sand dune

 

This snow and 20-degree weather makes me nostalgic for the beach -- even those rainy, overcast days in autumn.  Actually my favorite times at the beach are spring and fall -- leave the hot days for the summer crowd.

 

Seaside, Oregon

10.18,2015

brr!

 

Nothing exciting about tonight's post.  With snow flurries and 20 degrees outside, I took this image of the neighborhood from the garage with my phone and hurried back to the couch and my glass of wine.

dead end

 

The placement of the "dead end" sign is somewhat misleading because Seaside is not a dead end town.  Except that Lewis and Clark met their dead-end here.  The Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail is 3,700-mile route to the Pacific Ocean, commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806. At the end of the street, where the beach begins, is a statue of Lewis and Clark marking the western end of their journey.

 

Seaside, Oregon

10.19.2014



icicles

 

After several days of sub-freezing weather, it finally warmed up to the 40s; however, it was still too cold to stand outside trying to catch the drips as the icicles on the birdbath thawed!

 

My Backyard at 40 degrees

Lubbock, Texas

Who would have thought we'd need a fire in the fireplace in the middle of November with highs in the 20s and a smattering of snowflakes this morning?  This fireplace was burning brightly in mid-October at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.  The lodge, which is on National Register of Historic Places, was constructed between 1936 and 1938 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project during the Great Depression using large timbers and local stone. It has been the site of several movies, the most notable being "The Shining.:

Timberline Lodge
Mt. Hood, Oregon
10.17.2014

boarding house

 

This structure was the subject of a story by my dad.  It seems that in the 1940s it was a boarding house.  One of its lodgers was my great-uncle Charlie, who lived there while keeping books at my grandfather's gin in New Deal.  What attracted me was the asymmetry of the windows -- different sizes, a little patchwork, a dryer vent and a window air conditioner.  I don't know anything else about  the building, except it's been there a long time.  A history of Abernathy notes that the town was established in 1909 through an investment company owned by Dr. M. C. Overton and Monroe Abernathy.  It seems that nearby Bartonsite already had several buildings (perhaps even the Barton House currently at the Ranching Heritage Museum) and Abernathy had none except the small frame building for the investment firm. The founding fathers contracted with J.J. Barton to move some of the buildings to Abernathy. In the late summer of 1909 the seven mile move began. Buildings were placed on rollers pulled by steam-driven tractors at about three or four miles per hour. Buildings moved included a lumberyard, blacksmith shop, three or four residences and a two-story yellow hotel. I wonder if this building were that hotel -- there's not many two-storied buildings in town. Hmm.....

 

9th and Avenue E

Abernathy, Texas

11.9.2014

the girl who went to war

 

The Silent Wings Museum has an exhibit that replicates a World War II barracks.  Makes you wonder how many GIs had similar photos of sweethearts in their kits. Hopefully the veterans ended up with the girl back home.

 



 



poignancy

 

The "lost items" -- a baby shoe, teddy bear, glasses, a suitcase, a broken violin -- strewn along a cobblestone walk leading the Oregon Holocaust Memorial evoke a sense of sadness. Built in 2004, the back wall of the memorial is engraved with the names of people who died in the camps, followed by the names of their surviving relatives in Oregon. The memorial features a stone bench beside an area simulating a town square. During the Holocaust, many Jewish families were gathered in town squares before being loaded onto trains and taken to concentration camps. The cobblestone walkway with inlaid granite bars, simulating railroad tracks, leads to a wall of history panels. At the end of the wall is the soil vault panel with interred soil and ash from six killing-center camps of the Holocaust - Chelmno, Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

 

I have visited Holocaust Memorials in various states but this one brought chills like those experienced when I visited Dachau.

 

Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future. -- Elie Wiesel

Oregon Holocaust Memorial
Portland, Oregon
10.16.2014

Elie Wiesel

trout fishing

 

If you were a fisherman you couldn't ask for more than a well-stocked lake in a beautiful setting.  That's Mt. Hood reflected on the rain-dappled surface.

