UPDATE and my interesting morning TriMet commute

UPDATE: Made it through today fine. Ate leftover meatloaf and rice for supper. Going to have pre-chemo blood work tomorrow morning, then an appointment with the chemo doctor. Chemo Round 5 is Thursday. Thank you for every single prayer, for your continued love and concern.



Straight out of the camera, a photo I shot through the 12 bus windshield when we joined the traffic stopped by a bridge lift on the Burnside Bridge. The giant square looming over the vehicles is part of the bridge itself. That's the Big Pink in the background, the multi-story building. I've never been stopped going westward by a bridge lift, only a couple of times going eastward, on this particular bridge. After we started moving again, there was no evidence that I could see of the vessel that caused the bridge to have to open to allow it to pass.



Same photo altered at BeFunky with HDR1. What's your favorite detail? Your most unexpected detail? My favorite, the lighted traffic directional sign in the pickup truck bed, it's two leftward-pointing arrows guiding your eye to the part of the bridge that is raised. My most unexpected, the bit of the bus driver's fan, top center, photographed along with lots of reflections.



Straight out of the camera, zoomed in on the raised part of the bridge.



Same photo, altered at BeFunky with HDR1. I used the HDR effect to give you the best chance to see details--I like how it increases the sheen on the Big Pink windows. By the way, it lightly sprinkled rain at this point in my morning commute.



Straight out of the camera. When I realized the part of the neon Portland Oregon sign could be seen past the pickup truck, I zoomed in for this photo. You also get a good view of the pavement and the lane markings on the raised part of the bridge. Plus, you're able to see the 20 bus way ahead of the 12 bus that I'm in. I'll bet the 19 bus had to stop not too far behind us. Once the traffic started to move again, lots of vehicles and at least three buses passed us, going east. Bridge lifts occur frequently in Portland because we're a city with maritime traffic which comes from the Pacific Ocean on the Columbia River and then onto the Willamette which all of our downtown bridges cross, plus the St. Johns Bridge which is north of downtown. It, along with the Fremont, the Marquam, the Tilikum Crossing and the Ross Island bridges do not lift because the were constructed with plenty of clearance and are much younger than those bridges which have to raise for river traffic of certain heights. There's one more which I assume will not have to lift because it's being replaced by a new bridge, the Sellwood Bridge.



Same photo, altered at BeFunky with HDR1. I like this one a whole lot because there are details all over the place, from houses over in the West Hills to birds on the lamp posts alongside the sidewalk. 



Once I noticed those birds, I decided to look at the photo's original size at Flickr. That's when I noticed two birds, one on each of the two shortest poles, at least they look shortest because most of their height is blocked by the lighted traffic directional sign. Both birds face north, their rusty red feathers smooth, their white tails glowing, the shapes of their heads discernible because they are in profile. I think they are hawks, and the rest of the birds are pigeons trying to ignore their juxtaposition with two birds of prey. I tried cropping so that you could experience these particular details. The result is so-so. So, if you like, please click on the image which will take you to my Flickr account. Once there click at the bottom right of the photo on View all sizes which appears when you hover over the downward-pointing arrow. Once there, click on view Original and scroll around to your heart's content. Do you think that's a drone flying visible between two poles to the right? Do you have any idea what kind of hawks these are? Are they even hawks? Thanks!

UPDATE and the blog post - Size, often it's all in perspective and location. Sometimes, it's just flat out huge. No. 4

UPDATE: Dr. Steiner's nurse Naomi let me know Monday afternoon that the final pathology report says it's probably cancer, so I'm having surgery on Thursday, probably at 1:30 p.m. I'll check in at 11:00 a.m. or so. I will get a phone call on Wednesday with a definite time for both. I will be in the hospital at least one night, probably just the one. I will then be recovering for weeks and, if all goes well, will return to work on August 10. During those six weeks, I will have two appointments with Dr. Steiner, one a post-op, on an evaluation of my fitness to return to work. Probably at the post-op, I will learn the results of the pathology of any tissues removed during the surgery. If it is really cancer, I'll have to have chemotherapy and/or radiation.

To tell you the truth, this is what I expected to hear, that I would have an operation on Thursday. I am thankful that I found out for sure today and didn't have to wait any longer--Thursday will be here very soon. I am ready for what's next and feel certain that Dr. Steiner is paying the best possible attention to my situation. My sons and I thank each of you for your prayers, your love, and your concern.



Close up as The World approaches the completely open Steel Bridge.



Closer but with maneuvering left to be done.



Looks like it's a straight shot from here, doesn't it?



You can see that The World must angle its way through the raised Steel Bridge. The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, opened in 1912.



My goodness, but that's one huge ship, y'all. Clearances . . . 26 feet closed, 72 feet with the lower deck raised, and 163 feet fully raised as it is here.



Now it is headed for the Broadway Bridge which is where I'm standing and taking photos.



Commuters held up by the lift of the Broadway Bridge.



So close and so huge, about the head beneath the Broadway Bridge.



Slow going.



There in the background, a portion of the Big Pink.



You can see the barricade with its reflective section in this photo--it's down to keep folks from falling off the bridge while the bridge is up.



