A Place for Kids

Astoria, Oregon ~ March 23, 2011

Inside the Astoria Co-op food store there is a corner to welcome kids. I'm sure the playthings and mat attract some ages. I especially love looking at the painting, which I think is by local artist Sally Lackaff. If anyone knows for sure, please comment! Sally Lackaff and Roger McKay have worked together on detailed paintings and murals around town, so this could be a joint effort. I did not see a signature, but it could have been there somewhere.

The painting contains wonderful details such as this friendly-looking raccoon and the heron, which can be seen in the upper right of the photo. The ship is wonderfully reminiscent of the adventure novels I loved as a pre-teen, although the painting actually represents our local area, its wildlife and its history. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Pointed hats in the rain

I parked at the corner of 15th Street and Exchange Avenue, headed for a warm cafe, a cup of coffee and a pastry. It was cold and drizzling, and as I was right next to the small park which is the site of Fort Astoria, I sauntered over for a look and a photo. This is always a pleasing place to visit. There's no fence, no ticket taker, no concession stand, just this lovely mural by local artists Roger McKay and Sally Lackaff, and a cleverly-integrated model of one of the old blockhouses. There are also a couple of very interesting plaques, which I'll get to another time. It's a small corner park, and it's peaceful.

As I enjoyed the mural in the rain, I felt somehow close to the Indians on the beach with their water-shedding pointed headgear. It was the first time I'd understood viscerally the utilitarian advantages of this tribe's uniquely-designed hats. I think the mural is just lovely, not only showing us how a scene on the Columbia's banks may have looked, and how the locals dressed, but I also love the added details of the crow, the dog, the ship and the small canoe. The tree is real, and so is the green grass in the foreground. So also is the green dripping color in the painted sky that speaks of our climate.

The mural is painted on the back of the Fort George Building, which I haven't discussed yet, but will sometime. The Blue Scorcher is one of the businesses inside the building. I've shown Fort Astoria in one other post.

Theme Day: Shadows

This is a reconstruction of the original Fort Astoria. The blockhouse and palisade are made of wood, while the additional fort walls and the building with the flag are painted on the flat wall behind by local artists Roger McKay and Sally Lackaff. I took the photo on March 6, 2009. Theme Day at City Daily Photo takes place on the first day of each month. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants