More of this side of the coin--winter in Portland.

Yep, more ice hanging this time from an informative display sign on the rooftop garden. I took these photos on Friday, November 14, before work hours began. I enjoy going up there some mornings to experience the weather and the view of downtown. That day, though, my focus was much closer.



I haven't checked on the status this kale since that icy morning, in particular, but in the corner of my mind, I don't remember seeing it when I was on the roof this week.



Some of this Swiss chard in this row was still in the ground on Wednesday afternoon, November 19. It appeared to have made it through the icy conditions robustly. I wonder how yesterday's hard rain and blustery wind impacted it, if it's still there.



It's interesting how pretty ice can be when you think about its destructive impact.

Tomorrow, another side of the winter coin in Portland.

One side of the coin--winter in Portland. Come back tomorrow for more of this side of the coin. Soon, we'll flip it.

Before work began last Friday, November 14, I walked out onto the rooftop garden and took these photos just to document the only winter-type weather I saw in the period of time in which it had been predicted that possibly four to six inches of snow could have ended up in Portland, starting around 9 a.m. on November 13. Thankfully, no snow in the metro area--I saw one snowflake from my cubicle window large enough to be seen from across the street. There was some iciness on the streets and sidewalk for my commutes, but I wore my Yak-Trax on my shoes and made it just fine.



I took this photo and a few more, then rode the elevator to my floor and got settled in for work.

Looks like a snow cone bar, just waiting for the colorful flavors to be applied

Cabin fever set in. However, with the thick coating of ice on top of the inches and inches of snow, I decided to stay inside. So, I walked around in my building, looking out common area windows. Or standing in the doorways. I'm glad I did because I would have missed the opportunity to take these photos.
 

A collage of three photos that I took of these icy snow shapes on a row of electric meters outside my building. I didn't plan to make a collage, but once I had uploaded the three images you see below and realized that I just might be able to work, much like I did in yesterday's post, I went for it. Not perfect but certainly satisfying.
 

Top photo.
 

Middle photo.



Bottom photo.
 

Bonus view, wide shot, from the first floor.
 

Bonus view, wide shot, from the second floor. The snow must really be deep between the two buildings. I don't have any idea how to walk to that spot, plus that snow might be deeper than my boots!

Icy sidewalks have kept me from taking a walk today, so far.

I stood at the edge of the side entrance to my building and took these two photos. Looking west on the left, looking east on the right. I combined them into a collage at PicMonkey.

Here's an emergency alert that arrived on my iPhone three hours ago: Portland strongly urges all residents to stay indoors today & not travel due to ice. I think that is a great idea after realizing that my big ol' self didn't cause a dent in the ice-covered snow on my sidewalk. However, it it gets above freezing, I may put on my polka dot rubber boots with the YakTrax attached and go out to take a few photos. We'll see. Now I'm going to post this and take a nap in the recliner.

Vacation, Day 7, 10/27/2009, Part 3

Boosted colors at Picnik.


Somewhere along I-20 we stopped for fuel. I took this photo mainly because I couldn't figure out what the heck it was. Does anyone know? I'm guessing some sort of air conditioning that goes to the truck's cab through those giant yellow tubes.


I should have stepped out of the truck and asked these two men, right?


A surprising sight. It's on I 459, a bypass at Birmingham. I found this on the Internet: " ... in Liberty Park ... the Birmingham Area Boy Scout headquarters as its neighbor, the statue shines, literally. Its torch, powered by Alabama gas, has only gone out twice in its history." I couldn't tell if the flame was lit, but after reading this, I'm assuming it was.


Caught the windshield wiper as we drove by TNT Fireworks Supercenter. Southerners do enjoy their fireworks!


I like this view of I-20, about 25-30 miles or so from Talladega Superspeedway.


Whoopee! Almost there!


Off the interstate, headed for the campground, I noticed this ice dispensing station. Look at that man, loading his cooler at a chute, sort of like going to that ice/snack room so essential to a hotel stay. Ice proves to be even more essential when you're at a campground with gigantic coolers full of food to be cooked, grilled, and/or fried. It won't all fit in those small refrigerators in campers.


Another campground essential, free beads! Oops, I meant to say firewood.


And finally, the most essential element to a campground, portable toilets! I do not jest. If you happen to be tent camping or some such, without your own toilet, then you will go into one of these--I guarantee it.


