New paint

May 19, 2009

It seems as though there's been a lot of new paint in Astoria this year. Last May (or maybe April) new yellow lines and arrows were painted along the Riverfront Trolley tracks. Remodeling and new paint on the red building on the right is also fairly new. The whole building has been reconstructed in the last couple of years, although this end is still vacant. The white folding sign on the pavement is The Wheelhouse - one of Astoria's several comfortable and friendly coffee houses. The sidewalk and street are part of the River Walk, and the river is only a few paces away. I took the photo standing in the intersection of 14th Street and the River Walk.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The pilot boat from "the fish building"

More about the "fish building" later. I was fortunate to be enjoying this view a couple of weeks ago, when the pilot boat charged out of its dock behind the "Baked Alaska building" (Doc's on 12th) and headed into the river to meet a ship. Note the tires attached to the sides for buffering against the dock and the sides of ships. The land you see in the background is not across the river, but our Astoria coastline is curved, culminating in a peninsula.

The salmon weather vane on the upstairs railing appears very small in this photo, but you can see it in this post.

I want to thank you all for visiting and commenting. It's been an exceptionally busy week for me in my business, and I do expect to get around and visit you in your own towns and cities more this weekend. Speaking of which, have a good one :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Buffleheads

It's bufflehead season. No, I don't shoot them, I like to watch them on the river. They fly down from Canada and winter here in Astoria and in much of the U.S. The male has the unusual white patch on his head like a quarter of a cream pie, and the brilliant white lower half. The female has a white splash on either side of her head. I usually see them not in pairs, but in groups. Sometimes the group is all females, and sometimes it's predominantly female. Their name is a contraction of "buffalo head," which, to me, is just another reason to like these critters.

Our bufflehead ducks are not very tame, and although you can see them on the river often, they keep out of range, and take off when I try to get a good close-up.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What the rain brings

October 26, 2009

This moss-and-lichen-covered beam hanging out over the river shows a bit of what happens in a wet climate. Astoria gets between 70 and 90 inches of rain in a typical year.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Whispering Giant

You see the Whispering Giant as you enter Astoria from Young's Bay Bridge on the west end of town. Until the other day, I thought he represented the famous local chief of Lewis and Clark's time, Chief Comcomly, but the other day I learned differently. I spent a delightful long weekend with Francisca as my guest. As we were both interested in attempting extraordinary photos of the ordinary as well as taking photos of the extraordinary, we had to stop and visit the Whispering Giant.

I'd intended to photograph this guy many times (I see him often), but the thing is, you have to turn right at the traffic circle instead of my usual left, and then purposely come back the other way and stop on the side road behind the traffic circle in order to reach him. So, while he's in plain sight, he's out of the way for stopping. I've always put it off for another day or for a day when the sky was better (whatever that might mean). In this case it was raining slightly, but it seems the old Indian was quite photogenic in the rain.

The plaque reads:

Whispering Giant

Ikala Nawan

Sculptor Peter Wolf Toth

This 57th Statue honors the Clatsop,

Chinook, and all the Northwest

Coastal Indians

Dedicated December 1987

Cedar log donated by ITT/Rayonier

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

White on blue x 2

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 26, 2010

We've been alternating between rain (sometimes downpours) and cloudy blue skies. This morning started with dense fog, and by afternoon there was blue above. These beautiful puffy clouds aren't as typical here as heavy gray ones, and I thought it made a nice shot from the end of the 14th Street pier. The hills are on the Washington side of the river. Tomorrow I have something quite different for you. It will be recognized by those who know Astoria and by many who have passed this way.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Trim

Astoria, Oregon ~ June 14, 2009

Here's some more gray-day Astoria architecture - on 14th Street, I believe. Isn't the trim wonderful? I think I could take a photo of every building in town and find something unique and interesting about it. That would be a project, wouldn't it?

