Purple Rhodies at the Post Office

Astoria, Oregon ~ June 13, 2011

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Purple Azaleas at the Post Office

Astoria, Oregon ~ March 18, 2011

Last year I posted this photo of the same bush in full flower on February 28th! I've been watching it this year, and the blossoms only came out in the last few days. I seem to remember that last year was filled with flowers and they were out early. This is just the beginning. Soon Astoria will be filled with flowers again.

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Clatsop County Courthouse

July 13, 2010

The Clatsop Country Courthouse is directly across the street from the Astoria Post Office, and takes up the block bounded by Commercial Street, 8th Street, Duane Avenue, and 7th Street at the west end of downtown Astoria. I've shown the courthouse from several angles; this is the main front entrance. I've also shown the post office in many guises. Click on the keywords beneath to check out other posts featuring these buildings. Clatsop County is named after the Clatsop Indians.

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Red, White, and Blue?

May 26, 2010

The violet rhodies at the southwest corner of the Astoria Post Office are almost in full bloom. As you can see, the red ones in front have about disappeared. I've been musing on the fact that the scheme at the post office seems to be vaguely red, white, and blue, with violet covering for blue. There are at least six or seven bushes around the front of the post office making up what looks at first glance like two huge bushes, and I'll show others in upcoming posts.

The shelter across the street at the corner of the courthouse is a memorial to (or display of) one of the area's lumbered old-growth trees. It's hard to photograph with the strong lights and darks, but I'll post it one of these days with good or bad photos. The corner is 7th and Commercial.

Here's a close-up of today's rhododendron flowers.

I took this photo four days ago when many of the blossoms were getting ready to open.

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Red, Red, Red, White and Blue

April 30, 2010

Back of the U.S. Post Office

The rhododendrons are opening up all over town. They grow wonderfully here, and can be seen along the downtown streets and in peoples' yards along with azaleas, which also flourish. There are a lot of things I'm noticing this year because I'm taking photos and writing about them. Other people knew that the azaleas come out first, and the rhodies follow soon after, and I'm learning about it this year.

This big rhododendron bush marks the rear corner of the post office with a matching bush on the other side. On the left by the steps is a red azalea plant. To the left, but out of the photo are dark pink and also white ones. The really big rhododendrons - practically trees - are at the front corners of the post office, and I can't wait to see what they look like when the buds finally open. I'll let you know! As I said yesterday, I'm posting a few days in advance, so if the bushes are already blooming when you read this, please be patient for a few more days!

By the way, I've been waiting for an excuse to show this corner on 7th Street, because I like the yellow grille in the side of the building.

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The Goonies are (Almost) Back . . .

This is the Clatsop County Courthouse, shown from the corner of Commercial and 7th. The front of the courthouse is on the left, on Commercial (Avenue/Street) [digression: "streets" have numbers and "avenues" have names, but most people use "street" for both; I am herewith giving up trying to conform to the system], the old County Jail is the small gray building on the right, and the turret peeking over the jail is the Flavel House. The huge tree on the right was in this recent post, and the small protective roof at the corner of the building houses a piece of a huge old-growth tree that's on display here. (I haven't done a post on it yet.) The post office, which I've shown several times, is out of the picture on the left, across the street from the courthouse. The color of the courthouse building seems to brighten up the area unless, I think, you're there on unpleasant official business.

One reason I'm showing this photo today is because the old jail (seen in the beginning of The Goonies movie) will, on June 4-7, 2010, be opening as the Oregon Film Museum. You can read all about it here, and if I'm in town, which I expect to be, I'll try to get a photo of the event. I will not, however, be watching the movie. I already tried that once, and I made it maybe halfway through. Did you watch The Goonies? Did you like it? The film's landmarks are big attractions around here.

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Astoria High School, About 1909

The photo above is another postcard loaned by Midnight Mike. The only date on it is the postmark, which is 1909. The picture shows the old Astoria High School at the corner of 8th Street and Grand Avenue. The photo was taken from 7th and Franklin.

Earlier on this blog, I posted the photo above, taken from almost the same location (7th and Exchange), but from a vantage point closer to the ground. In the next photo, taken the other day (March 23, 2010), I was standing at the opposite corner of the park, which is somewhere in front of the blue house in the background above.

You can see what a lopsided piece of ground it is. I wonder why they eventually tore down the building? The park is currently used as a baseball diamond, and at the left is a swing set. There's a picnic table with benches near the tree. Of course, that's the great Columbia River in the background; the hills on the other side are in Washington.

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Curved Fence

I thought the curved fence at this home at 7th Street and Grand Avenue was both ingenius and charming. New blossoms and the relatively warm spring day made me feel almost as if I were in the countryside about a century or so ago.

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Post Office and Plants

I want to thank Midnight Mike for loaning me several old postcards of Astoria for use on the blog. Above you can see an older post office building. It wasn't the first of Astoria's post offices, but it was older than our current building. The card was postmarked in 1907, but I don't know the date of the photo. I like the grace and style of the old stone building. It was in the same location as the current post office, but was smaller and left more space for grass and trees around it. There is another postcard in Mike's collection showing the building from a distance. It's from a different side, and I'll save it for another comparison. The other card is postmarked 1930, although I don't know when the photo was taken; I don't know when the old building was replaced by the new one.

Astoria's current post office (and there is only one) takes up the block bordered by 7th and 8th Streets, and Commercial and Bond. This is the entrance, on Commercial Street across from the County Courthouse. I originally took this photo (on March 16th) to show the huge rhododendron bush which is covered with buds and about ready to burst into flower. The cluster that's already in bloom is a separate bush underneath the big one.

The flowers are still trying to hang on even though recent storms have taken their toll.

And the buds on the large bush are almost ready to display the seasonal riot of color if the something-or-other that's been nibbling them doesn't finish them first. The purple azaleas I showed you on February 28th are out of sight behind the wheelchair ramp near the base of the flagpole.

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Which Way?

The other day I spied this signpost lying between a building and a bush. Until recently, it stood on the lawn to the right, where Marine Drive, 8th Street, and Astor Street all converge. At one time it helped advertise Sundial Travel, in the green building to the left, but the last time I saw the signpost standing, it was held in place with a few sandbags. It took me a long time to notice this sign in the first place, because with three streets converging, I was usually (?) watching the traffic, but once I saw the sign I enjoyed it. I hope someone will find the other piece of Los Angeles and the other truncated destination and put the thing together again. I assume it came down due to the effect of our wet climate on wood. By the way, Naknek is in southwestern Alaska.

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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.

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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.

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Icon on the street

I'm always intrigued by images painted on streets. We have a "breadcrumb trail" up and down both sides of the Astoria hill indicating the way to get to the Column at the top. This image on 7th Street is pointing to the right, because at the intersection with Niagara Avenue just ahead, you turn right to go on up the hill toward your destination.

What's really strange is that although I'd walked or driven to the Astoria Column many times, it took me forever to realize what these odd symbols were about. I suppose it looks like a column once you recognize it, but I kept wondering if there were some mysterious fortress I hadn't heard about. I hope the tourists are smarter than I was. Once you've been here long enough to recognize the images on the street, they are superfluous. However, I like looking at them and feeling proud that I know what they are :-D