Quirky sight which just happens to have a personal connection

No, the connection is not the flamingos, although I do have one. More about that later. These flamingos are in the side and front yard of the apartment where my sons Lamont and Leland used to live, back when Mama and I moved to Portland in June, 2006. That's the personal connection. Funny thing. I didn't hear a dog at all, and I walked back and forth taking photos for a few minutes. You'd think with that Beware of the Dog sign that I would have heard some barking. Wonder if it's there as a joke?

Back to my pink flamingo. I bought it at the Goodwill on West Burnside later on in 2006 right after I had heard the news story that production would cease at the Union Products factory in Leominster, Massachusetts on November 1, 2006. While it has no legs, turns out my flamingo is one of the "official" ones made between 1987 and 2001. I know that because it has the signature of Don Featherstone located on the rear underside. Featherstone is credited with designing the pink flamingo for Union Products in 1957, the year I turned 10. My pink flamingo lives in a two-handled plastic shopping basket atop a tall bookcase beside my bed, complete with artificial golden yellow roses around its slender neck.

I've been to my own music festival.

My bus stop bench where I catch the 12 home after seeing movies and/or documentaries at the Hollywood Theatre. I sat there waiting Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings after seeing three nights of music-related documentaries. I'm a member of the Hollywood Theatre at the Producer level, so my admission is free and I get a free member-size popcorn.

I'm very happy to give you a list of the documentaries that I saw.


Friday night, 20 Feet From Stardom - The untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonizing with others. These gifted artists span a range of styles, genres and eras of popular music, but each has a uniquely fascinating and personal story to share of life spent in the shadows of superstardom. Along with rare archival footage and a peerless soundtrack are intimate interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger and Sting to name just a few. I left wishing more than ever that I could sing. 


Saturday night, three Les Blank documentaries. I left well-pleased that I'd been able to see these three jewels, to witness the creativity captured on film by an equally creative man. 
Dizzy Gillespie (1965 – 23 min) – Les Blank’s earliest music film. Great Dizzy performances and personal moments.
The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins (1970 – 31 min) – A portrait of the great Texas bluesman, Lightnin’ Hopkins.
Hot Pepper (1973 – 54 min) – profile of Clifton Chenier – the self-crowned “King” of Zydeco accordion.

Sunday night, two more Les Blank documentaries. I felt the same way Sunday night that I did on Saturday. 
Sprout Wings and Fly (1983 – 30 min) – A compassionate, life-affirming document of Appalachian fiddler Tommy Jarrel.
A Well Spent Life (1971 – 44 min) – Tribute to the Texas songster and guitar great, Mance Lipscomb. 

There was a third one on Sunday evening, Chulas Fronteras (51 min) – portrait of the Tex-Mex scene and its musical protest against migrant worker oppression, opting instead to head for the bench at the bus stop so that I could stop by on my way home for the last 30 minutes of Kevin Selfe's Blues Jam at the Blue Diamond PDX.

Wish I could fix it so that you could smell these roses.

I walked by on my way home and, when I realized just how good these roses smelled, I walked around on the other side of the bushes, got out my camera, and took this photo. Just one of the perks to many Portland neighborhoods--enjoying someone else's roses.

Seen downtown, No. 5

Let me count a few of my daily life blessings for you.

First, from my employer I get a 24/7/365 mass transit pass. 

Second, I work in a building a single block from a bus stop where three bus lines that go west over the Willamette River stop at the beginning of my lunch hour. 

Third, those buses all stop a couple of blocks from the Wednesday downtown Portland Farmers Market, located at Shemanski Park in the South Park Blocks, behind the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. 

Fourth, while this particular version of the PFM is less than a square block, I prefer to think of it as being village-like, intimate and personable and filled to the brim with the bounty of folks who must have huge hearts because they're willing to grow all of these vegetables, fruits, and flowers--or to bake tarts and breads and cookies and quiches or make goat cheese--so that we can zoom over there on our lunch hour and shop among the trees. 

Fifth blessing, those founders of the city who donated the downtown blocks of land which have become home  of two versions of the Portland Farmers Market, this small one at the north end of the South Park Blocks and the huge Saturday PFM at the south end of the South Park Blocks.

So, this week on Wednesday I happily saw once again, up close and personal, why it is so ever-lovin' OK that it rains in Portland. These vegetables. Other fruits I didn't get a photo of because I was carrying too many vegetables back to work with me and couldn't manipulate the camera. And the flowers in the next photo, one that I took before I had all of the vegetables to lug.