A tugboat which surely has been working with The World to help it leave Portland.



Folks waiting for the bridge lift to be over so that they may continue on their way. Their view certainly is amazing.



Looks like all or most of The World is now past the Broadway Bridge and headed for the Fremont Bridge. It is not a bridge that opens and was built high enough for even ocean-going ships like The World to pass beneath.



Good-bye to The World.



By the time I'd walked part way to the bus stop so that I could catch one and get to work on time, the traffic had cleared very well. You can see that the bridge is completely closed, of course.



Here's a view of the bridge deck as it joins the streets at the west end of the Broadway Bridge. I took it through the bus windshield.

Bridge lifts and Fleet Week, 2015

So, this morning at my break, I walked around on the rooftop garden for a bit of exercise, and I noticed the Broadway Bridge up, then I noticed the Steel Bridge up. That meant the US Navy ships in town for Fleet Week, a part of the Portland Rose Festival, were leaving Portland as scheduled. I took this photo, hoping to be able to label it accordingly and use it on the blog. The two bridges are more than two miles from my work building. I'm surprised that I got decent photos with my iPhone 5, zoomed in. The labels on the photos don't show up as well as I'd like, but I'm too tired to fool with them again.



At my afternoon break, I took this photo for comparison purposes.



Also for comparison, here's a photo that I took of the Broadway Bridge from the MAX Yellow Line while on the Steel Bridge. The Broadway Bridge is a Rall-type bascule bridge spanning the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1913.



Also for comparison, here's a photo that I took of the Steel Bridge in 2011 when I got to be on a boat with the ships came in for Fleet Week. See the wavy looking bridge behind it, close to the bottom of the Steel Bridge? That's the Broadway Bridge which is north of the Steel Bridge. The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, opened in 1912. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic (on the Pacific Highway West No. 1W, former Oregon Route 99W) and light rail (MAX), making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world. It is the only double-deck bridge with independent lifts in the world and the second oldest vertical-lift bridge in North America, after the nearby Hawthorne Bridge. The bridge links the Rose Quarter and Lloyd District in the east to Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in the west.



During Fleet Week, 2011, I got to be on a boat on the river, taking loads of photos. Here's one of the completely open Broadway Bridge with one of the ships passing through it during the bridge lift. This is how a bascule bridge looks when it is open. The boat to its left is one of the River Patrol boats, part of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office.



And here's the Steel Bridge with one of the ships passing through it, headed to dock for Fleet Week. This is how a double-deck, vertical lift bridge looks when the ship going through means that both decks have to be lifted. Sometimes only the lower deck has to be lifted, when the ship is much shorter than this one.

Three minutes of bridge lifts, seen from the bus while on the Hawthorne Bridge, heading west after work, May 20, 2010

I've decided to use larger photos today. Please let me know in a comment if they are too large for your computer, making them difficult to see or to load. I'm curious. Thanks!



Looking north at the Morrison Bridge, mid-bridge-lift, I wondered what large vessel had caused the lift and which direction was that vessel going, north which is down river, south which is up river--the Willamette River flows north. That brown shape to the right of the docked white boat with the blue trim is not what caused the bridge lift. Since the bridge is wide open, I'm guessing that the vessel is on its way to the Morrison Bridge. I took this photo at 5:20 p.m.

A bit about the Morrison Bridge: It is a bascule bridge which was completed in 1958, the third bridge at approximately the same site to carry that name.

The bridge is the largest mechanical device in Oregon. Thirty-six foot tall gears drive 940-ton counterweights located inside each of the piers. The 69 ft. clearance is sufficient for most river traffic, requiring bridge openings only about 30 times a month. It currently carries 50,000 vehicles daily in six lanes. The canted windows of the control towers give the distinctive look of air traffic control towers. The current bridge does not connect to Morrison Street at its west end because the second bridge was left in operation while the latest version was built.

Believe it or not, I've been on a tour of the Morrison Bridge which included walking down the steps inside the west-most pier and seeing those 36 foot tall gears and hearing the sound made by the movement of them and the 940-ton counterweights as the bridge is opened. Totally amazing experience!

By the way, the black, double-decker bridge north of the Morrison Bridge, partially visible in this photo, is the Steel Bridge (1912). Between it and the Morrison Bridge is the Burnside Bridge (1926), not very discernible at this perspective. Look closely along the square-shaped trusses which are a lighter brown color and around the height of those trees--they are part of the Burnside Bridge.

I can't tell from this angle if the Burnside Bridge has started to open, but from the traffic I can make out on it, I don't think it's opening yet. Maybe it won't have to, it all depends on the height of the vessel on the river--the bridge clearance when closed is 64 feet. A bit about the Burnside Bridge: The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge. The lifting is normally controlled by the Hawthorne Bridge operator, but an operator staffs the west tower during high river levels. This bridge is part of my daily work commute, both morning and afternoon.

All of the black trusses and bridge decks belong to the Steel Bridge. A bit about the Steel Bridge: It is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic (on the Pacific Highway West No. 1W, former Oregon Route 99W) and light rail (MAX), making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world. It is the only double-deck bridge with independent lifts in the world and the second oldest vertical-lift bridge in North America, after the nearby Hawthorne Bridge. The bridge links the Rose Quarter and Lloyd District in the east to Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in the west.



