The Field Gun by the Courthouse is Back

February 17, 2011

The piece of field artillery that sits at the corner of the Courthouse on 8th and Commercial was gone for awhile and now it's back with new paint.

The photo above was taken on July 30, 2001, and shows the old paint on the gun. Not knowing anything about military artillery, I used to call it a Civil War cannon. That impression was fostered by the plaque on the bench (last photo) which says that this memorial is dedicated to those who fought in the Civil War. I posted the photos from 2001 on Panoramio and a guy named "armynurd" corrected me, so I looked it up: Civil War Cannon vs. 77mm field gun. Clearly it's more like the latter. The link shows a German-made gun, and "nurd" said it was "a French made 75mm field gun from both world wars."

Here's the 77mm barrel with a new plug in it.

Photo: 2001

The dedication. You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Goodbye to Andrew & Steve's

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Sometime in the last couple of months, Andrew and Steve's Restaurant closed its doors after a career of almost 95 years. In this case, it wasn't the economy to blame, but simply the march of time. Although I hadn't eaten there in a number of years, it was one of the first places I met people in Astoria when joined Toastmasters. That was a short-lived but welcoming experience. Above, you see the place from the back, which is right along the River Walk across from Baked Alaska (Doc's on 12th Street). It's also next door to the Sears building with its incredible murals. The front entrance to the building is on the corner of 12th Street and Marine Drive.

The rear of the building is also the location for this painting of historic Astoria. There are at least two or three others I'm aware of in the same size format and bolted onto different buildings along this stretch.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Bridge of the Wadi Albostan

Astoria, Oregon ~ February 15, 2011

The subdued light gave me a chance to get a good exposure of the bridge of one of the big cargo ships, Wadi Albostan., as it makes its way to Longview, Washington, to pick up soya meal (see The Ship Report by Astorian Joanne Rideout; you can also listen to her wonderful and informative report with only a click of the link in the upper left of the page). 

Usually when I try to capture the bridge, it simply burns out against the darker background. I also got lucky and got a lovely light reflection in the red area of this ship. As you can see below, the light bridge is reflected on the surface of the river and the light bounces back to the hull of the ship.

That's the Pacific Fantasy (at anchor and going upriver to pick up potash) behind Wadi Albostan, and you can see the pilot boat transferring the river pilot to the ship for the trip upriver.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Other Side of That Dumpster

Astoria, Oregon ~ August 15, 2001

Dumpster Painting by Diane Beeston

I featured this dumpster along the River Walk in an earlier post, and it shows the decorated trash recepticle from its other side. Recently I found these shots in my archives. The caption of the older post is even more poignant today, and it's not only the dumpster that's gone, but also the buildings and access to the pier.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Another of Astoria's Unique Victorians

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 23, 2010

Perched on a hill at approximately Lexington and 17th Streets, this house has an incredible view. One of the reasons I love Victorian houses is because each combines the elements so differently. Down the hill, you can see the house featured in this post.

Today I took the time to figure out how to correct the odd slanting angles made by the digital camera. I tried it in this photo, and it worked. Sometimes I like the crazy angles, you will continue to see some, but not all the time  :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Turquoise Fishing Boat

Astoria, Oregon ~ February 9, 2011

"Swell Rider"

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: Cats and Dogs

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Today's post features cats and one wary dog on the mural behind the Sears store on the River Walk.

 

I thought I'd feature this cat watching the rain on a day when Weather Underground tells us, "...A return to a more active weather pattern over southwest Washington and northwest Oregon has begun and will continue through most of next week...After a relatively benign weather period that has lulled the area in[to] Tranquility...mother nature will shake things up again." They're talking about wind and rain, nothing "cat"astrophic, and nothing unusual, but I know a lot of us have enjoyed the sun and blue skies recently.

What do you imagine this cat is thinking about the rain?

By the way, if you like animals, I invite you to visit one of my other blogs, "Animal Art Along the Way." It's become quite a fun and interesting collection of animals depicted in many guises. Today's post is quite commercial, but these animals come from all over the world and in many unique forms. You can sign up to get the posts delivered by e-mail, too. Thanks for visiting!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: Stories in Paint

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Here is another section of the mural that takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. Jo has painted historic sign names on a number of buildings around Astoria in a similar fashion to the lettering above. I think it says, "Mason Furman & Co." Click on the keywords below to see more sections of the mural. For "before" pictures of this building and for more of Jo's work, see Jo Brown's web site.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

More of the Mural: The Real and the Unreal

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011
Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

Here is another section of the mural that takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. In this segment, the three-dimensional architectural elements play hide and seek with the viewer. Again, the pilings there are part of the artwork. The woman with the fish on the left of today's post can be seen on the right side of yesterday's post. For "before" pictures of this building and for more of Jo's work, see Jo Brown's web site. Also click on the keywords below for more of her work on this blog.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Trompe l'oeil on the River Walk

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 31, 2011

Mural by Jo Brown behind the Sears Store

This delightful period piece trompe l'oeil ("deceive-the-eye") mural has been an Astoria landmark for a number of years now. This is only a piece. It takes up the entire back of the Sears store on the River Walk. The reason for the odd angle, and probably the reason I haven't done more with it, is because there are always real trucks here unloading and trucks, cars, and SUVs parked in front of it. By the way, the pilings there are part of the artwork. I expect to post more scenes from it over the next few days. You can also see the "before" pictures and more of the images on Jo Brown's web site. Also click on the keywords below for more of her work on this blog.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

By Land and by Sea

Astoria, Oregon ~ February 1, 2011

I enjoyed seeing these huge tomatoes on the side of the delivery truck in the Safeway parking lot. Goods arrive in Astoria by truck as we watch other products travel past on their way to or from the ocean on ships.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Theme Day: Fountains ~ "A Fountain in Two Seasons"

Astoria, Oregon ~ May 15, 2010

Today's first-of-the-month theme at City Daily Photo is "Fountains." For days I've been asking myself, "Where am I going to find a fountain in Astoria?" I couldn't think of one, and I couldn't think of a clever variation on the theme, either. Such as, is there a soda fountain in town? A few minutes ago I remembered the fountain in front of Bob and Roger's incredible Victorian home on Harrison Street. I posted the house earlier on this blog, and you can see it here.

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 22, 2008

I also found this photo from our memorable snow storm in 2008. This fountain and home are charming in any season!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.