Happy New Year!

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What better way to celebrate the arrival of 2013 than with these two photos of a talented and brave little girl. Her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner in front of thousands made my heart sing with hope for the future.

Saturday evening, as one of a very small group of season ticket holders, I got to enter the Rose Garden Arena 30 minutes early and take a seat court side, during the team's shoot around. Nearby the Blazer stunt team worked out. And in the midst of all that activity, this little girl rehearsed the national anthem. She sang beautifully, unperturbed. Once she had finished, lots of people applauded.

 

Just before the basketball game began, from my seat on the front row of the upper bowl, I took this photo with my iPhone as she sang to the crowd. Loud cheering and clapping broke out as she finished that last note. 

Y'all, this food lives way too close to me.

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Slowburger is less than 600 feet from the front door of my building! When I walked there for a late lunch with Lamont and Leland on Saturday, I opted for two of their minis--any burger available on the menu but with three ounces of Painted Hills natural beef rather than eight ounces. I wanted to try more than one, don't you know. Am I ever glad that I did! On the left, we have the Seasonal: beef, no Pepper Jack for me, Tails & Trotters smoked bacon, jalapenos (I missed that word on the description, but after one bite and my lips going up in virtual flames--the hottest ones I've tasted since I left Houston, Texas, in 1983--I had to pull them off and put them on the red-checkered paper!), no dill pickle for me, sweet and sour iceberg lettuce slaw, all on a Grand Central (local bakery) brioche bun. On the right, we have a One: beef, no Gruyere for me, onion ring, no pickle relish for me, butter lettuce and aioli, all on that same blissful bun.

Y'all, the meat was cooked splendidly, juicy and tasty. The additions competed nicely with the taste of the beef. And the bun held it all together without softening into being unable to cope with what was in between its two pieces.

In the basket behind my two minis--a large order of Sea Salt French Fries--I think they could change the name to Just Right Fries! I shared the fries and onion rings with Lamont and Leland.
 

The best onion rings I have eaten in years, Slowburger's Trumer Pils battered onion rings. I hope they'll taste as good the second time that I order them! I figure that they will.

An extreme change in display

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What could this be, this black behemoth next to a Benson Bubbler on the southwest corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square? At first glance, it looked like some sort of cover over a structure standing on the sidewalk. I took this photo on December 5, 2012, as I continued towards the spot at Pioneer Courthouse Square where I wanted to stand for my attempt to get a good photo of Portland’s Christmas tree .



Front view. To get the lowdown on these structures, read the article from The Oregonian, which comes after the next photo.



Here's a shot of that same corner, taken on July 5, 2009. You can see the numerous publication boxes--I count five--if you're not too distracted by the golden retriever taking a drink from the Benson Bubbler. Remember, they're cleaned routinely. I say kudos to that woman who has been on a run with her dog on its leash--they both got a drink, I remember seeing her bent over at one of the other bowls. And it can be warm in Portland in July.

But I digress from the original point of this post--the extreme change in newspaper display at this corner.

Donna and Todd, I'm curious what you think of these. What's the latest about that attempt to use similar-shaped boxes in Jackson? As I remember it, there was an entirely different back story than what you can read below.

Here's the Oregonian article for you:

News racks at Pioneer Courthouse Square get clean, new look in pilot program

Published: Wednesday, July 18, 2012, Special to The Oregonian

A pilot program to tidy up publication boxes on downtown Portland sidewalks is headed to Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The Portland City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously for an ordinance approving the pilot program, part of the Public Sidewalk Management Plan the council approved in 2009.

The purpose of the yearlong program, which begins in September, is to test the use of news racks with multiple compartments in place of numerous, freestanding publication boxes. The goal is to improve sidewalk access, safety and aesthetics.

The four test racks will be set up at the corners of: Southwest Broadway and Morrison Street, Broadway and Yamhill Street, Yamhill and Sixth Avenue, and Sixth and Morrison.

The Clean & Safe District, a 213-block business improvement district, will maintain the racks, wiping the structures down daily, removing graffiti, gathering feedback and keeping an eye out for potential issues, said Mirabai Vogt, external relations representative for the Portland Business Alliance.

The alliance, which manages the Clean & Safe District, will bear the cost of the new boxes, according to city documents. Portland Bureau of Transportation will reimburse the alliance for as much as $20,600.

