She didn't go anywhere but to pieces!

Remember the H is for Head and Hair mannequin? When I didn't see her any longer as I rode by on the No. 18 bus, I figured she'd left for another display window somewhere; that's what I told y'all in the post.

One day last week as we rode by the store windows, I caught a glimpse of several other mannequins--the kind from the waist up--sitting on the floor in what looked like dressing rooms without their doors. Naturally, I got off the bus to investigate and found a surprise.

There she was, our H girl, in pieces in a dressing room, all by herself.

To the left of her face, you can see her hands with their bright red nails--I guess her arms are tucked out of sight at the ends of her hands--and beside the back of her head, you can see her bare feet at the bottom of her long, blue-jean clad legs. All. To. Pieces. Drat.

P.S. I'm posting mighty early, changing the post time and date a whole lot, because I had an emergency trip to the dentist today--not my usual perky self, but on the mend. I'll be back better than ever which is my hope for the golden-haired mannequin.

For you, a part of what I see walking to work

Friday morning as I walked part way to work, this view particularly appealed to me. It's about 7:05 AM, PDT, and we're looking east down West Burnside on the left and southeast down SW Morrison on the right. Some mornings when I walk down Everett to Third, I'm walking at the same downward slope you see on Burnside. If I decide to walk on Morrison instead, then go due south to take Salmon down to Third, I walk slightly uphill before it levels off and then slopes down towards the Willamette River. Either way I walk, I make good time, take a few photos, and catch the bus that takes me over the river to work. I love to walk in Portland, and I'm curious to see how I can work it out to walk as much as possible during the wet winter.

The pale peach-colored building in the intersection is one of two triangular-shaped buildings that I've noticed in the sharp-angled intersections on the south side of Burnside. At its closest end, it houses a pizza place; at the opposite end, there's a bar and grill. I believe the upper floors are apartments. The tall, many-windowed building behind it is the Civic, a brand-new condo building. In between it is the rust-colored shorter building, the Morrison. They represent an interesting concept, new to Portland, as reported recently in the Portland Tribune. You can read about it at http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=118945870998628300.

Here's a bit from Wikitravel about how Burnside and the Willamette River work to delineate parts of the city: Portland is divided into five sections. Burnside Street is the north/south split. The Willamette (pronounced will-LAM-et) splits Southeast and Southwest, but the river takes a turn north of Burnside. Since Mother Nature doesn't care much about straight lines, the city decided to split what would be the Northwest quadrant into Northwest (West of the river) and North (East of the River), then divide North and Northeast at Williams Avenue. All Portland addresses contain their designating sector inserted between house number and street name (i.e. 3719 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) This will make it easier to figure out where things are. If you hear Portlanders talking about Southwest or Northeast, they're probably talking about the section of the town rather than Arizona or Massachusetts.

Goodwill Stores and Halloween Costumes--They go together like trick or treating, ghosts and goblins, haunted houses and screams.

Last week I stepped off the No. 15 bus and saw these silver boots in the window of the Goodwill store on Burnside. Oh, to have younger legs and feet! I'd have flown through the automatic-opening-door in a flash, to buy them if they fit. I will have to settle for enjoying them in my photo because in a few days they were gone from the window. I'm hoping serendipity strikes and I come across the new owner who will agree to being photographed for the blog. Yep, this City Daily Photo Blog thing is great fun for me.

A mural, sort of hidden on a side street

Sometimes at lunch, I go outside for a walk. That's how I found this neat mural at Smitty's Vending, Inc., on the corner of SE 7th Avenue and Main. Those who drive west on Main or walk south on 7th have the best chance to notice the mural. Oh, I guess those who drive east on Main might notice it, if they look sharply to the right after they've safely crossed 7th. I think even if you don't read English very well, you'd know what sort of business goes on in this flat-roofed building. Do any of the businesses near your work or home have murals on their walls?

ABC Wednesday: J is for Joy

Picture this: Mama and me, in the Buick, driving west on SW Morrison. As I turn right onto SW 12th, I’m saying, “I’ve got to find something for Alphabet Wednesday for J.” Mama quips, “J is for joy” as the car straightens out and I notice a crowd of people on the left, at the steps of a church. Parked at the far corner is a turquoise-colored convertible, an Olds Delta 88, adorned with bunches of white balloons, blowing in the breeze. I say, “I’ll get a photo of the car—that could represent joy, the joy of the bride and groom!”

