Oswald West

Oswald West State Park ~ October 29, 2005

About 45 minutes or so down the highway and a short hike in on a paved trail. . . .

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Disharmonious

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 25, 2011

The colors clash in this photo taken yesterday at what's left of the 6th Street Pier. They go with the mood. The destruction is equally as complete on the other side of the pier, but I chose to post this picture today since I was initially focused on the ship, which seemed to be much closer to land than I usually see them at this point. It may be an illusion. When seen from even a block further onshore, the ships look terribly close. They recede visually as you approach the waterline. I don't remember when the viewing platform received this coat of paint, but I much preferred the previous look, which blended better with the natural and man-made elements.

The Cannery Cafe is gone (burned beyond saving in that horrendous fire and now razed by heavy equipment) which all makes me feel sad, but the condos slated for that space of open water were put on hold in 2008 when the economy tanked. I can't say I'm sorry about that. Astoria's setting and vistas are what give it its charm. The rest is gravy.

The ship is Power Loong, registered in Panama.

. The old platform colors

. Wind and flags: One of my favorite photos of the pier

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Looking Shiny

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 22, 2011

For a couple of years (seems like, anyway) this lovely old Victorian on Harrison Street has been under exterior renovation. I noticed yesterday that it is now free of scaffolding and the old gray paint has been replaced with a whole new scheme. This could be Part 2 in a series of pumpkins between holidays. See yesterday's post here if you missed it.

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A Pumpkin between Holidays

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 22, 2011

For several weeks now I've been eyeing this fat pumkin outside the Astoria Co-op. I mean, how can you miss it? Girth aside, it looks comfortably settled on the hard concrete. Does it worry about being cold? Is it happy to be singled out because of its size to have a life beyond the vegetable baskets inside the store? To be singled out because of its unique shape to be an object of attention? Will it be cast away or eaten when the holiday is over? I anthropomorphize and I wonder. What else are you going to do when an object like this becomes part of your landscape? 

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Yellow Leaves and Rain

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 21, 2011

14th Street and the River Walk

For those who don't know Astoria, 14th Street intersects the River Walk (next to the trolley tracks), while Marine Drive runs parallel to the River Walk and the tracks.

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Getting Ready to Remember Summer

Astoria, Oregon ~ June 25, 2011

Photo by Parker Ivanoff

It's been very cold here with pouring rain and sometimes-very-gusty winds . . . and it's just the beginning. Although I love winter here in Astoria, there will be many days I'll reflect not only on the colors of summer, but on the fruit that won't be available in the co-op until next spring. I'm getting hungry. Many thanks to Parker for loaning today's photo for the blog.

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I Love This!

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 17, 2011

One of my favorite light-and-color combinations was happening on the water this morning - dark, gloomy background and bright foreground; the colors brought out by this lighting are superb. Even the dark water takes on a new palette. I'm sure I've posted some variation of it before, but it always seems new and exciting. A few minutes later, all was gray and rainy. Now the sun is coming out again. I love changeable days. I've been watching those ferns that cling to the base of the radio tower. They're still bright and beautiful.

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Rain on Fall Leaves

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 15, 2011

Fall is not only in the air, it's also on the ground at the post office. Although this photo could be anywhere, for me it feels like Astoria - our own brand of damp leaves, the grass still living and green in November, and the pebbled wet sidewalks. . . .

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Where Cecil Lives

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 14, 2011

The other day, I showed you a picture of a long trailer with Cecil's picture on it. Here is his new home in the Pier 11 building. It was cold and wet and the wind was picking up when I took these photos. The sky seemed ready to make a dark day even darker, so I thought I'd wait for better lighting before going inside to reveal Cecil himself in all his wooden glory. I hope Cecil's Grill has a long and prosperous life. It's the most recent in a chain of many restaurants in this location. My friend Francisca will remember a pleasant evening we spent chatting over a project here one night in the pouring rain with a fantastic view of the river and munchy hors d'oeuvres. I've always loved the warning sign in the second photo!

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Bulk Avenir, Oslo

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 4, 2011

The ships have such interesting names, although this one is not the most romantic. It's also fun to observe the place of registry. I think the most common port name I see is Panama, but there are others; it could be fun to make a list. This one happens to be Oslo. This ship is not traveling up or down river, but is "swinging on the hook" (rotating on its anchor chain) as the tide in the river turns.

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Cecil

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 9, 2011

I know there's a story here, and probably many. Hopefully some of you will help me out. I've seen the wooden version of Cecil. Last time I noticed, he was in a store on Marine Drive. He's an impressive beast, whatever his history.

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With This Lot You Get Color in November

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 8, 2011

It's true - the colors are gorgeous on 11th Street and around Astoria. You also get one thing with this lot that I removed from the picture. I don't usually Photoshop out the power lines, but today I couldn't help showing the blue sky crystal clear. As I type this, the clouds are moving in.

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Above the Wide Pacific

Tillamook Head Trail near Seaside, Oregon ~ June 27, 2009

A short drive from Astoria begins the trail over Tillamook Head. Click here for earlier blog posts using images taken on this remarkable trail.

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Getting Choppy

Astoria, Oregon ~ July 4, 2011

I took this photo last July from the back deck of Coffee Girl just about the time small boats decided that coming back to the mooring basin was the better part of valor. The photo below indicates one of the reasons this might be a good idea. The big ships aren't bothered. I love the ships' names. The one on the left has the evocative name of Navios Mercator.

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The Portway

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 5, 2011

Portway Tavern, 422 West Marine Drive

Like many fixtures in Astoria, the Portway has a devoted clientele, fish on the facade, paint that has seen better days, and a blue and white plaque that says, "Historic Landmark." Unlike most, it has its own ATM machine.

The building was built in 1923 and opened first as a blacksmith shop before it became a cafe in 1925. It has the distinction of being "the oldest watering hole in the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies." For more interesting history, see the Portway's own web site.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.