All of the test racks will carry The Oregonian, Portland Mercury, Willamette Week, The Portland Tribune and USA Today. Other publications in each test rack will vary by location.

All publications in Pioneer Courthouse Square were invited to participate, and no publications have objected to the Portland Business Alliance, said Bernie Bottomly, alliance vice president of government relations and economic development.

The pilot program will clean up and unify the publication boxes, said Kevin Denny, vice president of circulation for The Oregonian.

“I think it’s to our benefit, and to every publication’s benefit,” Denny said. “I am certain we won’t lose any sales. In fact, we might pick up some additional sales.”

The change also will make a difference to retailers at Pioneer Courthouse Square, said Randy Harris, president of Shreve & Co. (Portland). Harris said aesthetics are important to the high-end jewelry store at Southwest Broadway and Morrison Street.

“It makes a big difference in people’s first impression when they look at you,” Harris said.

The storefront currently is flanked by two groups of publication boxes, made of plastic and metal and displayed in a variety of colors. Long cords with padlocks secure some of the publication boxes in place. Neglected boxes may get stuffed with trash or tarnished with graffiti.

When an area looks better, more people tend to flock to it, and that’s good for businesses, said Emily Flint, vice president store manager of Macy’s Downtown Portland.

“The whole downtown retail strategy is: How do we drive more business to the downtown core?” said Flint, also chairwoman of the Downtown Retail Council.

Mayor Sam Adams’ transportation policy adviser, Katja Dillmann, this week said the project, which Adams has long supported, regulates the boxes placement. Dillmann said the boxes occupy random swaths of sidewalk, making it difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and for pedestrians to navigate the sidewalk.

And the boxes, some of which stand empty for days, have other drawbacks.

“From time to time, police are aware of paper boxes being used to hide things such as weapons and/or narcotics, although we could never know the true scope of the problem,” said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

The new metal racks in the pilot program also will be somewhat crime-resistant with an anti-graffiti coating, making them easier to clean.

Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have had great success with similar multi-publication news rack systems, Vogt said. After it is tested a year, the pilot program could be extended another six months if data on circulation and maintenance are inconclusive, Vogt said. If deemed a success, the racks could be placed throughout the central city.

“There are a series of issues that would come up at that point about how to expand the program and how would you pay for it and so forth, Bottomly said at a recent council meeting. “But initially we’re just testing to see whether this idea of congregate boxes works for everybody.”

-- Jillian Daley

Portlandia, seen on a cool, dry winter evening

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This huge statue fascinates me. Oh, how I would like to get the chance to stand a window near her, rather than just on the sidewalk below her or across the street from her. On December 5, after I took the photo of the Benson Bubbler, seen in yesterday's post, I looked up and saw Portlandia in a new light--sorry, but I've not seen her at night, lit this way, with no leaves on the nearby trees--couldn't resist that one, y'all. She is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States, after the Statue of Liberty. She's almost 35 feet tall, and she's not even standing up. If she were, she'd be about 50 feet tall!

Found this on Wikipedia: The statue is above street level, and faces a narrow, tree-lined street with limited automobile access. Occasionally, there are suggestions to move the statue to a more visible location, but these have come to nothing and the sculptor (Raymond Kaskey) states that he designed the statue for its location and would not approve of moving it.

Benson Bubbler

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After work on December 5, no rain fell, so I took advantage of my walk from one homeward bound bus to the other. I stopped in at the Portland Building and took the photos in yesterday's post. Plus, I took this photo of a Benson Bubbler outside the Portland Building, near the southwest corner of SW 5th Avenue and SW Main Street. And, yes, I've had a drink from various Benson Bubblers around the city, without consequence other than quenching my thirst.

I'm especially proud of how this photo turned out--the soft light on the edges of the four bowls, the spigots, and the water; the traffic on SW 5th Avenue; the brick sidewalk. Note the wet look on the sidewalk, near that concrete planter. That's what happens when gusts of wind come in contact with bubbling water. Read on to discover the decision the city makes sometimes, all because of that contact.

About Benson Bubblers from the City of Portland's Web site:

Benson Bubblers are Portland's iconic drinking fountains. The city currently boasts 52 of the fountains and 74 one-bowl variations. Though the single-bowl variations look like Benson Bubblers, they are not. In fact, in the 1970's, the Benson family asked that the installation of the four-bowl fountains be limited to certain downtown boundaries so as not to diminish the uniqueness of them.

