Sunshine napping at the Saturday Market

April 21 Portland's weather meant glorious sunshine to be enjoyed by everyone who made their way outside. As I walked along the Saturday Market at Tom McCall Waterfront Park I witnessed the usual--walkers, bike riders, skateboarders--and the unusual.

Yep, I've not seen anyone taking a nap in the sun on the concrete, although I have seen lots of folks napping on the grass in the park. However, she seems well into it, no doubt relishing the warmth of the sun collected by her hard bed. I think she was smart to be up against the temporary fencing--she's less likely to have someone walk right into her. Also smart of her to be on the back side of the market, closer to the Willamette River,  because within the market itself, hundreds of folks walked through the arts and crafts and food booths. Hundreds out in the sunshine.

She's wearing stockings with wide-spaced, straight-in-a-line tiny black polka dots, well straight as in following each other straight along her curved thighs and calves.

Can you see that curved grid on the sidewalk? Looks to me like it's there to help drain the sidewalk when rains come down.

One more thing. I believe her right shoe has thrown a heel. Maybe she's had a chance to get it repaired since then. Or found herself a new pair of comfy walkers. Hope so, because we're in for another sunny weekend here in Portland!

Back to Saturday, August 27, and fun with Howard and Vanessa and Milton and Kay

We drove away from where you saw the Zipcar on the Friday, October 7, post, eventually heading north in downtown to find a parking place closer to the Saturday Market.


Getting around in downtown Portland often requires making the block with a series of left turns. In doing so we stopped at a traffic signal, and I saw the sun on this "diamond" above the doors of the Willamette Building, 534 SW 3rd Avenue, shining in the sun. I grabbed my camera. Click! Nice adornment that calls attention to the diamond dealers in the building.


We parked and walked a few blogs in Old Town towards the Saturday Market where we walked up and down the aisles, browsing. Once we reached the end of the aisles we sat down to listen to the How Long Jug Band. Hooray for live music, folding chairs, canopies, and sunshine.


Just to our left stood a Rogue Nation Rise Up stall. Folks stood in line for a cold drink, wearing their sunglasses in hopes of knocking down the glare. What caught my eye, though, was the woman's purple hair.


To our right, this little dog taking a ride in the bicycle basket caught my eye. Looks like that little girl got a kick out of the dog's ride, too!


Not twenty feet behind the back wheel of that man's bicycle stood this colorful formed beauty, advertising Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille. I have never been to this eatery, so I know nothing about their menu. However, I do like this statue a whole lot.


Look who I saw a few feet to Mary's right! My favorite busker, Mr. Statue.

We left soon after I took these photos--I delivered Howard and Vanessa to their hotel. We three drove back to the apartment. Kay wanted to do some laundry since they would be boarding Amtrak for the long ride home on Monday, and we had all-day plans for Sunday. Howard and Vanessa walked over to the Rock Bottom Brewery for supper. We stayed in, did the laundry, ate leftovers, drank sangria, and watched NASCAR while putting all of Milton's video of the trip onto my iMac. Then to bed for a decent night's rest.

A Saturday Market smile, June 25 and a black & white re-do of sorts, from July 9

She just partook of a fresh squeezed hug!

One of my frequent visitors suggested I make the photo black and white; I had posted it as taken on July 20. Here you go, Mr. Lincoln. Thanks for the suggestion!

Splattery, splashy, surprising magic. Seen at Saturday Market on June 25, 2011

Here's the sequence as I captured it with the Nikon D50. I love how it appears that this little girl is calling forth the stream of water from the concrete. Do you?

Candid #2

On June 25, I ventured out for the second time that sunny Saturday, riding the bus to a stop atop the Burnside Bridge. I sauntered down the steps and headed to the Saturday Market. This man's bicycle helmet caught my eye as I watched people while sitting on a low concrete wall, the Willamette River to my back. It was the Transformer-looking angle of the helmet, to be exact, and the fact that his face had practically disappeared from sight which made him even more Transformer-looking to me. As I took the photo, I couldn't help but think, "I hope he pays much, much less attention to his phone once he mounts that bicycle."

I also couldn't help myself when it came to altering the image at Picnik. Cropped, focal zoom, Orton-ish. Seems like I used an additional effect, but I cannot remember for sure. Gettin' old over here!

Saturday Market Musician and Cast Iron Remnants

Please scroll down to find today's dahlia, China Doll, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Operating since 1974 the Portland Saturday Market is the largest continually operating outdoor arts and crafts market in the nation. Centered in Portland’s historic Old Town the Market is one of the most popular shopping destinations for local handcrafted goods. Click on the link to find out all sorts of stuff about the Saturday Market.

I took this photo from the MAX Yellow Line the day the PCPA Tour Guides went for a public art ride with local artist Valerie Otani.

I think this is about the man in my photo. I found it at PDX Entertainment. While the photo there is not large enough to see very well, the drum is red and he's got on a similar hat, and he's playing an accordion. So, here goes: Pug is a Portland landmark. He and his one man band can be seen regularly at the Portland Saturday Market and every year at the Portland Rose Festival. Pug's Songlist Includes- Original and one of a kind works in a fun upbeat Zydeco or pop style and cover works from Motown to Louisiana!

I also took this photo of another part of the Saturday Market from the MAX train.

I found this on the World Wide Web: The free-standing wall of archways extending out from the New Market Building was salvaged from an Old Town structure that didn't survive the urban renewal craze of the 1960s.

Today's dahlia, China Doll, from Swan Island Dahlias.