Last Sunday in January

What happens to the days? Here it is January 31. Yikes, last year we were hosting Laura Nothern's birthday party. Laura has moved on and is creating great art (check it out here). Time does fly. And today was no exception. Beautiful images though and once again, not enough space to show the still life, store windows including Blackfish Gallery and much more. Check that out by clicking here and going to Flicker. Big Pink was exceptionally beautiful against the blue sky and white clouds.

Right after the cello, my favorite insturument (thank you Maury Cohen, Mark Salztman, Justin Kagan and Yo-Yo Ma ~ not necessarily in that order) is the violin. So I enjoyed taking a photo of this violinist, definitely not the best but not worst that I've heard. He and Chris at least show some entrepeneurial spirit.

Super Saturday

Passengers on the Southbound Streetcar

Today was a great day along the Streetcar line. I missed Joan but did see Alice later in the morning. Walked to the Benson Tower at SW 11th and Clay. Lots of shop windows, some numbers, and a couple of umbrellas, along with a Streetcar filled with people. And a surprise Sock Monkey that is now at home with Seann! Check the Flickr pix.

Caffe Friday

This was definitely a coffee Friday. Coffee with Roger across from the Portland Art Museum. And then down to Lovejoy Bakers for more coffee. None of this equalled that which I had in the morning at home from Badbeard. BB is my favorite local roaster followed by Spella Caffe. Lots of activity at all of the carts even though when I went by it was after 1 PM. All of that activity brought back the memory of the class in Jamison Square earlier in the morning. They seemed to be having a grand time! For the other pix, click here.

Disquieted Banner Arrives at Portland Art Museum

Disquieted

Yes, today's Streetcar ride took us back to the South Park Blocks. The weather wasn't quite as pleasant as yesterday's sun. While heading back, we found this banner announcing the pending arrival of the Portland Art Museum's Disquieted exhibition. Crates have been going in and out of there for days. Stay tuned for updates and in the meantime see all the images from today's ride by clicking here.

Sunny Wednesday ~ Portland State and Portland Art Museum

Ah, the day was incredibly lovely even after having spent most of the morning at the Portland Art Museum. Kids and shadows.

Everyone was out and about. I spent a great deal of time at PSU and you can see some of the pictures by clicking here. Here's a bass player who was starting to practice.

A Twenty Four Picture Day

What day could be a bad day if it starts with sock monkeys? Not just any sock monkeys, but anatomically correct ones! Yea!!!

If you remember the Heathman Hotel from the other day, the overall effect was gray without sun. Another yea, because today there was sun and here it is ... The Heathman and the Schnitz complete with the Garrison Keillor signage on the marquee for all you Keillor fans.

The plaza area at the Portland Art Museum was filled with people since it was just before 10. One of our favorites was directing traffic, helping that truck back into the loading dock.

Lots of great shots along 10th including some food carts, the mounted patrol, art, photographers, sticker graffiti and more people. (See them all by clicking here.) And of course there is one of the requisite streetcar. This time I was sitting on a bench at Lovejoy Bakers.

Lovejoy Bakers I think have broken "the curse" of the location. They're doing well. My last image is of these three heads. As Stephanie says I'm getting my Portland Art Museum "Disquieted" on.

For all the images from today, some more disquieting than others, click here.

Some Blue Sky

A long day. Early on I had walked past the Heathman Hotel. The building next door is home to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall where the Oregon Symphony plays. And that's what we just returned from tonight.

So a short post, but one with some reflections included. For all of the pix from the day,  click here.

Rainy Sunday

Altogether a rainy Sunday. After a run in the rain, a walk in the rain with my dog and his buddy, a trip on the streetcar in the rain I was finished. Rain, rain equals umbrellas. At least they're colorful. Here are a few. For the rest go here.

Sunny Saturday

Yes, it was sunny today. Or partly sunny as some would say. Any sun counts though here in Portland. Smiles all around and good times for all. This first one is from Vivace on NW 23rd and Pettygrove, a stone's throw from the Streetcar line. The next is from Jamison Square along NW 10th and Johnson.

For a  little of this and a little of something else, click here for more pix.

