April 26, Astoria: The good, the bad, and breakfast at The Pig

For the fourth photo on my new project, the Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo blog, I was looking for something quintessentially Astoria, something representative of the whole town on its hill - the trees, the buildings, the scope. I thought I might get it from the Safeway parking lot, as we were going to Starbucks anyway for coffee. But I found that what was quintessentially Astoria was the fact that the nice view was marred by power lines and bad lighting. I zoomed the lens and got a photo I liked (above), but it didn't give the essence of place that I was looking for.

Astoria is such a hodgepodge of the strikingly beautiful and the maddeningly, stupidly ugly. I guess what city isn't, but I notice it here because - I guess because the damage feels so much greater than other places I've been. I can examine the reasons later. What I was looking for here was the idea that when the sun comes out, the events seem to blossom. Astoria has stuff going on all the time, but the outdoor events are ready to pop now that the sun is out. Both Astoria and Warrenton were packed full with the Crab, Seafood and Wine Festival running from Friday through Sunday, and a classic car show in Warrenton. I loved seeing that the Astoria Sunday Market will be starting again on Mother's Day, but I don't know the date. I didn't know there were boating classes, but of course there would be, I'd just never thought about it. Their slogan on the sign ("Boating is fun - Safe boating is more fun") is certainly a good one for our current-filled river. It's good to know these things, but look what we've allowed to happen to our special vista. It's awful.

We'd gone to The Pig (technically The Pig 'n' Pancake) because we wanted a cheap breakfast with some eggs in it, and we didn't want to cook. It seems everyone attending the various events had the same idea. It was crowded, but the wait wasn't too long. Lee decided to color while we waited for Laurel, Teagan, and Jen to arrive. And he kept on until he finished. The crayons in the cup were distinctly limited: purple, orange, yellow, and something dark. He stuck to the orange and purple. Probably a good idea.

Nice work in progress.

Teagan is starting to extend himself into a broader world, taking more and more notice of people and things around him, and wanting to go there. The first thing he did when he was born was to fling his arms wide, kinda like they are here. At the birth, of course, I didn't touch. Here, I reached across the table and brought him over for a chat. He likes pushing his legs straight out and either trying to stand up on you or just going rigid and holding the pose. He's starting to be more fun, and soon he'll be into everything. I can hardly wait. Actually, I wonder what it will be like. He's been very mellow from Day One, but very alert and has agendas. Let's see where they go!