So I go around the block again, when lo and behold, as we straighten out on 12th, a man stops at the top of the church steps and introduces the bride and groom to everyone. They come down the steps and get into the convertible! In seconds, they pull out into the street, to our left. At a traffic signal, I lean out, camera in hand, and say, “Smile!” You see the result.

But.

I can't, in all conscience, use the photo for J without their permission. Last Friday, I call the church and explain all about my blog, ABC Wednesday, and J is for Joy. I ask the wedding lady if she could ask the couple for me, “Would it be OK to use the photo I took of them for my blog?” She says she will e-mail them for me. Later that evening, my phone rings. The new bride agrees to my from-out-of-left-field request.

To the happy couple I say, "Thank you for letting me share your joy with the City Daily Photo Blog."

Who is this man? He’s on the wall of an old building with Meier & Frank above the door. See him there to the right?

This building, which looks to have been a Meier & Frank warehouse used during their years of operation in Portland—they sold out to Macy’s last year--takes up the block between 15th and 14th Avenues; I walk by on Everett--I don't know the name of the northernmost street for certain. One of these mornings, I'll have to leave the apartment early enough to explore.

How, I ask you, could I have walked by without taking a photo of this character? He appears to have been painted or printed on paper, cut out and plastered to the plywood covering the window. He's ended up colorful, exotic, romantic--a mystery.



Is he some character from an opera? A novel? A play? A figment of someone’s creative mind? Who knows? Give me your knowledge, or at least your best guess. Please and thank you.

Around town with Mama

I don’t want y’all thinking that I’m the only member of my Mississippi-to-Oregon-transplanted family out and about in Portland. My 81-year-old Mama gets her licks in.

Periodically I plan to post photos of her enjoying Portland. Sometimes she’ll have her sidekick with her, Duncan the darling dachshund—he’s a miniature, almost 14 years old.

Here she is, earlier this summer, downtown at the corner of SW Broadway and Washington, talking with two men who work at the Marriott. Like a lot of us Southerners, she’s talking with her hands as well as her mouth!

Yonder Stands a Mountain

Mt. Hood, over 60 miles from Portland, popped into view one morning last week as my No. 4 bus crossed the Williamette. Once I got off the bus at my stop, I made my way into a nearby parking garage, walking up a few flights until I could see the mountain pretty well with my CoolPix L12. When I get my Nikon D50 back, I'm going to buy a tripod for my zoom lens and get us a really good photo of this fascinating sight.

I never ever dreamed I would live where I could see mountains every day, or that I would only be a few hours from the Pacific Ocean. I love Portland!

The Marquee Says It All

I bought my first books at Powell's in June, 2004, when Mama and I first came to visit my sons, Lamont and Leland. I rode the No. 20 bus after walking over to Burnside from the Benson Hotel, my rolling suitcase in hand. Those books about Eudora Welty and Willie Morris flew home to Mississippi with me on Southwest Airlines. In June, 2006, they rode 2,500 miles back to Portland, in the back of the UHaul truck Leland drove. Right now they're on my 85x32-inch, three-shelf, unfinished pine bookcase in our top floor apartment in Portland's Alphabet District, eleven blocks from where I found them in 2004. About the bookcase, Mama just asked me, "Is that your library?" Brilliant lady.

At www.powells.com, you can find out all sorts of info about Powell's, including the store in the photograph, the City of Books. It takes up the entire city block, bordered by NW 10th and 11th Avenues to the east and west, W. Burnside and NW Couch Streets on the south and north. You're looking at the corner of 10th and Burnside here in the photo I took after work yesterday.

I can't resist giving you a few tidbits of information:

Powell's City of Books is a book lover's paradise, the largest used and new bookstore in the world. Located in downtown Portland, Oregon and occupying an entire city block, the City stocks more than a million new and used books. Nine color coded rooms house over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including an incredible selection of out-of-print and hard-to-find titles. ... Every day at our buyers' counter in the Orange Room, we purchase thousands of used books from the public. Powell's purchases special collections, libraries, and bookstore inventories as well.

A few facts about the City of Books:

68,000 square feet packed with books
we buy 3,000 used books over the counter every day
approximately 3,000 people walk in and buy something every day
another 3,000 people just browse and drink coffee
our parking garage provides space for 40 cars (ok, so there are bigger parking garages)
we stock 122 major subject areas and more than 3,500 subsections
you'll find more than 1,000,000 volumes on our shelves
approximately 80,000 book lovers browse the City's shelves every day, in Portland and via the Internet. So is our mother ship the world's largest bookstore? Heck, it may be bigger than your whole town.

