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 left at the bus stop

UPDATE: Slept well, doing OK today. I am still surprised and thankful at this turn of events. Feeling this strong allowed me to go to my sweet friend Casey's wedding. She married Cristina in lovely Woodlawn Park in Northeast Portland yesterday late afternoon--the rain stayed away for the entire ceremony! The wonderful reception after the ceremony took place at The Village Ballroom, complete with family toasts, great food and lots and lots of dancing to the music CD that Casey made for the celebration. Everyone had a great time, smiles, joy, and laughter all around! Lamont and Leland took me; we had a great time and are happy to have shared this with Casey and Cristina and their families and friends.



Tomorrow I'll be at the bus stop in time to catch one to work, for the first time since June 23. I won't be leaving anything behind when the bus arrives. I'll work four hours (10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and then take a bus home. I'm looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine out in the world, that is, until the next chemo treatment. We'll see how soon I can go back part time after it.

Waiting for the 6 on SE Grand Avenue

For those of us who frequent mass transit through TriMet, this is a well-known situation. You go to the bus stop and you wait. I've been doing it since July, 2006, happily and thankfully. I got the perk that I wanted when I got my job, a handed-to-me-yearly-mass-transit pass. When I need a car, I reserve a Zipcar, by the hour, without having to have my own driver's insurance, without having to pay for any gasoline. I'm spoiled by TriMet and Zipcar.

Sidewalk Session No. 1

To set the stage for this series of photos/events that I've decided to call a Sidewalk Session, here's a photo I took as I walked from the streetcar towards Kenny and Zuke's where I planned to eat supper. See the silver car's brake lights? There to its right you see a bicycle chained to a barricade. And there's a shiny metal metal sculpture on the corner; it's got three legs. I wish the car had not been there because you could see the bench where I sat later. When I took this photo, I had no idea what would happen on the sidewalk. Well, I suppose I ought to say what might have happened. Was the threatening sky a portent of things to come?


After finishing supper, I walked to the intersection seen in the top photo where I sat down on the bench to wait for the bus. I was on West Burnside, across the street from Powell's Books. The narrow blue pole with the signs is the bus stop. Naturally, I had my camera around my neck. I took this photo and felt someone closing up behind me. I didn't turn to see who it was, but I did hold my camera so nothing on the view screen could be seen from over my shoulder.


I heard the rumble of a motorcycle. When I glanced to my left, I saw a bit of yellow and wondered if this could be the motorcycle that Mama and I used to hear rumble by our apartment over on NW Everett--a few times we actually happened to be looking out the window and saw it. It certainly sounded like the same one, a distinctive, deep-throated, rhythmic rumble which its rider coaxed from the engine. I took this photo, and the person behind me sat down at the opposite end of the bench. Once again, I didn't actually look. As I glanced peripherally, I felt that I had seen her at another time. She just sat there, picking up a discarded newspaper from the seat.


I looked to my right, behind her, and noticed the intersection. I thought I could get a good perspective between the legs of the sculpture on the corner (more about it in another post), so I stood up and walked behind the bench, past where she sat. Here's the one of the first few photos I took. The woman on the bench heard the camera or turned and saw me taking photos. I don't know which. All I know for sure is she started to speak loud enough for me to hear, something along the lines of "Stop taking "profanity" pictures!" I quietly and slowly moved farther away from the bench, never looking back.


Here's the last photo I took before I stepped closer to the actual bus stop. In a moment, the bus pulled to a stop. I got on and sat facing the bench, wondering if she would follow.


When she didn't, I took this photo, hoping she would not notice. I have used Picnik to blur her features, not only to hide her identity, but also to protect myself in some fashion.

Seen on the streets of Portland, near the bus stop at SW 5th and SW Salmon

I sit at the bus stop, waiting. I look around and notice how passing pedestrians appear through the glass wall.


I notice the man on the right who is sitting at the other end of the bus shelter; it appears he's on his computer.

As the women pass beside me, heading south, I think, "There's no denying it; they have to be mother and daughters."


I swivel on my chair and get this photo which proves my point rather well.

Waiting at the ready

February 12, while waiting for my second bus where I always change, in the block of NW 3rd Avenue between NW Davis and NW Couch, I saw this bicycle across the street. I happened to be on the phone with my Aunt Baker down in Puckett, Mississippi, as I am every weekday morning. I quickly asked her to hold on a minute, unzipped the rolling black bag and grabbed my camera. Click. "I got it!" I excitedly told her, just as my next bus came into view.

If I were inclined to ride a bicycle, I'm thinking that one with red tires would be much easier to ride. What do you think?

TriMet Bus Stop ID 1607

Stop is in Fareless Square

TriMet Bus Stop ID, 1607, Served by 17-NW 21st Ave/St Helens Rd

Amenities

Shelter
Recycle/garbage can
Traffic signal
Bench near stop
Lighting at stop
Pavement at back door of bus
Curb ramp near stop
Pavement at front door of bus
Sidewalk near stop
Schedule display
Crosswalk

Sometimes I walk to this stop from the apartment and board the 17 here. On this particular, last Thursday, I decided to leave early, ride the bus to this stop, get off and walk about four blocks to the Byways Cafe to try their biscuits, without gravy.

