Sunset Glow

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 blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Jan 4, Astoria: Vessels in the Rain

The air was so filled with rain today that my camera didn't even want to focus. The pilot boat Arrow 2 is hard at work with its lights on.

Here the Carl Oldendorff rests at anchor in the Columbia River beyond the radio tower. My close-up was so fuzzy, I could barely make out the name of the ship, and I'm not sure which orange ship that is beyond Carl. It was interesting looking up the Carl Oldendorff online, because I was able to see the ship as it appeared on clearer days here in Astoria as well as in New Orleans, Portugal, and somewhere in northern Germany or one of the Scandinavian countries. I've seen in in the river before, but I don't have a photo posted.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Aug 26, Astoria: A hazy heron morning on the river

Amazing. It's wonderful to be greeted first thing in the morning by a sight like this. It's rather unusual, too. Although there are quite a few herons on the river, they don't usually fly into my little bay beneath the radio tower. I think this is the second one I've seen this month, but before that it had been quite some time.

Why do they always look like they want to get back at you for something you did? I knew this heron wouldn't be staying long, so I took its photo as quickly and quietly as possible through the mud-splashed window.

I was right. I figured that this is about what I'd see when the heron caught any movement through the window.

I've tried so many times to get the brilliant yellow-gold of the wood chips, and they usually turn out gray. The light was better this time. I love the way they look in the green barges, although I always think about all the trees it took to make them.

Here's the pilot boat Arrow 2 alongside the Belle Nautica. I'll seriously miss mornings like this if I ever have to move.

May 14, Astoria: Some colors and shapes of Thursday

There's always something a little different passing along the river - or if it's not different, maybe I haven't looked at it hard enough before.

I thought the shapes and concavities in the stern of this ship were unusual and interesting. I have no idea what they're used for. Click on the image and you'll see them better. It still amazes me to see the scale of the humans, their ladders and doorways and such on board a ship like this.

The pilot boat was coming in fast, hitting the small chop on the river and causing great billows of spray to fly up at the bow. I missed the best ones, but by my next shot, the boat was behind the building on my left. I like the photo anyway, especially larger.

The other day I posted a picture on my Astoria, Oregon, Daily Photo blog of some green pilings I'd taken in May of 2007, and so many people remarked on the color that I had it on my mind today when the sun brought out the brilliant green again - in fact, even more brightly.

A few seconds after I took this shot, the clouds blew over us again, and the bright hue was gone.

April 29, Astoria: Gorgeous sunset tonight!

It's been pretty nice with the sun out, although it's still very cold for April. It looks nice, and I step out with "just" a sweatshirt and run back for my winter jacket, even on a day like this. The tree, by the way, is still firmly anchored horizontally in the pilings.

The little patch of garden is doing nicely. The columbine is blooming.

The ranunculus (red) and wallflower (yellow) are doing well, and the purple sage is looking good. The horsetails are also coming up. Technically, they're weeds, but I'll let them stay for a little while. I enjoy the green and they're such interesting ancient plants. There's something with a broad leaf that I should take out soon, some stray grass, and a few dandelions. I saw Jim pour vinegar over the dandelions around the edges of the building, and I was astonished. I'd never tried that (I have a whole litany of things I did try in a former life that didn't work, and another list of things I didn't try because I didn't want to poison the yard). Well, it worked! White vinegar for weeds! It's non-toxic, and it's cheap, too.

The clouds came and went today in a typical pattern of Astoria on an inconclusive day. I loved the shades and lines here, and I have a thing for peeling buildings when they look as cool as this does.

I worked late, as usual, and when the sky began to turn orange, I left for the gym with camera in hand. You never know what the sky will do. It had been raining, and everything was wet, but the clouds were thinning out. I took this from the Sixth Street Viewing Platform.

This was the view facing the other direction (up-river). Lovely colors.

I walked a little way down the River Walk and found this nice reflection before I turned back. I was planning to drive in the direction of the bridge anyway (just barely visible in the lower right of the reflection).

It was worthwhile. It was still and quiet, just a little damp from the rain, but not much. Only another photographer and a dog-walker were about on the River Walk behind the Holiday Inn Express.

Colors of morning on the Columbia River

Coming home from Paris can be a rude awakening. I wasn't ready to leave, but just as I looked out the window on my first morning home, the sun broke through the lowering sky and sent me colors to feel happy about. The gray doesn't bother me, but the colors made me smile and rush for the camera. It was a welcome scene. I love the fog around the prow of the ship in the first photo. Sometimes the middle of the 4-mile-wide river seems to have its own weather pattern.

Another interesting ship on the river

Here we are. Another interesting ship on the Columbia River as seen from just outside my office. I never get tired of looking at the variety of the ships, the colors, the lighting and weather on the river. The photos aren't spectacular, they're just snaps of what goes by out there. If you want to, yo can click on an image for a bigger view. As usual, the green and white pilot boat is taking pilots to and from the ship.

Docks and things at the end of 12th Street, Astoria

Astoria is so much about history. Either it's already old, or it's going to change, and what you see will soon be gone. I took this photo on August 23, 2002, and as I type the blog post in December of 2008, the photo below is already history. The warehouses on the right have been refurbished and turned into a real estate office, a Coffee House, and some other things - or things in the making. They tried to keep the flavor, but of course it doesn't look old any more. I should take a comparison photo and link to it.

Both pictures were taken from the walkway along the outside of Baked Alaska, aka Doc's on 12th Street. The weather is so Astorian - low clouds with a sun break. I always love walking along the river. At the time I took the photo I lived in an apartment on Bond Street with a wonderful view of the water. I didn't know that by 2007, I'd be leasing the building that goes with the radio tower in these two pictures. You can't actually see the building from this vantage point.

July 17, Astoria: More pictures along the waterfront and some cool facades

This is the pilot boat in its dock at the foot of 12th Street. Just beyond the buildings is the walkway on the pier that's dedicated as a park. I blogged some photos of it yesterday.

Here's the old corrugated building just to the right of the pilot boat as you look east up the river. I love this old building.

Standing in approximately the same location, you can look across the River Walk to the back of Andrew & Steve's Restaurant. It's surprising all the places art turns up in Astoria and on its buildings.

Here's a closer view of the painting.

And here's the front of the cafe. Kate and I ate there and I've gone back a couple of times. I started getting up really early to go to Toastmaster's held in the back room here. I can't believe I'm getting up this early, but I wanted to meet people and try to get better at public speaking. The group consists of only about seven people when the regulars are all here. They're very nice and I feel welcome.

I haven't taken many pictures of the town itself yet. The main downtown area is only a few blocks wide and about twice that long. The Liberty Theatre and the Elliott Hotel are both venerable old landmarks.

I love interesting architectural detail. This is the top of the building cattycorner from the Liberty Theatre at the corner of 12th and Commercial. I grew up in Corona, California, where my ancestors were founders three generations before me. When I grew up we had buildings of this vintage and intricacy, but the town went through a horrifying "urban renewal," which was actually a complete travesty. The beautiful buildings are gone (this link shows only a few of them). Astoria seems to value its old structures more, and I'm happy to see that.

July 8: Scenes on the river - Astoria, Oregon, 2001

Sunday Market. A couple of streets shut down and you can listen to music, have food from vendors, and browse hand-made products and hand-grown produce. It's laid back and lazy, and a great place to go on a sunny day.

My apartment is taking shape, things are getting put away. The book shelf is filling up, and altogether it's still pretty neat (either meaning).

I thought I'd brighten up the room with a salmon-colored mattress cover. It's serving as a couch right now. The bed is out of the photo on the right. That white furry fabric may someday be pillows. Both are out of keeping with my usual choices, but this is fun.

You can't see the mini mirrors, but the navy blue square on the door is Indian mirrored fabric. Supposedly if you have a front door and back door facing each other, you should put something reflective on the door so the energy flow stays put. What I like about these Feng shui solutions is, they usually feel right, look right, or something. I wouldn't keep doing it if it only felt superstitious.

Here's the front door. The hall is filling up. What a great space to put books and things so my other rooms can feel spacious. On the right are two ceramic tapirs made by Audrey Jakab for the tapir gift shop. Yeah, they all made it here without breaking.

The office, too, is coming together. And I'm learning things. I bought the copier in the lower right when I was in Colorado. Once I got here, the paper started sticking and jamming, and nothing that had worked in Palisade to keep it going worked very well in Astoria. I had Mike come out from a local store and he told me the copier itself (a Konica) didn't work well in damp climates, but worked fine in dry. I mean, who knew? Who would guess that? Not good.

I like this funky photo. It makes the river look as wide and limitless as it feels. It's four miles wide right here. I took this from the Sixth Street viewing platform.

All of the rest of the pix in this post were also take from the platform or near the base of it. Here's a shot looking up river with some of Astoria's houses visible on the hillside. The waterfront is used for many things now. These are office buildings nearby. I'm not sure what the building further back is. It may still have something to do with fish.

The bump to the right of the ships is the peninsula of Tongue Point.

That's Sixth Street, as seen from the platform.

I love this. It needs music or something. The pilot boat is racing out to do its thing with the ship - exchange pilots for the trip across the bar, which is incredibly dangerous to navigate if you don't know what you're doing. It has more impact if you click on the photo to enlarge it.

Nice! This ship is making its way up the river. I love the sparkles.