Seen at the Grand Floral Parade, No. 1

Twenty minutes after the parade was supposed to start, well north of this location, this little guy, along with lots of other children. enjoyed making or chasing bubbles, depending on who would spend money for you. I couldn't help but think--as I watched him chasing every which way, jumping, swinging what I believe was a purple water-filled balloon on a stretchy tether--that he'd be a tired little guy on the way home. Probably snoozing in no time, having to be gently aroused for lunch unless the adults in charge knew him to be one better left to sleep until he woke himself.



It's obvious in this photo that the money was spent for the older children to have the bubble-making stuff; I'd have done that if I were spending my money because you'd think the older children would be less likely to just pour out the liquid.



Someone bought this guy a bubble-blowing gun. Let me tell you, enough of those flew right at me to have to dodge them after one popped close enough for me to taste it. Yuck! That colorful entity on the left of the photo is a head-band-with-streamers vendor. All sorts of vendors walked the parade route, selling eye-catching items aimed at kids of all ages.



See, another adult's reaction to all those bubbles coming his way!



Now there's a bubble war! And a confused toddler walking along with his mom.



The little guy really enjoyed the bubble gun's spewing so many bubbles so quickly. The girls got to pick their own headbands-with-streamers when the vendor paused right in front of where I sat.

Brian Libby walked the four-mile Grand Floral Parade route yesterday holding this sign. And my mini-rant about the Burnside Bridgehead's warp-speed-journey into modern ugliness. I cannot believe that years from now folks will find any on these new buildings worthy of preservation.

I don't know Brian Libby, but I know of him. He's behind Portland Architecture dot com. He's mightily involved with Friends of Memorial Coliseum. June 8, 2016--just days ago--that grand building was named a National Treasure by National Trust for Historic Preservation. All I can say is hooray! I hope this pronouncement helps save the building, helps it be taken care of for years to come. I've been inside several times since moving here in June, 2006, and find it amazing, fascinating, and well-deserving of living on for all to see and to take part in events held there.

From Portland Architecture published on June 9, an awesome statement that Libby quoted from Bill Walton, member of the NBA Championship Portland Trail Blazers:

Libby: . . .I'd like to share a statement from Trail Blazers legend Bill Walton, which was also read at the event yesterday:

"39 years ago this week, right here, on the banks of the powerful and majestic Willamette River, our beloved Portland Trail Blazers made history, changed the world and plotted a new path forward to the future…I was there then, as our Blazer team won the NBA championship at this magnificent shrine and temple—the Memorial Coliseum. I'll never forget that day, not only as a defining moment in Oregon sports history and my life, but also as a statewide explosion of joy, happiness and civic pride."

"Today most all of the other NBA arenas I played in have been torn down. But Veterans Memorial Coliseum still stands tall and proud because of its very special place in our lives and as a one-of-a-kind work of architecture."

"Today I'm happy to take this well-deserved and long-overdue moment to celebrate with the Friends of Memorial Coliseum, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Portland City Council, and all Oregonians as our wonderful Coliseum is officially named a National Treasure."

"Although basketball will always be the first thing I think of when I reflect on the significance of this building, it is so much more than that. Its world-class design with natural light pouring into the arena, is an important and enduring tribute to the brave veterans who gave their lives and everything else for us in both World War II and the Korean War."

"I'm a proud, loyal, passionate and grateful man—whether it's for the beautiful game we call basketball, the rapturous power of music, especially when created by the Grateful Dead, or the natural beauty of my second home Oregon. You can also add our Veterans Memorial Coliseum to that list: a landmark that continues to inspire each and every one of us, and a place where we can all come together in joyous harmony. The spirit of '77 lives on, in and with this spectacular Coliseum. And with the powerful actions and commitment that we display here right now, we know that that will thankfully be true for generations to come."

"And forever more, I will always be able to say, that yes—I was there … In the spring of 1977 … And also today—the day we saved our Glass Palace."

"Thank you Portland … Thank you Blazers … Thank you Oregon … Thanks for shining the light … Thanks for being the light … Thanks for making my dreams come true."

It's ironic that I had moved from my initial place watching the parade, around the corner and onto Burnside, and got to take this photo of Brian with Fishel's in the background.

April 30 it was announced that the furniture store will close after 95 years in business. The 100-year-old building possibly breathes its last breaths now. The Oregonian reported on June 1 that it could disappear if plans are approved to build a 17-story mixed-use building there.

If you had been Rip-Van-Winkling the last year or so and just woke up, you wouldn't recognize the east end of the Burnside Bridge, known as the Burnside Bridgehead.



Yard is jammed up beside the north sidewalk on the Burnside Bridge.



I took this photo one morning on my commute through the TriMet bus windshield. You can see that it completely blocks my beloved view of the Big Pink and the Portland Oregon neon sign that I had enjoyed for several years of commuting west on NE Couch by TriMet bus. No longer is the intersection an inspirational way to begin my day; it's a gosh-awful hodge-podge of modern ugliness.