And while most Benson Bubblers are, indeed, downtown, there are a couple of notable exceptions.

• In 1965, the City of Portland presented a bubbler to Yosaku Harada, mayor of Portland's sister city, Sapporo, Japan. 
• Sam Hill, a friend to Simon Benson, asked to have a bubbler installed at his Maryhill Museum of Art. 

Benson Bubblers are made of bronze, but years of weathering give them that eye-catching patina finish that makes them so beautiful and green. Patina is a thin layer of brown and greenish oxides that takes years to build up. Well meaning citizens have "cleaned" off the patina more than once over the years, but the Water Bureau has always restored the patina finish, preferring it to the shiny copper.

Bubbler Facts
Drinking water is fresh and NOT recycled, fountains are cleaned routinely.

• The Bubblers flow freely from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., daily.
• The fountains run 365 days per year unless a cold snap or excessively windy weather forces the Water Bureau to temporarily shut them down.
• The fountains serve up Bull Run drinking water! 

Benson Bubbler Legacy
In 1912, Simon Benson, a local businessman and philanthropist, donated $10,000 to the City of Portland to purchase and install 20 bronze drinking fountains, now known as Benson Bubblers.

Local folklore tells us that Simon Benson donated the 20 bronze drinking fountains as an effort to keep loggers out of the saloons at lunchtime. Others say that Benson was inspired after seeing a little girl crying at a 4th of July parade because she couldn't find a drink of water. Either way, the Benson Bubblers have become a historical and enduring legacy here in Portland.

Portland's first Benson Bubbler was installed at SW 5th & Washington. Another one of the original Bubblers was installed in front of Benson's home, where it remains today, to commemorate his generous gift to the city. The remaining 18 original bubblers were installed by 1917. Currently, the Water Bureau proudly maintains 52 of the four-bowl Benson Bubbler fountains throughout the city. 

Construction & Design

A.E. Doyle designed the four-bowl Benson Bubbler. Doyle is the noted architect of the Multnomah County Library, Multnomah Falls Lodge and Portland's PGE Park.

Although most bubblers were made by local foundries, two bubblers were made by students at Benson High School. In 1975, the cost to make a bubbler had skyrocketed and, in an effort to save money, the city asked the principal of Benson High whether his foundry students might want to take on the task. They were excited to try their hand at bubbler construction and eagerly agreed.

The first Benson High bubbler was installed in front of downtown Portland's Oregon Historical Society and the work is of the highest quality. Visitors can check this out for themselves at 1200 SW Park Avenue.

Conservation Efforts

The Portland Water Bureau is committed to using water wisely, and has made significant changes in the design and operation of the bubblers over the years to improve their water efficiency. For example, in 1995, the bureau narrowed the feed lines to the bubblers. This cut water use almost in half.

In 2000, the bureau installed timers which shut the fountains off during low-usage periods, generally in the late night and early morning hours.

In 2005, the Water Bureau installed small, flow-restricting devices in the bubblers to reduce the amount of water that each fountain uses. The devices do not affect the physical appearance of the fountains, but they do reduce the amount of water the fountains use by 40 percent. The bubblers now use less than 1/10th of 1 percent of Portland's daily water demand, yet they still stand proud, as a defining, iconic element of our city's history.

all the art that fits

Last year, I took my submission a day late, so, naturally, no dice on having it in the exhibition. This year I paid attention.

Here's the 411:Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) Press Release from November 28, 2012: all the art that fits returns to the Portland Building Installation Space, December 4, 2012 - January 8, 2013  

It is that time of year again; the annual City and County employee exhibition in the lobby of the Portland Building opens on Tuesday, December 4th and runs through the holiday season. This "salon style" exhibition, open to all current City or County employees, is a yearly favorite and is anxiously awaited by regular visitors to the Portland Building. All types of creative work are represented in the unique show, from quirky to thoughtful, from elegant and beautiful to amusingly odd. Only original artwork created by current employees of the City or County is eligible. The exhibition is non-juried--all the artwork submitted will be installed, hung wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. For those eligible and interested in participating, submissions must be dropped off Tuesday, December 4th, between 8:00 and 10:00 am, to the Portland Building lobby located at 1120 SW 5th Ave. between SW Main and SW Madison.
 

As seen among the others, my artwork is on the left, framed, with a wide white matte and right beneath the largest artwork.



