Hunkered and Preening

Astoria, Oregon  ~ October 9, 2012

These birds have had a long, dry summer to enjoy the sun. They seem to know what's coming, though. It has been pouring in buckets today, although when I took the photo on October 9th, the seagulls were only battened down against small gusts and a few drizzles. Lest anyone wonder about the Oregon climate, note what the seagulls' perch looks like after one of the longest dry spells on record. 

I wish I could do what this gull is doing with its head.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

I've Got Company at the End of the World!

Near Chinook, Washington ~ December 2, 2011

Please welcome Amy, who has just started Long Beach Peninsula Daily Photo. I woke up this morning to an e-mail telling me I was no longer the only "City Daily Photo" blogger between Portland and the Pacific Ocean. In a minute you can read Amy's letter, but first let me show you where she lives. I've posted our Astoria-Megler Bridge many times, but I have not shown much of what you'll find on the other side. If you turn left and take the highway alongside the Columbia River, you will eventually reach the hills on the horizon. This is the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington. The southern end forms the north side of the mouth of the Columbia, and the peninsula continues a long way to the right. Amy will delight you with its wonders as she gets going on her new project.

A short aside: Back when City Daily Photo still had a functioning web site (I'm shedding a tear here and hoping it will come back), I looked in vain for other affiliated bloggers from my area. It seemed there were none (we have some very interesting bloggers around, but with different objectives). Needless to say, I was happy and surprised to find the following in my morning e-mail:

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Hi from across the river!

Hi Sheryl,

I've been following your Astoria Daily Photo blog for several years. When I was living away from the coast, I looked forward to the photo updates every day. It was a way of staying connected to this area I love so much. Thanks for that.

I'm now living full-time in Long Beach and was inspired by your blog to start a daily photo blog for this side of the river. Would you be willing to link to it on your website?

It's here: http://longbeachpeninsuladailyphoto.wordpress.com/

I'm just getting started so there's only a handful of entries, but I'm having a great deal of fun exploring the area on the hunt for good photos.

Amy

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Sheryl again. Hop on over, take a look and leave Amy a comment, OK?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #17: Perspectives

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Marine Drive

At the beginning of the drive-by series, starting with photo #2, we were tripping along Bond Street. Now we're heading back toward town on Marine Drive paralleling Bond, which is somewhere in the midst of the vegetation climbing this hill. I'm not sure which row of windows is street level on the white building ( believe it's the second row from the roof), but . . . (see below) . . . 

. . . this nearby tall building is the back of the apartment complex I showed in this post. The lower row of windows seen here is at street level on the other side. You can just see the top of the windows on the 4th floor, and there is one more below that - the apartment where I lived when I first moved here. From this angle, it looks like it wouldn't have much of a view, but it certainly did.

When I stepped out the back door and climbed half a dozen steps . . .

. . . the world opened up. These last two photos were taken August 7, 2001.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #16: The Butterfly Fleet

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

W. Marine Drive at Columbia Street and Bond

I was surprised a number of weeks ago to see a new mural in Astoria. Apparently it was unveiled about July 10th. I was no less surprised to learn about the butterfly fleet itself and these amazing sails that look like wings. At one time there were 2,500 of these boats in our coastal waters, but the Maritime Museum was not able to find a single one remaining. The mural was painted by local artist Dorothy Danielson on the side of the Wauna Credit Union building. There is a book called The Butterfly Fleet on Amazon.com. The cover is very similar, but I don't know the connection. The scroll on the mural reads:

THE BUTTERFLY FLEET

BEFORE ENGINES - THEY FISHED

IN BOATS POWERED BY THE WIND

IN THEIR SAILS & WERE CALLED

THE BUTTERFLY FLEET

THEY WERE AT THE MERCY

OF THE WIND & TIDES 

& AS SUCH IT WAS A VERY

DANGEROUS PROFESSION - THEY

DID NOT ALWAYS COME BACK -

THESE PREDOMINATELY SCANDINAVIAN

FISHERMEN & WOMEN PREFERRED 

USING GILLNETS - WHICH THE FISH

SWAM INTO & GOT HUNG UP. THERE

WERE DAY FISHERIES & NIGHT FISHERIES -

THE NIGHT ONES WERE LIKED AS THE

FISH HAD A DIFFICULT TIME SEEING

THE NET, SINCE THEY HAVE BEEN KNOWN

TO SWIM ALONG SIDE OR GO AROUND -

ON A GOOD TRIP THEY CAME HOME

LOADED TO THE GUNNELS --

Speaking of adventures, Lee Spangler is off on a new one. For anyone who would like to follow along, his blog is here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #15: Concrete in the Sky

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Astoria-Megler Bridge

I'm still in drive-by mode here. The bridge dominates so much about Astoria, including the views as we move about town. This isn't much of a photo, but it brings to mind several things. 

1. I get a feeling when I'm this close to the bridge similar to the feeling I get standing near a moving freight train - a sense of how huge and powerful it is. I don't know why a bridge feels "powerful" exactly, but it does. Does it feel "alive"? I think so.

2. In so many other places I've traveled to or lived, this much concrete in the sky means only that you're passing under a freeway. While their engineering and usefulness is also a wonder, they don't usually bring us to thoughts of awe and beauty. Our bridge can do both. I love living in a town where this monument is part of my life.

3. Something to think about: When the bridge was opened, tolls were collected to pay for its construction. At some point it was paid for and the tolls were ended. Can you imagine?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #14: Uniontown

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Marine Drive, Uniontown

Still on our drive-by excursion, we pass some buildings in the short stretch of Marine Drive called Uniontown that were apparently built as houses, but most often are home to small businesses. I enjoyed the funky and eclectic "Captain Fishhead's Emporium," or whatever the official name was, but it's emptied out now. Stores in this area have ranged from the fun and funky to the downright sleazy. I got my favorite shoes mended in this vicinity, so that was quite useful. You can see in the upper left of the photo how the bridge ramp vaults into the air at a nice clip.

What are your favorite or least favorite places in Uniontown?

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Drive-by Astoria #13: Which Way?

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 15, 2012

Marine Drive

This traffic light is where you turn left to get onto the bridge up ahead. It's the beginning of a block-long loop into the sky, and there is no turning back. It's kind if like when you get strapped into the roller coaster, headed for a wild ride. I love driving over this bridge, but you roller coaster fans can keep your adrenalin rushes, thank you very much! This is as close as I come to catapulting myself into the sky unless it's in an airplane.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.