I flat-out do not like the changes going on in every direction. Besides being ugly buildings, the housing units they hold are priced too high for regular-job-holders. I don't care if the 21-story Yard had a number of apartments set aside for households with incomes of up to 60 percent of the area's median family income--57 out of the 284--that's a pitiful, insulting toss of crumbs to Portlanders who deserve affordable housing options.

Besides the possible replacement of Fishels, one more is going up on Burnside between MLK and Grand--in the photo above, notice the red and blue angular roof-line--it was part of a used car lot which is gone now, a huge hole filled with the footings of what will become an L-shaped building; another one is supposed to go up across the street north of Yard--it will obliterate the view of the sky between Yard and that other ugly building going up on the right side of this photo; one more is going up in a tiny, odd-shaped bit of grass in front of Yard--it's that bit of bright green you see to the right of the person in the chartreuse-colored jacket. When I changed locations to watch the parade yesterday, I noticed that digging had begun. I believe this little bit of green should have been left along, should have been made into a lovely park where folks could relax a bit amid the ugliness and the traffic which will only increase at what is already a busy bunch of intersections within a few blocks of each other.

I'll stop here and not get on the soapbox; it's a lovely early Sunday morning here in Portland, and I need to get outside for a little while.

I won't go without saying thank you to Brian Libby and every other person who works tirelessly for preservation of our architectural treasures here in Portland, who want our fascinating neighborhoods to remain recognizable, who want new construction to fit into those neighborhoods instead of appearing like gashes in their very fabric. It's not that we don't want to house everyone here, we just want to do it in a responsible, affordable way that respects our beloved Portland.

My favorite photo of Salmon Street Springs

Also taken on June 4, 2008, this photo means that I was in the right place at the right time, a feeling surely shared by many who have enjoyed Salmon Street Springs fountain. Here we see folks representing the Evergreen Aviation and Science Museum at the Rose Festival. Some stopped to talk with festival-goers in view of the tall ships docked on the Willamette River seawall. That's the Hawthorne Bridge in the background and the bollards in the foreground. I am so thankful that I hung around until 5:57 p.m. so that I got to take this photo.

From the City of Portland Web site:
Salmon Street Springs, Location: Waterfront Park, Naito Parkway at SW Salmon, Hours: 6:00 AM-10:00 PM during spring/summer/fall

Robert Perron Landscape Architects and Planners designed the fountain which was dedicated in 1988. A computer regulates the changing patterns of the water display. At full capacity, the fountain recycles 4,924 gallons of water per minute through as many as 137 jets at once. There are 185 jets. The three cycles of the fountain are called misters, bollards, and wedding cake.

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.

I hope to see three friends walking along the street two blocks west of my building in tomorrow's Rose Festival event.

In honor of tomorrow's big Rose Festival event, the Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon, I give you the neon rose atop the Portland Rose Festival headquarters building at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, downtown Portland. That's the ticket booth for the Portland Spirit, a sightseeing cruise ship on the Willamette River. I took this photo last year on June 20, at 6:19 p.m. Overcast skies, blustery wind, a sprinkle now and then. Sort of like the forecast for tomorrow's race. I have a friend from work, Sharon, and her two daughters Jenna and Amy who are walking the race. Better women than I am. Jenna's supposed to text me so that I can walk on down to the corner and holler for them as they go by!

Just a quick glimpse of rodeo royalty on their way to the start of the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade

The morning of June 11, as I rode the bus to Sherwood to Cruisin' Sherwood, I figured I get to see lots of folks lining streets the bus would cross, waiting in their chairs and sitting on the sidewalk. The parade was to begin at at 10 a.m. I took these photos about 8:30 a.m. as the bus rolled alongside buildings close to Memorial Coliseum, the starting point.




Carnival of Roses, the parade's theme, decorates the banner beneath the flowers. I also think it says Vancouver Rodeo on it. I found this on the marching order for the parade: Miss Vancouver Rodeo Queen, Courtney Miskell. I don't know who the other girls are, but they certainly are riding beautifully decorated horses.


These are the St. Paul Rodeo Queen and Court. I found on the Internet that they won the award for Rodeo Queen and Court. I found there names on the St. Paul Rodeo Web site: Queen, the girl in front, is Ashley Fults. The princess on the left is Julie Drescher and the one on the right is Barbara Jayne Lerwick. The 76th annual rodeo is July 1-4, in St. Paul, Oregon.


Here's glimpse of those folks lining the streets and/or walking around looking for somewhere to sit. We crossed Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard as I snapped this photo--we're looking north. This is just before we went downhill and found the rodeo royalty!

The Willamette River runs high right now.

I took these photos on June 9 when I lucked out and got to ride with a friend on his boat during the arrival of the fleet, which happens every year during the Rose Festival.


We slowly passed beneath the Steel Bridge.


As the antenna touched first one cross piece, then another, it serenaded us with a rhythmic tlang-a-lang-a-tlang. An eerie sound.