Here's a close-up. I kept it, just as you see it, for a whole year, ready and waiting for the announcement of this year's event. I named it "Paternal Twins."

Merry Christmas--via my little Mama--December, 25, 2007

Without a doubt, my Mama gave it her all for me and my camera, readily stepping up whenever I asked to take her photo.

Here she is, first standing in the protection afforded by the porch at our apartment building in NW Portland, face glowing, her smile spread all the way to her eyes. Second, she's completely bundled up, posing just outside the porch, snow spitting around her. In the third photo, I've walked down to the street to get a shot of her from that persepctive. Even more snow's coming down, and she's ready to go, leg cocked to start her walk down the steps, just as soon as she hears from my sons. They were driving over to get us because our celebration was to be at a friend's home this particular Christmas. She's got her cell phone at the ready, gripped in her right hand. Seems to me that they drove up right after I took this photo.

We enjoyed our Christmas very much. I hope that you enjoy yours today. I appreciate getting to share my little Mama with you again. I miss her very much, every single day, so it means a lot to me to include her here at momentous times like this. Thank you.

Framed for Christmas, No. 12

My Christmas Eve wish for you and yours, illustrated by a photo that I took on December 26, 2007.

Framed for Christmas, No. 11

Inspiration for all last-minute shoppers, a beautiful store window. I took this photo on December 6, 2007.

Framed for Christmas, No. 10

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If you love the movie "A Christmas Story" as much as I do, then you'll understand my jubilation upon sighting the leg lamp in a window in downtown Portland on December 2, 2008. In a crate marked FRAGILE filled with excelsior, the arrival of the Major Award and the excitement of the Dad as he proclaims fra-gee-lay! He goes on to say that it must be Italian! I laugh my head off every single time I see the Major Award's arrival. To me, it is one of the best scenes in the movie, y'all.

Back to the photo, look closely in the window, there on the left is a Ryder BB gun, too!

Framed for Christmas, No. 9

At Tuba Christmas, held at Pioneer Courthouse Square, on December 8, 2012, I saw this fellow in an elf costume. He's pretty cute, and I like the fact that if you look close enough, you can see the man's face in the elf's hat. I'm happy that I got this shot, but it wasn't until I looked at it on the iMac that I noticed the woman behind the elf, sort of holding onto him. I'm guessing that she is helping with peripheral vision for the elf.

My favorite part of the photo--the white dog wearing a sweater and reindeer antlers. Seeming to smile, the dog looks intently at that woman in the dark coat, perhaps thinking that a treat is on the way. I didn't stay around to check--Leland and I crossed the street to catch the MAX Yellow Line so that we could go eat lunch.

Framed for Christmas, No. 8

Merry Christmas, y'all, from Flat Chris--thanks to Chris' teacher, my friend Tonya, I now have his name correct--and Duncan, the darlin' dachshund! I took this photo on December 22, 2007, back when Mama and I had only been in Portland about a year and a half. We loved our apartment, being in the same city with my sons, and Portland itself.

By the way, that little blue scooter, a Barbie scooter which I had bought at some point at the local Goodwill, turned out to be just what Flat Chris needed to be able to stand up as he was out and about with Mama and me. Cool! And get this. The Monday after I had been looking through my Christmas photos and deciding which ones to print and then post in my work cube, a work friend came by and said, "I dreamed about you last night. You were on a baby blue motor scooter, wearing a matching outfit. You didn't have on your helmet; it was on the seat behind you. You pulled away with a matching blue scarf flying out from around your neck. I have no idea why I dreamed such a thing." When I proceeded to explain to her that I'd been looking at photos that same night, lots of photos with a baby blue scooter in them, we both got chills. She walked back to my cube, at my suggestion, to look at this photo, then returned to where I was relieving the Front Desk worker and exclaimed, "That's the scooter I saw you on in my dream!" More chills.

Framed for Christmas, No. 7

Merry Christmas greetings from December 22, 2007. Here you have Purq (the purple and turquoise papier-mâché cat), Cow-Dog (the brown papier-mâché dog whose creator could never remember if he was making a cow or a dog), and Flat Stanley. Or was he Flat Chris? I cannot remember, and it's too late at night to be looking at my blog from back then to find out for sure.

What it boils down to is that the two lovely papier-mâché critters were created by patients at the Mississippi State Hospital and were sold at a stupendous yearly silent auction known as Serendipity. Rest assured, I hovered until I had the winning bid for these two and lots more art that I hold dear.