 

Trillium Lake, Oregon

10.17.2014

TT = tequila time

 

Equally as popular as Ginger's jewelry on the Studio Tour is Don's cantina in the back yard.  One is invited to sample a variety of tequilas -- and 10 a.m. is not too early to start!  The jalapeno-infused agave tequila was quite spicy!

 

Local Color Artists Studio Tour

Lubbock, Texas

 



free tutus

 

I'll admit that my art education is not too extensive but the pieces and installations on the Art Trail often leave me bewildered. Avant-garde?  Abstract? Weird?  I found more "art" on this wall with the sign and merchandise posted by Ballet Lubbock.  Their dancers posed as models during "Dance and Draw. " And no, I did not take a free tutu although many art aficionados were wearing them, sometimes as head gear!

 

First Friday Art Trail

Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts

Lubbock, Texas

nasturtium

 

 

The jewel tones of nasturtium brighten dreary days in Oregon. They are a cool season plant which is way we don't see them often our hot and dry part of Texas.

 

Camp 18, Oregon

10-15-2014

door series #4

courtyard door

 

A spring snow storm in March dusted Santa Fe and increased the Southwestern charm

 

Santa Fe, New Mexico

3.11.2012

door series #3

ollas azul

 

Old Town

Tucson, Arizona

2.27.2014

door series #2

casa azul

 

By definition, a series is "a number of things of a related nature coming one after another."  So by posting a second image of a door from Old Town Tucson, I've created a series!

El Presidio
Tucson, Arizona
2.27.2014

puerta azul

 

As a photographic subject, doors catch my eye.  I have a folder full of images from many different places that "some day" I going to do something with.  Evidently I am not alone in this interest.  There is a blog Legion of Door Whores for "those who appreciate doors."  It has thousands of images posted from all over the world.  This door is in the El Presido, the first neighborhood in Tucson, which is also on the National Register of Historical Places.

 

Tucson, Arizona

2.27.2014

remember to reset your sundial

 

Daylight savings time ends tonight and we're back on "regular" time -- perhaps not to be confused with solar time as measured by sundials.

 

International Rose Test Garden

Portland, Oregon

10.16.2014

trick or treat!

 

What do zombies and other ghouls want for Halloween?  Voodoo doughnuts, of course.  This popular Portland delicacy is widely known.  We were at the original location in Old Town; the shops are open 24/7 and there was a line out the door at 4:00 p.m. so unfortunately, I've yet to sample a Voodoo doughnut!

 

Voodoo Doughnut

Portland, Oregon

10.14.2014

sunning on the riverfront

 

Baton Rouge, capital city of Louisiana is located along the Mississippi River and is the fifth biggest port in the US.  Along the river, in the vicinity of the USS Kidd and the War Memorial, a brick pathway, water features and benches welcome those seeking the sun.

Mississippi River Waterfront
Baton Rouge, Louisiana



a day at the park

 

I am working in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this week and today was a travel day with no photo ops.  So here's yet another photo from Portland.  This young lady was enjoying a sunny day at the Rose Garden which allowed her to use her parasol.

 

Portland Rose Garden

Portland, Oregon

10.16.2014

sitting duck

 

During my recent visit to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden we were told that the wood ducks were especially photogenic (even if anti-social!).  Problem is I don't know one quack from another!  The wood ducks, the ruddy ducks, the mallards...pretty much the same to me.  I'd introduce you but I don't know "her" name!

 

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

Portland, Oregon

10.13.2014

when autumn leaves start to fall

 

But it certainly doesn't feel like fall here today with sunny skies and 89 degree temperatures!  In Elsie, Oregon however, it was fall with overcast skies and rain.  Camp 18 was a Plan B stop on the way to the Oregon coast because of the heavy rain.  We went in and had an impromptu lecture on lighting and our picnic lunch.  The rain lessened and we continued on to the coast.  Camp 18, named after the practice of numbering logging camps, and is located at milepost 18 on Highway 26.

 

Camp 18

Elsie, Oregon

10.15.2014

sit a spell

 

If exploring the corn maze, picking your pumpkins and viewing the Halloween Hall tires you out, Rasmussen Farms provides chairs for your comfort.

 

Rasmussen Farms

Hood River Valley, Oregon

10.13.2104

indian corn

 

Symbolic of harvest season, Indian corn embellishes many a fall scene.  According to folklore, these colorful ears were named after the indigenous people of North America. They'd been cultivating it for years when they introduced it to the newly-arrived Pilgrims. And those guys didn't decorate with it -- they ate it.

 

Rasmussen Farms

Hood River Valley, Oregon

10.13.2014

pumpkin season

 

Rasmussen Farms

Hood River Valley, Oregon

www.rasmussenfarms.com/
10.13.2014

pay attention!

 

This is the GARAGE.  Deposit your GARBAGE following the arrow to the right.

 

Motel Sign in Seaside, Oregon

10.18.2014 

steer ropin'

 

Announcements have been made and I am pleased to have one image accepted in the upcoming 14th annual High & Dry Exhibit at the International Cultural Center.  This image hung in the 2013 exhibit.

 

West Texas Church at the Barn

8322 County Road 6500

Lubbock, Texas

9.20.2011

Indian Beach

Ecola State Park

Lewis & Clark National Historic Park

Oregon

 



haystack rock

 

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach is a 235-foot sea stack (vertical column of rock caused by erosion).  At low tide one may walk to the rock.  Unfortunately I never made low tide.  This is morning - about 60 degrees, 78% humidity and winds at 25 mph with gusts up to 40!  The light beige areas are blowing sand.

 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

trillium lake and mount hood

 

Although the day was overcast, we saw snow-capped Mt. Hood from Timberline Lodge.  By the time we reached Trillium Lake, the peak was obscured by clouds.  As I took this photo, the rain began and the reflections became pock-marked.

 

Trillium Lake, Oregon

10.17.2014

dahlia

 

Out of Portland, across the Willamette River by ferry, one finds acres of dahlias at Swan Island dahlias.

Swan Island Dahlias
Canby, Orgeon
http://www.dahlias.com/

cannon beach

 

The day was cloudy and dreary, punctuated by driving rain.  The weather brought a rugged beauty to the coast.  However, a change in the Kelvin temperature on the camera setting produced a moonscape.

 

 

 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

10.15.2014



 



Oregon coast

 

Oregon lived up to its rainy reputation today.  Rain and mostly gray skies -- but that doesn't stop intrepid photographers!

 

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Austin's west coast cousin

shades of blue

 

Crown Point promontory was the ideal site to view the sunset over the Columbia River; however, tonight clouds obscured the sun.  Located 733 feet above the river, the view is spectacular..  Atop the summit is Vista House built as a rest stop in 1918 for travelers on the old Columbia River Gorge Highway.

signs of fall

 

It's a contrast to see green grass and blooming flower against the fall foliage.  While Lubbock may have leaves, we don't have them ankle-deep on the sidewalks.  Maybe because we don't have so many trees!  Nice fall weather and sunshine today but the forecast is rainy.

 

Portland, Oregon



columbia river

 

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest.  My hotel faces the river with Washington State in view across the river.  Dinner tonight was at Salty's on the river, nestled between the various yacht clubs.

 

Salt's

3839 N. E. Marina Drive

Portland, Oregon

“I’ll lend you for a little time a child of mine”



The grave of a child is always poignant. Throughout time, special symbolism marks such sites.  This young angel represents the untimely death of an innocent, strewing roses symbolizing the brevity of existence.  Rather than a robe or dress, this cherub wears a dress, perhaps like one worn by the child. I like the intricate detail of the hem/

Trinidad Catholic Cemetery
Trinidad, Colorado
6.20.2008

yee-haw

 

I am a sucker for old neon signs -- especially those motel signs.  As I looked back over my Tucson trip, I found scores of retro signs.  According to their webpage, The Quarter Horse Motel was established in the 1940s.  The motel capitalizes on Benson's western heritage and its proximity to Tombstone.  As I pack for another adventure, I know that the Marriott sign will look just like those on every other Marriott property.  Too bad!

 

The Quarter Horse Motel

Benson, Arizona

2.28.2014

the messenger

As an avowed taphophile, or tombstone tourist, I enjoy visiting cemeteries for their sense of history.  The older places with their variety of tombstones are the most interesting.  Cemetery art with its use of symbols reflects religious and cultural influences.  Angels are symbols of spirituality. They guard the tomb and are thought to be messengers between God and man.  The angel with clasped hands prays for safekeeping.  This statue is in the Trinidad Catholic Cemetery. Established in 1874, the graveyard has many examples of Victorian symbolism.

Trinidad Catholic Cemetery
Trinidad, Colorado
6.20.2008

buddy holly

 

After spending time as a stray, Buddy Holly ended up in the driver's seat.  His adopted owner said the dog visited at least three houses on his street before deciding on his new home.  Named after the hometown idol, Buddy is a star in his own right.

 

1941 Texas Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

Against the blue void
Of still sea and sky
Stands single a thistle,
Tall, tarnished, and dry.

Frayed leaves, spotted brown,
Head hoary and torn,
Was ever a weed
Upon earth so forlorn,

 

From the sky comes no laughter,
From earth not a moan.
Erect stands the thistle,
Its seeds abroad blown.

                                                                  The Thistle by Robert Laurence Binyon 

beer bottle fence

 

There is an interesting DIY project off Boston Avenue.  Extending along the back of the house on the corner is a fence made primarily from beer bottles -- with some wine and liquor bottles thrown in.  Joe said the materials -- bottles and mortar -- were inexpensive but the labor was more than he anticipated.  Although not quite finished, the 3-foot high fence already consists of almost 1,000 bottles.  Need to do something will all those empty long-necks?  Build a fence.  Fences may not make good neighbors, but asking them to toss back a few brewskis to help build a fence couldn't hurt!

 

Joe the Fence Builder

 

39th and Boston Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

10.4.2014





up for adoption

 

These chairs were lined up, as if for inspection, and awaiting new homes.  The owner told me they were a little charred and smoky -- having come out of a welding shop.  Not only did he offer to give them to me -- he was willing to deliver as well!  After we visited the gallery across the street, I think the guy was sitting in one of these chairs, moved curbside, to observe the comings and goings of the First Friday Art Trail traffic.

 

1941 Texas Avenue

Lubbock, Texas

10.3.2014

pet deer

 

Deer are not a common sight around here -- although they have been more frequently seen in recent years as the drought brings them from the rough country.  So it was surprising to catch a glimpse of this deer as I sped along FM 1729 and had to make the "photo op U-turn."  Turned out to be a "pet deer" at Harmon Farms in Idalou. She watches the world go by, wearing her straw hat.  Just another example of "farm art."

 

Harmon Farms

Idalou, Texas

redundancy

Synonyms for FOOD:  chow, chuck, comestibles, cuisine, eats, feed, fodder, grub, mess,
                                      provender, slop, tucker, vittles

We did not dine at Food Chow City but the name caught my eye while driving by.

Food Chow City
45 East Bridge Street
Oswego, New York
9.28.2014

lodging choices

 

If you are coming to Lubbock for a Texas Tech football game, the Stadium Motel is conveniently located across the street from Jones AT&T Stadium.  However, that probably would not be a good choice -- the reviews of the single-story, 20-room motel are bad and it ranks #46 out of 56 motels in Lubbock; besides, this evening it showed a "no vacancy" sign.  A few blocks away, past the high-rise apartment buildings, is the Overton Hotel, a AAA Four-Diamond facility.  Before the new constructions, when University Avenue was still College Avenue, J. T. Davis, father of Mac Davis, operated the College Courts, an efficiency apartment complex. Mac lived there while growing up, just south of the Stadium Motel, but progress has removed many of the old places -- Stadium Motel excluded. If you wish, at the Overton Hotel, you can request the Mac Davis Suite, named for the hometown boy who "done good."  Located on the 15th floor, the Mac Davis Suite has a panoramic view of Lubbock and will only set you back $999.00 a night (breakfast included).

 

Stadium Motel

405 University Avenue

Lubbock, Texas