Here's a better view of the cross pieces. Shining bright, the sun changed the color of much of what I photographed, depending upon which way I faced.


We've crossed to the other side of the bridge.


I like this perspective.


We're south of the bridge now, heading downriver. Here you can see the Steel Bridge in the foreground with its upper level for vehicles, MAX, pedestrians and bicyclists. The lower level is for trains. The orange bridge you can just see is the Broadway Bridge, while the barely visible one beyond it is the arch of the Fremont Bridge.

Four of the more than 250,000 who eventually lined streets in downtown Portland for Saturday night's Rose Festival Starlight Parade & Serendipity #1

Saturday before I rode the MAX Red Line to shop, I rode the bus to Pioneer Courthouse Square. Walking from corner to corner, searching for the best place to stand to take the photo(s) I plan to share with you tomorrow, I noticed across Broadway people in folding chairs staking out their spot for that night's parade. I stooped over and took this photo through the scaffolding which held an array of spotlights.


At the other end of the same block, a teenager enjoys a slice of pizza seated in the shade of his tent. Next to him two women, who surely must be related, attempt to settle in with their blanket and chairs. The one in the pink top appears to be on her cell phone--note how she has her left shoulder pressed up to her ear. The one in the turquoise top appears to be answering questions from the two children. I wonder where the barricades on the right ended up. in front of them, street level or blocking the intersection to the pizza eater's right?


You know me, I always want to know more, so I Googled to see if I could find a photo that showed where street barricades were set up. Now for the serendipity photo that I found online at the KGW, Channel 8, NBC affiliate's Web page, in their slideshow of the parade--they also broadcast it live. Anyway, I know it's small, but if you look closely, you'll see all sorts of neat-o stuff. There on the left you see the teen with the short black hair holding his left arm parallel with the street? That is the young man who is eating the slice of pizza in my photo. The little boy in the green T-shirt, sitting on the man's lap, is the little boy standing talking to the woman in the turquoise top in my photo. The blonde in the pink top is the woman who was on the cell phone in my photo. She's sitting in the red short chair; and the lady in the turquoise top is sitting in another one of their short chairs that you see in my photo. The girl in my photo is sitting on the curb, wearing a pink and white bunny ears headband in the KGW photo. Plus, if you look just to the right of the boy who ate the slice of pizza, you see part of a barricade, right where I figured they would be, blocking the intersection. And how about, on the right, that wonderful black and white dog with the smiling woman? Calmly enjoying the night. What fun!

I didn't go to the parade, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it on KGW. Maybe I'll go one of these years when I have a companion, you know, someone to save my spot while I search for somewhere that will let me come in and use the facilities. More than 250,000--whew--I'll bet those facilities were few and far between.

A primary color, blue, lots and lots of blues

The various blues of the lap quilt made by Mama's Aunt Eva and adored by our Duncan, the darlin' dachshund.


The powder blues of a summertime hydrangea.


The blue of the fireboat water spray, Rose Festival, 2008, when the fleet came in to dock.


Blue wildflower at the Festival of Flowers, Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown Portland.

A primary color, yellow, lots and lots of yellow, again

Yellow rubber ducks, at WAMU Waterfront Village, Rose Festival, 2008, Picniked



A portion of The One More Time Around Again Marching Band, un-Picniked, at the Concert in the Park, PGE Park, 2007, as part of the Rose Festival



The Buffalo Wild Wings mascot, at Wood Village Night Out, Wood Village, Oregon, July 16, 2010, Picniked



Yellow spotlights, at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, shining on 1964 The Tribute

Exercising at lunch in Tom McCall Park, June 18, 2009

Please scroll down to see today's dahlia, Swan's Desert Storm, from Swan Island Dahlias.

Happy Birthday, Lamont!

On my lunch hour I hurried to the bus, then hurried from the bus to the sidewalk along the river. I wanted to be sure to get some photos of The World, docked on the west bank of the Willamette. More about The World soon.

Anyway, I'm walking along, gawking with lots of other folks when I hear an amplified voice and look around to my right. I see this row of people being led by a diminutive woman calling out their exercise routine. Naturally I swung the camera up to my eye and clicked!

The grass has been worn out by the Rose Festival's Waterfront Village. It closed up shop just four days before I took this photo.

Today's dahlia, Swan's Desert Storm. Facts from Swan Island Dahlias--Bloom: 10" Yellow and Rose Blend, Bush: 3'

Law enforcement on the Willamette last Thursday, June 5, as the fleet came in

US Coast Guard riding with Multnomah County Sheriff's Office River patrol, headed north, downriver, on the Willamette near the Steel Bridge


US Coast Guard beside the USS Kidd as the tug pushes it closer to the wall.

Here's another Coast Guard boat on watch.

The Coast Guard boat goes beneath a bridge.


Another Multnomah County Sheriff's Office River Patrol boat heads south, upriver, with the Willamette reflecting the sun during what local folks call a "sun break." They've been welcome weather events lately.

The boat heads north on the Willamette River.