Even though the day was rainy and the photos don't look nice, there's something interesting going on here. Usually the ships are pretty quiet out on the water, but today I heard the unmistakable sound of a helicopter as the ship was passing. I kept looking into the cloudy sky, so it took me a minute to realize that the Coast Guard 'copter was on top of the ship.
Here a Coast Guard boat is following in their wake.
The pilot boat was alongside but hanging back.
The camera didn't want to focus at this distance, but there is someone in the doorway.
It looks like one guy is still in the door of the helicopter and another guy is on the pole (or whatever you call it; are they still called masts even on a ship like this?) of the ship.
Speaking of poles, the name of this ship is Pole.
Astoria's annual Regatta parade took place on one of the hottest days of the year, that being 90 degrees - possibly in the sun, not the proverbial shade. I might not have gone out exept that I wanted to take a few pix for Astoria Daily Photo. The heat had me lying pretty low, but I loaded up a plastic bottle with ice and blended fresh fruit and crossed the street to this bit of shaded park in the median between Commercial and Marine.
Looking back at the home front, Marty had arranged with the guys resurfacing the pilots' place to resurface the front of 1490. I'm partial to the old gray, but I guess this helps keep the property in shape. I accidentally walked on it, but found out from Marty that (surprisingly) Windex takes out the marks left on the carpet by your shoes.
It was hot all the way until the end of the parade, then something happened that I just love our area for. The marine layer came in. Right on the river, it actually became cold. The cloud itself is not the marine layer, but the marine layer either creates clouds or pushes them along underneath.
. . . A lacy insect inside the porch alcove.
As I drove out to Warrenton, I was so invigorated by the cold air, I stopped and walked out to take photos of the low clouds. It's amazing what this burst of cool air did for my state of mind. I parked along Marine Drive and walked out to the water - probably farther than I've been able to walk in some time. Welcome signs of recovery, be they ever so slow.
Walking back to the car - the Suomi Hall and the graceful curve of the bridge.
A giddy view. I like the tree in front of the pier.
More giddiness, now facing the onramp.
New design and new purple paint. I like it.
I took this one without looking, since I was driving over the bridge. The marine layer is growing.
By the time I got back to Astoria, this event was taking place just on the other side of Englund Marine. Every year they do a simulated rescue as part of Regatta.
Up . . . I like the piece of a ship in this one.
You can see the spray tossed up by the 'copter.
Back on the west side of Englund Marine, there were more boats coming to the event on the other side of the building, which now I couldn't see.
Guys on the boat.
I'm not sure what the Port Authority is doing here, although they're also on their way to the Event. It would probably have been more fun before it got foggy and cold.
The day dawned spectacularly blue and balmy.
I took this one mainly to record the name of one more ship. This is the Jin Yue. Although I didn't get any further info, ships can usually be found online these days. By the way, on the left is the new, colorful cap to the railing improvements on the pilots' building.
The other end of the Jin Yue.
I thought I'd drive to Astoria Health Foods to pick up some NADH instead of walking, just because I was feeling so tired, but it seems everyone was visiting the coast on this beautiful day, and the parking spots were all taken. I ended up walking about as far as I would have anyway. It was a nice day to be out. This bench seems to be new. I'm noticing new benches and planters all over downtown Astoria.
My first thought was just to capture the old Art Deco tile in the unused entrance to the Astor Hotel ballroom on Commercial Street, then I noticed the strange "flower" growing the pot. Later I noticed the blue glove on the window ledge. Since they're working on the ballroom, and since people leave their trash in inappropriate places, there's no mystery or story at all, but simply visually I thought it was a kind of fun '30s-style mystery image. No?
This is no mystery, it's the front of Amazing Stories. See today's Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo.
I liked the way the light was playing on the curtains, but you have to click to enlarge in order to see the effect of the old glass.
Coming back, I was struck by the color of the center building, although it doesn't show as well in the photo. Still, I like the image.
This is the sign for Amazing Stories. I'll capture it someday it better light. I think it's one of Astoria's nicer business signs, and the Deco certainly goes with the building.
Here's another bench I hadn't noticed before.
I'm always a little surprised to see kayakers out. There's a kayak rental place on Pier 39, but it's not every day I see them on the water down here. I'm sure there will be more as the weather actually turns into summer.
Evening on the old Englund Marine building. I always love this view, and the pilings are so green right now.
This evening shadow of the deck railings above me always catches my attention, but it doesn't photograph very well. The lines are not sharp. Maybe someday I'll get it.
As I looked out the window, I was struck by the magnificent effect of the sunlight reflecting off the vertical parts of this ship below. But once I got onto the deck, I realized I'd have to be quick to catch the more subtle backlighting on the pilot boat. Tricks of the light often take my breath away, and this was one of those times. You may have to click on the photo to see it.
The ship was moving fast, and once I got it into the frame and focused, I'd already lost some of the drama of reflected light.
But it was gorgous. The timing was perfect. It's such an exciting moment to glance outside river and catch something like this.
This morning the tugboat Betsy-L passed by my deck in good lighting for a photo that shows some detail, if it's not dramatic. She's the same tug that posed in this dramatic lighting and ended up on my Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo blog.
Six minutes later, at 12:13, the storm had come in.
After work, I drove over to Warrenton to Starbucks and sat in the parking lot for awhile talking on the phone. I became interested in the way the rain on the windshield broke up the sign pole into jagged fragments.
I also especially liked the shape of the bare, damaged tree to the left of the pole and the way the street rippled.
It wasn't all that long before there was blue sky again.