Looking northwest, across the Willamette, at Portland's Downtown

I took this photo yesterday with my new camera, a Nikon CoolPix L12. The reason I have a new camera is that my Nikon D50 quit working on Sept. 11. The camera shop couldn't fix it, so it's gone to the camera hospital. I tried to take photos with my 2004 CoolPix, but I felt like I'd been rode hard and put up wet (tired), like I was running down the road out of alignment (frustrated), like the ground I walked on was spongy at best (worried). You get the picture.



In this close up of a portion of the skyline, you can see the green and red Hawthorne Bridge that crosses the Willamette River. It's to the left of the photo, at the bottom of the tall black-and-white-columned building, sort of hidden in the trees of Tom McCall Park. Those aren't really columns, of course. They just look like it.That's the Wells Fargo building. (The tall building to the right is nicknamed The Big Pink; it's officially the US Bancorp Tower.) The first time I walked across the river, I walked through falling snow that had quickly covered the bridge and the city with a couple inches of beautiful snow--back on Jan. 16. In fact, I've yet to walk across a different bridge.

The concrete line with vehicles on it is the Marquam Bridge which carries I-5 north from Mexico to Canada. I've driven south on this bridge, on the lower level. Not on the top level, northbound--not yet.

YMCA Child Care, Downtown Portland

These bright yellow chairs caught my eye as I walked along SW 2nd Avenue, north to Washington. After work hours when parents are nigh, it appears the children at the ODS Tower day care gather elsewhere to wait for Mama or Daddy.

ABC Wednesday – I is for Ironing Board

Looks like this couple decided to take their ironing board on vacation. So far, they made it a little over 75 miles from Portland. I'm guessing this looked like the perfect spot for a rest stop, alongside state Highway 18 at Grand Ronde. Be sure to notice that part of an iron bedstead behind them. I couldn't resist this as today's photo--I'll get back into the metropolitan area tomorrow.

P.S. Go to Mama and Me from PDX for lots more about the Helvetia Tavern. Thanks.

Sunny Morning in Portland's North Park Blocks--my inspiration during the winter.

When I walk down NW Everett from 22nd to 3rd and Couch on my way to work, I walk through the middle of this beautifully kept park. You can see a person blowing leaves from the sidewalk on the right of the tree--that's going on every morning I've walked, not that I walk 1.22 miles five days a week, yet.

Here's some information for you about Park Blocks--I particulary love that the land was acquired in 1869--in the middle of a city. Wow.

Wikipedia: Portland's downtown also features two groups of contiguous city blocks dedicated for park space; they are referred to as the North and South Park Blocks.

City of Portland: North Park Blocks NW Park Ave from Ankeny St to Glisan St., General Info, Acreage: 3.11, Acquired in 1869

Amenities - Includes basketball court – outdoor, bocce court, disabled access restroom, historical site, paths – paved, playground, statue or public art, and WiFi. Special Information - Park hours: 5:00am-10:00pm

This park has been "adopted" by JohnsonSheen Advertising. To volunteer at your neighborhood park, call 503-823-5121.

Historical Information:

These blocks were some of the original park properties in the city. Captain John Couch dedicated the blocks to the City in 1869. City plats show the park blocks continuing to Front Street, but Tanner Creek and poor drainage were obstacles to development and land north of Glisan remained vacant. The original design concept for the North Park Blocks was for a continuation of the South Park Blocks promenade. However, the linking was impeded early on by Benjamin Stark's reluctance to give the city the two blocks between Ankeny and Stark. The six blocks between Salmon and Stark donated by Daniel Lownsdale became part of a legal battle with his second wife's heirs. The court ruled in their favor and the property was eventually sold and developed. On the remaining blocks, trees were planted in rows like those in the South Park Blocks, using Big leaf maples and Black locusts with American elms at the street edge.

By the 1880s, the area was predominantly residential, but not fashionable like the South Park Blocks. Modest one- and two-story houses were built. From the turn of the century, more commercial and light industrial businesses and residential hotels were developed in the area. The railroad purchased the land north of Park to Front and expanded its rail yards.