Once I got home from work, I took everything out of the bags and washed it all and put it in these two colanders to drain.

Sixth blessing, knowing I'll soon cook and eat all of these beautiful vegetables. More on that next time.

• Seventh blessing, my friend Sarah of Portland Creamery sold me some mighty fine chevre and gave me a great big hug!

Seen downtown, No. 4

Not your everyday headwear for sunny Saturday in May. Naturally, once I saw the young man and his hat through the viewfinder, I had to keep clicking.
  Oops. Busted.
 

He turned to his friend, no doubt explaining that there's a crazy woman over there on the corner taking my picture.
 

His friend smiled and they continued walking south across West Burnside.

Seen Downtown, No. 3

Setting sun accents the Salvation Army building on the corner of West Burnside and SW 2nd Avenue. Down the street, it hits the top floor of the New Market Block, too. I was downtown for an after-work artist talk about the public art installed as part of the Portland Streetcar Central Line outside my workplace. Couldn't resist taking some photos.
 

HDR-altered at PicMonkey. Fun to fool with photos, now and then.

Seen downtown, No. 2

Across from Pioneer Courthouse Square, tour guide John looks up at the Macy's building so that he can find an architectural detail to share with us on the June 21, 2013, Architectural Heritage Center's Walking Tour of Downtown Portland's Terra Cotta. Many of the buildings in downtown that give the area its unique atmosphere are decorated and/or covered with terra cotta, be it glazed or unglazed, creamy white or rusty orange.
 

John points out details high up on buildings as he fills in his tour-goers with loads of information.
 

John's engaged delivery captivates tour-goers every single time I've been on one of his tours. See, not even a sporty red vehicle interrupted anyone's concentration. Thanks, John. Thanks, AHC.

Seen downtown, No. 1

May 7, 2013, a delivery bicycle from B-Line, caught between two parked parking enforcement vehicles. I'm standing in the park known as Chapman Square--I'd finished my lunch and was about to walk over to the bus stop when I saw the B-line guy turn onto the street. I just knew I'd get a great photo if I could catch him in that space between the parked vehicles. Got it!

Here's some interesting information about the park, found on the City of Portland's Web site:

• Chapman Square, SW 4th Ave. & Main St.  
• General Info: Acquired in 1869. 
• Amenities: Includes disabled access restroom, historical site, paths – paved, and statue or public art. 
• Special Information: Park hours: 5:00am-midnight.

Historical Information: Chapman 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 Blocks were lively places 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.

In Chapman Square is a bronze statue commissioned by the Oregon Trail Coordinating Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail 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 the second oldest sculpture in the Portland metro area - 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 he 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. As founder and director of the Oregon Humane Society, Thompson’s vision for the sculpture was to provide an accessible watering place for "bird, beast, and human." He commissioned Roland Roland Hinton Perry, whose work adorns the Library of Congress and the dome of the Pennsylvania state capitol, to create the sculpture. Local architect H.G. Wright designed the stone base of eastern granite, which included drinking troughs for horses and dogs. In 1900, the 3,000-pound bronze fountain was placed in a site that was a former feeding ground for elk that wandered down from the west hills of the city. 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 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.

Salvador Dali Ankle

At first, I thought I'd title this post Accidental Frame so that I could mention the serendipity of the juxtaposition of the pedestrian and the yellow metal framework near the bus door. However, as I looked at the photo in PicMonkey where I uploaded it for resizing, what appeared to be an unnaturally shaped and angled ankle, combined with the wavy curves of the calf, made a different decision for me. I would be remiss to miss out on the chance to compare the waviness I saw--brought about I believed by the perspective of the pedestrian's leg as photographed--with those wavy, melted watches of Salvador Dali.

When I clicked on the photo at its largest size, the actual reason became easy to see. A wide streak of sun-glare obliterates the outer half of her foot and washes out the outer half of her blue shoe. So, you can rest easy. This woman's right foot is regular and doing a good job helping her wait patiently for her own bus.

Lunch, Saturday, August 3, 2013

Strawberries, sheep cheese, Traditional Chex Mix and sweet iced tea. Arranged on a colorful tray I lucked into at Joanne's last Saturday when I had the Zipcar for hours and hours of errands. A 70% off sale on outdoor dining items. Besides the tray, I got the cup, too. So, they're meant for children, but I don't care. It's a way to exercise portion control, don't you know?



Artsy HDR-effect close-up.