The little guy wearing the green and black polka dot tie with his dress shirt and slacks came to me from a teacher friend of mine back in Mississippi who had her second grade class--I think it was second grade--mail drawings of themselves to friends/relatives who lived in another place so that they could vicariously experience elsewhere through photos and text that said friends/relatives would create and mail back to the students. One little guy said, "I ain't got nobody to send my Flat Stanley." So, she asked me to help out. Naturally, I jumped at the chance, totally thrilled. Mama and I had lots of fun "taking" him all over Portland and the metropolitan area. Oh, the reindeer antlers are mine. I sewed and/or glued all of those colorful items--including the medallion with my Christmas wish for you on it--to the antlers in order to spiff them up a bit. The night I took this photo, I was bound and determined to get a photo where I looked like Cow-Dog was wearing the antlers. I love it when a plan comes together.

Framed for Christmas, No. 6

The night of my birthday in 2007, December 12, cold air kept me inside my friend's great big white boat, some of the time. You see, he and his sweet family took Mama and me and other friends of theirs out on the Columbia River to experience the Christmas Ship Parade. When I got warm, I'd step from the living room onto the back deck, maybe it's a swim deck, I don't know the exact term. I just know that I felt safe enough there to stand very still and try to get a good photo of any nearby boats, all lit up for Christmas. Here you see one of the clearest images I managed to get that memorable night.

Framed for Christmas, No. 5

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Christmas lights, attached to the SP 4449 while she's still at home at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, waiting her turn to take part in the 2012 Holiday Express which ends today. I'm not riding this year, but I count myself blessed to have been able to visit her at the museum, to walk along her length and think about the intricate and impressive workings of this steam locomotive and the skills of those who care for her.

Framed for Christmas, No. 4

For my birthday on December 12, 2008, Mama and I had tickets for the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation's Holiday Express. Turned out that Mama had a head cold, it was raining and cold for Portland, so Leland went with me on a ride in a vintage railcar pulled by this magnificent steam locomotive, SP 4449. He took this photo for me because I was too short to get the entire locomotive in the shot, given the distance we were allowed to walk beyond the SP 4449.

If you're familiar with my blog, you realize that I adore this gigantic piece of machinery, so it should come as no surprise to you that one more image follows this one.

 



Massive strength and beauty, decorated for Christmas. I took this photo on December 1, 2012, at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

 If it fits your beliefs, join me in prayer for those impacted by the horrific tragedy in Connecticut.

A break from Christmas for an ecstatic Portland Trail Blazers' fan--me!

I am a big-time fan of my hometown's NBA team. This is my second year as a season ticket holder. Last night I figured we'd have a hard time staying with the San Antonio Spurs, but those men played basketball! Determined play, attention to detail, never getting down in their teamwork when the Spurs went ahead--all of this contributed to a WIN! We fans helped, too, hollering and watching and believing! I had a blast!

This is the photo I took with my iPhone just as the clock went to 0.0 left in the game, with the score Blazers 98, Spurs 90! Those are the first celebratory streamers to fly out of the ceiling! The minute I snapped it, I turned to my right and took off for the elevator, to begin my homeward commute. Go, Blazers!

Framed for Christmas, No. 3

Here we've got the lower part of mine and Mama's Christmas tree in a photo that I took on December 11, 2007. After the multitude of needles which fell all over the apartment from our cut fir tree in 2006, we opted for this aluminum one and enjoyed it very much. Hope you like the photo. Do you see the ornament outline of Mississippi? I am especially happy that it's in the photo because that's where I was born, 65 years ago yesterday. Yes, my birthday was 12/12/12. Cool.

Prayers

Join me in a moment of silence, a heartfelt prayer, whatever you believe in personally, for everyone impacted by the shooting at Portland's Clackamas Town Center. Thank you.

Framed for Christmas, No. 2

I took this photo on December 26, 2007. At that time there was a store on NW 23rd Avenue that really caught my eye during the holiday season, so I'm excited that I got this photo, plus a few others I'll share later on. I love those green gloves and that golden ribbon in his right hand. Hope you enjoy these vintage Santas.