In 1908, the People's Institute operated a playground and welfare program in the North Park Blocks. The next year the Park Commission added play equipment and took over. This became the Portland's first supervised playground, separating the boys from the girls. It became popular citywide. In 1920, tennis courts were built in the northernmost block and play areas were developed between Everett and Glisan. Also built around this time were two brick restrooms in the Ankeny block. As more playgrounds were developed in other parks, and commercial and industrial uses pushed out residential use, the park began to decline. Many large trees were damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day storm and were removed, changing the character of the park.

In 1992, a series of improvements was completed in the North Parks Blocks. Pains were taken to protect and preserve the remaining historic trees that had stood there since the park's inception. Light fixtures were replaced with the same style of ornamental ones now in the South Park Blocks. Different colored paving stones were used on the pathways to create bright, winding lanes. In 1993, a new playground was built and its popularity brought some vitality back to the park.

In February 2002, a fountain, designed by the famous weimaraner dog photographer William Wegman, was unveiled in the North Park Blocks. Commissioned by the Pearl Arts Foundation, Portland Dog Bowl resembles a patch of linoleum kitchen floor with a bowl on the side, as if it were pushed there by a dog nose. It measures 8x10 feet with checkerboard black and white granite tiles. To lend visual interest, four of the squares are artificial turf. Wegman designed the cast-bronze bowl, with water burbling up from an underground source, to be reminiscent of the Benson bubbler drinking fountains placed around town in 1912 by philanthropist Simon Benson. When interviewed about the design concept, Wegman stated, "If it didn't work for the dogs, it wouldn't work for me." He donated part of his fee to the Oregon Humane Society, Foster Pets, and the Delta Society, which promotes animal-assisted therapy.

In October 2002, a 12-foot bronze sculpture titled Da Tung (Universal Peace), a replica of a Chinese antique dating from the late Shang Dynasty (1200-1100 BC), was installed in the park between Burnside and Couch streets. The elephant is embellished with figures from ancient Chinese mythology, and carries a baby elephant, Xiang bao bao (Baby Elephant), symbolizing that offspring shall be safe and prosperous. The statue was a gift to the city from Chinese businessman Huo Baozhu, whose foundry in Xi’an, China, is licensed by the national government to reproduce Chinese antiquities. Huo, who visited Portland a number of times, said he was motivated by a love of Chinese history and admiration for Portland.

If you're interested in more about the South Park Blocks, here's the city's link to that: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=674&action=ViewPark

One other thing I got off the bus to see ...

This is a reprise of a post on one of my other blogs. I can't resist sharing it with you, too, especially after several people commented on the size of the motor boat beside the barge on my Sept. 15 post. So, I mostly quote myself here, which feels sorta weird--but one of Portland's most popular, in some circles, bumper sticker's says: Keep Portland Weird (www.keepportlandweird.com)--so I'll fit right in:

On the ride across the Hawthorne Bridge over the Willamette River yesterday after work, this yacht shocked me with its size. I vowed then and there to get a photo of it this morning, if I was lucky enough for it to still be there. It was there, but being a creature of habit I got right on the bus and rode onto the bridge. Seconds later I remembered the yacht, turned my head and spied it over my shoulder. I pulled the cord for the next stop, disembarking from the bus while still on the bridge. I made my way several hundred feet westward until I could take three photographs. (I only put one here.) Click on it to see the massive differences in size of the watercraft moored there in the marina, including the houseboat.

An extremely short news piece this evening identified the yacht as "Kisses," reported to be the 46th largest yacht in the US by Power and Motoryacht dot com. I found that in 2000, it was no. 28. Launched in 200, Kisses is 175 feet long, 32.15 feet wide at its widest point, cruises at 13 mph with a maximum speed of 15.4 mph (don't you love these decimals?), holds 10 guests and a crew of 11. My word.

Speaking of my word(s), I'd like to share with you one of my bridge poems, please.

A Bridge Limerick, Sort Of

Portlander Daphne Odora
Yearned so for the fragrance of flora
Blooming upon yonder high ridge.
She happily strolled the river bridge
With her man in his dandy fedora.

Satisfy your hamburger craving at the Helvetia Tavern

Just to set things straight from the get-go, that’s my younger son Leland’s hands sliding onion rings onto a platter. The fact that he cooks at the Helvetia Tavern, located in Hillsboro which is part of the Portland metropolitan area, in no way influences what I’ve got to say about the hamburgers, French fries, onion rings and root beer I’ve enjoyed there. It’s all just doggone good and photogenic, to boot.

