Signs, out and about in NE Portland, No. 3

One more sign seen from the TriMet bus, the windshield this time. I believe it's also vintage. Too bad the bus driver's aisle-view mirror sort of destroys the shape of the top section.

Signs, out and about in NE Portland, No. 2

Northeast Portland interests me for many reasons, not the least of which are the sorts of signs I find now and then. This one seen from the TriMet bus window, used to say Paulsons on the ovals--I think it's vintage and have to wonder if it originated with the Paulson's Floor Covering store that used to be in the building, since the number of ovals matches the number of letters in the word. There must've been an apostrophe on that next to the last oval, looking left to ride as we ride along westward on NE Sandy Blvd.
 

Signs, out and about in Northeast Portland, No. 1

This bar has since closed on NE 28th at NE Glisan, but their sign still fits perfectly because Sunday evening the Portland Trail Blazers made it into upcoming NBA playoffs! I took this photo on April 23, 2010, through the bus window--the bus route's name is reflected on the left side of the photo. I never visited Lucky's.
 

Forecasted warmer temps and little moisture make me smile, just like this flower I found a couple of weeks ago, across the street from my building.

I figured it was time share this little beauty with y'all, since our 7-day forecast looks so nice. Yea!

Back or front, I really love this sign.

The two sides of the Portland, Oregon, sign--in the sunshine. I took this photo through the bus window as we headed east on the Burnside Bridge--March 21, 2014.




See why I love it? I took this photo from the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, looking west, on March 21, 2014.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 10

I hope you're not too tired of seeing these photos of the blooming cherry trees bathed in sunlight. I can't quit looking at them myself, amazed at the impact those blossoms have on the views. We've not had much sunshine like this since that weekend about three weeks ago. However, we Portlanders know that it will return, the middle of next week in fact! I especially like how blossoms enhance the look of the trunks and branches on these two rows of trees.



Here's another photo of the same spot, taken looking a bit more to the east. I'm sharing it with you because I like the two photographers with their phones. One stands at the left side of the photo where the sun lights up her spring green jacket as she takes a photo. The other takes a giant step into the photo from the right. She wears a sweater with stripes the same green and a matching headband. While she's not taking a photo, the fact that she has phone in hand and is looking up makes me certain that she's on the search for the perfect place to take the next beautiful photo.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 9

Not everyone at Tom McCall Waterfront Park took photos while I was there. A few minutes after I took this photo, he stood up from what looked to have been a comfortable nap, picked up his bag and walked away. I took this photo at 6:36 p.m. on Friday, March 21, looking northeast towards the Steel Bridge. You can see part of it over the tops of the trees. Notice that gray roof with the shadow beneath it, above the blooming cherry trees, top right corner of the photo? That's the Moda Center where the Portland Trail Blazers play their home games. It is on the east side of the Willamette River. The other roofline is on a grain elevator along the east bank of the Willamette River. I have a season ticket to the Blazers' games and am looking forward to the rest of the season, then the playoffs. Go, Blazers!

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 8

Looking north, toward the Steel Bridge over the Willamette, in a photo that I took at 5:52 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2014. The fly over across the river is involved with I-5. I haven't driven on it enough to remember for sure, but I think it is where you can exit I-5 and get onto I-84. Y'all correct me, Portlanders, please. I like the three checking a photograph, no doubt. And their shadows stretching to the river.



Looking south, toward the Burnside Bridge, in a photo that I took at 5:57 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2014. The supports you see on the left are on the section of the bridge that crossed the Willamette. I like the little girl dancing in pink chiffon on the green grass, as well as the number of folks visible in this particular shot.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 7

Found another redhead in a gray hat enjoying the green grass and sunshine and cherry blossoms. The blurry white spots are petals in flight. Double serendipity, to get her and the falling petals in the same shot. I took this photo at 6:22 p.m. on Friday, March 21.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 6

Wait! There in the distance past the in-focus single Benson Bubbler I couldn't resist photographing because the plume of water resembled a giant cut diamond. Is that someone squatted beside the redhead in the gray hat?



Yep, he's checking out the screen on his phone. She's turned towards him. He photographed her at the same time I did, from a straight-on perspective, I imagine. He's wearing a darker gray hat and has a red fu manchu mustache and goatee. Serendipity!

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 5

Surely someone is taking her photo, other than me. Surely. In this perspective, sunshine and shadow treated her just right. I think her red hair peeking out from the brim of her gray hat and catching the sunlight next to her cheek make this photo special. What do you think? I'm very curious to know your opinion. I took this photo at 6:21 p.m. on Friday, March 21. Right above her head, cherry blossoms. But, I'm happy that I zoomed in and got this photo.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 4

When the cherry blossoms bloom and the sun comes out, it's icing-on-the-cake time around here. Get your camera, get your phone, get your significant other, get the kid(s), get the dog, get your bicycle, get your blanket to sit on, get your layers to wear for when the shade inevitably comes your way as the sun sets, and get out there. I took this photo at 5:51 p.m.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 3

I heard the lady in the maroon jacket say, as they approached the single bubbler while I leaned over and took the photograph, "What's she doing?" The man in the jacket with the green stripes answered, "She taking a photo of the water fountain."



Little did they know that I'd also taken a photo with them in focus. I stood up as they came abreast and asked, "Do you want to see the photo of the water fountain?" They stopped and looked and gave their approval. We agreed that it was a beautiful early evening to be out for a walk, enjoying the sunshine and the cherry blossoms. I chickened out and only showed them the top photo where the two of them are not in focus. One of these days, I'll be brave enough when I make eye contact with the subject of a photograph to say something along the lines of, "I've taken this great photo of you and plan to put it on my blog soon. Here's my card with the blog's address so that you can check it out, if you'd like." What do you other photo bloggers think about my plan? OK? Pitiful? Unnecessary? What would you do? What do you do?