Somebody won a lot of trophies. I don't know the story.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Reflections in a glass store window

Astoria, Oregon ~ April 10, 2009

This diagonally-facing storefront on the corner of 7th Street and Duane Avenue used to be Oregon Glass or something like that. It's been vacant for at least several years. The reflected building on the right is the County Courthouse, and on the left is "The Goonies' Jail." I like the blue on the chipped wood panel of the boarded-up door.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Things found in a shipyard

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 8, 2009

I should have measured the links of this chain in the port docks, but I didn't. Suffice it to say, they are big!

I'll be sure to measure them next time. In the background are the masts of the Lady Washington. This photo and this one were also taken in the port docks.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Even Navy ships need pilots

January 9, 2010

It was obviously a beautiful day when U.S. Navy ship 200 came cruising past Astoria. I seem to mention whether the day was beautiful a lot right now, because so many of the days are filled with rain. They have their own beauty and tricks of the light, but here we have more than a little sun break, and those are welcome.

You can see the ladder hanging from the deck of "200" down to the pilot boat. If you click on the image, you can also see that the small red spot with the yellow on top is a person contemplating the ladder. You can also see how amazingly complex the parts are on the Navy ship. It's fascinating to see.

This is at the extent of my optical zoom. It brings the ship and also the Washington coast right up close. I know this ship must have a name, and not just a number, but I don't know where to look for the name; if someone can help me out, please do. In the process of trying to find it online (which I didn't), I found a web page telling what the different classes of Navy ship were named for in WWII and now.


. . . and there she goes.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What kind of office is this?

July 26, 2004

Look carefully, there's a clue! This is actually two buildings. The tall part is Clementine's Bed and Breakfast. Both buildings are on Exchange Street between 8th and 9th.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Mouth of the river

August 14, 2006

As seen from this vantage point, it's other mouths one has in mind besides that of the river. It looks like an idyllic day. The weather can be changeable and a storm or shower come along at any time, but at the moment all looks balmy and bright.

We're in the river here, facing the spot where the Columbia pours into the Pacific Ocean. The bit of land to the left is the spit near South Jetty. On the right is the very picturesque Cape Disappointment in Washington, which I havn't shown yet.

The fishing boat is approaching Hammond, which you reach from Astoria by crossing Young's Bay Bridge and turning right.

The fish? Salmon.

Hood Photo Blog came to Astoria. We didn't meet, but she posted a pic of our beautiful city on her blog today. Check it out!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Reflections in The Wet Dog

Astoria, Oregon ~ July 15, 2009

This window of the Wet Dog Cafe reflects the red Pier 11 building along with other buildings on 11th Street. The door you see is on 11th Street. Another entrance and the deck eating area are on the River Walk. I showed the top of the building in this post last December.

Happy Ruby Tuesday.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The pink side of dawn

The other morning (January 10, 2010) when we were all riveted by the amazing orange and peach sunrise colors to the east, the sky and riverscape to the north were equally compelling, if more subtle. In fact, the image to the north first made me aware that this dawn was particularly incredible. The water was pink, the sky was pink, even the air was pink. Then someone said I should look out the east window. Later that day, on Facebook and in City Daily Photo blogs, I saw pictures of the wonderful morning sky from other Astorians as well as people farther afield in the Pacific Northwest. It had been a sunrise to remember.

The radio tower broadcasts five stations, transmitted through the building where I'm standing to take the photo. These are the kind folks who feature Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo on one of their station web sites, KKEE 1230.

When I became such a night owl, I don't know (possibly when I started blogging), but I was grateful to be up early on January 10th, and I made a New Year's Resolution to see dawn much more often. Like most good New Year's Resolutions, this one is already broken, but fortunately there are many more days in the year ahead.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Porch light reflections

I took this photo from the front door of my business one year ago today. Which are the reflections?

For those who want to see more Astoria, I'm slowly updating my personal blog chronologically (or sometimes randomly), backdating the posts. Some days I post a lot of Astoria pix, and today was one of them. The post date is August 7, 2001. I took quite a few photos along the waterfront, including some places that have been rebuilt or repainted and look very different now.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Hoegh Transit

The white of the ship nearly blends into the reflective gray sky on yet another rainy January day in Astoria, Oregon. I took this photo on January 10th. You hear comments around town about how one day seems almost like the next. More rain, and more rain. But I'm not ready to trade the place in yet, and I still love the rain.