Framed for Christmas, No. 1

Portland's Christmas tree, December 17, 2010. The Jackson Tower in the background looks so great, all outlined in white and with the green light on the clock. Yes, you do see a tent on Pioneer Courthouse Square--it's busy all of the time. And over to the left, that's KGW's The Studio on the Square. Do you like these white lights and the gold star more than the multi-colored lights and the white star? I can't get the link-thing-a-ma-jig to work, but there's a photo of the other tree, which is the current lighting configuration, on the Friday, December 7, post.

I've put frames on some of my Christmas photos because I wanted to print them to display as part of the decorations I have in my work cube. I've decided to share some of them with y'all.

Seen from the TriMet bus, No. 1

I took this photo looking through the bus window on the way home Wednesday night, December 5. There's something romantic to me about riding along in a bus, looking into lighted windows. The backwards white letters reflected above the door are part of the lighted letters identifying The Original Dinerant which is across the street--a restaurant. I'm not sure where the specks of white light  to the right of the door originate.



Here's the same photo, altered with HDR at BeFunky. I think I like the first one better, but I wanted to show you both of them.

The doorway is in a fine building at 309 SW 6th Avenue. I'll have to go back and check out the granite doorstep. Read this which I found on the Internet to learn what I'm talking about:

The Wells Fargo Building is a historic office building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The large doorstep at the building's entryway required the largest slab of granite ever shipped to Portland at the time. Completed in 1907, it is the first steel-framed building in Portland, and is considered the city's first true skyscraper. At 12 stories, it was the tallest building in Oregon and remained so for four years. In 1986 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Portland's Christmas Tree, Seen at Pioneer Courthouse Square

No rain meant some folks were out and about at Pioneer Courthouse Square, having their photo taken in front of the beautifully lit Christmas tree after work Wednesday evening. I'm still not thrilled with my photos of the tree, though, so I hope to return and try again, maybe this weekend. I'll have to pay attention to the weather report and make a plan. I soon as I typed "make a plan," this entered my mind: There is a Blazers' game Saturday evening at 7 p.m.--if it's not raining too hard, I could head downtown early enough to take a few photos, certainly from a different perspective. Then I can catch the MAX right there across the street in front of the courthouse.

Two guys performing, one guy videoing--seen at Pioneer Courthouse Square

These guys grabbed my attention cavorting for their friend's camera as I wandered around Pioneer Courthouse Square before catching the bus to the Rose Garden Arena. Makes you want to spend a few minutes watching their finished product. Not me. I already do enough of that with ones I come across on Facebook, ones my friends or their friends have posted.

Here's a bit about the KGW Studio on the Square: KGW News Channel 8’s HD Studio on the Square is adjacent to the Square’s Visitor Information Center in the southeast corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square. KGW broadcasts its morning and noon newscasts along with the News at 4 and the Live @ 7 show from the Studio and showcases events at the Square in visual detail never seen before.

And a bit more: In 2008–2009, the station developed a high-definition news studio in downtown Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, in a space previously occupied by Powell's Books. Regular broadcasts from the location that KGW named the "Studio on the Square" began on March 17, 2009, with the 4:30 a.m. newscast.

Wrought Iron Fence, Seen at Pioneer Courthouse Square

The wrought iron along the east side of Pioneer Courthouse Square is impressive, no matter the time of day. But I think it's particularly lovely in the evening when lights reflect of it as you look northward on SW 6th Avenue.

The fence is part of this historical aspect of the square, the Portland Hotel Gate  --  Located where it once stood at the original Portland Hotel entry, the exquisite gate is directly across from Pioneer Courthouse. The wrought iron gate and fence are believed to have been designed by McKim, Mead and White, architects of the Portland Hotel. During the hotel's history only one president, Warren Harding, did not pass beneath this lovely feature.

Sorry, a couple of necessary errands came up for after work, so I didn't get to go take photos of the Christmas tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square. And we're forecast to get right at two inches of rain in the next 24 hours, maybe four inches by Thursday. I can hear it right now, dripping off the entryway roof, right outside my bedroom windows. The KGW weatherman has a statement online that says Portland has had more than 15 inches of rain since mid-October. In other words, it just might be a few days before I can get any photos of the tree.

Seen at Pioneer Courthouse Square

After work on November 16, I had some time to spare before catching the MAX to the Rose Garden for a basketball game. I noticed these two men installing the Christmas tree topper. Cool.



The scene at the bottom of the tree--that greenery is what was left of the fill-in greenery. I didn't get any photos of that process this year.