By the way, how about that man with the purposeful stride, balancing his brimmed, cloth hat on his right fingertips? I caught him there in the center of the photo in mid-step, the entire sole of his left shoe visible. I love it! And I love that tiny bit of the sky visible between parts of the Steel Bridge, there in the distance. The tiny bit I'm talking about touches the top of the striding man's hat and looks as if it's a feather coming out of the hat, practically the exact color!

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 2

Here's the jumping girl from yesterday's post, with her dad, mom, and little sister. Sweet to see a family out making memories in the sunshine on the first weekend that the cherry trees bloomed. The way the weather changes around here, sometimes these flowers depart quickly, so it is imperative to get on out there and take advantage of the best conditions, as soon as they occur. That's why I went over between the Burnside and the Steel Bridges Friday, March, 21, after work. I had no idea if I could get back to Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Saturday or Sunday, so I put a reminder on my iPhone 5 and made it happen. The reminder's necessary because on Friday I tend to be on autopilot for home, unless the Blazers are playing.

Along the west bank of the Willamette River, No. 1

Friday after work at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, lots of people came out to enjoy the sunshine and the blooming cherry trees. I took this photo at 5:45 p.m. on March 21.

Busy Sidewalk, No. 3

Count the helmets in the bucket--one pink and white, one purple, one blue, one black. I also see a cloth cap that is white with a gray lining and a something turquoise that is knitted or crocheted. On the box there is a sticker that reads, "She flies with her own wings," one for Session Lager, one for I Heart Oregon, another of the flies with her own wings, a tiny smiley face, a tiny red apple, a couple of butterflies, two of white dogs in silhouette--maybe a Rottweiler and a Lab, one black and white one of a fox drinking from a steaming cup, another one with the same fox seated at a table with a chicken maybe having coffee together, and several that I cannot make out. Inside the box, the word Bakfiets is engraved at the end closest to the handlebars, and along the outer lower corner near the front wheel I read clevercycles.com. A quick Google tells me this is a WorkCycle--I guess so, peddling along with your children in the box would be work, for sure. There's a bell on the left handlebar and a large chain locking the bike to the bike rack bar. It is parked outside The Children's Gym, a busy place it seems to me because I often see parents and children there after work when I go walking by across the street and on Saturdays like this, too, when I'm heading for the nearby Circuit NE Bouldering Gym to say hello to my two sons who may be there doing their thing. According to the gym's Web site, gymnastics is their main thing, but they also have dance and music classes, plus after-school care and the occasional Parents Night Out. I took this photo on Saturday, March 15, at 12:24 p.m. I suppose the peddling parent went inside to watch his/her children's gym session.



Here's a wide shot of the sidewalk so that you can get an idea of it and the gym and the cars parked along the sidewalk, plus one pedestrian ahead of me.

Busy Sidewalk, No. 2

I took this photo on Saturday, March 15, at 12:14 p.m. The daddy and the stroller captured my attention. Bye the time I got the camera up to take a photo from at least a block away, he'd turned to look over his shoulder. The photo looks north on NE 16th towards the intersection with NE Sandy Blvd. The cream-colored building behind the daddy with the double-stroller holding two sleeping babies is on the southeast corner of the intersection. I cannot tell what he has turned to look at or for. None of the people in the distance are paying him any mind. Everyone's happy to be out in the sunshine in mid-March!

Busy Sidewalk, No. 1

A family of four, out for a stroll on a Friday evening. Sunny, cold in the shadows, thus the jackets, those thick boots on the older daughter, and Dad's hands in his pockets. I imagine that the shopping bag with the red design on it came from the City Target, not too many blocks west and south of the intersection where they crossed West Burnside. You can see a portion of a sign there above the top of the red umbrella. Berbati's, where Lamont first worked when he moved to Portland in September, 2000. I'm not sure if it was this corner or another one; back then the establishment took up more square footage than it does today.

I took this photo on March 21 at 6:45 p.m., then I caught the bus on home. I had lasted as long as I could at Tom McCall Waterfront Park among the blooming cherry trees and folks out enjoying them. Nature called, don't you know.

HooDoo Antiques and Serendipity

Serendipity at its best! I saw the big, pressed paper rabbit head in the window and stopped to take a photo. I had noticed a man checking his parking position as I walked to a stop; I didn't see him get back into the car. Once I focused on the rabbit head, though, I noticed his station wagon's tail light, reflecting right there in the rabbit's mouth! Oh, boy! I showed it to the man when he got of the car and came around to check how close he was to the curb. He got a charge out of it, too!

See what prompted me to get off the 20 bus on East Burnside last Saturday

An enclosed tricycle. What do you think of it? While I think it is so cute, I myself cannot imagine being out in regular traffic in it--even with bike lanes--mainly because I cannot imagine riding a bicycle or a tricycle in traffic, period. Someone parked it here, beside the bike rack--that blue bar--so someone rode in it.



Once I walked across East Burnside onto NE 16th, I stopped to take this photo. Now I see that the enclosed trike is in between two bike racks; I wonder why it is not locked to one of them? Hmmm. Look ahead on the sidewalk and you'll see a bicycle waiting for its rider. I wonder if it is locked to a bike rack? Oh, one more thing to notice in this photo that I took in Northeast Portland. Beyond the green street sign and the yellow one with the arrow on it, see what looks like a tall building? That is the Big Pink which is on the west side of the Willamette, a mile and three tenths away! So cool to find the unexpected in a photograph!



Closer view of the back of the trike. It's an interesting piece of machinery.