This view makes me so happy.

Monday, May 23, looking northwest from the rooftop garden at work, with these blossoms in the foreground and the Portland Oregon neon sign, topped with the stag, in focus in the background, plus the words Union Station visible on the tower at the station, to the left of the Portland sign--see it there, between the out-of-focus blossoms? Ah, bliss in this small portion of the panorama that is Portland's skyline. The Fremont Bridge in the background is the icing on the cake!

It's special to me, so special that I am able to go to the rooftop garden at my breaks or at my lunch or at all three and take in the beauty, no matter the weather. And this camera, my Olympus OM E-M5II with the zoom lens, these make me so happy that I am finally feeling like learning about the two of them and how to take decent photos. Thanks to each of you for all of the prayers, love, and concern that you showered on me over the period of treatment for the cancer that is now in my past. I am better through your help, my caregivers, and the grace of God.



Here's another shot of the same view, taken on May 17. Fewer buds had opened on that day, six days prior to the top photo.



Here's a closer view, alas, a bit crooked, of the two signs--Portland, Oregon, and Union Station. I don't find it as interesting without those blossoms in the front, but I wanted you to be able to see the signs better so that if you've had any difficult in finding them in the other two photos, this view should help you.

Seen before and after work Monday. Oh, the joy of a DSLR and figuring out how to work it!

A curious body at the bus shelter with no intention of boarding the bus when it arrives.



As I witnessed each step, I expected the crow to fly away. Instead, it kept walking along the brick wall that encloses the flower bed.



How about that left leg caught mid air? Cool!



You have to realize that I'm sitting a sidewalk's width away from this bird. Thank goodness I learned how to turn off the camera's focus beep on Saturday because I doubt that I'd have gotten more than one photo. What a neat event to share with one of nature's smarter creatures, the crow.



Walking. We're walking. Said like those White House tour guides you see in movies, the ones who walk backwards at the head of a group of wide-eyed tourists. Of course, this crow is walking forward, like a good crow would.



Just before take off! Is this wide-legged stance the usual pre-take-off stance? I'll have to pay better attention the next time the opportunity arises.



Walking again, along the edge of the roof on the credit union building. I really like the way this one turned out!



And this one, too. Look at those feathers!



And these feathers!



Those teensy little legs and those feathers! Aren't we glad that we don't have to swing our hips this much side-to-side to go forward? The bus drove up and I had to walk onto it and go to work.



After work, I rode the bus two blocks past my street, four blocks past my usual stop, so that I could get in some more steps. Lucky for me, I got to see these fallen rhododendron blossoms through the wrought iron gate. This is at the building where I photographed those peachy colored roses in a shrub/tree on Saturday. See an earlier post to see them.



Naturally, I felt a deep desire to zoom in on the blossoms. First try.



Second try. I'm very happy with both of them. Yea for learning how to use my Olympus. Thanks to my son Leland for his patience as I give it my all, such as it is now and then.

UPDATE and I tried to get creative Saturday morning taking photos in the roses at Albertina Kerr

UPDATE: I went to the Fred Meyer with Lamont today and walked quite a bit throughout the very large Hollywood store, using the grocery cart to provide rest when needed. That was good for me, to work on stamina. However, when we got home, I found myself exhausted which means that my oncology pharmacist's prediction that fatigue would set in even more between Chemo Round Four and Round Five has come true. I shall not give up. I shall walk and rest and repeat until I accomplish however much I am able to manage. I shall not overdo anything so as to put myself in jeopardy. And, as always, I thank you for every single prayer, for your love and concern.



I held my camera among the small blossoms in a large pot placed between two benches on the south side of the front walk up to the doorway of the Albertina Kerr Center. Sitting on the other bench and twisting myself to the right, not wanting to crush any of the flowers and not being able to see my tilt screen very well in the bright sun so I had no idea where the focus might lock, I held the camera as still as I could, depressed the shutter button half way, heard the focus sound, and took one photo after another, repeating the steps until I had to sit back and rest, enjoying the smell of the roses blowing in the breeze. None of the photos are exactly what I hoped to accomplish with such a haphazard process, but I am pleased with this one, so I'm sharing it with y'all.

UPDATE and I enjoyed sitting outside for a little while yesterday afternoon

UPDATE: I woke up at 3:15 a.m. today and couldn't go back to sleep, no matter what I tried. I dozed a bit now and then, but when it was time to get ready to go take the group photo, I could tell I wasn't up to it. I had to call and back out which made me very sad. Someone else took a great photo, though--I've seen it on Facebook. I knew someone else would step up! Anyway, I finally fell back into a real sleep, for about two full hours. Therefore, I made it to meet my friend Pat from Seattle with Lamont and Leland at Pine State Biscuits for lunch on SE Division at SE 11th. The hugs, smiles, and talking made me feel wonderful. So did the lunch. She brought an actual photo album and shared with us photos of Canterbury, Brussels, and Alaska--she and her husband, the special man known to me as BobRobert whose house provided the perfect place for my wedding on December 31, 1972--travel every chance they get. Now I'm back home, fooling around with photos and the blog before I go take another nap.



