Guilded Ceiling

Painted ceiling from Renaissance Room in the Governor Hotel--a hundred year-old schmancy place in downtown Portland.

Bike Rack, Part III

Adding to my collection of bike rack photos.

Library Stitch

A stitched panorama of the Portland Central Library facade. Click the image for a larger view.

Chess on the Square

An amiable game of chess at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland this past weekend. It's scenes like this that make Portland seem like such a quaint, friendly little town.

Grid Light

Lines of light and shadow down the back wall of Woodstock Library on a sunny afternoon.

Gates of Knowledge

Doorway of the Central Library in downtown Portland. The library hosts FREE concerts on Sundays--and I do love FREE. This time it was a top-notch instrumental trio and a vocalist performing flamenco / mariachi / latin music.

Pipe Shadow

A rainwater drain pipe casts a long shadow at high noon.

Gotta Key?

I don't know where it leads, but you're not gettin' through. Nice of them to let you know though.

Misty Morning

Sidewalks shimmer from a morning drizzle along Holladay Street in Portland.

Crystal Spire

One of the twin glass spires of the Portland Convention Center in a winter sunset.

Spiral Rack

Another loopy bike rack. This one's in front of one of the dozen or so Target stores around town.

[And how do I know that there's so many Target stores? Because I called EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM this last Christmas to see if they had a specific toy for a little boy I know. They didn't.]

Courthouse Facade

Facade of the courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Arches and Ovals

Another view of the Central Library foyer in downtown Portland. (Parorama shot stitched from three separate photos. Click the photo to view a larger version.)

Loopy Pipe

A loopy pipe for storing bikes. Kinda looks like three giant prongs of a fork sticking up out of the ground. But then again, I'm weird.

Portland is a big bicycle town. I heard recently that they're converting an area of the car lane just before certain intersections to be reserved for bikes. At a red light, automobiles will have to stop several feet back from the light so that the bikes can be in front. The hope is that this will prevent cyclists from being hit by cars who don't see them coming alongside in the bike lane when the automobile turns right.

Fixturated

Guess I'm fixated on lighting fixtures.

This one comes from the ceiling of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. Thanks to the Portland Library and the Oregon Symphony, we won FREE tickets to a children's concert there this afternoon. Had fantastic seats too! The concert was very well done and a delight we couldn't have afforded otherwise.

Let's hear it for FREE stuff!

End of the Line

For two little boys I know, there's a huge thrill in riding the city train. The best adventure yet? Discovering what happens when the train gets to the end of the line. Does it turn around? Is there a loop somewhere? A giant turntable? How do they get it going the other direction?

So we rode the train all they way to the mysterious not-so-distant suburb of Gresham just to find out. This is the legendary "Gresham" that the boys hear every time they board the train (Automatic voice recording: "This is a blue line train to Gresham. In the priority seating area, you are required to move for seniors and people with disabilities. The doors are closing." The boys have this MEMORIZED and quote it randomly around the house.). Going to Gresham for them was like going to Disneyland.

And what happened at the end of the line?

I wouldn't want to rob you of the adventure. =)

Come Sit With Me

A park bench down the street.

When I'm in public places, I sometimes wonder just how many other people have sat right where I'm sitting, or have stood and looked at the very thing I'm looking at. What were they doing there? What troublesome and happy thoughts were rumbling through their head?

I'll never know them, but for a moment we've shared a connection.

Pachyderm Portrait

What do roses, elephants and the world have in common?

Beats me. This odd mural on the building at Burnside and 1st Avenue in Portland is being painted over, so I consider it my duty to archive it for future generations to puzzle over.

And if you can decipher its meaning--please, enlighten the rest of us.

Brick and Blue

My entry into photography opened my eyes to so much visual interest around me, even around the back door of this school near Grant Park in Portland. Contrasts of color, light, shape, and texture--just waiting for someone to notice.

Dry Statues

It seems only appropriate that Portland yard statues would have umbrellas.

Actually, it hasn't rained here nearly as much as I was led to believe. A good drizzle now and then, but hardly ever enough for an umbrella. In fact, you can usually tell the tourists by their umbrellas. Real Portlanders just pull their hood up.

Iron Curls

Curly Q's from an iron door near Burnside and 1st Avenue in Portland.

When I'm out and about with my camera, I'll snap a picture of almost anything. It's not uncommon for me to return with 200-300 shots from just a brief outing. Then as I'm sorting back through photos weeks later, I'll re-discover a nice shot that I had forgotten about. This is one example.

Sidewalk Cafe

Two chairs waiting for friends to meet for an afternoon coffee.

Just noticed that I'm stuck on this "crop the picture into a square" routine. Can't help myself.

Iron Glyphs

Detail from a cast iron column at Ankeny Square near Skidmore Fountain in downtown Portland. The square displays ornamental pieces taken from historic buildings that no longer exist.

Street Closed

Just a street sign.

By the way, thanks to those who've stopped by lately and left comments! It's always great to hear from fellow shutterbugs.

Patina Gate

The ubiquitous pale turquois metal guarding the public transit system in Portland.

Pigeon Fountain

Thirsty pigeons grab a drink from a water fountain, unfazed by the rush of a city train passing by.

Striped Shadows

Afternoon shadows cast from a railing at the mall.

Cement is Forever

If you're ever going to write in cement, make sure you check the spelling first.

Push Button for Free Giveaway!

Last week's contest has me in a give away mood. And there's no guessing this time! Just take some time to browse around and then leave a comment on this post. At the end of the week, I'll choose a random winner to receive a FREE set of 12 custom notecards featuring any Crossmark photo from my archives--YOUR CHOICE OF ANY PHOTO!

(NOTE: If you want a better chance at winning, say something thoughtful--like which photos you like, your own interest in photography, etc.)

If you're a photo enthusiast, weigh in with some ideas for my Photo Tips series coming up. (Not a requirement for winning the above give away.) NOTE: Your own photography tips are fine, but I'm more interested in your questions about photography.

For a more ways to win a lot of other things, visit the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival going on all week!

Schoolyard Tree

Gotta P

Before Cell Phones

Don't see too many of these anymore. Too bad, 'cause I used to find a lot of loose change that way.

In the Sky with Diamonds

A stitched panorama of the Portland airport ceiling architecture, blended from three separate photos. (Click the image for a larger view.)

Everybody's Goin' Somewhere

Travelers make their way to and from their gates at Portland's airport. Riding the train up to the airport is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon--free entertainment for restless squidgets. Portland's airport is rather like a mall with more restaurants and shops than many other airports I've been in.

Red Bike on a Rainy Day

Not the best day for riding your bike to work.

Stepping into a New Year

A now familiar sight to me from my daily commute. These stairs lead from the 82 Street overpass down to the MAX train station below. Never thought I would fall so much in love with the glass and concrete sprawl of urban life, but the city suits me. I'll always long for open spaces of unspoiled nature. But my heart for people who hurt makes me want to be where they are--and for now, that's Portland. What an unexpected journey 2007 turned out to be for us.

May 2008 take you to wonderfully strange places that stretch you into someone new, and may the world be the better for it. Happy New Year!

Nine

From a loading dock at Ohio Art in Bryan, Ohio--where they make the Etch-a-Sketch.

Shopping on 74th

An oddity of living in the city is that shopping carts turn up in the strangest of places.

Silver Mime

Throw a dollar in the pewter pot at his feet and this silver statuesque street performer comes to life, doing some stunning feats with silver orbs.

Street Drummer

Clickety-clackin' a stack of buckets and pans to entertain the sidewalk crowd of Christmas shoppers near Pioneer Square. Poor guy had to grab attention away from the Star Wars Storm Troopers across the street, a chrome-painted mime on one corner, and a laddie with bagpipes on the other. How's a guy supposed to make a living with competition like that? Or maybe I'm in the wrong business. I do have a dusty clarinet under the bed. Maybe if I did a street gig people would pay me to stop playing...

And the Band Played On

Not just any piano store--nooooo.... It's the IMMORTAL Piano Company. IT SHALL LIVE F O R E V E R ! Bu-Wah-Ha-Haaaaaaaa!

Now that's marketing.

5 Blue Bins

A back alley sight on an overcast day.

Tuba or Not To Be

A tuba top waits for its owner to assemble him and join the 200 or so horn players in the annual Tuba Christmas concert on Pioneer Square in downtown Portland. A quirky bit of fun, but powerful and moving at times too.

Blue Reflections

Great modern architecture on Pioneer Square in downtown Portland. "If you're gonna build a monstrosity, make it interesting to look at," I always say. This design is one of my favorites around here.

Frozen Fountain

Water from a public drinking fountain, still as ice.

Leaf LIght

A flock of leaves flitter around a street light like amber moths.

167

Detail from a fire hydrant down by our Community Center.

Foggy December

Festive green lights adorn the top floor of the office building where I work, peeking through the morning fog.