Milton's been in the office at our campground, checking on this and that, I'm sure. Now he's talking with some of the guys, about this and that, I'm sure. Oh, by the way, another campground essential is barely visible on the right side of the photo--the golf cart. Each camping rig, be it a truck and trailer like us or a motor home, is led to the camping site by one of these men on a golf cart or a four-wheeler. One more by the way, take note of the orange tractor in the background. Depending upon the weather, it can become a campground essential, too.


From the truck window, Milton looks at the ground--it rained on us off and on all the way east, and it's easy to tell that it's been raining in Talladega, too. Milton and Kay always have two camping sites reserved, one that they will use, one that friends end up paying for and using. The one that friends use is higher on the slight slope in that section of the campground, and no friends were due this race, plus it might rain some more during the night, so we parked on that one. More on that in the next vacation post.

More icy snow pix, Dec. 15 and Dec. 16

Walking to the bus stop, Dec. 15, so that I could report by 10 a.m.--looking east on NW Everett. Right before I made it to the corner where that person is standing, the bus that I usually catch stopped and then left again. I couldn't trot like I do sometimes--ha, ha--so I turned right and walked over to Burnside, hoping to get a 15 or a 20. I'd end up in the same place, able to catch my second bus for the rest of the trip.

Looking southwest towards Burnside, the street on the left, and towards SW Morrison, the street on the right.

Looking west, at Burnside, as it ascends the hill I mentioned yesterday, the one that the bus most likely didn't continue to climb, instead turning right at the next corner where you can see the front wheel of a vehicle waiting to turn out onto Burnside. Not this bus, though, the bus in yesterday's post. This bus went on up the steep, curvy hill.

Waiting at the bus stop, for the 15 or the 20. She crossed from the other side of Burnside as I did, almost slipping down in her tiny-heeled boots.

Properly dressed for the extremely cold weather. I know, though, that this man and his dog are homeless because I saw them Sunday night on the news, being interviewed about getting into a warming shelter for the night. He said that he and his dog needed to stay together, and the particular shelter they were in allowed pets with their people. The man had a cot, his dog had a kennel. Thank goodness.

Chains on a pickup, headed east on Burnside.

The most odd vehicle I've seen, driving across the icy Walgreens parking lot. And, lo and behold, I think I saw it again today, about 21 hours later, parked in a lot that the 15 bus goes by. Weird.

Still waiting for the bus, a total of about 25 minutes in a blustery, of and on windy situation. Cold. Don't ask me why the tights, mini dress, mini coat, tiny little boots. I don't have a clue and I couldn't bring myself to ask once we were on the bus. I figured I'd embarrass myself with my incredulity being all over my face and in my voice. I did, however, thoroughly understand the way the other woman dressed for the weather. Smart.

I started to get on this 15 after work today, but when I noticed the other 15 right behind it, I knew it would be practically empty, so I waited for it. In about 15 minutes, I got off at Fred Meyer to shop for last minute staples and the stuff that I need for two pot lucks coming up at work, one on Friday, one on next Monday. I'm planning ahead because the forecast is dire. Right now it's 22 in Portland, wind chill is 14. Tomorrow the weather schedule is snow, freezing rain, rain, then more snow. And more snow coming on Saturday. This is in Portland and lots of Washington and Oregon; it is not regular winter weather here.

I got off the bus with the rolling black bag stuffed with groceries and another tote bag, plus two plastic grocery bags. I had to put it all down on the icy sidewalk and take this photo, though, because the sign taped to the pole had shocked me so when I'd first seen it last night. I didn't get off there last night, but rode one more block so that I would be that much closer to the druggist where I had to pick up Mama's prescriptions.

The sign gives me sad news. The stop that I used 99 percent of the time is closing. I understand TriMet's reasoning, though.

How's this for a shot of the ice that Sunday's snow has become? I'm standing at the corner of NW 22nd and Burnside, with my back to Burnside. This sidewalk leads to my apartment building. I made it just fine, thanks to the trusty Yak Trax!

KGW Newschannel 8 is calling this weird winter weather the Arctic Blast. You know how news organizations like to title events. Now the weather man Matt Zafino is saying that we made it to 32 today at the airport. I went out at lunch time, walked to a nearby Goodwill Super Store and thought it felt much warmer than on Monday--thank goodness. He's explaining what causes freezing rain and where the lows will go tomorrow, influencing our weather. Lots of snow forecast for the ski areas. Here in Portland it's supposed to be 15 at 7 am., 31 at noon, 34 at 5 p.m. and from one to four inches of snow. And snow could come again on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday--my goodness!