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

It's log season on the Columbia River

So this is what's been thumping against the pilings under our building. Now it's drifted across the water to rock next to the River Pilots' building in the comparatively calm water today, but unless the tide takes it, it will be back, and the water may not stay so calm. During much of the last two weeks, it's been pretty rough.

Winter is log season. The rains and the high tides bring them floating down in all sizes; several times per year they end up knocking against the pilings for a day or so. When the water is rough, the buildings shake. We have long poles with hooks on the end, called "pike poles," and we use them to push the logs out into the river, but of course it helps if the tide takes them OUT rather than bringing them back in.

Both the pilots' building and ours have had new screens, or fencing, installed this year. The screens help keep the logs in the river rather than stuck under the buildings, but occasionally they buck the system. Last year one of the logs ripped into the hinged gate you see here and opened the door for itself and more logs. They also find ways to get under the screening, then they're locked in like . . . uh . . . caged logs.

The log above is big, but it's not huge. We get many, many smaller ones, but we also get larger ones. Here's a spectacular log that came to visit almost one year ago and managed to hang around for awhile. It's hard to call it a log; it's more like a tree. It didn't do the building much good, but it was really interesting to watch.

When Worlds Collide

I'm sure that title is too strong. It could be a mellow blending on the inside. Outside, however, you can see that we have to be careful when we're driving or walking. I really hate one-way grids, and that's what we have throughout the downtown area of Astoria, Oregon. In other places, it always seemed much simpler and safer to me when everyone knew we had to look both ways at all intersections. The rules didn't change from place to place. After a little checking, it seems that the statistics on safety are . . . well . . . conflicted.

The old Ocean Crest auto repair building at the corner of Duane and 14th Street has been empty for several years until recently, when it was purchased by the owners of the Fort George Brewery and Public House just around the corner. If they do for it what they did for the other building, we'll see the place come alive. Of course, what caught my attention was the primitive-looking cool art. Inside there are already barrels. And there's art. Whatever the plans are, I'm sure it will be interesting.

I also like this photo because it shows how buildings accommodate Astoria's crazy slopes.

I used to wonder about the name Fort George, until one day I read that this was the name for the entire town at one time. In 1813, Astoria's name was changed in honor of the King of England. The British-owned North West Company had purchased the town; there was incentive to sell to them, because a British ship was headed this way that would have attempted to take it by force as an act of the War of 1812 if the owners had not sold it! The town continued to be called Fort George until 1846, although the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 had caused ownership to be returned to Americans.

My favorite video store

When I stopped to drop off a DVD, it was hard to miss the bright reflections. Does it look like it's been raining? By the way, Video Horizons is one of the few buildings on Astor Street. The street is only two very short blocks long, due to the curve of the town along the edge of the river. Highway 30, aka Marine Drive, takes up much of what might be Astor Street if the highway didn't exist.

Bags made of sails

These tote bags are made of genuine recycled boat sails. As you can see beyond the shop's entrance here on Pier 39, the work is done right on the spot at Four Winds Canvas Works, a marine resale store and canvas shop. They also take marine items for sale on consignment. Recycle, reuse. And authentic.

What is it about bags? I don't know if they do anything for men, but every woman I know goes nuts over bags. I have plenty, and I can always use more. It's well beyond utilitarian. I think it has some deep connection with potential. Anyone got a clue? How do you guys feel about bags? I mean tote bags, camera bags, equipment bags, backpacks, low tech, high tech, anything with space inside, bulky or disappearing tuck-away; fold-up, fold fourteen ways, fold-inside, fold outside, no-fold because it can't . . . turn-into-something-else (anything else) and if there are carbiners, trick loop-around straps, organizer pockets and zipper/velcro thingies . . . look out. I'm actually curious now that I've started thinking about it. Any thoughts?

Sun break

I don't know how many tugboats work in the Columbia River between here and Portland, but Betsy-L is one of them, and I don't think I've shown her before - at least not identified. Although the photo doesn't do justice to the lighting on the morning of December 4, what caught my attention was the bright glow and reflection on a dark river on a dark morning. The small sun break had caught the boat in its beam; a few seconds later, and the light had gone. The water was quite flat, and the hills in the background are on the Washington side of the river.

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.

Ghost cars at 14th Street

You can see their lights streaking by, but there's not much left of the cars. They seem to have warped into thin air here at 14th Street and Marine Drive. Click to enlarge the photo, and you'll see what I mean. We've seen a number of these buildings before in daylight. The bright windows on the left are from this building; I've shown various views of the tall Astor Hotel in four posts (is that all?); and on the right in the middle of the block is Gimre's Shoes. I've taken the photo from the landward end of Waterfront Park. The rails are where the Waterfront Trolley runs.

Tugboat "Cap" Evans

Last night we were supposed to get freezing rain and wake up with the ground under a sheet of ice, but it didn't materialize here in Astoria, Oregon. They kept the weather for themselves a bit further south. I don't know if the freezing rains will make it up our way today or not, but I've decided to post this photo from December 12 last year, when the weather was looming. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you'll get a better idea of the shiny surface of the water and the wildness of the waves. Remember, this is a river, not the ocean! The waves have been wild at times this week, but the sky has been clear.

I really like this image of the tugboat "Cap" Evans. I remember by looking back at my photos that the clouds were very changeable that day and the lighting was fun to watch. Today we have mostly blue skies with wisps of clouds, and, for here, it's still cold. Here's a very nice photo someone took of the same tug from the river. You can see Astoria in the background - a perspective I have yet to see, as the few times I've been on a boat in the river, we've started from west of town and headed out to sea.

One left

Outside the Post Office

at 7th Street and Commercial Avenue ~

December 8, 2009