The night before the actual Honey Moon

Last night before I went to bed, I decided to go out for a short walk. I'd forgotten about the Friday the 13th full moon, the Honey Moon. I had to come right back inside and get my camera! When the clouds cleared, I zoomed, focused, and held my breath. This one's the clearest of the clouds and the circle that is the moon. Too bad I couldn't get focused on the surface of the moon. However, considering I was standing in a city neighborhood, I like the result.

May 22, 2009--look at that sunshine!

If my allergies would leave me alone, I could have been out and about at lunch on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, and found a sight much like this one that I happened upon years earlier in downtown Portland. No kidding. It was a record-breaking 91 today here in Portland. And it should be a similar temp tomorrow. Maybe the allergies will have settled some and I can get out at lunch without ending up having a sneezing fit. If so, I'll have my camera with me.

Snapped with an OK due to sign language!

Excited to be in Las Vegas for the first time, I eagerly looked out the window. I saw this young woman and waved. She waved back. I held up my camera and pointed at her and back at it. She shook her head OK, smiled and posed two thumbs up. I took the photo and gave her two thumbs up as a thank you. So neat to see a Southwest Airlines employee willing to work for us, out there in that awful heat, so that our luggage could get off the plane and into the terminal.

At the north end of Tom McCall Waterfront Park

These three caught my attention because they appeared to be taking a break, enjoying the sunshine. Piled around the base of the lamp post, note the backpack, purse, and a jacket which appears to be draped over another backpack. I wonder how far they'd walked when they decided to stop for a while.

Seems to me that the woman is about to walk off to find something to photograph--I see what might be a camera strap in front of her, and she's holding her hands in such a way as to make me think she's got a camera.

The people you can see in the distance along the gray railing are on the lower level of the Steel Bridge, on the section set aside for pedestrians and bicyclists. Railroad tracks fill the center of the lower level, and there's another pedestrian/bicyclists path on the north side of the bridge. To tell you the truth, folks on skates and/or skateboards more than likely cross the Willamette River on this part of the Steel Bridge, too. You can easily see the brown waters of the river--we'd had plenty of rain lately. That's why the sunshine provided such an allure to those with the wherewithal to get out and about.

I found it interesting that the only one sitting is the youngest, perhaps because he's still agile and able to easily get up from sitting on what is essentially a curb.

The fullness of the blossoms on this tree makes for a lovely sight, don't you think?

Come back tomorrow for a bit of serendipity--something unique about the gray-haired man! Taking a close look at his right ear provides a hint, a preview, a clue.

Autumn Stepping Out

Couldn't get focused quick enough 'cause she was steppin' out! I sort of caught the essence of that with the photo--look at the diagonal lines of the back of her coat. She's got that vivid auburn hair that matches so the autumn leaves. She's walking south on NW 23rd, just past its intersection with NW Flanders. Notice the upward slope? This corner is just a couple of blocks from our place, and the grade has already increased this much and more. These changes in elevation make for a good place for me to walk, right near home. I am blessed.

Seen on the streets of Portland, No. 12

I go out to walk Duncan on May 27. We follow our usual path on our mostly deserted early morning sidewalk. Before crossing the street, I look to the left and the right--we've seen too many drivers going the wrong way on our one-way street. Whoa! What? What's that? An ironing board! On top of a white van! Huh?

We finish our walk and go back to the apartment. I put his food down for him, grab my camera and head right back outside to take photos.

What's the strangest thing you've ever seen atop a parked car?

Seen from the Buick on May 9, 2009 ... click!

I'm driving the Buick--I think I was on East Burnside near SE 22nd. Out of the corner of my eye as I slow down for a traffic signal, I notice something. Is that a stuffed giraffe riding in the passenger seat, I wonder. I grab the camera, point it over my shoulder, and click. The lady still grinned as I took the camera down and gave her the thumbs up.

Do you see another critter in the car?