I took this photo after a pretty good breakfast (the buttermilk pancakes remain my favorite), when I had walked back to the stop to catch the next 17. Hoping that it would translate well to black and white, I then took the photo below. I wanted you to see my black rolling bag and the colorful, flowered, plastic one that I use daily, to transport my sweet ice tea and the rest of my lunch to work. With its zipper closure at the top, it makes a great tote, although I usually let the rolling black bag do the toting.

TriMet Bus Stop ID 5059

This juxtaposition of the used car lot and the bus stop speaks for itself in these days of rapidly rising gasoline prices--surely both will become more busy as more people take the bus and/or rid themselves of larger vehicles. I took this photo on a Saturday, on the way back from the vet, so it's not representative of any sort of commute, but I have noticed much larger crowds on my morning commute for the past two weeks.

NE Sandy & 16th in Portland going east, Stop ID 5059

Served by

12-Sandy Blvd

Amenities

No shelter
Stop is on the near side of the intersection
Traffic signal
Lighting at stop
Pavement at back door of bus
Curb ramp near stop
Pavement at front door of bus
Sidewalk near stop
Crosswalk

In the midst of the Plaza Blocks

I'm always amazed when any bus I'm on slows down to circle this majestic statue. I love the fact that it's right in the middle of the street. For me, that's so Portland!

After work recently, as I walked through the area passing time before going to see "Spamalot," I took this picture, my back to the north. Here's what I found at the Portland Parks and Recreation Web site about this majestic statue/fountain which stands on Main Street, in between Chapman and Lownsdale Squares, better known as the Plaza Blocks:

Chapman Square is one of two courthouse squares that comprise the Plaza Blocks which are bounded by Third and Fourth Avenues and Salmon and Madison Streets. The south square is named for former Iowa territorial legislator and native Virginian William Williams Chapman (1808-1892) who arrived in Portland in 1850. An attorney with business interests, he also served as surveyor general of Oregon. In 1870, he sold this portion of his land claim to the city. The north square is named for Kentuckian Daniel H. Lownsdale, who settled in Portland in 1845 when there were fewer than 800 people living in the city.

The Plaza was a lively place where orators held forth and citizens assembled. They are characterized in part by several large old elms and gingko trees. Chapman Square, originally designed for the exclusive use of women and children, features all female gingko trees. Lownsdale Square was to be the "gentlemen's gathering place." Today the Plaza Blocks are still a busy gathering place, although men and women can now safely coexist in either of them.

Chapman Square has a Spanish-American War memorial: Fountain for Company H, installed in 1914, was donated by the mothers, sisters, and wives of Company H of the Second Oregon Volunteers. John H. Beaver, an architectural draftsman, won the honor of designing the limestone fountain and a $50 prize in a citywide contest. Also found in Chapman Square is a bronze statue commissioned by the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail which took place in 1993. The Promised Land, by Oregon artist David Manuel, depicts a pioneer family - father, mother, and son - at the end of their journey. The red granite slab upon which the statue is mounted is inscribed with a quote by Thomas Jefferson. The plaza in front of the statue is sandblasted with footprints reminiscent of pre-settlement days: jackrabbit, black bear, porcupine, grouse, coyote, elk, and moccasin prints.

Between the two Plaza Blocks, Main Street curves around a huge elk fountain given to the city by David P. Thompson. Thompson arrived in Portland driving sheep over the Oregon Trail. He served as Portland's mayor from 1879-1882. One day looked out of the office window in his New Market Building at the Skidmore Fountain and decided that he wanted to dedicate a fountain to the city as well. Thompson commissioned Roland Hinton Perry, whose work adorns the Library of Congress and the dome of the Pennsylvania state capitol, and in 1900, he presented the city with a bronze elk fountain to commemorate elk that once grazed nearby. Local architect H.G. Wright designed the stone base of eastern granite, which included drinking troughs for horses and dogs. The Exalted Order of Elks refused to dedicate it because they considered the statue "a monstrosity of art." Many have tried to have Thompson's elk removed because it can be considered a traffic obstacle, but the elk statue remains. In 1974, after a debate about disturbing the blocks in order to complement the then-new General Services Building, Thompson's elk and the Plaza Blocks were designated as Historic Landmarks.

The Sun's Comin' Up

What a blessing it is to live in Portland. If it weren't for this glorious weather, the fantastic mass transportation system, and the fact that the Willamette carved a valley eons ago, I would not be venturing out some mornings on my way to work, walking 1.22 miles from our apartment to a bus stop at 3rd and Couch. It's all downhill on Everett, and I get to take photographs along the way--good for my knees and my psyche. I'm in awe of what life affords me right now.

This sight caused me to stop in my tracks. I am particularly proud that the camera captured it as I saw it. The sidewalk runs beside Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, at NW Everett and 19th. I have to wonder at how long it's been there and how it's been able to warp so beautifully with the growth of the tree roots. The milky-upright shape to the right is a bus stop shelter--if I were running late in my walk, I could catch a bus there and go to my connecting stop at 3rd and Couch. By the way, Couch is pronounced cooch, as in the sound lovebirds make, "Coo, coo," not as in, "Please sit down beside me, here on the couch." Well, I suppose those people on the couch could be lovebirds.