As far as I'm concerned, the best sheep cheese, ever. With Sole di Sardegna in my life, I don't miss cheddar cheese. This stuff is so fine, eaten at room temperature as it was at lunch yesterday, with various complimentary foods. Shredded for tacos or burritos or chili or spaghetti and meatballs. Or melted as the insides of divine grilled cheese sandwiches.

Rip City United: Behind the Pinwheel, a tour on Saturday, July 27, 2013

My two favorite photos that I took on the tour.



Spontaneous laughter, photo no. 1



Spontaneous laughter, photo no. 2

Let me tell you the story.

As part of this season-ticket-holder event, Player Development Director Hersey Hawkins welcomed our small group into a room by thanking us for coming inside the Rose Garden Arena on a beautiful Portland Saturday afternoon.

One of us, a retired lady who evidently has been a season ticket holder for years and whom he recognized as having been to other events where he explained what he does for players, replied, "It was this or weed."

"Weed?" he asked, confusion all over his face. In a split second, the entire room erupted in loud guffaws and belly laughs, tears in numerous eyes as we continued to laugh for what seemed like a very long time as we realized she meant weed the flower beds and he thought she meant the colloquial, slang definition of the word which, obviously, he had great difficulty connecting with her persona.

So, I say a gigantic thank you to a couple of basketball-loving-Portlanders--Hersey and the lady--for the chance to take these photos of blissfully spontaneous laughter. Look at Hersey and see our laughter. He soon got down to business and explained his job is to help players deal with the nitty-gritty, down-to-earth realities of an NBA career.

The description of the event: Rip City United is excited to host you and a guest on Saturday, July 27th for a special look Behind the Pinwheel. Learn from the team behind the players; our Trail Blazers staff! Featuring an interactive tour of the team locker room, the broadcast and production studios and the exclusive Sphere Lounge, you’ll hear all about what goes on behind the scenes here at the Rose Garden Arena, home of the Portland Trail Blazers. We look forward to honoring you, our loyal Season Ticket Holders, with this unique experience. Here are a few other photos from the tour. Enjoy!
 

The sign that greeted us at the arena door.
 

My photo of a photo often seen by us fans, up on the Jumbo-tron before our Portland Trail Blazers left the locker room area and ran through the tunnel onto the court.
 

On-air play-by-play TV announcers, Mike Rice, yours truly, Mike Barrett in the broadcast studio. Well, I'm not an on-air play-by-play TV announcer, but you knew that already.



In the players' locker room, Todd Bosma, Director of Game Operations, regaled us with details about each home game and all that it takes to get it done, from when we're greeted by PA announcer Mark Mason until there is no time left on the game clock. He's a really nice guy whom I've visited with for a few moments at other Trail Blazers' events. If I remember right, he said that each game has a 39-page script!
 

While listening to Todd, I sat in #88's chair!
 

Locker room ceiling--the Pinwheel, a graphic representation of five-on-five, the nitty-gritty of basketball, no matter the venue.
 

We walked past the shower room. Look at the height of those nozzles!
 

During the season, one is filled with warm water, one with cool water. I don't know the temperatures, though, just those single word descriptions.
 

The weight room. My dream, to go there while they're working out! I know, I'm crazy.
 

Former Trail Blazers' locker room name plates fill the left side of the door. Do you see a former favorite? I do, more than one, truth be told.
 

Sweet. We're welcome here!



The production studio. Looks like something else, right? Well, it is, but it's not the game-broadcast studio. That's always done from a remote truck, even at home games, which is outside the arena in the loading dock, filled with much, much more equipment and a whole lotta people. Some of the this team travels with the players and coaches and uses a rental truck to broadcast away games. So cool.
 

It was such a treat to hear this man explain the broadcast process. I think his name is Chris, but I cannot remember for sure, doggone it. Before we left the studio, I got to say thanks to him in person for all of the great home and away games that Mama and I got to watch on our TV in our top-floor apartment in NW Portland, before she died in January, 2011. Then I showed him my "I heart Mom" button and said, "I bring her to every game!" We both smiled.
 

On our way to our last stop, I paused to take a photo of the quiet arena. First pre-season game, sometime in October, here I come!
 

Sphere, our last stop. An area exclusive to Trail Blazers' sponsors, it's where we got to partake of food items from the new food and beverage company for the Rose Garden Arena and the Rose Quarter, Levy Restaurants.A quote about this event: "We are thrilled to dive into the eclectic local culinary scene to capture the spirit and flavors of this truly trail-blazing region," Levy President and CEO Andy Lansing said in a statement.
 

My delicious food items. As best I understood it, these won't be for sale on the concourse at the vendors, but the vendors will be offering more locally influenced food choices, as well as healthier ones. I'm very interested in checking that out, just as soon as the preseason begins.

Snapped with an OK due to sign language!

Excited to be in Las Vegas for the first time, I eagerly looked out the window. I saw this young woman and waved. She waved back. I held up my camera and pointed at her and back at it. She shook her head OK, smiled and posed two thumbs up. I took the photo and gave her two thumbs up as a thank you. So neat to see a Southwest Airlines employee willing to work for us, out there in that awful heat, so that our luggage could get off the plane and into the terminal.

Something I never, ever expected to see in my life, at the Waterfront Blues Festival on the 4th of July

A flaming trumpet!



Here's a synopsis of the event, as seen through my zoom lens. The Dusty 45s on stage, almost finished with their set. The trumpet player's doing something with his horn. I've cropped these photos as closely as I dared, so that you could get a better look at what's going on here.
 

He lit the trumpet! Gosh! And he's got a microphone in his other hand. Now I realize he's going to play it for us and wants to make certain that we can hear it. Wow. I believe it is "The Lonely Bull," that Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass tune that I've always loved.
  Yep, that's what he's doing! Wow!

Folks walking in the aisle turned their heads to take in the spectacle of a flaming trumpet.
 

Love that grin on the bass player's face!
 

And, he's done! What a finale! Later on, he accompanied Linda Hornbuckle as she sang the national anthem, flaming trumpet and all, right before the fireworks on the Willamette River. BTW, if you're on Facebook, like The Dusty 45s and you can find a clip of this wild event on their page, dated July 22, with this text above the video clip--Getting warmed up for Slim's Last Chance this Saturday (July 27th)!

Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers -- doing what they do best!

I lucked out on Saturday and managed to park about 100 feet from the corner where my sons live in SE Portland. You see, I had been driving around, looking for a way through the blocked streets so that I could continue doing errands in the Zipcar McMinnville last Saturday. My original plan was to drive by their house and holler at them, then I heard the drums through the open driver-side window, just before I noticed a parking space on the opposite side of the street and saw a Portland Police Bureau motorcycle officer directing traffic at the upcoming traffic control circle. He gave me permission to reverse my direction around that circle so that I could park. I grabbed my camera, stepped out and started taking photos.

I had happened upon the Division Clinton Annual Street Fair & Parade! Well, the parade part of it at least. So happy to hear the approaching Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers! Right after I took this photo, they changed from a sort of rhythmic drumming and stick clicking into a booming, loud, wonderful drumming that set off nearby car alarms! Whoopee! On the far left, Greg Odell, LRSD founder and the man who gave me my drumming lesson last October, a perk for my support of the LRSD's Kickstarter campaign. What a fun thing to get to do!

Festival of Flowers, Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown Portland

I took these photos on May 29, on my way home from work. The Festival of Flowers fascinates me, every year that I've seen it.

Found on the World Wide Web: This year's design, Tattoo Portland created by local landscape architecture firm Lango Hansen, will celebrate the love for all things Portland. The Square will be 'inked' with a giant heart composed of nearly 20,000 begonias, impatiens and pansies. Portland's living room will be red hot with larger than life flames formed from marigolds and zinnias. Show your undying love for the Rose City with a temporary tat in the Square inspired by this classic imagery. The tattoo rebellion will continue along the downtown transit mall with an anchor design at the Congress Center and a pair of dice at Unitus Plaza. The event will be open to the public for two weeks beginning May 31st followed by the annual flower sale on June 12th. To see a rendering of the design please click here. This event is made possible by Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, Oregon Cultural Trust and Union Pacific Foundation.
 

Here's the tattoo. I didn't get a photo of the pair of dice.
 

Wide shot shows Pioneer Courthouse across SW 6th and two MAX light rail trains at the stop--one must be a Yellow Line, one a Green Line. Those are the only two which use that station.
  See that person in white, up high on the concrete shape beneath the US flag? That's where I stood to take the first and third photos in today's post. This photo gives you a close view of the letters--from www.adxportland.com: The installation is made up of a tattoo heart containing P O R T L A N D lettering. Lango Hansen came to ADX for CNC services for the lettering.
 

Here's a wide shot, looking basically the same direction as the photo just before this one.