Trolley Tracks

Astoria, Oregon ~ December 24, 2013
The River Walk by Doc's on 12th.
Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Oil Cover

Astoria, Oregon ~ March 12, 2011

Can anyone tell me about this metal cover on Commercial Street? I know that many older houses in Astoria were heated by oil, and some probably still are. Is this where oil is delivered for heating for one or more of the buildings on Commercial? And what's with the pipe draining onto the street?

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Ornate Entry

April 10, 2010

East Door, Flavel House

I love the wood, but I think the checkerboard glazed or painted tile is a bit much. What do you think? I don't know if the checkerboard is the original design or a later addition. I did not go back to see exactly how it was made, but there are a few cracks and chips on the tile, and the color is on the surface. You don't notice the pattern at all from street level, because it's quite a few feet up a hill from the street.

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Skylight to the Underworld

February 7, 1010

I love these magical glass squares in the sidewalk, as chipped and mangled as they are. These are in downtown Astoria. I grew up in a small town in Southern California where there were none, and I probably saw my first in Los Angeles while visiting my grandmother. I don't know why I always liked them so much. It may be the lovely shade of gray-purple glass, or maybe the hint that they connect to a hidden world under the sidewalk. Anyway, Astoria has a few of these along Commercial Street and I hope they never disappear, even though they are obviously crumbling with age, traffic, and the elements.

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"Pigeon Steps" on 11th Street

Astoria has a few strange streets, and many steep ones. The block of 11th Street between Irving and Jerome is both. I'm taking this photo from the intersection at 11th and Irving.

One term for this type of walkway is "pigeon steps." I found the phrase in Karen L. Leedom's book, Astoria: An Oregon History, but I found precious little about pigeon steps online - only enough to suspect that it means you have to take small steps like a pigeon. In fact, walking up this paved ramp is a bit tricky when it's wet because the grips are so close together that an adult has to take steps that are about 3/4 or less of a natural stride. I find it hard to get the right rhythm, but I do find these passages charming (and useful).

According to Karen's book, when the streets were made of wood, narrow slats were placed across to keep the walker from slipping, and when they were paved, the slats were reproduced in cement. Possibly the grips were nailed the width of a plank apart so it was easier for the workmen to space them and nail them down. Another term for the steps was "clickety clacks."

Tomorrow I'll show you the view from the top.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Life imitates art

I like seeing the various types of leaves imprinted into the sidewalk in front of the Blue Scorcher Bakery Cafe. The other day, the the cement imprints had been joined by some of their real cousins, and the rain made all quite peaceful and still.