When my friend Francisca was here a week ago, we walked to the Astoria Column via the city streets, then came down the hill on the Cathedral Tree Trail. It had been several years since I'd been to see the tree, and I wanted to see it again and to show her our mini version of the giant redwoods. What I found was that everything had changed.
Two years ago a wind storm reaching hurricane force had felled trees like crazy on parts of our hill, and loggers had later gone in and not only cleaned up the mess, but apparently had felled many additional trees. Some, I'm sure were taken out due to safety issues, but I don't know the rest of the story. In some areas, there were stumps as far as the eye could see, rather than the dense and glorious forest I remembered. That some of the standing trees had been precarious, I don't doubt. Many huge root systems were already upended along the route, with their majestic trunks lying horizontally on the forest floor.
I might have shown you a photo of the Cathedral Tree itself, but we missed it. In the sea of logs and new wooden walkways, I'd become disoriented and had neglected to take a short spur of trail going east just before we reached this rustic bench. I remembered the bench, and my memory told me the tree had been right here. I was devastated, thinking that the Cathedral Tree itself had been a casualty of the storm(s) (although I thought I would have heard something if that had been the case).
So we decided to go back the next day and see and photograph the locally-famous tree with its arched recesses. However, the next day it poured rain all day, and we opted for indoor entertainment. Someday I will go back and post the tree.
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Maybe it's no surprise that this harmonious and balanced house on the corner with its unusual, but very pleasing colors is one of my favorite buildings in all of Astoria.
The face of the house is on 12th Street; let's turn the corner onto Grand.
Across the street from this house is one of the strangest streets in a town of unique streets. You can see it in this earlier post.
On Sunday I walked up the Astoria hill and around one of the residential areas. I love this transitional shot, showing the moss from the torrents of winter rain and also a bush filled with spring flowers. In fact, I was surprised at how many green shoots and new flowers I saw out today. It seems that only yesterday it was winter. I'm sure the seasons will jockey for awhile before it feels like spring has sprung.
August 29, 2007
October 17, 2009
Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon ~ June 5, 2003
Fort Stevens State Park, Warrenton, Oregon ~
I've been wanting to show you this building for a long time. As interesting as it is, it's hard to photograph. I finally gave up on "good" and just went for "expository." See the very odd angles of the front section? Note the interesting eaves brackets. It's not the only place in Astoria that has this type of ornate eaves bracket, but the other buildings don't have simiar "things" on the front. Is this a cross between a turret and a portico? Maybe someone can help me out. Also note the cement arch behind the power pole. Just for the record, this building is on Exchange near 16th.
This time it's not the angles are not the digital camera doing its thing, it really is a building with strange lines. Is this an odd blend between Victorian and Craftsman? Again, I have not taken time to do the research, but I always enjoy looking at this place and wondering about it. I would also like to rip off the electrical wiring and conduits and plunk it down into an idyllic rural setting. It makes me think of a lodge from around 1910.
This arch also intrigues me. Going with the idea of a turret, maybe the arch is a secret entrance to a fortress camouflaged as an apartment building.
About 10 feet deep in the recess of the arch is a door, apparently locked. The door is for people, not for vehicles, so thisi not one of the built-into-the-hillside garages one sees locally. In any event, I consider this odd place one of Astoria's man-made wonders.
October 26, 2009
B SQUARED always finds the creative, funky mailboxes, so I guess this photo is to show that we have at least one in Astoria. I'm sure there must be a few more. I'll keep my eyes open and my camera handy. If I remember, this one is on 16th Street around Franklin Avenue.
When my friend Francisca was here a week ago, we walked to the Astoria Column via the city streets, then came down the hill on the Cathedral Tree Trail. It had been several years since I'd been to see the tree, and I wanted to see it again and to show her our mini version of the giant redwoods. What I found was that everything had changed.
