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.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Ship, Rain, Sky

Astoria, Oregon ~ March 27, 2011

Hi Everyone, I apologize for the sporadic postings lately. It seems that the past few weeks I've been able to either work or blog, but haven't had much success doing both. Work usually wins  :)  I'm hoping to get back to regular postings before long.

Here in Oregon, we've been breaking records for number of days with rain in March. I'm not sure if Astoria has a new record or not, but Portland (with weather that's sometimes similar and sometimes very different from Astoria) broke its March rain record a few days ago. If we haven't broken ours, it's only because it rains a lot ALL THE TIME.

I love the way the light changes on the river whether it's raining or not. Here's a scene I really enjoyed. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Glowing against Dark Sky

Astoria, Oregon ~ June 4, 2009

On the last day of the year, I'm putting up a photo I've always liked but have never got around to posting. I am attracted to glowing or bright foregrounds against a dark sky. I took this one on June 4, 2009, when the city was replacing the stairs in the Astoria Column by taking off the cap and dropping the stairs in from the top using huge cranes. Of course they fenced off the area at the top of the hill that includes the column. 

Tomorrow's post will be fun. City Daily Photo's January 1 Theme Day will be "Photo of the year 2010." Some cities are ahead of us time-wise and are already posting, so it might be fun to follow the link, search for your favorite city, state, or country, or just click on the Theme Day link and see what each City Daily Photo blogger thought was their best or favorite for the New Year's Theme Day.

On a personal note, I apologize for posting sporadically lately. I'm not tired of the blog and am looking forward to 2011. After a long season of work, I got run down, caught a bad bug, and have been lazing around reading for the past week, trying to get better.

I want to thank all of Astoria Daily Photo's readers and commenters. We've reached 1,000 Fans on our Facebook page - woohoo!!! - and some of you have also written privately to tell me you enjoy the daily posts. It's been fun and gratifying, and I wish all of us a safe New Year's Eve and a wonderful 2011!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Photo Contest: "Net Shed"

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 5, 2010

Guest Photographer: Kim Taylor

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Pink, Orange, Gray

May 27, 2010

I've posted several faces of the Astoria Hotel in downtown Astoria, and I'm sure I'll post it again. I never get tired of looking at its interesting design and the way the light loves to play with it. On the right, the sign for the Commodore Hotel is now brightened, too. Has it been that way for long? I don't remember. The Commodore is breathing again, with a hotel and a new cafe inside, although the photo at the end of the link was taken before the cafe came along.

For beautiful sky photos from around the world, check out SkyWatch Friday.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Railroad Crossing at Pier 11

April 24, 2010

The only railroad that crosses Pier 11's wooden pier these days is the Riverfront Trolley. I love the remnants of the industrial district here, although remnants is mostly what they are. On a typical day, you'll find tourists or locals out for a walk, bike ride, run, walking the dog(s), or wandering around with a camera.

We've been having a lot of this changeable weather lately: gray skies, blue skies, towering white clouds, pouring rain, and those in-between moments when the sun breaks through the clouds and lights up the land or water.


Notes from The (Weather) Underground for Portland: ...Record number of rainy days for April...A passing shower in the past two hours has now tipped April into the record books. In April 2010... Portland Airport has recorded 25 days with at least 0.01 inch of rain. The previous record was 24 days... set in 2003. Normally... Portland can expect 15 such days for April.

I don't know how the statistics look for Astoria, and we are on the coast and a distance from Portland, but I'd been thinking that April seemed extremely wet this year. One of my fellow bloggers in Florida says their dry season has been extremely wet, and now everyone is wondering what they're going to do with the water now that the wet season is at hand. At least here, it runs into the river and ocean. I'm not sure what the cumulative effect is.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Colors on the River

Astoria, Oregon ~ April 2, 2010

There are so many color schemes on the river, and one of my favorites occurred today between rain and hail storms. The sun came out for awhile to find that the water had turned muddy and the clouds across the river were still dark. It almost has the feel of an enclosed set or sound stage.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Dark and Light

November 10, 2009

The light on the river makes all the difference. Compare these shots with the one from yesterday's post. I love both the subtle and the dramatic. Some days you get the nice shots and some days you don't, no matter what the weather is doing. I really like these pix from November 10th, taken just off of 15th Street. It doesn't hurt that the shipping line has provided us with gorgeous colors and the pilot boat is positioned for a photo op.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The pink side of dawn

The other morning (January 10, 2010) when we were all riveted by the amazing orange and peach sunrise colors to the east, the sky and riverscape to the north were equally compelling, if more subtle. In fact, the image to the north first made me aware that this dawn was particularly incredible. The water was pink, the sky was pink, even the air was pink. Then someone said I should look out the east window. Later that day, on Facebook and in City Daily Photo blogs, I saw pictures of the wonderful morning sky from other Astorians as well as people farther afield in the Pacific Northwest. It had been a sunrise to remember.