 

Here are some guys working on fill-in greenery on November 15, 2008.

I have yet to get a photo of the lighted tree--the Friday after Thanksgiving a huge crowd gathered beneath their umbrellas in a downpour, waiting for the magical moment. I know because I saw them from the bus window as I went by on my way to the Rose Garden for a basketball game.

 

The entire week after Thanksgiving the tree was surrounded by white tents set-up to keep dry those who came to the Holiday Ale Festival. I took this photo with the iPhone4 while waiting for the bus home on November 28. Sorry, blurry, but you get the idea.

Looking through a storefront in downtown

Today's photo shows the inside of the storefront in the corner section of The Public Service Building at the intersection of SW 6th Avenue and SW Salmon. What I really like about this one is what you can see when you look completely across the empty space and out the two windows. The building you see there is the Multnomah County Courthouse--this is the back side of it, on SW 5th Avenue.

The shape with the slightly curved supports, in the left window, is a newer bus shelter. In the right window, the shape up above the car that looks sort of like a car without wheels is actually the old-style bus shelter, the only one left that I know of on the downtown Transit Mall which is on SW 5th and SW 6th Avenues. I miss those old-style shelters because I liked the quirky look of them. I haven't been by here in a while, but the last time I looked it was still a walk-up sidewalk cafe.

VW van, seen on the street, No. 7

Taken somewhere in downtown Portland, on Friday, November 14, 2008, at 1:13 p.m.

Update on Sunday's VW van, seen on the street, No. 5--the mystery location has been solved by my buddy Sheryl at work. I took the photo in the public parking lot at the D River in Lincoln City, Oregon. I should've paid attention to the windblown look of the trees in the distance. Three cheers for Sheryl!

VW van, seen on the street, No. 6

Another mystery Portland location for this photo, taken at 5:11 p.m. on September 19, 2009, a Saturday. Some sort of collision mars the driver's door of this vintage vehicle.

Looking through a window of a storefront

On the corner of SW 6th Avenue and SW Salmon, there used to be a Nike store in the A. E. Doyle building known as The Public Service Building. At some point in the recent past, Nike moved to another location, then the windows were covered, followed by a complete gutting of the interior space.

As I walked by Friday night, on my way to catch a MAX Yellow Line to the Rose Garden Arena for a Trail Blazers' game, I stopped to look through the now uncovered windows, just to see what I could see. Completely through the building to the parking garage exit, it seems. I'm not sure where the woman came from, but her movement drew my eye from the concrete pillars and the chance to see the innards of a Doyle building. I watched as she walked across the pavement, turned to face my direction and stepped back out of the way to wait.

In moments she had her phone in her hand, possibly texting her ride to let her know that she had arrived at their agreed upon point. I'll never know for sure.

Info from Wikipedia about the building:

The Public Service Building is a historic 67.06 m (220.0 ft), 15-story office building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United states. The building and its attached parking garage have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Public Service Building and Garage since 1996. It was built to house the offices of the Portland Gas and Coke Company and the Pacific Light and Power Company. The building's name reflects the fact that these utilities were "public services."A space in the Public Service Building fronting the corner of Salmon and Sixth streets became the first Niketown store.

Structural details

The north and south wings of the building were originally two stories tall, but were built up to their present height of 12 stories in 1957. Considered a skyscraper, once complete, the Public Service Building became the tallest building in Portland, holding that record until the 1960s. It was overtaken by the Hilton Portland Hotel in August 1962 when that building reached 229 feet (70 m).

The main power plant for the city was once located in the basement. The space is now used to house the city's main power feeds.

Architectural details

The Public Service Building was the third of three similarly Italianate buildings built in Portland by the firm of prolific local architect A.E. Doyle. The project's primary designer, Charles K. Greene, worked on the other Italianate Doyle-commissioned buildings in Portland: the smaller Bank of California Building (1924) and the Pacific Building (1926).[5] Green initiated the design of this structure, but left Portland before the building was complete. Pietro Belluschi then completed the project.

The first three floors of the Public Service Building are faced with gray terra-cotta, and the upper floors in gray brick. The cornices and details are also terra-cotta. The building has a stylized wave motif that can be seen along its moldings. The original roof, like its sister buildings, was clad in red clay tile. Pietro Belluschi's touch can be seen in the building lobby, where he designed elevator doors that represented the utility company tenants.

