Sun. Shade. Sidewalks. Serendipity. Redux.

Saturday I turned the corner to walk on the sidewalk to go to the thrift shop behind the Albertina Kerr building. Immediately I noticed the dappled shade and sunlight beneath the leafy tree at the corner. Another great photo op!



These are the concrete steps up to the thrift shop. More dappled sunlight and shade, plus great shadows created by the handrail. The brown bits you see are debris that has fallen from the nearby trees.



Here's a photo of the steps--I stopped halfway up to take it. Besides the sunlight and shade, you see more of the brown debris that has fallen from the nearby trees.

Sun. Shade. Sidewalks. Serendipity.

As I walked across the street to head to the corner, I made a conscious decision to walk in the shade, if I could manage to not have to rub against the originator of the shade, that giant hedge. I quickly realized that wasn't going to happen, and, at the same time, I noticed that my left arm felt cooler air on it than my right arm. On my iPhone the temp registered 90 degrees, so I was surprised that the shade made a noticeable difference as I stopped and stood there to take this photo. I love paying attention to what's going on around me, but this, this was wonderful. Serendipity today, being in the moment, aware, experiencing. Yea!



Before continuing around the corner, I turned to look north towards NE Sandy and took this photo, just to document the hedge, the shade, the sunshine, the sidewalk. Wonderful to live in a neighborhood with such sidewalks.

Flickr and Blogger continue to drive me crazy. I really wish I knew more about what's happening and understood if there's something I need to do to stop it from happening. Whew. Anyway, the photos are so small right now that I'm sad, but at least they are on the post. I thought for a few minutes that I'd never get it done today!

My neighborhood, it's all in the direction that you look.

Yesterday on one of my walks in the sunshine, I took a photo looking each direction, while I stood at the corner of NE 22nd Avenue and NE Flanders Street. This one looks north towards NE Sandy Blvd. where NE Glisan Street intersects it a few feet west of where NE 22nd intersects with NE Glisan--it's one of many unique multi-street intersections in Portland. The tall hedge corners the southwesten border of the front yard at Albertina Kerr--the steps I go up and down on my walks are to the right of that red sign in the distance. Those great wooden benches where I rest are up those steps.



Looking south on NE 22nd Avenue. The streets in my neighborhood, known as Kerns, are wide enough for two-way traffic and parking on each side. 



Looking east on NE Flanders Street. I am blessed to live in a neighborhood with sidewalks in such great shape and so level, too! And how about all of these trees! Soon I'll be walking this way, making it the whole two blocks down to NE 24th Avenue and back. Eventually I'll make the loop which will total six blocks! I return to work on Tuesday, May 26, so my goal is to increase my stamina incrementally, and making the loop will certainly help.



Looking west on NE Flanders Street. That's my building to the right. When I leave for work each morning, I go out the side door of the building which is down this sidewalk a little ways. I walk down to the intersection with NE 20th Avenue--where you can see blue and white way down the sidewalk. I turn right, push the walk signal button and wait to cross NE Sandy Blvd. so that I can turn right after I've crossed the street and walk about 15 feet to the bus shelter. Oh, I forgot to point out that when I go this way, I walk right by the back door of The Blue Diamond PDX, my neighborhood bar--the best one in Portland as far as I'm concerned! Since surgery, I've been going to the front door of the Blue Diamond on NE Sandy, though, because it's a longer walk by a couple of hundred feet--I need each of those steps, not only now when I'm recovering but always!

Love Spalding.

First, I'm standing there with my iPhone, making a video and talking about how the tracks I'd made a few hours earlier had disappeared in the latest snowfall. Then, my phone rang--my brother and sister-in-law in central Mississippi wondering how I was making it in the snowy conditions, laughing when I said that I was out walking in the snow for fun. Finally, I notice this lady skiing along the sidewalk across the street. By the time I asked my brother to hold on, found the camera on the phone and held it up to take a photo, she had turned left on NE 20th Avenue. My brother and I continued our conversation, said good-bye, and I continued my walk around the block. When I got around the corner, I found a spot out of the wind and beneath a small overhang at the front door of the Sandy Blvd. Clinic, cropped and uploaded the image to Facebook. I figured that would it for the serendipitous sighting of a skier on the snowy sidewalk. Oh, before I forget, more serendipity in the matching colors of the car, the band on the Musicians Union building and the compatibility of the color of the skier's jacket and the rest of the wall color on the building. I love it when unexpected color combinations reach out and grab me.
 

Later that evening, cabin fever appeared again--it had been coming and going since I got home from work on Friday. Anyway, I decided to walk downstairs and look out the window in the side door of my building. My reward, one more serendipitous sighting of ski accoutrement. Left to right: ski poles, ski pants, skis. The icing on the cake, so to speak, the LOVE hanging on the apartment door, put there no doubt for Valentine's Day. I'm guessing that the word describes very well how the two skiers felt about their outing, skiing the neighborhood and beyond. The green door to the left served as their portal to the winter wonderland that Portland had become, beginning on Thursday around noon and continuing until around 4 p.m. on Saturday when the only thing falling from the sky was either freezing rain or sleet or both.

Dapper dresser confronts snowy Saturday to get a lemon.

We're in our third straight day of snow! Plus, now it's sleet and/or freezing rain which will continue until sometime tomorrow. I went out for two walks today, one around 10-11 a.m., the other about four hours later on. Just lots of snow on the first walk; no snow on second walk, just a bit of sleet and freezing rain.
 

On my first walk, I noticed this man, dapper dresser that he is. Who wouldn't notice, snow or no snow? He graciously agreed when I asked if I could take his photo and put it on my blog.

 

He told me that in his paper bag he had vintage literature--I think he mentioned dictionaries, philosophy and one other topic which escapes me now. When I asked where he got them, he said that he works on the other side of NE Sandy at Old Portland Hardware and Architectural. Then he went on to say that he was walking home, a few blocks south of my building, to get a lemon. He and his boss were going to make some cider. I love Portland!

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.