Last Saturday's lunch at Por Que No, yum-yum

First let me say that I must return to Por Que No, at 4635 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., to take more photographs of the guacamole you see in the photo above. Perhaps I'll capture the green better next time. I did get a great photo of those margaritas, though!

Second let me say that I'd already been to Por Que No on Wednesday a week ago, at lunch with my friend at work Sarah. That's when I first saw the guacamole and realized I'd been a fool, a 100 percent fool, to forget my camera. That little bowl of green looked gorgeous! So gorgeous in fact that I decided to try it. You see, I've never, ever been a guacamole person. The few times I tried it in other Mexican eateries, I found it to be oily and flavorless. However, I took one look at that little bowl and realized that I'd be an even worse fool if I didn't at least try it. I mean the chips looked perfect, too.

I'm here to tell you that I couldn't get enough of that edible perfection. That's not totally true. I got plenty, sharing it with Sarah who had bought it for us--she'd eaten lunch there the day before and knew already just how good it tasted! And then I thoroughly enjoyed a carnitas taco and a pollo verde taco. All in an hour, including driving and parking time, in Sarah's vehicle.

Back at work, I couldn't stop thinking about that guacamole and the carnitas taco, the most flavorful of the two, to me anyway. So when my friend from work Marsha and I were talking about where to eat lunch on Saturday after the Architectural Heritage Center lecture about local architect Joseph Jacobberger, I naturally suggested Por Que No. She'd recently read a article about it in the Oregonian and smiled, saying, "OK!" (You too can read that same article in the link above, right under the photo.)

So on a sunny and sort of cold Saturday afternoon we rode the 14 bus and walked a couple of blocks to get in line to make our order, looking around at the interesting walls decorated with exotic keepsakes and vivid paint while we stood just inside the front door.



Peek-a-boo! There I am in the bottom of that mirror.



On the counter to the right stood gigantic glass jars filled with brightly colored fruit juice drinks--I missed them in this photo; yes, another good reason to return. When a relaxed, happy-looking man with curly hair and friendly, sparkling eyes asked, "Would you like something to drink while you wait?" I figured he meant something pink or yellow from one of the jars, but when he answered my, "What do you have?" with a list that included margaritas on the rocks, I blithely answered, "Yes!" "Salt?" he asked. "Just a little," I answered. He then turned to Marsha who grinned and said, "I'll have what she's having." Oh, somewhere in there we both ordered the pint-sized ones! (The recipe's at the top of that Oregonian article, the one you can read if you click on the Por Que No beneath the photo.)

Both hungry and thirsty, we ordered our food and invited ourselves to sit across from each other in two empty seats at a four-top table. The two ladies by the window graciously agreed to let us do that. Moments went by and the drinks arrived, followed by the guacamole and housemade chips that I had ordered for the two of us. We sipped and dipped and smiled and talked--after I took the photo. I'd remembered by camera! Somewhere in there, it dawned on Marsha (and me, to tell you the truth) that additional non-margarita-liquids were needed, so she said, "I'm going to get us some of that juice," and stood up as I said, "I'll take the pink one."

(Just now at Por Que No’s Web site, I found out their official name is Aguas Fresca.) Tasted freshly sweet and vivid.


A few minutes before our food arrived, I took this photo of the sign out front. When the man I was convinced must be the owner came to check on us, I showed it to him. He told me about the fluorescent bulbs he's substituted in the building's original sign, so I decided to be sure to get a shot of it from the sidewalk.


I took several bites of one taco before I remembered to take a photo. And I don't know which one I'd already taken a bite out of or which one is on the right--I had ordered the carne asada and the pollo asado, but I do know that the one on the left is the carnitas. It's still my favorite one--I saved it for last.

On our way out, when we bussed our table towards the back of the restaurant, Marsha noticed the open back door. I followed and came out into a charming back patio. "This will be so great in warm weather," I exclaimed. Marsha agreed.




I'm wanting to go back to Por Que No to eat again, before too long, not just to take another photo of the guacamole, but I have to get the green just right. I think it'll depend on the light coming through the windows. It'll probably take more than one visit.