There are a few things going on in this photo. Seeing the big ships come past like this makes the pulse quicken for sure. They come very near the riverbank here at the Cannery Pier Hotel before they pass beneath the big bridge and angle further toward the center of the river. The hotel is on the right, and I'll have pix of that another day. The crumbling structure you see here looks like an abandoned dock, but it's a bit more than that. The lighting was too poor to show it well, so I will save that for another day, too. It's pretty interesting to see a whole structure that once appeared to be blocks of solid ground just falling away into the river with light and water underneath it.

As you can see, the green buoy is tilted downriver, "current"ly leaning the way that the water flows, but it's not the flow of the river that determines which way the buoy leans, it's the tide. When the tide is flooding, you can see the buoys leaning upriver, against the current.

You may have to click on the photo to see the next thing. It is just to the left 0ut of sight in this picture. It's a field of old pilings where net-drying sheds used to stand in the middle of the river in the old days of horse seining - one of the colorful bits of Astoria's history.

The hills you see are in Washington.

I want to thank all of you who have visited my blogs and commented recently. I hope to make the rounds again this weekend. It's been a complex week in business and has taken most of my time. I look forward to surfing the CDP sites in a more relaxed way in the next couple of days. See you there!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Theme Day: Best of 2009

Today is a special Theme Day at City Daily Photo. Everyone who is participating has chosen their favorite photo of 2009, or what they think is their best. I narrowed it down to about 15 that I liked for various reasons. Some were technically better; many had interesting colors; some I loved as details; but as I clicked through them, I realized this photo conveyed a particular feeling of the town on the river I've come to call home. It all comes back to the water.

For those who can't get enough Astoria, I've got a pic on Tapirgal's Daily Image today, too.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Suomi Hall

This is the back of the Finnish Brotherhood's Suomi Hall, showing both the Finnish flag and the U.S. flag in paint. The brotherhood and/or building were established in 1886. That's an important date for me, as well, since it's the date my ancestors helped found the town where I grew up. I took this photo last April 5, but the trees look similar at this time of year, too. The back of the hall faces the Maritime Memorial seen in this post just across the grass. The curve of the Astoria-Megler bridge can be seen in the background of the Suomi Hall on the other side of Marine Drive. Also across Marine Drive is the Finnish Sauna, which has appeared in two posts and the Old Finnish Meat Market, which I haven't shown yet. This small part of Astoria is known as Uniontown.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

No red paint here

Last night I rediscovered this photo, taken on March 6, 2009. I'd been looking for it and just got lucky. On November 6, 2009, I posted an image of the same sign with its new and strikingly different look. In fact, after seeing the new look, I couldn't remember if there had been modifications to the sign other than the paint. I think someone suggested it might be a whole new sign. It's funny how memory deceives, especially when we get a new image in our heads.

Which do you like better, old (this one) or new?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Snoot

Here's an in-your-face view of what was swimming around under the water in this post. Sea lions especially like the 36 Street docks where the boathouse was originally moored. You can find them almost any day if you walk out on the pier. However, I've spent a few visits chasing them around with a camera, and rarely gotten an in-focus closeup of one in the water. I'd have preferred to have framed its whole head, but I'm really not complaining. Say "Cheeeese" . . . er, "Salmon"!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A park on a hill

I took this photo from the corner of 7th Street and Franklin Avenue on the same misty day (January 5th) and from almost the same location as the photo of "Ships on cotton." The park fills the block between 7th and 8th Streets, and you can see a piece of 8th Street just in front of the blue house. Eighth is probably the steepest street in town, and it's one of my favorites. It's old, narrow, and it has a lot of character. It's also fun to drive on, although you have to be very careful at the blind intersections. See how steep the street is here? Then look at "Ships on cotton" again. Eighth street drops from that vantage point to river-level in only two blocks, and most of the drop is in the one block between Exchange and Franklin. The houses are typical of Astoria's charming old residences. Three blocks up the hill to our right is Karen's old house.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What do you do with a runaway boathouse?

