Looking Up 11th Street

Astoria, Oregon ~ February 28, 2008

"The Peter Iredale in Gold and Gray" by Amy Ryding

Fort Stevens State Park ~ Photo by Amy Ryding
For more of Amy's photos see Long Beach Peninsula Photo.
Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

It's 8:00 a.m.: Do You Know Where Your Trash Can Is?

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 19, 2012

With local high winds, that's a good question. My recycling bin (above with the red lid) was blown onto the neighboring lot. The trash can (same design, but with a black lid) was in the middle of the River Walk another few yards away, and would have blocked traffic if there had been any. Wind and rain continue. I love this weather, and as far as I know, the damage is only of the nuisance variety. These lightweight cans make excellent wind-catchers.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

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.

Snow Day #2

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 17, 2012

This is Harrison Street (with snow) at 11th Street (no snow). Eleventh street gets more traffic, and it gets the gravel as well. I took this at about 11:00 this morning.

By early afternoon there were still traces of snow in Astoria, but not that much. I guess it says something about Astoria's winter weather that the grass and azalea bush at the post office are this green in January.

I took this photo on a teeny street called Flavel that comes off of Bond Street. It's as wide as an alley and about half a block long. By tonight all the slush and water may be slick and frozen. Then again, it may just rain a lot. The weather report says there's 100% chance of precipitation tomorrow, and the temperature as I write this at 4:15 p.m. is 35 degrees. While we slop around in cold, damp streets with fading snow, Seattle, about three hours north and east, is bracing for enough of the white stuff to seriously derail their travel plans.

Here's another photo from yesterday along the River Walk facing the stoplight at 14th Street.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Coast Guard Training on a Cold River

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 14, 2011

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Azaleas in November

Astoria, Oregon ~ November 10, 2010

I thought I'd post something pretty after yesterday's disaster and the big hole on Tuesday. I noticed these azaleas compellingly in bloom just as I was leaving town. I didn't get a chance to poke around and see how many other plants were in bloom around Astoria, although I saw a mint plant with a couple of small purple flowers, and I noticed that some nearby twigs had bright green buds on them. I didn't know azaleas had two seasons, so I looked it up onilne.

Apparently, if it's first been cold and then warms up, the buds that have already formed in anticipation of spring will sometimes open. It was unseasonably cold for days and days on end at the beginning of November. I can't remember, but it may have started in October. Then, yes, it warmed up for awhile.

My question is, what happens to next year? Does the plant form a second set of buds? I certainly hope so, because I'll be unhappy if spring comes and the azaleas are all bloomed out from November.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Almost Tropical

September 28, 2010

I hate to complain about the muggy, tropical humidity here this week when Southern California is experiencing temperatures of 113 in Los Angeles and 115 in Corona, where I grew up. The last week in September can often be a scorcher in Southern California, although I don't remember minding it much when I was younger and more resilient. It was only 90 degrees yesterday in Palisade, Colorado, which is where I lived for eight years after California and before moving to Oregon.

With rains, fog, and some incredibly beautiful blue skies alternating throughout the days here, I'm happy to be in Astoria. Yesterday on my drive across the bridge from Warrenton, I wished I could have gotten a photo of the wisps of marine fog in front of the bridge and the Astoria hillside. This morning the clouds are forming pretty shapes against the hills of Washington, and you can see the ghost of a layer over the river.

The boat is the tender boat, Triumph II. Someone once told me the Triumph brings pizza to the big ships in the river. I imagine it's possible they could carry pizza now and then, but according to this link their main job is transporting Homeland Security people.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Born to Spin

August 13, 2010

We finally got some temperatures in the high 80s, and I heard as many complaints about it as I heard people saying they were thrilled. For me this wind wheel on Marine Drive was a welcome distraction from the too-warm day.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Fishing in the Rain

At least someone here seems to like our summer weather.

This great blue heron is gray on gray today partly because of the weather, and partly because my vantage point was through a spattered window. I did not go outside because the birds here don't like being stalked. Go figure.

The tide was nearly out, which made for good hunting and fishing grounds this morning. Great blue herons inhabit the western part of Oregon and the Columbia River's full lengh along the northern part of the state year round.

I talk about the weather here so much that I've added a weather bug to the sidebar.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stormy Weather

May 19, 2010

It's rare to see Young's Bay whipped into such a frenzy. The waves are not huge, but . . .

. . . since this is a river bay with a limited distance for the wind to create waves, it's not every day that we see them like this. I liked this angle with the sun on spring poppies and the winter-like storm.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Light and Shadow: Buoy 37

April 24, 2010

I love the light-play on the wide Columbia. Buoy 37 sits just down-river from Pier 11, and the camera's zoom brings the veiled hills of Washington overwhelmingly close. They are actually about four miles away.

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.

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

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

Morning mist

This morning I spotted a lone dog-walker just behind the Martime Museum at the foot of 17th Street. That's Tongue Point in the background. The distances are interestingly skewed because of the zoom lens.

For more Skywatch Friday, follow this link.