Another Wet Friday

SW 10th and Oak is a particularly colorful block - blues and reds. The red from that maple will nearly blind you. The fellow in the black coat and black umbrella makes a nice counterpoint. He was moving. As was the fellow at NW 10th and Couch although he was a bit more colorful. For all of the pix including one of the streetcar for the day, click here.

Thursday ~ Before the Sun

When to walk, that's the question. Early, before the rain. Later in the rain. Or later in the sun. Well, today I chose early before what I thought would be the rain but turned out to be the sun. Sun while I was working in my office. Bad weather karma. However, I did find a good perch for this shot. And did come across some anatomically correct sock monkeys, red shoes, and mannequins with bows.
For all the images, click here.

Wednesday Post in Two Parts ~ Part II

Wednesday's walk included a stroll by Cargo, Asian antiques and oddities. This plastic globe was one of many on the store's two street fronts.


Yikes, it does remind me of one of my past dream sequences. Except for my appointment on 23rd, I would have lingered a great deal longer at Cargo.

I had taken the Streetcar down to The Pearl and walked by Albina Bank harvesting images along the way. To see all of them, click here.

Wednesday Post in Two Parts

A quite remarkable day with a delivery of Badbeard Coffee. Two bags full are filling the house with coffee aroma. How am I expected to sleep? But I digress. Earlier today, I took two streetcar rides. Count them, not one, but two. The first doesn't count because I only had my iPhone camera with me. It was a great ride with many characters but ...  later I went out again with a slightly larger/better camera. Rumor has it though that the next generation iPhone will have a 5 megapixel camera, so just wait. Anyway, part of my ride included the walk and wait for the Streetcar in Northwest near Good Samaritan Hospital. Renaissance Bookstore is one of the nearby businesses and is quite photogenic as is St. Francis at the Linfield College Campus. Great shots. I'm enjoying these journeys.

Renaissance Bookstore


St. Francis and the Crows

Sculpture by Berthold “Tex” Schiwetz

Store Fronts, Local and Not So Local

Today's streetcar ride here in Portland was quite interesting. You could see the contraction of the economic base and yet businesses are still operating. Let's start with Adidas. Just two days ago (over at Flickr) I included a shot of their storefront at NW 11th and Couch. This is across the street from Powell's Bookstore, not shown today. Powell's has been in existence since before most of the readers here were born. Adidas has left, Powell's is still here. At the next corner Buffalo Exchange is shown and is across the street from Mitchell Gold, a local furniture store that has reinvented itself (need to get an image of that business).

Later in the day, I walked by the streetcar across from the Multnomah County Library, Central Branch that sits in front of the former Finnegan's annex. And went onto the Food Carts at Alder, very interesting images there including this one in front of Spella, a very local and excellent coffee purveyor.

Check out all of the images here.

Thee Businesses on the Northbound Portland Streetcar

A sunny day here in Portland. Everyone was smiling. Photographers were clicking. And all was well. For all of the photos from today's ride, click here.

Mayas Tacqueria

Echo Audio

Lovejoy Bakery

Raphael and Umbrellas

Oh my, we do miss Margherita Luti, The Woman with the Veil ~ Raphael's 1516 masterpiece. Raphael's work graced the walls of the Portland Art Museum for just a little more than two months. She was elegant and beautiful.

Umbrellas were another highlight of the walk and in some cases filled with color. Click here for the other umbrellas and the rest of the day.

Colorful Windows and Apparitions

We didn't see this apparition until after we were riding the Streetcar. Reflections are quite intriguing and make an otherwise gray day more interesting.  For the other and in some cases more colorful images literally, click here.

Chihuahuas Waiting

Gentle Reader,

We the above chihuahuas would like you to know that we prefer to have all four feet (eight since there are two of us) firmly planted on the ground. For some reason, our parents insist upon carrying us on the Streetcar. Tonight was a bit damp but nothing that we're not used to because we're Portland chihuahuas. More from us later in the year.

Django and Tembo

also please go see the other pix from today - here.