We’ve been there four times in the last five months, that’s how much Mama and I enjoy it. In May we took Milton and Kay, our long-time Mississippi friends-like-family who drove all the way up here to visit the two of us. In June we took our newly-made Pacific Northwest friends-like-family Danielle, Pat and Meehan. The other two times, we just took ourselves right on out Highway 26, took at right at Helvetia Road, then a left into the parking lot. Satisfyingly yummy for the tummy!

For those of you who’d like another opinion, here’s the Citysearch Editorial Review:
Country roads and fertile fields surround the green-and-red-frame tavern with rural beauty; inside, there's a homey, cabin-like feel and a baseball-cap collection covering the ceiling. Weekdays, Hillsboro techies sup here; weekends bring in cyclists, families and couples. Known for their burgers, the joint churns out a two-patty jumbo version with cheese that shines. A special house sauce known as "goop" seals the deal. Be sure to get fries; they're hand-cut and better than average.

What I got off the bus to see the other day

As the No. 14 bus headed west over the Hawthorne Bridge, I spied something I’d not yet seen in the 14 months I’ve lived in Portland. It's a barge named New Vision--I see that on the front corner of it--and a tug named The Chief, right in the middle of downtown, on the Willamette River. Neat!

I got right off that bus at its first stop and walked back east, heading north along the river. They were slowly moving downstream. I walked and walked and walked, until I could get the entire barge and tug in the photo.

Look at that blue sky, reflected in the river. Didn't I luck out at what I consider a momentous moment (sorry) in the story of my life in Portland? I think so. And did you know that the Willamette River runs north, to its mouth and the intersection with the Columbia River which then runs west to the Pacific Ocean? That's why I was walking north and the barge and tug were moving downstream.



Here's another angle. The green metal struss bridge is the Hawthorne Bridge, and the double deck cantilever bridge beyond it is the Marquam, home of I-5 as it crosses the river.

If you like ocean-going vessels, you ought to look at my other blog, Mama and Me from PDX, in the August Posts. Scroll on down to August 16 (which takes you by my Aug. 23 parody of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," which I entitled, "Always Delete the Spam from Your Life") to see a huge yacht at the marina on the other side of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Here's a tidbit from the barge company’s Web site:

Tidewater—more than a barge line. In operation since 1932, Tidewater has traditionally offered a variety of barge transportation services on the Columbia-Snake River System. Today, in our endeavor to provide extended services to our customers, Tidewater has evolved into a multi-modal transportation company serving the Pacific Northwest with its integrated system of towboats, barges, and terminals. We appreciate the privilege of operating in the Pacific Northwest and are committed to performing in a manner that will preserve the livability of this region for future generations.

In the midst of the Plaza Blocks

I'm always amazed when any bus I'm on slows down to circle this majestic statue. I love the fact that it's right in the middle of the street. For me, that's so Portland!

After work recently, as I walked through the area passing time before going to see "Spamalot," I took this picture, my back to the north. Here's what I found at the Portland Parks and Recreation Web site about this majestic statue/fountain which stands on Main Street, in between Chapman and Lownsdale Squares, better known as the Plaza Blocks:

Chapman Square is one of two courthouse squares that comprise the Plaza Blocks which are bounded by Third and Fourth Avenues and Salmon and Madison Streets. The south square is named for former Iowa territorial legislator and native Virginian William Williams Chapman (1808-1892) who arrived in Portland in 1850. An attorney with business interests, he also served as surveyor general of Oregon. In 1870, he sold this portion of his land claim to the city. The north square is named for Kentuckian Daniel H. Lownsdale, who settled in Portland in 1845 when there were fewer than 800 people living in the city.

The Plaza was a lively place where orators held forth and citizens assembled. They are characterized in part by several large old elms and gingko trees. Chapman Square, originally designed for the exclusive use of women and children, features all female gingko trees. Lownsdale Square was to be the "gentlemen's gathering place." Today the Plaza Blocks are still a busy gathering place, although men and women can now safely coexist in either of them.

Chapman Square has a Spanish-American War memorial: Fountain for Company H, installed in 1914, was donated by the mothers, sisters, and wives of Company H of the Second Oregon Volunteers. John H. Beaver, an architectural draftsman, won the honor of designing the limestone fountain and a $50 prize in a citywide contest. Also found in Chapman Square is a bronze statue commissioned by the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail which took place in 1993. The Promised Land, by Oregon artist David Manuel, depicts a pioneer family - father, mother, and son - at the end of their journey. The red granite slab upon which the statue is mounted is inscribed with a quote by Thomas Jefferson. The plaza in front of the statue is sandblasted with footprints reminiscent of pre-settlement days: jackrabbit, black bear, porcupine, grouse, coyote, elk, and moccasin prints.