First, while sitting in my folding aluminum lawn chair, I noticed a Red Hat Lady in front of Albertina Kerr. I figured a group had a lunch-get-together planned. The lady on the right must not be of the official RHL age since she's wearing a lavender hat.



Here they are with the lady who had caught their attention in the first photo.



Next I noticed this crow. At first, it was on a line going from a wooden pole over to the building across the parking lot beside where I sat. I couldn't get my camera up quick enough to get a photo of it there because the crow dropped what it held in its mouth. I got this one, by chance, right after it picked up the nut--I guess it's a nut--and before it flew off across the street.



At first I saw this squirrel walking toward me on the low, gray-painted wall that keeps in place the dirt in my building's front yard. Otherwise, it would wash away into the parking lot which is more than three feet lower. Anyway, I slowly reached for my camera and the squirrel--I couldn't believe that it also had a nut in its mouth--took of for the very tall evergreen to my right. Shoot. In a few minutes, I saw the squirrel's shadow on the parking lot as it walked around the pole with the lines going to it--the same lines that the crow had landed on a few minutes earlier. I lifted the camera and watched through it for the squirrel and managed to get this photo before it disappeared into the leaves. It's not a very good photo, but I certainly enjoyed trying to get it.



Three more ladies drove up and made their way into Albertina Kerr. The ones waiting inside greeted them with joy loud enough for me to hear all the way across the street. I remember thinking to myself how good it is to have friends who are happy to be with you.



Last but not least, I got a few photos of Lamont walking toward me from his parked car. He came over with a couple of boxes of sugar cubes (for me to use in my hot tea) and his hair clippers. About a week ago I noticed stray hairs on my head, here and there, growing longer than my stubble and catching the light. I found them disconcerting because I felt like they made me look like a sick ol' lady. He agreed to try to get rid of them for me since, although I am an ol' lady who has cancer, I do not consider myself sick. In treatment, yes. Sick, no. When he finished, my head had shorter stubble and very few stray hairs. Thanks, Lamont.

UPDATE and today, out and about! Plus one photo from yesterday that Leland saw and wondered why it wasn't in the blog post

UPDATE: I managed to sleep from about midnight through 6:15 a.m. Hooray! I felt like getting out and about, too. I hope this trend continues.



First, here's the photo that Leland wanted me to be sure post. I took it while sitting in my aluminum folding lawn chair. There's an small tree, some sort of evergreen, between the sidewalk and the low wall alongside the pawn shop's parking lot. I really like how it turned out. What do you think? A-OK? Leland, thanks for reminding me to post it!



Around 11 a.m. today I walked down to the Blue Diamond and sat down at the little picnic table they have at their backdoor where employees take a break. I rested, then continued to the corner, turned east toward home and detoured through the bar's front door. I sat at the bar on a high stool and enjoyed a side salad with ranch dressing. I drank two glasses of water.



Then, I succumbed to a craving I've had for over a week, for a brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They warm the brownie a bit, put the ice cream on it and drizzle the whole thing with chocolate syrup. I feel like a new woman, ha, ha! Plus, I don't have any leftover brownie or ice cream in the apartment, which, believe me, is a good thing!



After I sat outside on the pew in front of the Blue Diamond for a little while, I continued east on Sandy. I stopped to take this photo so that you can see the rose bushes beside the Silver Lining Pawn. The smell so good!



I sat down to rest on the bench in front of the pawn shop and took this photo. I love these balloon facsimilies! I rested there, then continued walking east until I came to the low wall around the bioswale on the corner. I sat there for a couple of minutes before walking over to the Albertina Kerr thrift shop in back of the big building.



Once I crossed the street and before I continued to the thrift shop, I noticed these beautiful flowers and decided to try getting a photo of them that I liked. I've cropped this one and really like how it turned out. I'm very excited about my new camera, which, by the way, is no heavier than my not-quite-full purse.



One more, cropped to let you see it better. I'm thrilled with this photo, y'all. Thrilled!

UPDATE and a few photos that I took with the new camera

UPDATE: Woke up at 3:15 a.m. Been awake ever since. Less achy knees and peripheral neuropathy in legs and feet, a bit more in hands. Not much of an appetite today either.



I put on several light layers and went outside with my aluminum folding lawn chair to sit and watch traffic. It had been raining lightly, so I figured I wouldn't be out there long. So, I walked across to the Albertina Kerr front yard to enjoy the roses for a little while. I took this photo and decided to share it with you. I believe that I have a lot to learn with this new camera, but it certainly was comfortable hanging across my chest, more like having a purse there instead of my heavy camera. I am glad of that!



I sat on the bench and used the zoom to take this one. I wanted you to enjoy that yellow with me. It's amazing.



Here's a wide shot of the southern side of the rose garden that I took after I walked back across the street.