Early Morning Walk and Streetcar Ride

Gentleman Skewering Litter

Walking the Portland Streetcar line early this morning, I came across this dapper fellow who appeared to be skewering a piece of litter. The crisp morning made for a pleasant walk since the rain came a bit later. Jamison Square was brightly lit when the first streetcar came by and I chose to enjoy the scene a bit more and thenwalk on to the stop at NW 11th and Couch, otherwise known as the Powell's book store stop. That's where I caught the next train on to NW 11th and Jefferson. Click here for the other images.

Bird's Eye View ~ Ross Island Bridge

Yes, a Portland Streetar ride will take you to SW Moody and Gibbs, the OHSU stop. From there you can enter the OHSU Center for Health and Healing or take the tram up the hill, prices vary. Today's image is from the Center, looking northeast towards the Ross Island Bridge; it's a great view, one that crows enjoy every day.  Voice from the Couch reminds me that you just need "patients" to enter the Center. Check all of today's other photos of trains and stops along the waterfront by clicking here. While there, you'll be able to see that the streetcars are one color on one side and another on the other. It's a visual delight. That crane you see in the image above is next to a barge that is almost ready for its initial launch.

Two Stops ~ South and North

Much is happening here at NW21st Ave and Northrup. The Streetcar stop is less than a half block away and as I walked away from the stop came across this very versatile mode of transportation. Red, orange and green, all beautiful and bright colors. For the rest of the photos including a few from the Art Museum stop, click here.

Finnegan's on the Streetcar Line

Colorful window for Finnegan's that seems to have consolidated back to its store on Yamhill leaving behind this car and stars. For the rest of today's photos, including umbrellas and dogs, click here.

Color at SW 10th and Market ~ Green Yellow and Red

Color can be in short supply in the winter so we sometimes need to look for cars and streetcars. A great combination here at the corner of SW 10th and Market. I'll be heading to the Oregon Symphony in 20 minutes. Where has the day gone? Only the ants know. Check the other photos in today's groups by clicking here. More green and red with a touch of yellow.

Flavors of Green ~ Portland Streetcar

Busy day today so decided to run with my Lumix camera, not exactly pocket-sized but definitely smaller than the Nikon. In The Pearl, I came across the fellow on the ledge at the Ecotrust Building. He was getting ready to pose for what I think were his classmates. Running on, the Streetcar went by me and I turned a bit later to take this photo of green hair, nice. The Sock Monkey periodic table made me stop again. At NW 10th and Couch I waited with a little girl with a green coat and red hat and took the Streetcar to NW 23rd and Marshall. The water tower on Northrup made for a great reflection through the Streetcar window. For all the of pictures from this ride, click here.

Portland Streetcar ~ Chihuahuas, Boxers and Bread

Today was another walk day with the Chihuahua Mafia. We met two other chihuahuas in the lobby of the Ecotrust building along with a very majestic boxer. Plus the chihuahuas were insistent upon visiting each and every one of the sayings on the granite benches on 10th. To see what words by Wendell Berry, Norman MacLean, Senator Gaylord Nelson, Jane Jacobs and the Haisla Nation are carved into the granite benches in front of the Ecotrust Building click here.

On the Streetcar going back to 23rd and Marshall we went past the Lovejoy Bakery... Yes, this is the third iteration of storefront at NW 10th and Lovejoy. Nice. Coffee, sweets, savories, wine and most importantly bread. Good for those of us who are gluten-tolerant of course. The espresso is close to Italia and the natural light is outstanding. Blogging soon from there. For all the photos from this day click here.

Flat Tires and Blocked Tracks

Another day on the Streetcar here in Portland. Heading home from the Art Museum Streetcar stop, we could watch this flat tire being changed. This action was followed shortly after by the sight of the Li-Ning sign painted on the sign of a building in The Pearl. The Li-Ning sign announces the coming of the Chinese sporting good store. That's a good thing too since Puma has vacated The Pearl and Adidas will soon be leaving too. My ride home was cut short due to an accident on the tracks. I left the streetcar and started walking and that was when I went by the Flying Rhinoceros. For the Rhinoceros and Li-Ning sign photos click here.

Streetcar Karma

Notice the distance between me and that streetcar. Ah, it will be going across Burnside and I'll still be approaching the intersection. Transit Karma is not good today. But I was able to take a few more photos because of that karma including the beautiful blue skies below. For the other ephemera from the streetcar line click here.