We had a glorious blue-sky day yesterday, and I met Laurel, James, and my grandtapir, Teagan, at Coffee Girl. I hadn't been out to Pier 39 since before the storm of November 22. At the time I'd heard that the Sheriff's floating boathouse had come unhitched from its tether on the other side of East Mooring Basin and crashed into Pier 39. But I'd forgotten about it in the intervening month and a half, figuring it had been taken back home - so I was surprised to see it this morning, still snuggling up to the dock at 39.

Here's the boathouse from a slightly different angle. Do you see the white dot on the horizon in front of the bridge? That's a fishing boat docked at the 36th Street Pier, right near where the boathouse drifted from. You can click on the photo to enlarge it.

And the crime scene tape? Well, when the tide was high, the ill-mannered boathouse had wedged up against Pier 39's railing (you can see where it's broken), and impaled itself. It seems that Floyd had to call in a crane to get it off. Pier 39 was left with a broken rail, hence the tape, and the boathouse was left limping.

Here's a larger view of the pier where the boathouse used to live just to the left of the white boat and the rust-colored ramp. It's worth clicking on this photo just to see the beautiful fishing boats. When I left Pier 39, I went over to the original location of the boathouse at the 36th Street Pier, and that's where I stood to take the photo below.

The bright tan rectangle at the waterline in the distance to the right of the old cannery and the jetty is . . . the errant boathouse.

The place where it used to live is now quite empty except for a couple of poles and swimming sea lions (not visible under the water in this photo). The City felt it was too expensive to transport the boathouse back to its dock and fix the damage, so, according to the tale I heard, Floyd is hoping it will be able to be refurbished and used as a shed by an organization that teaches kids about boating. I don't have all the facts, so maybe someone will fill me in and I can update the blog.

If nothing else, today's post was an excellent excuse to get out and walk around the docks - not that one really needs an excuse on a day like this.

A house for Karen

This large stucco house sits at the corner of 4th Street and Franklin Avenue. I took the photos on the same overcast and misty day as I took the picture of the "Ships on cotton" from a vantage point just down the street.

Here's the house from the side and back. About this house, Karen wrote: "Can't wait to see the picture of the old house. When we had it, it was covered with ivy, and I mean covered. Dad loved the ivy, so we could never paint the house. The people who bought it from mom took it all down. Last time I looked at the house, it seemed to me it had been turned into 2 apartments. Lord knows it was big enough. Dad built a deck out over the garage that could be accessed from the big bedroom upstairs that we used as a party room. We had a great view from it."

I see now that the deck must be on the other side. Karen also sent an interesting story about one of the other houses in the neighborhood, so when I go back to take its photo and post the story, I'll see if I can get a picture of the deck on this house. Each house in Astoria has its own style and history. One of the unusual things about the house in today's post is that it's made of stucco. In Astoria, that's the exception, as most houses are made of wood.

The design on the on the pillar looks somewhat Italianate to me, although I'm not an expert. I believe the Italian trend in the U.S. was prominent in the Victorian era, when many of our local houses were built. However, whether the trim on the column is new or old, I can't say.

Karen sent e-mail with more about this house:

January 9, 2010

It looks so much better than it used to. . . . I mentioned the house was a dirt-brown color when we lived there. The ivy on that side was so thick that Mom and I would have to get on Dad to trim it away from the windows every so often so we could get some light. My room was the one upstairs on the chimney side and the ivy went all the way up there. Every Christmas Dad would thread lights through the leafless ivy branches. It took him an entire weekend usually. It became tradition that when the lights started going up, Fritz would concoct the first of many of that year's batches of glogg and he and Art Sandstrom would come over and straw-boss the whole operation. It is amazing that between the usually stormy weather and the glogg, Dad never fell off the ladder.