Between the two Plaza Blocks, Main Street curves around a huge elk fountain given to the city by David P. Thompson. Thompson arrived in Portland driving sheep over the Oregon Trail. He served as Portland's mayor from 1879-1882. One day looked out of the office window in his New Market Building at the Skidmore Fountain and decided that he wanted to dedicate a fountain to the city as well. Thompson commissioned Roland Hinton Perry, whose work adorns the Library of Congress and the dome of the Pennsylvania state capitol, and in 1900, he presented the city with a bronze elk fountain to commemorate elk that once grazed nearby. Local architect H.G. Wright designed the stone base of eastern granite, which included drinking troughs for horses and dogs. The Exalted Order of Elks refused to dedicate it because they considered the statue "a monstrosity of art." Many have tried to have Thompson's elk removed because it can be considered a traffic obstacle, but the elk statue remains. In 1974, after a debate about disturbing the blocks in order to complement the then-new General Services Building, Thompson's elk and the Plaza Blocks were designated as Historic Landmarks.

Summer Rain

Sprinklers on automatic soak Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I happened upon them by accident, one day after work when I got off the bus to look at something else. The water in waterfront refers to the Willamette River, which is to the east in these southward-facing photos.

Y'all who don't live in Portland must be wondering why anyone waters anything in Portland, right? It’s just not true that it rains all of the time here. It rains just enough to make things splendid.

ABC Wednesday – H is for Head and Hair

Whether or not some view the inverted, golden ice cream cone shapes on her head as hair remains open to dispute. Not to me, but to some. Shoot, I would willingly wear my hair like that if my head looked as good as hers.

When a boutique in downtown Portland closed business recently, for several days she stood alone, her back to window. Then she was gone.

Trinity’s Red Doors, Part II

Here’s Trinity’s east-most red door on NW Everett. To me, this lamppost, as well as the hanging light over both doors, accents the walls and the doors perfectly.

In order to hopefully find out more about red church doors, I’ve posted both photos on my other blog, Mama & Me from PDX, which I e-mail to friends and family in Portland and Jackson, plus it’s part of ORblogs.com. We’ll see what we can find out.

Trinity’s Red Doors, Part I

After I took yesterday’s photo, I looked up to my right and saw a red door on the gray stone church. I couldn’t help wondering why a red door on a church? So before I posted this photo (look for another red door tomorrow), I checked out the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral’s Web site and other Google hits. In their October 2006 Cathedral Conversation, which appears to be a newsletter, I found this sentence, “Historically a church’s red doors signal a place of refuge and solace.” I’m thinking, how appropriate, and wondering if the two homeless people sleeping just out of sight in the photo know this about red doors on churches.

On the church’s Web site, there’s a photograph of three red doors, side-by-side. Can you guess what I’ll be looking for when I walk to 3rd and Couch this morning?

The Sun's Comin' Up

What a blessing it is to live in Portland. If it weren't for this glorious weather, the fantastic mass transportation system, and the fact that the Willamette carved a valley eons ago, I would not be venturing out some mornings on my way to work, walking 1.22 miles from our apartment to a bus stop at 3rd and Couch. It's all downhill on Everett, and I get to take photographs along the way--good for my knees and my psyche. I'm in awe of what life affords me right now.

This sight caused me to stop in my tracks. I am particularly proud that the camera captured it as I saw it. The sidewalk runs beside Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, at NW Everett and 19th. I have to wonder at how long it's been there and how it's been able to warp so beautifully with the growth of the tree roots. The milky-upright shape to the right is a bus stop shelter--if I were running late in my walk, I could catch a bus there and go to my connecting stop at 3rd and Couch. By the way, Couch is pronounced cooch, as in the sound lovebirds make, "Coo, coo," not as in, "Please sit down beside me, here on the couch." Well, I suppose those people on the couch could be lovebirds.

Sammy's Flowers at Trader Joe's in the Northwest Hills

Looking east on Glisan, almost to 21st--here's Sammy's Flowers ready and waiting to be set out in front of Trader Joe's, which bills itself as "your neighborhood grocery store." I took the photo about 7:45 a.m. this morning as we walked to our car.


