Watched on the way to work, a worker at work, welding.

I noticed a German Shepherd in the garage door opening and brought up my camera to photograph him. Then, the man caught my eye as he welded in the background. Four photos in quick succession. Enjoy! Hold Fast Fabrication PDX on SE Grand Avenue.









To say I was excited to get these photos is a woeful understatement. I even got to show them to the welder before I walked the block and half to my mundane cubicle in my work building.

UPDATE and a photo that I took while out and about Wednesday evening

UPDATE: I rode the bus to work, then streetcar and one bus home from work. Hooray! I was pretty tired when I got there, but I was early enough that I had time to rest a bit before signing in and getting busy. I also noticed right away that I'd left my nibbles at home! No green grapes, Cacio de Roma sheep cheese or Ritz crackers! I had time to go to the coffee stand in the building lobby where I bought a bagel with deli turkey and ham, plus cream cheese. I only ate half of the bagel and the turkey and ham--no cream cheese. I made it just fine, too. Tomorrow I will remember the lunch bag because after I put the food and the ice pack in it, I'm hanging it on the door knob!



Yesterday evening I went out for one more short walk, to the corner where I sat down on the low wall around the bioswale. When I saw the cement mixer pump truck, I decided to take a photo to share. There used to be two houses in the space where a multi-story building is going up--five stories, if I remember right, with apartments on the upper floors and retail on the ground floor. The street we're looking at is NE Glisan. You can see the multi-windowed north end of the Albertina Kerr building at the right edge of the photo, behind their carefully maintained hedge.

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.

UPDATE and view from the rooftop garden at my work building

UPDATE: Well, I've not felt very well today; slept in the recliner and the bed last night, but never could tell if I had really been sleeping because I came aware so frequently. Today, tired, tired, tired. Took a long nap in the recliner in the afternoon, but thankfully Lamont called at around 5 p.m. and woke me up, so that I hope I'll stay awake until a reasonable bed time. We'll see. Also, I have a red rash patch on the inside of my right calf--not itching, thank goodness. Plus, the occasional peripheral neuropathy and achy all over feeling. Not been a good day, but, since there is no nausea, I'll take it as it is.

Thank you for your continued prayers, love, and concern.



Whenever I go back to work, I want to be sure to go to the rooftop garden and take a look around the city from that vantage point. This is one of my favorite views because it includes the neon Portland Oregon sign, over on the west end of the Burnside Bridge. I've always believed myself to be blessed with the job that I have, that I will be able to return to one of these days. It's the people that I work with who make it so great, not just the view!

Seen on a walk during my lunch hour last Friday.

This mural is well-done. It surprised me since I hadn't walked that direction in I don't know how long. That's the Hawthorne Bridge depicted at the top of the bay door.



A bit of it in a close up, focusing on the recessed doorway.



A different perspective on the mural. That's my work building in the background on the left side of the photo.



Straight on perspective; I wish I could have found some info about the mural online. I didn't find anything after looking for about 45 minutes--now I'm tired and need to finish and get this scheduled to publish for Thursday.



Close up of the vehicle parked out front. I wondered after reading the sign on the back window if this business Green Hammer may be nearby, so I looked it up online and found that their address is in this block. I don't know if this mural is theirs since their street number is 1323 and the number inside the door of the building with the mural is 1321.

This is from their Web site: Green Hammer is a unified design-build firm.

And this, too: Stewardship: The Green Hammer Purpose

Nature is our ultimate classroom and an infinite source of inspiration. Buildings that mimic healthy living systems provide fresh air and clean water, create and conserve energy, and live in harmony with our natural world. A healthy building supports us personally while restoring the health of the planet. A smart building pays back with reduced operational costs and improved economic value.

At Green Hammer we embody the expertise, ingenuity, and passion to transform buildings where we live, work, and play. Every building is an opportunity to improve our wellbeing, financial health and relationship with nature. We create healthy and inspiring buildings, designed for people and built for life.