Taking advantage of its being the tallest building in town, the utility companies added neon signs atop the roof: "POWER," "HEAT," "GAS," and "LIGHT," each aimed in a cardinal direction. At some point all four sides of this sign said "PACIFIC POWER."

A.E. Doyle died in January 1928, only three weeks after the Public Service Building opened.

Renovations

Renovations to the Public Service Building took place in 1957, 1973, and 1999. The 1957 renovation raised the height of the building's wings to 12 floors. In 1973, the neon signs and original roofs were removed, and a new metal roof installed. The 1999 renovations focused on reducing energy costs with new technology, costing around US$20 million. The building was sold in 1993 to the Goodman Family, also owners of parking garages and lots in Portland, for US$3 million.

VW van, seen on the street, No. 5

Here's another great VW van! I took this photo on April 10, 2009, at 2:47 p.m. That's my afternoon break time, so I may have been out on a short walk. The problem is that I don't recognize any of the buildings. A mystery location which shall remain so.

Madge, is this like your VW van? Hope so.

VW van, seen on a parking lot, No. 4

I thought this chartreuse-colored van would look pretty cool after yesterday's orange one, especially since I actually took the photo the very next day, back on July 24, 2008! Serendipity!

This VW van is parked in a parking lot near work--I took the photo while out and about on my lunch hour--sometimes I didn't go across the river to the park bench, I just ate at my desk and went out for a walk.

The building in the background with the blue trim around the windows is Bright Auto Upholstery. The red brick building is a parking garage. I've never noticed that tower being that much taller than the garage itself--it's a stairwell. Makes me wonder if at one point there were plans to add another story to the garage. Bet there's no money for that now.

VW van, seen on the street, No. 3

Downtown Portland. Lots going on to watch and/or photograph. I took this photo on July 23, 2008, at 11:50 a.m. while on my lunch hour. If memory serves, the bright orange VW van circled the block several times before I got up from my bench and went to catch the bus back to work. The last couple of years the times for bus arrivals at work and departures back to work have not lent themselves to much of a relaxed lunch time in the park. I hope 2013 proves to be much better for me.

VW Van, seen on the street, No. 2

How about the heart on the door? And the band-aid on the back driver-side wheel well?

I took this photo on May 5, 2007, in Northwest Portland's Alphabet District. The van's parked around the corner from the front door of the Nob Hill Bar & Grill, 937 NW 23rd Avenue. The October, 2006, night that my sons settled Mama and me into our apartment on NW Everett, we three walked from there to the Nob Hill to have a burger and fries. Whew. I was one tired puppy that night, so tired I can't even remember how the food tasted. I believe I ate every single bit of it. And I managed to walk the entire half mile there and half mile back. Felt like more mileage to me.

VW van, seen on the street, No. 1

I see a VW van heading west on lots of mornings while waiting for my first leg of the morning commute. That van's color scheme is just the same as this one. I'll have to remember to check the license plate one morning soon, maybe even get a photo of it, if I see it coming in time.

In this particular photo, the VW van is near where I work, heading east, right after I got off work August 13, 2010.

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 6

Here she comes! Seconds later, steam surrounded me, and I giggled like a kid in a toy store who'd been told, "Take your pick!"
 

Good-bye to all those lucky, lucky folks aboard the Deschutes Steam Special.

 If you love steam locomotives, you’ll thoroughly enjoy the story and the video at this link.

What every Trail Blazer--fan, coach or player--would like to see a lot of at tonight's game against the Atlanta Hawks!

The basketball going through the net, on our end of the court! Let's go, Blazers!

SP 4449 Steam Locomotive, No. 5

Imagine with me for a few minutes. Forget that you know that the Willamette River is to the left of Union Station, in this photo. Look at the multi-story parking garage to the right of Union Station. See the metal flag flying atop it, at the corner. Imagine the parking garage to be a multi-deck river steamboat, waiting to begin its voyage, much like the train to be pulled by the SP 4449, once they're linked together, waits to begin its journey.



Here's a view of the steamboat American Queen which gives a bit of perspective to my imagination--from the left of that left-most smokestack, that is. I looked and looked at Google Images for a photo with a similar perspective as the parking garage in my photo--this one is the best I found. The steamboat is docked in Memphis due to low water level on the Mississippi River in August, 2012.
 

My brother Howard as he appears sans steam. Notice the rain on his hood and the bill of his cap. Wet we were, as Yoda would report.