Downtown on April 8, 2011. Laughing in the sunshine while waiting at the door.

Noticed these two laughing in the sunshine. Here's my take on what's going on. They know each other, work together; they're waiting for the door to open so that they can report to work. She rode to work on mass transit, her entire commute. He rode most of the way on mass transit, then changed to his skateboard for the rest of the way.



This second photo shows the two of them still laughing and obviously still waiting on that door.



The door now open, the lady's already stepped out of sight except for a corner of her purse. He's holding it open for her and, from the shape of his cheek, is still smiling. I believe these two had a great day at work! Since they're entering an unmarked door, I'd be guessing where they work, but at the time I took this photo, I think the downtown Nike store was still in the building to the left of the door. He's wearing Nike shoes. I can't see the sides of her shoes, but I believe there's a swoosh on her jacket. So, I'm thinking they worked in the Nike store in the multi-story building known as the Public Service Building, designed by prolific Portland architect A. E. Doyle, completed in 1927.

Neons are in! Street level matching colors, No. 1

April 20, 2012, outside the Rose Garden Arena, I noticed a colorful sight, this young woman on her Day-Glo orange bicycle which has buttery yellow sidewall tires and even brighter orange wheels. There's even a narrow, swooping orange stripe on her creamy white-colored bicycle seat. She's wearing a bright chartreuse green safety vest. Her bicycle helmet has a matching orange stripe, a matching green stripe, and a soft blue stripe on its creamy white surface.

I saw her outside the Rose Garden Arena, pedaling north at through the intersection of NE Wheeler and NE Multnomah. Just to the right of the street lamp, up that slope, lies I-5, the southbound side of it. NE Multnomah crosses beneath the interstate.

I had a good time looking photo, noticing street level matching colors. Shades of orange--a streak at the base of the street lamp, rust on the fence poles, some sort of flaking sherbet-colored paint on the concrete wall. Shades of green--the new grass, the trees and shrubs, the flaking mint-colored paint on the concrete wall. I can't get myself to count the green on the street signs, though--it's just too different to count.

Thursday, August 25, Part 3 of this day's fun, watching this woman and her dog!

I hope you have as much fun looking at these photos as I did watching the two of them playing in the Columbia River!

First, here's a photo, out of sequence, so you can get an idea of what I'm talking about here. The dog had been in the river well before the activity caught my eye. I don't know if the woman had thrown a stick out over the river or not, but it's obvious from this shot that the dog wants that stick!













This is the next photo in sequence after the one at the top of today's post.










Someone sees just where the stick landed!


And it's not the woman!



I am so glad that I got the dog looking back to see what the woman is doing. I believe that's because the instant the dog gets on dry land, it'll be ready to do it all over again. If you've ever played with a dog, you know I speak the truth!

Candid #1

D50 photo


June 25 I rode the 12 bus to the Portland State Farmers Market before walking down the South Park Blocks to see the Italian cars. Although I couldn't understand their language, it was easily obvious to me that these two women enjoyed being together, laughing and talking until the one of the right left the bus, I'm sure telling her friend good-bye, have a great day, some sort of good wishes as she pushed open the back door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. I wish I could have taken the photo a few seconds earlier so that you could see the five tiny gray buttons on the ribbed portion of the sweater's sleeve. When I downloaded the photo, I noticed that her olive green pants had matching buttons decorating them, too, four of them visible from the knee down as she sits beside her friend.

I've tried to crop the photo so that you can see the buttons. They spoke to me of days gone by when my Mama decorated dresses she made for me with buttons chosen carefully, buttons that matched the fabric's colors, buttons hand-sewn in just the right place of her choosing.


The sweater's buttons and the pants' buttons.

It's windy, you say?

Back on November 3 as I waited for the 4 bus at the corner of SW 5th and Salmon, leaves swirled and flew. Then I saw this lady waiting to cross SW 5th, her hair flying every which way. Couldn't resist snapping a few.

Abundant designs, combined

As this woman approached me walking north on SE Grand Avenue, I thought, "She's all clean and shiny, totally fresh-looking." So I waited until she had passed and took a few shots. This one's my favorite because it best shows her combined designs: tiger stripes on her cap, houndstooth check on her jacket which appears to be made with at least five different fabrics. As for the pockets on her jeans, the designs look like cord curlicues which ended up in the shape of stars.

As I pulled to the stop sign, I thought, "Look! A sidewalk statue!"

Then as I grabbed my camera and pointed it, she moved! Startled, I couldn't focus before Leland had to move the car with the traffic, out of range. Still and all, I like the photo of the woman with her messenger bag and bicycle on a corner in the Pearl, Northwest Portland.

On the street, July 24, 2010, a lavender umbrella and a breeze

Sunny, breezy morning. As the woman waits to cross West Burnside at NW 21st Avenue, the breeze swirls around her head, lifts strands of her hair. The lavender umbrella makes a bit of shade, enough to satisfy her. Is she worried that her umbrella will be blown inside out?


She crosses the street and continues south on SW 21st Avenue, every glistening hair in place, no evidence of the breeze left behind. Intact, the umbrella still functions.