In the same block, Urban Timberworks. This is from their Web site:

We Listen to Clients and Speak For the Trees

The veteran Urban Timberworks team takes felled urban trees and transforms them into unique furniture pieces that tell the story of the tree and stand the test of time. We take tremendous care and consideration of each tree we process to ensure we maximize its yield and pay homage to its life by tracking and translating its story: where it came from and why it came down. We examine its unique characteristics and let it speak to us about how it is best transformed.

We match our clients’ unique desires and designs to the pieces we have in waiting. What sets us apart from other designers and woodworkers is our attention to each detail and respect for the life cycle of the tree while transforming it into a functional work of art. With our care, patience, expertise, and craftsmanship, we listen to our clients and speak for the trees to transform urban felled logs into treasured artisan furniture.

I wonder which business has this mural on it. Maybe I'll be able to find out the next time I walk that direction.

Sun rise and public art at my work building.

One January morning I walked my usual route from the bus shelter across the street, up to the corner to await the walk traffic signal, crossed and walked toward the building's entrance. Then, I say this lovely sight.



Here's the reason for the rosy glow on the brass panel and the brick wall.



This is the same bronze panel, photographed from across the street on February 20, 2009, during another swell sun rise.



Here's the reason for the golden light on the panel--I took this photo four minutes before as the bus headed across the Hawthorne Bridge towards my work building.

Read about the public art at my work building when you click here.

Spring at work.

Blooming trees line the east side of the street alongside the east end of the parking garage across the street from my work building. With such sunshine at lunch time, I figured I'd be smart to go outside and take a few photos. Here’s how the flowering trees and the sky looked April 26, 2011.

Heading for Labor Day. Workers, working, NE 20th and East Burnside.

July, 2012, while I waited to cross East Burnside, I watched these two men who were almost finished repainting the brown background of the Willoughby Hearing Aids neon sign. The center, left side Hearing Aids sign gives you an idea of just how faded the brown had become. I believe that they repainted the white behind the neon letters, too.
 

After I parked the Zipcar hours later, I took this photo of the finished work before I finished my walk home.

#8, CDP Theme Day, Action Shot(s) related to the work on the circle at the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge ramps

It's Theme Day at lots and lots of City Daily Photo Blogs. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants who have posted an Action Shot for your enjoyment and/or edification.

A - Angle of the raised dump truck bed.
C - Circle being reworked for to the fall, 2012 arrival of the Portland Streetcar Eastside Loop.
T -Tamp Tightly like the man with the shovel in the top photo.
I - Interest I have taken in these goings on.
O - One of these days this series of posts will be complete.
N - Not a moment too soon, I'm sure some frequent visitors will testify.

S - Smoothing accomplished by that wheeled contraption in the bottom photo.
H - Hot asphalt.
O - One more sidewalk to finish; take a close look at the bottom photo.
T - Tell me what you think of my ACTION SHOT, please and thank you!

The person closest to the back of the dump truck operated some sort of latch which opens some sort of chute and allows the hot asphalt to stream out onto the street, in a narrow, elongated hump-like shape. Looks to me like the next man is tamping it down with a shovel, tight as he can get it against the new curb on the new sidewalk on the inside of the circle.


Next thing I know, the first-laid asphalt has been rolled over by that wheeled contraption the man is riding and driving. See how smooth it looks up against the curb? You can sort of see the slight dip for the truncated domes matt at the handicap section of the sidewalk, too. Now the wheeled contraption is flattening the asphalt up against the newly formed curb across the street. And asphalt is being dropped out of the dump truck to complete the entire surrounding of that point of curb. There is still no concreted sidewalk completed there, though. Up on the eastbound Hawthorne Bridge ramp you can see two men working with a traffic diversion sign of some sort, so you know that work surely continues at or close to the intersection of SE Hawthorne and SE Grand.

Working in sunshine, whoa oh.

A Clean Scapes man concentrates on moving those leaves off the sidewalk on SW Morrison. I shot this photo from inside the MAX train on my way home, early on December 3, to take Mama to a doctor appointment. Usually when I go by here, whether on the MAX or on the bus, it is already dark. So it was a real treat to see this action happening in the bright sunshine and to be able to get the photo.