I can't help myself--I have to give you these other two shots I took around 4 p.m., after I'd parked the car and headed back to our apartment. Looking west, then looking east again.


For those of you who drool over gorgeous fresh produce, you'll do the same over Sammy's Flowers.

A Snake Even I Could Love

No, I'm not one bit fond of snakes. Neither is my 81-year-old Mama--that's her in the background walking beside our almost 14-year-old miniature dachshund Duncan. I am glad this colorful serpent caught my eye, wrapped around the railing of an apartment house near our building. We enjoyed our walk home after dining outdoors at a nearby restaurant.

Shades of Blue

Living in a city affords the unique in the midst of what ought to be the mundane. For instance, Jim Fisher Volvo--a multi-story car dealership at 21st and Burnside, in the Northwest Hills. Where I come from car dealerships are multi-acre, so this place fascinates me.

Cinemagic, Southeast Portland

Editorial comment at Citysearch dot com: "Hanging in there since the late '40s, Cinemagic survives by bringing in one quality film and running it for all it's worth. Independently owned, the theater has struggled in the past, and at one point almost went under. Today it offers good film picks and moderate prices, making it a solid neighborhood bet."

The theater sits at the intersection of SE Hawthorne at 20th, near many apartment buildings and homes. The proximity makes it a natural for walking and biking customers. Looks like someone may have come to see "Superbad" in the red vehicle. Is that a Jeep? I can't tell, and I didn't think to look when the traffic signal turned green.

Oh, if you'd like to see our Labor Day hamburgers that went with the tomatoes, and the rest of the delicious food from our Labor Day block party, check out my blog Mama & Me from PDX. Thanks!

A few housekeeping items: (1) As you can tell, I posted two pictures on Sept. 4. That was an accident caused by my being somewhat new to certain aspects of Blogger. (2) Click on the photos if you'd like to see them larger. (3) If you'd like to purchase any of my photos, please comment and we'll figure out how to go about it. Thanks.

Fresh-Picked Portland Tomatoes

All around Portland, green things grow in gardens, along sidewalks, in front and back yards, beside driveways--flowers and/or vegetables. Minutes after being picked by Lindsay (my son Lamont's girlfriend), these tomatoes complimented hamburgers shaped by his other roomie Brody and grilled by Lamont himself, for family and friends on Labor Day.

Petunias and Sweet Potato Vine

On a nearby corner, a stone wall encloses a front and side yard, practically chin-high at the corner. That's where this chartreuse sweet potato vine and the magenta petunias in the background grow. They run towards the corner like water seeking its fall.

A Big White Duck, on Broadway

This is the Portland Ducks' Hydra Terra amphibious touring vehicle. The Intro-DUCK-tion to Portland Tour covers downtown by land and the Willamette River. Mama and I need to check this out, soon!

Theme Day "Street Lights and Signs"

A timely and informative sign stands on SE Grand Avenue at Yamhill. Note the different-colored background behind the seven. Just how many delays should one expect?



(I've moved this photo here because I had the dates wrong in part of September. I tried to put the comments from it below here.) Caught in mid-message, the electronic sign makes it appear the bridge is closed. Actually, it's announcing the next multi-day closure as renovations continue on the bridge, the same one mentioned in my theme day post. The traffic signal changed to green, giving me no chance to take another shot; this one's sort of blurry, but I still like it quite a bit. Hope you do, too.

3 comments:

David said...
Hello Lynette and welcome to the city photo blogs from Explorer Dave at http://sarasotadailyphoto.com in FL.

I'm spent most of my life in Eugene OR, which I love, but if I where to ever move back to the Northwest it would likely be Portland. It is a very beautiful city. I'm looking forward to your posts, the will be sure to bring back many memories. Speaking of posts do you have a photo of post hole park?! For those who don't know that's an official city park in Portland where the whole park could fit in a close up photo!

It's one of the quirky things I like about Portland, plus all the fountains and Powell’s Books. Have fun with your blog.

All My Best.

David

September 4, 2007 10:53 AM
Lynette said...
Is this the park you talking about, David? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Ends_Park

Thanks for the encouraging words. I'm certainly enjoying Portland and my camera!

September 4, 2007 11:35 AM
David said...
I had the name a bit wrong, but yep that's the one!

And Portland is a great city to enjoy, even with all the gray skies and drizzle!