, Oregon, April 22, 2012

Folks among the flowers, No. 1

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm's Tulip Fest, Woodburn, Oregon, April 22, 2012

Lovely tulips, glowing in the sunshine

Lovely tulips, glowing in the sunlight. What a precious gift, to be able to see such a sight, out with a friend and with others also in awe of the beauty these blossoms share. I am blessed. Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm's Tulip Fest, Woodburn, Oregon, Sunday, April 22, 2012