2014 Festival of Flowers, No. 5

Not sure why it surprised me, but it did. This man led his rather large German Shepherd right through the potted flowers--to have paid attention to the maze that the flowers designed would have added, what, seconds to his walk. I shouldn't have been shocked because people will do just about anything, anywhere. However, I was so shocked that I missed the photo of them entering and going through the flowers. Couldn't get my finger on the button quick enough. Found out that having my mouth hanging open wreaks havoc on my coordination. Thankfully, the man and the dog seemed to have been coordinated because I didn't see flowers being knocked over. Maybe they managed to walk along the strip cleared for the sprinkler hose. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photo!

2014 Festival of Flowers, No. 4

The mailman eating his lunch on the park bench caught my eye. And made me wonder, "What's a mailman doing working on Saturday? With something that looks like delivery as his job? About the time I got to the end of that thought, I noticed the sort of photo bomber with the sunglasses, waving at me like we were long lost friends. Never seen him before. Turns out I got another guy eating a slice of pizza on a park bench--he's backed up to the mailman. I like how the photo turned out. Hope you enjoy it.

2014 Festival of Flowers, No. 3

Never expected to see someone on the way to catch fish pushing his bicycle across Pioneer Courthouse Square during this year's Festival of Flowers. Never. Yet, such a sight is quintessential Portland. One of the things I love about this city is how easy it is to be yourself--no one messes with you as long as you're not creating some sort of problem or trouble for your fellow citizens.



See her? That little girl in the shorts set? She's stopped on a dime admid the flower-formed maze.



I wonder if the sprinkler's being on while folks were on the square surprised him. Could be that's what he's looking at. My best guess, anyway.



Isn't he a nice looking man? And check out those socks and sandals. This guy knows how to wash whites, or, at the very least, someone in charge of his socks knows how to keep them whiter than white!

2014 Festival of Flowers, No. 2

In the sunshine on a Saturday, a sprinkler and a boy. Nothing else needs to be said.



The same photo, cropped.

2014 Festival of Flowers, No. 1

From May 30 through June 10, Pioneer Courthouse Square hosted the latest Festival of Flowers. Every single time I've seen this display, I've been awestruck at the designs and the colors. If you'd like to see photos of the other times I've managed to make it to see this glorious sight, just search the blog for Festival of Flowers.

Here's what I found online about this year's festival: “A-maze-ing” designed by DAO Architecture opens to the public on May 30th. This two-week Festival of Flowers installation inspired by Pioneer Courthouse Square’s 30th birthday will transform the Square into a colorful interactive maze of nearly 20,000 begonias, marigolds, impatiens and more. The celebration will continue along the downtown transit mall celebrating Portland Mall Management, Inc.’s fifth birthday with a series of floral designs at the Congress Center and Unitus Plaza. The designs will remain throughout downtown until June 10th.

Memorial Day at Schreiner's Iris Gardens - I keep going back to take a look at these beautifully presented flowers. Today, all sorts of purples, lavenders and blues.

I took this photo while seated on a sturdy white bench. It's great to get this perspective without worrying about wobbling due to 66-year-old legs/knees and my general lack of being balanced.



This one is called Blue Hour.



This one is called Countess Cathleen.



These flower beds are in the area farthest from the parking lot, well worth the walk which is either on grass or a hard-packed dirt path. Lots of shade, too.



These are called Astro Blue.



Creamy columbine blossoms among the purples and the blues.



The iris Berry Fulfilling and a whole lot of two-colored columbines.



A rhododendron and lots of hostas on that dirt path. Such a pretty place to walk.

The night before the actual Honey Moon

Last night before I went to bed, I decided to go out for a short walk. I'd forgotten about the Friday the 13th full moon, the Honey Moon. I had to come right back inside and get my camera! When the clouds cleared, I zoomed, focused, and held my breath. This one's the clearest of the clouds and the circle that is the moon. Too bad I couldn't get focused on the surface of the moon. However, considering I was standing in a city neighborhood, I like the result.

Seeking inspiration?

Here's some, in the form of a busy bee.

Rooftop garden at work, May 29, 2014, at 3:14 p.m., my afternoon break time.

Coming. Going. Unique

Hair color says a lot. "Look at me!" "I'm brave." "I'm one-of-a-kind!" Some hair color speaks loudly.



Do you think the tattoo is in progress? I myself cannot imagine that someone who made the conscious decision to have hot fuchsia-colored hair would have a bland, outlined only, great big tattoo across her back.

I took these photos on July 24, 2009, at the intersection of SE Hawthorne Blvd. and SE 37th Avenue.

Quirky? Serendipity? Both.

I'm going to Powell's on West Burnside Thursday after work. That's where I found this quirky sight to photograph on June 7, 2013, in the women's restroom inside an entire-block-sized downtown business, a Portland icon, a must-see for book-lovers who visit the city, as well a every-day Portlanders who need to own books.



I'm not going to the store in search of something quirky. I'm going because Alafair Burke will be there for a book reading/signing in conjunction with her newest novel, All Day and a Night. Can't wait! I've been to several previous Alafair events--always a great time. Oh, I'll have my camera in my backpack, just in case serendipity rears its splendid head.

From the Powell's Events e-mail:In Alafair Burke's All Day and a Night (Harper), a new murder case with ties to a convicted serial killer leads Detective Ellie Hatcher into an investigation with explosive and deadly results. All Day and a Night is a superb mystery from "one of the finest young crime writers working today" (Dennis Lehane).

Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Memorial Day 2014, No. 2

Some sort of peony, one of the first flowers I photographed after eating lunch. Amazing to me that a single flower contains such rounded and sharp petals of this size. Not that I know much about peonies, just that I think they're pretty.

Friendly chicken dinner lady at Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Memorial Day, 2014

The lady to her right pointed me out and she smiled and waved and couldn't believe that I'd actually taken her photo until I showed it to her. Yep, she's a friendly chicken dinner lady--I've noticed her each of the three years I've gone to Schreiner's on Memorial Day, the day that you not only get to see the flowers, you get to eat some really cook cooking by the Gervais Knights of Columbus.



There she is in action, right before the lady to her right noticed I stood nearby, my camera pointed their way.



The menu, complete with descriptions and prices, posted on a sawhorse.



Here's a photo of the booth with just a few of the people in line who showed up to buy themselves a chicken dinner that was more what I'd call grilled than B-Q which I assume is barbecue. The woman in line in front of me came with a large, foil-lined cardboard box lid. She bought seven halves, nothing else. Last year I bought myself a half right before I got in my Zipcar to drive home.



And here's my chicken dinner, from 2013. When I went a week ago Monday, I was too hungry to even thinking about a photo.

Schreiner's Iris Gardens, Memorial Day 2014, No. 1

A couple of photographers seen at Schreiner's Iris Gardens in Salem, Oregon. I drove a Zipcar south out of Portland, to enjoy the flowers and the chicken dinner prepared each year by the Gervais (Oregon) Knights of Columbus.



Lots of folks come out for the same reasons as I do, to enjoy the flowers.



Lots of folks come out for the same reasons as I do, to enjoy the chicken dinner.

I'm missing my Blazers' basketball, No. 1

Robin Lopez took the pass from Nicolas Batum and scored! I took these photos on May 12 during the only game the Trail Blazers won in best-of-seven Round 2 of the NBA playoffs. I cannot tell you how exciting it was to me for those guys to play like they did that night, to take away the sweep from the Spurs. Seeing such determination in the last home game of the season meant a whole lot to me as a season ticket holder.



Every time Batum passed to Robin for a basket, the Jumbotron flashed this graphic. Love it!