Waiting at the ready

February 12, while waiting for my second bus where I always change, in the block of NW 3rd Avenue between NW Davis and NW Couch, I saw this bicycle across the street. I happened to be on the phone with my Aunt Baker down in Puckett, Mississippi, as I am every weekday morning. I quickly asked her to hold on a minute, unzipped the rolling black bag and grabbed my camera. Click. "I got it!" I excitedly told her, just as my next bus came into view.

If I were inclined to ride a bicycle, I'm thinking that one with red tires would be much easier to ride. What do you think?

Up Against It

Since Friday evening, I have been up against it, ill with fever, chills that jerked my hands, arms and legs, aches. The doctor diagnosed a urinary tract infection, once I felt like I could drive myself to his office Tuesday morning; my children were hiking and camping in the Mt. Hood area, as you can see if you scroll down to my Tuesday, Sept. 16, post. I am not back to normal, but I do feel like putting something on the blog--I have taken my last big white antibiotic tablet, but I don't think I feel as if I'm making much of a move away from it, as far as the fever is concerned for sure. I plan to call the doctor back tomorrow to seek a follow-up test and maybe a prescription refill.

Rest assured, I haven't felt good enough to feel guilty about missing these days of blogging, but in my heart of hearts, I have missed it deeply, which includes most of all visiting your wonderful blogs.

I haven't even turned on my camera--that's how bad it's been. I took these photos the same day I took the ones of the crane, either through my sunglasses or not. I posted them on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Upon reflection I realize that, before long, I will be far away from it and back in the swing of things.

Europa on Park

Yesterday after work I rode the bus to the west side of the river, got off next to the
First and Main building site, and walked a few blocks west to the last Music on Main of this summer. Photos will be posted soon, I promise--I took so many that I need some time to look over them.

Anyway, after listening to some fine music outdoors, I walked a few more blocks to catch a bus home, looking here, looking there, like I always do. Of course, I must also own up to the fact that I look down a lot, making sure where my feet are going.

On SW Park, this vignette at the Europa caught my eye.




All of you photo bloggers out there will find this as much fun as I did, I think. Yesterday Jill at Salem Oregon Daily Photo commented, Do you really go to work or just wander around the streets? You have so many great street shots!!

Here’s my answering comment: Thanks, Jill, I do work a 40-hour week, but walking is so easy here, what with these super days of good weather that are so comfortable after work, with well-maintained sidewalks, the sun shining, a breeze blowing, and a TriMet ride home nearby. I can't help myself, I often take walks around downtown, camera at the ready. It's purely paradise.

Blazer Hoop-de-do!

You know some people say, "Let's go shoot some hoops!" when they really mean, "Let's go play basketball!" And you know that some people call a whole-lot-of-fun-goin'-on by the name hoop-de-do. That's exactly what I witnessed Wednesday night at the Rose Garden.

Mesmirized and hypnotized by the sights and sounds, I quickly fell under the spell of what I'm calling Blazer Hoop-de-do! This is how far gone I was--I didn't even think about getting my camera out of my tote bag!

When the Blazer Stunt Team came to sit down right in front of me, it finally hit me that I ought to be taking pictures. Off and on until I left the arena, I took a picture every now and then, some of which are OK, some of which are crooked, but I'm going to share some of them with you anyhow.



After one of the teams called for a time out, the stunt team rose to their feet and did, well, stunts. Here's part of one that happened right in front of me. I wonder if, at the second I got this shot, both are them were holding their breath? Pretty neat stunt to see up close and personal.

The Blazers wear their white home uniforms, while the Los Angeles Clippers are in their red away, or visiting team, uniforms. Blazers' No. 12, LaMarcus Aldridge shoots the second of two free throws; a Clipper had fouled him. I know it's the second free throw shot attempt, not the first one, because of way the guys are standing on each side of him, poised to jump into the air in case the ball doesn't go through the hoop. It did. Aldridge had a great night, scoring 21 points and making six rebounds.