The radio tower broadcasts five stations, transmitted through the building where I'm standing to take the photo. These are the kind folks who feature Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo on one of their station web sites, KKEE 1230.

When I became such a night owl, I don't know (possibly when I started blogging), but I was grateful to be up early on January 10th, and I made a New Year's Resolution to see dawn much more often. Like most good New Year's Resolutions, this one is already broken, but fortunately there are many more days in the year ahead.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A new year, new journeys

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 16, 2009

This is for Lee of Bend, Oregon, Daily Photo, as he starts today on his Amizade Adventure.

As many of us are making Resolutions, you're beginning an amazing adventure in physical space as well as intellectual, emotional, spiritual. You'll be going by plane rather than by ship. And yet, may your anchor be a safety net, and not a tether; may there always be a warming glow at the center of your world; may the horizons await and the sky be limitless. Have a safe journey and an expansive experience. I wish you smooth sailing, now and always.

~ Tapirgal

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

A November rainbow

Warrenton, Oregon ~ November 11, 2009

I cross this bridge to get to the gym on the other side of Youngs Bay from Astoria, and on November 11th, just as I was about to go inside, a huge rainbow formed a perfect arc from horizon to horizon over the river (between my vantage point and the city of Astoria, seen on the hill behind the trees). With the buildings behind me, I couldn't step back and get the whole arc in the picture. It was glorious, as it had been raining hard. In fact, often the bridge gets harder rain than on either side of it. Don't ask me why, but it must have something to do with the river.

The mailboxes on the left appeared earlier in this blog, and this photo of Astoria was taken only a few feet away from today's photo, although it looks so different. This pic was also taken from near the spot, but facing to the right.

House on a hill

I've always loved this little house at the corner of 10th Street and Harrison Avenue. The picture suggests the name, "House on a hill," but in fact how many houses in Astoria are not perched in some manner on a hillside? Not many. It would be harder to find a residential building that was not on a hill. It's always interesting to see how foundations, stairways, garages, and all manner of other parts of the houses are built to adapt to the slopes.

I come to this neighborhood often, and on October 13th, I especially liked the way the light brightened the house and the dark clouds beyond added some drama. That little bit of blue hill to the left of the house is on the Washington side of the Columbia River. You can barely see a few fall colors in the branches. The leaves are changing, and I'll take some pix of them this coming week.

Does anyone know a name for the style of this house? The words that comes to mind are "bungalow" and "cottage," but I don't know how technical these terms are. It was probably built in the 1920s or '30s. I was inside the house one time, and it has some elements of Arts and Crafts or Craftsman Style, but it also has a lot of elements you don't usually see in traditional Craftsman Style houses. The exterior of the house is made of stucco, which is unusual here, as most Astoria houses are sided with wood. Anyway, it's always looked cozy, and it has a glorious view unobscured by wires.

Astoria from the air, by Frank Wolfe

Branden Wilson sent me this photo taken on August 12, 2004, by Frank Wolfe of Pacific County Emergency Services in the state of Washington. Frank recently took Branden up for a similar view, and Branden obtained this photo and shared it with us. I've left it large so you can click in and see some landmarks. This looks like typical August weather. What you're seeing is the Columbia River on the right and Young's Bay on the left. The river still has a few miles to go before it reaches the ocean beneath the cloud cover. Of course, there's one of the ships in the river, apparently waiting until it's time to head up or down river. It has drifted sideways due to the river's changing tide.

The bridge on the right goes to Washington, and the one crossing Young's Bay leads to the the towns of Warrenton and Hammond, then down the coast to Gearhart, Seaside, and points south along US 101.

The River Walk I refer to so often runs along the right-hand side of the peninsula of Astoria. The Maritime Museum where the Coast Guard ships dock is the first white-roofed building from the bottom of the photo on the waterfront.

Happy Skywatch Friday . . . this time from the top! And many thanks to our guest photographer and to Branden Wilson.

Down to the Waterline

It seems that it all comes back down to the water here in Astoria, Oregon - in this case, the wide Columbia River. This is typical July weather. We're starting to get some sun breaks today, but mornings have been heavily overcast, misty, and drizzly. With clouds like this, you can never be sure what the day will bring.

In the photo, you can see the top of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, as well as the long flat portion connecting to Washington. The row of windows with white frames in the distance is Doc's on 12th and Baked Alaska; the red building on the right belongs to the River Pilots, as does the light green building in the foreground on the left. The red bulding on the left contains the Wheelhouse Coffee House, a real estate office and property management company, and space still open for lease. Beyond the green pilings (exposed at low water), a dock only wide enough for foot traffic is a public waterfront "park" (don't picture green grass) leading to the canopy to the right of the red building, where you can watch the river, ships and the sky in all weather. They used to have a radio speaker inside the canopy where you could hear actual conversations of the river pilots. At some point it stopped working, and I hope they bring it back. You may have to click on the photo to enlarge it if you want to see all that I described.

. Happy SkyWatch Friday.

Aerial symphony over Warrenton

The weather has been doing a bit of everything. I took this photo just across the Youngs Bay Bridge from Astoria as you enter Warrenton. This, for sure, was the photo for Skywatch Friday. The clouds seem to swell and pitch, boil up, tear apart and then drift away peacefully like shredded fleece. We often see clouds dark and low in the marine layer coming off the ocean, but today's spectacle contained everything at once. Just in time. Today's aerial symphony coincides with the start of Astoria's 10-day music festival. It will be an energetic week, with the midsummer Scandinavian Festival going on as well, and today the passengers from a huge cruise ship overflowing the sidewalks. The only thing I don't enjoy is the traffic! In case you wondered, the sign says, "Astoria/Warrenton Airport left 3/4 mile."

If you like photomemes, come check out "Reflections on Saturday." I'd love it if you'd help get it started!

And be sure to see Lee's Bend, Oregon, photo today . . . it's amazing!

A shimmering moment in time

I dug this one out of the archives from June 28, 2007. I took it from our back deck on one of those evenings when the light was so perfect that nothing could go wrong. The building in the sun's glow was a marine supply company, since moved, leaving this place temporarily empty. The lousy economy may have saved this romantic old building that seems so much a part of the river for at least another year. There is a condo in the works, of course to be much taller and wider and view-blocking than the current building, and I wish the reprieve could last forever. The structure on the left is the base of a still-active radio tower, a landmark that can be seen from almost any part the north side of Astoria.

This is my contribution for Mellow Yellow Monday.

A ship's "bones" on the beach

I took this photo of the wreck of the Peter Iredale in February 2008, and decided to use it today for Scenic Sunday. The Peter Iredale is a popular destination in any season. You can drive right up to the edge of the beach. There are always curious people, photographers, kids, locals and visitors exploring the ruins or waiting for that perfect photo. To me, this angle and amount of ship exposed makes it feel almost alive, or almost like it was alive at some point. I've already posted one photo from another angle with the sun turning the shore to gold. Depending on the tides, more or less of the ship's carcass is exposed, and this view is somewhat unusual. Although I've never seen it, I know people who have been lucky enough to walk on the teak deck of the ship when even more sand has washed away. It's preserved in almost perfect condition, but at the moment it's under sand again. It appears once every few years or so. Often all you will see is the prow of the ship and a few of the metal structures that held up the masts. Every visit is different because of the action of the waves over the days and weeks before your visit, the height of the tide when you're there, the time of day, the lighting, and the weather. The tides here will go all the way to the cliffs on a very high tide, and somewhat further out than you see here when the tide is low. There's always water in the small pools that form around the wrecked prow. Another of my sunset photos that you all liked was also taken here.

The ship came aground in a storm on October 25, 1906. The wreck is a few miles south of the entrance to the Columbia river. There are just under 2,000 known shipwrecks in and around this dangerous river bar, called "The Graveyard of the Pacific." Amazingly, in this ship disaster no one was hurt, and it was lucky for us that it occurred where we can enjoy the aesthetics and romance associated with old ships and the history of the days of sailing ships.

Dark sky, red boat

I took this photo of the East Mooring Basin from the west side. Yesterday's sunset picture was take from east side - from the pier beyond these boats, which are mostly small commercial fishing boats. This pic is from April 13, 2009.

Ruby Tuesday: Red, white, and gray

I love bright foregrounds against a dark sky. I took this photo in our Safeway parking lot the other morning. The dumpster is usually not parked here where a path leads from the lot to the River Walk, but this morning someone had left it here, and the bright red was perfect, caught in a brief beam of sunlight. It's surprising how fast the clouds move, changing the atmosphere and changing it again. Beyond the parking lot is the new Comfort Suites Columbia River, where you can be kept awake all night listening to sea lions barking. I haven't needed to stay there and it looks nice. I'd probably like hearing sea lions all night.

Ruby Tuesday gave me an excuse to use this cool dumpster photo. Maybe tomorrow I'll post the boats!