My next thing to wonder about, how long would the bridge lift last for the Hawthorne Bridge (1910). It all depended upon the direction of the vessel--maybe whatever it was had already cleared the Hawthorne Bridge, no matter the direction it was moving. I took this photo looking through the bus windshield. Notice that dark-colored section of the bridge with the rust-colored handrail. There's one pedestrian walking east; those other folks are waiting to continue their westbound walk or bicycle ride.

A bit about the Hawthorne Bridge: It is the oldest operating vertical lift bridge in the United States. The 1,383-foot long Hawthorne Bridge is one of Portland’s busiest bridges, safely carrying approximately 30,000 vehicles and untold pedestrians and cyclists across the Willamette River. Vertical clearance for river traffic is limited and approximately 200 openings per month are required for this vertical lift bridge.

Like other vertical lift bridges, the Hawthorne Bridge uses a system of counterweights and cables to move the lift span straight up and down. The operating system is mostly original, but the electrical power and control systems—which were installed in 1975—were upgraded in 1999. Hawthorne’s counterweights each weigh 450 tons and are supported by the bridge’s two towers, which rise 165 feet above the bridge deck. The Hawthorne Bridge’s main span can be raised 110 feet to allow vessels to pass underneath. On average, an opening of the Hawthorne Bridge is 8 minutes long.



Looks like it's a tugboat causing these bridge lifts. Some of the letters are blocked by the bridge handrail, but I believe that I can read the name as Heidi L. Brusco. That's my best guess, and I did find that a towing vessel of that name has Seattle as its home port. As of right now, it's heading east on the Columbia River, bound for Cathlamet, Washington.



A few more folks have gathered to wait out the bridge lift. There's a curious person in the pickup truck in front of the bus.



Can you tell that the lifted bridge section has moved down quite a bit from the earlier photos? And even more commuters wait patiently. I took this photo at 5:23 p.m.Not too many minutes later, the bridge lift completed, we continued our westbound ride across the Willamette River.

Vintage vehicle at Voodoo Doughnut & some colorful serendipity, downtown Portland

Today on the 12 bus, on the way to Killer Burger from downtown, I noticed a crowd outside the original location of Voodoo Doughnut. The reason that I got the chance to notice the crowd and the gorgeous vintage vehicle parked at the sidewalk was that the Burnside Bridge was near the end of a bridge lift, stopping traffic in both directions.

Actually, the crowd is a double line which snakes from out of sight on the right to just left of the original Voodoo sign on the brick wall at which point it snakes back towards the corner and the red-framed door. After I saw the crowd, I saw the wine-colored vintage vehicle. The way the sun hit the back chrome bumper and the back window made me stand up and walk to the front of the bus so that I could take this photo through the windshield, looking at an angle towards SW 3rd from the intersection where the bus waited for traffic to clear once the bridge lift completely ended.

Once I had downloaded the photo, I quickly noticed the girl in the pink sundress, playing the guitar on the sidewalk directly beneath the Voodoo Doughnut sign. Ah, serendipity--all of that wine and pink color right there, together.



One more photo, taken straight on through the bus windshield. Wish I could've taken one a little bit before this one because the bridge lift would've shown up much better.

As it is, if you look there at the top edge of those two box trucks, you should notice a line continuing from beneath the traffic signal on the left all the way across to the right where it runs out of sight in the leaves. That line is the edge of the western section of the Burnside Bridge which is on its way down so that it will once again meet the edge of the eastern section of the bridge and form a complete, solid surface for the bridge. I know bridge lifts interrupt traffic and therefore people's lives and work, but I continue to be fascinated by them and how these gigantic structures operate.

Info from the Voodoo Doughnut Web site, about this location:
1. Voodoo Doughnut 22 SW 3rd Avenue Portland Oregon, U.S.A.
phone 503.241.4704
OPEN 24 hours 7days a week, Cash only, ATMs available
Voodoo Doughnut is located just south of the Burnside bridge on SW 3rd Ave. On the corner at SW 3rd Ave. and SW Ankeny

Bridge Lift, Morrison Bridge, July 16, 2010

After the PDX Bridge Festival KICKOFF event, I walked south to the steps that go up to the Morrison Bridge so that I could catch the 15 bus home. As I climbed the steps, I noticed tail lights on the bridge, cars crossing the bridge from Southeast Portland or coming off the exit from I-5 southbound. Ah, I said jubilantly to myself. Sharon Wood Wortman's bridge walk is now inside the western leg of the Morrison Bridge. The bridge operator is opening the bridge as part of the tour! What an ever-lovin' treat to see it from where I stood at the top of the steps. You see, I went on one of her bridge walks back in 2008 and have yet to post about it because I took so doggone many photos that I can't make up my mind which ones to post!


This is blurry, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. I took it from the 15 as we rode west across the now closed bridge. That's the bridge operator's tower you see through the window. Those colors and shapes are some of the people on Sharon's bridge walk. That is one of the things you get to do, hear all about it from the bridge operator. Neat-o!