A couple other interesting things is that the house has an 8-x-8-inch sold oak beam that runs in one piece the entire length of the house. It is there to stay. Another is that this year will my graduating class at Star of the Sea will be celebrating our 50th reunion. The class voted to have our all-night graduation party at my house because of the big bedroom upstairs that we used as a party room. The deck is over the garage on the other side of the house from your picture. Dad was something of a character too. I have some old news clippings and pictures that I will dig out and send you one of these days. I think you will get a kick out of them.

Ships on cotton

I took this photo on Tuesday, January 5, from the corner of 7th Street and Franklin Avenue. What sruck me, of course, is how the ships seemed to be floating in a mass of cotton. The clouds had separated just enough to give us a view, but had left one good layer on the water's surface to enshroud the point where the ships connected with river.

What also strikes me when looking at the photo is that I don't know how to convey the breathtaking sensation we get when looking down from a height. I'll just have to tell you that this vista caught me off guard in a very pleasant way. I know that Karen will relate to this view, as it's just down the street from her old house. Karen, I really will post the house photo, but today I'm taking part in "Skywatch Friday." Everyone - for more images of the sky around the world, check out Skywatch Friday.

Orientation and links for those who love them: We're looking directly across downtown Astoria, facing up-river. The hilltop you see is in Washington. The gray spire on the waterline at the right is the radio tower. Pier 11 is just to the right of the evergreen tree on the left of the photo, and the Flavel House is behind the tree. The big red building in the center of the photo is this one, and just to the right with lots of windows is Baked Alaska, although the linked photo is taken from the other side of the building.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

7:45 a.m.

After days of rain and gray skies, Mother Nature treated us to this incredible sunrise. I took the photo from right outside my shop on the River Walk. The yellowish lights on the left (you may have to click to enlarge it) are the lights of the Maritime Museum. The white lights to the right are headlights on Marine Drive. The orange spot in front is reflected sky in a rain puddle. We usually get some stunning skies in January and February, and I was beginning to wonder if they'd happen at all this year.

I received e-mail about yesterday's post from Karen Schultz, who grew up in that neighborhood. I thought the amusing story and the history would be a wonderful addition to this blog so, with her permission, I've added it to the text. Go ahead and check it out! I'll have more stories from Karen in upcoming editions. I was going to post one today, but the sun rose and I coudn't resist today's colorful image.

That way, Santa

No, this is not a belated Christmas post. I came across Santa and some helpers yesterday when I was looking for a house that will appear in an upcoming edition of Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo. It was misty out, though warmer than it's been the past couple of weeks. At about 11:30 a.m. on this dark morning, the cheery colors were welcoming, and I had to take these pictures.

Here you also get to see another of Astoria's many, many unusual houses. I never get tired of looking at the unique ways that pieces can be assembled to build the four walls and trimmings. And once again, is there a house in town that hasn't had to adapt to a hillside? It's definitely part of Astoria's charm.

Back to Santa. It seems he may have forgotten to head for home, or else he got lost, but . . .

. . . this sign should help!

Several of you have thought this was a 'gator coming out of the chimney, but do you remember "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"? I'll bet this is Dr. Seuss's grinch.

If Astoria's houses could talk . . .

I've received several lively and informative letters from Karen Schultz, who graduated from Star of the Sea High School in Astoria in 1960. She's given me permission to use her memories on this blog, and I want to thank her very much for that! I hope you'll find them as much fun to read and as informative as I do. They will appear on several posts along with the right photos.

-----------------------------------------

January 6, 2009:

Ohmygawd, Sheryl. I know that house in today's picture so well. It has a history, like so many of them. It was the home of Captain Fritz Elfving, the man who started and owned the ferry system across the river until about 1945. He was one who had both the Tourist I and Tourist II built. The story is a bit sad in that he built up the business in order to turn it over to his only child, a son. But his son was killed in WWII so Fritz sold the whole thing to the State. I knew Fritz well. He and my dad were close friends. He was a real character, and even though he came over from Sweden when fairly young, he had an accent you could cut with a knife right up until he died. We always knew it was Fritz on the phone because when we picked it up, all he ever said, in a very loud voice, was, "Yonson?," asking for Dad [Harold Johnson], of course. After Mrs. Elfving died, he decided to go find some "vimmen." He was in his mid-to-late 70's by then. He started taking cruises. Every so often, one of the "vimmen" he met on a cruise would come and visit him. Just to keep things "proper," he would have me or Barbara Sandstrom, who lived in the house to the east of his, come and stay at night when the "vimmen" were there. We were both in high school. Everyone got a kick out of this, most of all me and Barb. When Fritz died, he left the house to his nephew, Dodi Larson. Dodi still lived there when Mom sold our house after Dad died in 1974. I wonder if it is still in the family.

Oh, I could go on and on. That is what is so wonderful about your pictures; they bring back so many memories. I hadn't thought of Fritz in years. At one time, he also owned most of Svenson Island. Barb went to Star of the Sea too, was younger than I by a couple years. Her dad, Art, managed Safeway for a long time. Barb married a classmate, Jerry Zorich, who was mayor of Long Beach at one time. She died of cancer a couple years ago.

-----------------------------------------

Thank you, Karen! There will be more excerpts as I photograph other places mentioned in your letters.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Astoria's royal thrones

The weather has been doing nothing but raining incessantly for at least 24 hours, so I dug these photos out of the archives from August 18, 2009. Perched over one of Astoria's sunken lots (my back was to the restrooms when I took this photo), and right next door to this plaque, is one of the most suprising public restrooms I've ever seen. I don't know who thought up the jumbo-sized moulded gold letters, but I thank them every time I pass by. I like the look. The style appears to me to be nouveau Art Deco, although the building has a sort of Classical look with the attached columns.

The restrooms are usually clean, unlocked, and in no-waiting mode. I assume they were built here because Sunday Market takes place half a block away during the summer, but many of us have thanked the donors and builders during the rest of the year as well. In an effort to give credit where it's due, I've included below the plaque from the center of the building.

Oh yes, note the truck. There is usually someone parked here.Happy Ruby Tuesday!

Rain and more rain

The Columbia River, Astoria, Oregon ~

December 16, 2009

Imagine that. It's something we get a lot of here on the North Coast. It gives us our beautiful rainforests, of which I intend to post more this year. I like the sun, too, but rain, rain, and more rain is what creates our unique and always-interesting ecological niche. I don't mind it. Growing up in a dry climate, I would savor every storm. I've passed that intense fascination after living here for more than 8 years, but I still love the rain. Let it come. I took this photo at the base of the radio tower at 15th Street and the River Walk. That's Englund Marine's old building on the right. I don't get tired of looking at that, either. It's very picturesque.

A new year, new journeys

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 16, 2009

This is for Lee of Bend, Oregon, Daily Photo, as he starts today on his Amizade Adventure.

As many of us are making Resolutions, you're beginning an amazing adventure in physical space as well as intellectual, emotional, spiritual. You'll be going by plane rather than by ship. And yet, may your anchor be a safety net, and not a tether; may there always be a warming glow at the center of your world; may the horizons await and the sky be limitless. Have a safe journey and an expansive experience. I wish you smooth sailing, now and always.

~ Tapirgal

A new dawn for a new year

Happy New Year, Everyone!

This was going to be my post for January 1, until I remembered to participate in Theme Day yesterday. . . .
Although the sunrise is from November 24, 2005, the wishes are always current. May we have colors, brightness, hope, and love going into 2010. I remember the way I felt on the morning I took this photo from a window on Harrison Street. I wish those feelings for all of us today and throughout the coming year.

Theme Day (Changes): "Cloudy and bright"

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 9, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FELLOW BLOGGERS AND FRIENDS!

What can I say? The colors and effects of weather and light on the river are breathtaking and ever-changing. I never get tired of looking when the river is in one of these moods. You may have to enlarge this one to get the full effect.

This was originally going be my post for January 2, until I realized that the City Daily Photo Theme Day was "Changes." My original January 1 photo will post tomorrow.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants