Portland Stroll

For a day that started out with snow on the ground it was pretty darn sunny. I call this "emotional weather" as in a mercurial temper "characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood".

I usher downtown, right across from this intersection at Broadway and Main.


This is just one of the several dozen sidewalk posts/hand rails bordering the theater. (Don Quixote perhaps)


I've always loved the way a cityscape is self-reflecting.


Another neighboring building is the Sovereigh apartment complex right next to the Oregon Historical Society. Trompe l'oeil was never better.


I pass by the Southpark Seafood Grill on my walk from the parking garage to the theater. It is always so inviting -- and always has customers.


Yes, that's a salmon diving through the building -- a pure Portland landmark.


The art museum is just a few blocks away and is home to one of Portland's heritage elm trees.


In taking closer shots I wasn't sure which was more interesting - the tree or its shadow.

Where I Walk

I tend to walk at the end of the day. Mornings somehow disappear and then I'm productive in the afternoon. By 4PM I'm ready to take a break. I was a little late last night. I didn't get to the lake until 5:30.

The light was just turning dusky and the lake was reflecting the sky nicely.


I like this walk for the view (obviously) and because there's nice elevation. Seems a lot higher than 230 ft. (not at all sure how to read this darn thing)




It was quite dark when I got to the top of the hill and found another lookout point.


And of course, it's all down hill on the way back.

The ABC's of taking a picture

Truth be told, for most of the 15+ years I've been shooting digital pictures I've done little more than point and shoot. Lately, friends have provided me some rudimentary instructions on aperture and shutter speed . . . the bigger the number the smaller the hole. I had the fraction (shutter speed) mixed up with the F-stop (aperture) until just recently. Not that it matters. When I'm out there shooting my mind goes blank and I can't remember anything.

Last week I met a fellow usher, Jan Landis who is a professional photographer. She generously offered to take me out on a photo jaunt at Kelley Point Park.

The weather was just turning from drippy to sunny when I shot this image before we started. I liked the mirroring of the verticals.


We strode the beach along the Columbia shoreline as she explained tonal zones, and how to read histograms. Cameras (no matter their quality) can only accommodate four zones in the same shot. The sky is too bright in this photo. I'd have to use a mask to make separate adjustments in PhotoShop.


This is an example of what NOT to do --- take a shot when the tripod is not level.

Oh Yeah!

Six days out. The Red Sails lettuce seeds jumped out in less than 48 hours. My little set up provides all the heat they need. Now I'm wondering where I'm going to plant 12 heads of lettuce!



I've got one Mache (Corn or Lamb's Lettuce) sprout. They were planted deeper so this shouldn't be too surprising.

Not so fast!

Guess that cold blast in Seattle made its way to the bottom of the state. It was snowing steadily all morning. Started turning to slushy rain/snow by mid-morning.


My salad seeds are planted INDOORS -- after I read the label's instructions: "performs best when air temperature is between 60 - 70 degrees".

I punctured drainage holes in some Earthbound salad containers and used an old CD rack and bubble wrap to create a mini-greenhouse in my office. I used window film to gain a little privacy now that the blinds are raised.

Full Moon

My house faces North on my property. As a consequence, I have poor moon-viewing opportunities. So this morning as I was putting out the trash on the curb I was thrilled to have a great shot of the moon sinking in the Western skies.



It took a lot of juggling with the tripod to get a picture that excluded street signs and lights.

A Lovely Day

It's still winter but Saturday was a sweet surprise. The skies cleared and it was bright and sunny. Sophie languished in the sun under Tibetan prayer flags while I fixed lunch.



On her recent visit to the vet I was admonished to keep up the fresh veggies in her diet. Here she happily noshes on a yam.


I drove over to my sister's house near Lake Vancouver to pick up her mail. I just missed sunset, but was able to capture a little post-sunset glow.


I was fascinated with the tree silhouettes but had an awkward time finding a spot that was clear of wires or rooftops.


It was one of those moments when I'm so concentrated looking West that the rising moon in the East came as a complete surprise. It will be full on Monday.

I Digress

I'd like to take a little diversion here to report on my sister's adventure. She's had a fierce case of wander lust (with a little SADs, empty nest, RV fever and hunger for warmth thrown in). She calls herself the "runaway mama".

She got herself a Dodge van a year ago and a small pull-behind trailer about a month ago. She took out the back seats and replaced them with a twin mattress. Her trailer holds clothes, reading material, food, dog, bike and laundry supplies, etc. With her recumbent bike and a little cooler she's all set. She even has a cool little port-a-potty.

Here she and her dog, "Mr. Lincoln" drop by to say 'good-bye'.


And she's off on her maiden voyage in her new get-up.


It was probably around 11 AM when she hit the highway. She didn't go very far ~ only 223 miles. But she rode her bike and gave Mr. Lincoln a good run. She stopped at the Seven Feathers Casino and just parked her rig in the parking lot. With all the coming and going she felt perfectly safe.

* click on map images from better clarity (this is my first effort with Snagit)


Then it was on to Corning, Ca. ~ at a leisurely pace, replete with doggie walk and bike ride in Caldwell Park, Redding. She camped in the parking lot of the Rolling Hills Casino.


On her third day she cut over to Hwy. 99 so she could see Yuba City and pass by the Women's State prison in Chowchilla. Her final desination was Goshen where she stayed in her first RV park, the Wooden Shoe.



Day 4 took her to Palmdale, where she just drove into a little neighborhood and found a private spot (after checking with the residents that it was okay). This was a pretty drive through the Sierra foothills. She was particularly taken with the area around Keene and the Tehachapi mountains ~ famous for the Tehachapi loop - a well known railroad buff destination.



Last on the southward leg of her trip was a short jog to Palm Springs where she was delighted to find the Happy Travelers RV Park at the base of the mountains on the Taquitz Wash.


She bought up a week's stay and is ecstatic to be thoroughly "amputated from life" and untethered from any obligations or demands. She loves RV camp life (rife with Canadian winter escapees) and forays to neighboring La Quinta and Rancho Mirage.

With her new Eee PC she can get free wifi from the libraries and check her email and the web. This is more plugged in than she usually wants to be however, as she and Mr. Lincoln are too busy exploring new sights and trails.

Change and Hope in the Garden

Winter is loosening its grip. We're still having frosty mornings in the mid-20's. There's a new phenomenon -- something they call "freezing fog".


It melts really fast so you have to get out there early.


It's been positively warm (over 50 degrees) in the afternoons. It was time to start cleaning up winter's remains. The entryway hydrangeas were the first to tackle.


I'm still pondering this weeping Japanese Maple. Master apprentices only watch for fifteen years before they're allowed to make any cuts.


With all this new light and warmth I couldn't resist starting a salad garden. This is the "hope" part -- right outside my office window.


I'll be serving up two kinds of lettuce.