Seen at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, No. 3, July 3, 2014 - It wasn't his hat that I noticed first.

Y'all, I feel pretty good about this photo. In fact, it's one of my favorites that I've taken, period. You're seeing it straight out of the camera. However, it's not the first photo that I took of this man over at the Oregonian Front Porch Stage which is located a bit north of the FedEx Crossroads Stage, nigh to the Rose Building (actually the historical John Yeon Building), home of the Portland Rose Festival, situated in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, home of the blues festival and lots of other outstanding outdoor events in Portland.



It was his elbow that I first noticed from the chair where I sat on the aisle in front of the stage. My thought as I noticed the shape of his elbow which was right in my line of sight, "Whoa! That's guy's elbow looks like an eye." So, I took this photo--admittedly, he was more perpendicular to the ground upon first sighting, but the music of 2014 IBC winner Tim Williams got him moving. Then I noticed his hat, thank goodness.

Seen at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, No. 2, July 3, 2014 - Stan Street, the negotiator

Steve Cheseborough from yesterday's photo had been introduced by Stan Street of Clarksdale, Mississippi--there here is in the Mississippi hat. I met Stan at last year's festival when he managed the FedEx Crossroads stage which he was also doing in 2014. It was swell to visit with him again off and on during that day's downtime between performers. Immediately obvious to all of us in the audience for Steve Chesborough--we were in the midst of a scheduling snafu because as Steve played his traditional blues, he was drowned out by another band on a larger stage with I don't know how many musicians and instruments, blaring at top volume from behind and to his left. Stan, Steve, all of us felt discombobulated, at the very least. For sure, it was way too loud and, while not necessarily on purpose and probably a scheduling mistake or the lack of paying attention to details by someone in charge of that other stage, I felt it to be disrespectful of the FedEx Crossroads Stage and its musicians. When I saw Stan at the far side of the stage with these two people, discussing something and using his hands for emphasis, I bet to myself, "He's trying to get something done about that loud music. He knows how many great acts he's got for the day and wants them to be treated right. You go, Stan!"

Once I saw the woman motion with her thumb in the direction of the loud band, I figured I had guessed right. Stan, as manager of this particular stage, had tried to make the point that something needed to be done to make certain that this band needed to cool it part of the next 20 minutes or so and that any upcoming loud band wait to play at an interval which would not interfere with the musicians on his stage. That's what had been done in 2013, and it worked really well. I know that Steve continued to play very well, and it seems to me that part of that time the other band wasn't playing. I came back later in the day several times and discovered that it was all straightened out. Thanks, Stan, for your efforts from the get-go!

Seen at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, No. 1, July 3, 2014 - Steve Cheseborough

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From the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival Web site: Steve Cheseborough re-creates the blues and hokum of the 1920s-30s, interspersing the songs with stories, history and humor. The author of Blues Traveling: the Holy Sites of Delta Blues and one of the stars of Last of the Mississippi Jukes, Cheseborough has the uncanny ability to turn any setting into a 1925 Mississippi jook joint.

Twice I've witnessed the memorable magic that Steve creates on the FedEx Crossroads Stage, nestled beneath the trees just north of the Hawthorne Bridge. See the leaves mirrored in his nickel-plated National? He's perfectly suited to the festival's smallest, most intimate stage, but I'll bet he holds onto an audience from a larger stage with the same skill and ease. Thanks, Steve!

Seen on the street, No. 3 , parking enforcement vs construction crew.

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The expected, a parking enforcement officer at work. I took this photo at 10:36 a.m. on July 3. In Portland's Downtown District, parking meters operate 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 7p.m., Sunday, unless otherwise posted. I wonder if she is entering a ticket for the truck with the barricades in it. Here's one reason why I'm wondering--I found this on the city's Web site: Why do some people get to reserve parking spaces? Contractors who have purchased construction permits from the Bureau of Development Services are allowed by City code (Title 24) to reserve the parking spaces around the project area. Typically at any time about 500 downtown parking spaces are in use for construction activities or other reserved uses.



The unexpected, her pointed toe seconds after the standard pose seen in the other photo. I took this one at 10:37 a.m. Wonder what made her move her right leg? Did she all of a sudden notice the crew shown in the next photo and realize she needed to delete what she'd entered?



Since this crew surely is working on the street because the city needed it to be done, wouldn't this crew have been assigned there to do that work and therefore not need to have bought a construction permit so that they could park close by? I doubt the city lets just anyone take apart a street and go to work in a hole. Maybe the pretty tiles needed to have their foundation reinforced. We'll never know how it turned out because my bus arrived and I left for the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival. But, my guess is that the man looking to the left noticed the parking enforcement officer and alerted the flagman to intervene. What do you think?

Seen on the street, No. 2, one of my favorite Portland fountains

Unofficially titled "The Car Wash," this fountain always captures my attention, especially in this sort of  profile view. I've read on the City of Portland Web site that during its hours of operation--8 a.m-10 p.m., spring, summer, fall--a wind gauge shuts it off fairly often as a precaution for the safety of pedestrians. The sidewalk is glazed tile which can be slippery when wet, more so than concrete. The wind gauge only lets it flow during very calm conditions, shutting off the water if the wind speed exceeds 2 miles per hour. The fountain is made of steel, and as best I can tell, created by Carter, Hull, Nishita, McCulley & Baxter, installed in 1977 at SW 5th Avenue and Ankeny Street. The red and white seen through the evergreen hedge is on the roof of the gas station on West Burnside, between SW 5th and SW 4th--I often catch my last bus home from Portland Trail Blazer games in front of that gas station. I took this photo while I waited for the bus to the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival on July 3.

Seen on the street, No. 1, two unique looking guys. Do you think the one of the left could be a Wesen from Grimm?

I'm back! Thanks to those of you who commented, wondering if all was well. I've had an unexpected few months, from May through most of August, bothered by seasonal allergies, then food poisoning, then a kidney infection, then a painful knee. I am back, better than ever, ready to take photos and blog about them. Thanks, y'all. I hope you enjoy what I find to share with you!



By July 3, my allergy problems slipped on out of my life! Not a moment too soon, I had a vacation day and my four-day Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival receipt in my purse so that I could pick up my festival pass at the gate, my bus pass hanging around my neck, and my camera on my shoulder, extra memory cards and another battery in my backpack. After I ate brunch at the Bijou Cafe, I walked back to SW 5th to catch a bus that would take me closer to the festival entrance.

These two guys caught my eye. That's my first red-and-gray-headed guy with a crushed Mohawk, my first fluffy tail hanging off a backpack--at least, I think it's hanging off his backpack and not attached to his shorts--I mean, at some point he rides that bicycle, right? My first guy in a sarong wrapped around his shorts and another piece of colorful fabric wrapped around his head, my first guy carrying a big ol' bucket of Westco Bavarian Cream Filling.

I love Portland!