Wooden Wheel

Continuing my monochromatic theme for the week.

(And for those curious about that teal wall in yesterday's post, click here to see it in color.)

Sleipner

A boat from the wharf at Westport, Washington. I romanticize about life by the ocean, sunset walks on the beach all summer long.

Swirly Alien Robot

"This way to the swirly orange thing and the smiley alien robot." Or that's what I take this sign to mean.

It's signage for the new MAX train line opening in Portland on September 12th. (But I won't be riding it. 'Cause I (gasp!) bought a car. Don't hate my un-earth-hugging ways.)

And in case you're not from Portland, the top sign is the logo for the TriMet public transit system. S'posed to be a rose.

Dark Chevy

Emblem from the front of an old Chevy truck. Click for a larger view.

Speedy Orange

Speedy orange biker along Morrison and 3rd Avenue in Portland.

This Train

I ride the electric commuter train to work every day here in Oregon, but don't see many old freight trains any more.

USPS

So I take pictures of postal trucks. It's an odd hobby.

VW

I'm a sucker for car ornaments. I went out photo-walking to take pictures of fall foilage--and came back with this. Guess I got sidetracked.

Jag Hoodie

Hood ornament from a Jaguar. Why don't cars generally have hood ornaments any more? Aerodynamics?

Loading

The side of a parked train.

3800

Random shot from a junkyard. If you can tell me what make / model of vehicle it came off of, you win... um... bragging rights?

Yellow and Silver Bug

A patched-together Volkswagon Beetle from down the street.

Very Portland

Another detail from a Portland fire truck.

Speaking of Portland, I had someone say that I was a "very Portland kind of person". Didn't realize that "Portland" was an adjective. But I take it as the high praise it was intended to be. If they think I'm "very Portland", they should meet my wife.

Left

Turn signal from a Portland Fire Department truck. Just part of the festivities at the Mt. Scott Community block party this past weekend. Free food, rock climbing wall and roller skating--what more could we ask for on a sunny Saturday?

Volvo on a Lonely Street

Old Volvo with no place to go. Stitched from five separate photos.

Tread

If you followed the KATU link from the other day, you've already seen this shot. Snapped it to accompany a web article my wife wrote for a local TV station's website. Turned out well enough to post it here too and save it for posterity.

I'm thinking this bike should be bronzed after it's been passed down through all our kids. Lot of memories attached to it already with two not-so-little guys learning to ride on their own. Not quite there with the younger one--but he's completely worn through one set of training wheels until they're nothing but nubs.

Lark Cruiser

An old Studebaker Lark Cruiser parked outside the Gresham Regional Library. Kind of a corny looking car now, but must have been a looker for its time. I'm sure they'll say the same thing about the PT Cruiser 50 years from now. Of course, I thought those looked corny as soon as they came out...

PhotoCycle

I don't motorcycle. I PhotoCycle. Yes, I took that picture WHILE RIDING MY BIKE. And many other pics too.

I find that it adds a new extreme to photography to keep the adrenaline flowing.

My wife finds that it adds a lot of humor to her life. Like when I fall off my bike.

Some people bungee jump. Some climb Mt. Everest. Nerds like me find our own ways to live on the edge.

Old Bug

Graceful lines on an aging Volkswagon Beetle. Classic.

Makes me think of all the times we played "Slug Bug" as a kid. See a VW and you get to slug your brother in the arm while shouting "Slug Bug!" Where does this stuff get started?

Cross Country

Camper that hasn't seen the highway in awhile. With the price of gas, probably a lot of vacations will be spent camping in the back yard this summer.

Cobra Portrait

Self-portrait caught in the reflection of the side-view mirror on a sleek Cobra.

Ford Nostalgia

Insignia from an old Ford. No idea what year it is. Any car buffs what to chime in?

Canary Corvette

Smooth lines of a canary-colored Corvette on NW 7th Avenue in Portland.

Oh yeah? But can it haul four kids, two carseats, two bikes, and a lifetime supply of Cheerios hidden down in the seat cushions?

Mini and the Red Door

A Mini Cooper from down the street.

Don't look at the red door.

DO NOT look at the RED DOOR.

Did you look?

Dual Harleys

Couple of Harley-Davidson motorcycles sittin' outside a warehouse. His and hers?

Girly Bike

Bright pink bike at Washington Park on the west side of Portland.

Vintage Corolla

An old Corolla in the library parking lot.

Not So Fast

The speedometer on our van. No, I wasn't driving at the time. Just waiting in the parking lot with a kid in the backseat while dear wife was in the library. A perfect time to get the camera out and shoot! (Told ya--I never leave home without it! Okay, almost never.)

Colorful Convertibles

Toy cars lined up on display as if pulled in to watch a tiny drive-in movie.

Russell

A Russell steam tractor at the Wooden Shoe Bulb Company's tulip festival.

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.

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. =)

Orange Beauty

I'm not much of a car buff, but there's no denying the beauty of this fiery GT.

Traffic

Looking down on traffic at the intersection of Tuo Dong and Bai Ta roads in Kunming, China.

Bike Town

Portand Oregonians like to brag about how bike-friendly their streets are, but our city is nothing compared to Beijing where entire car-sized lanes are reserved for bike traffic. Riders everywhere--old and young, men and women, white collar and blue. Many bikes were loaded with piles of clothing, papers, or even 55-gallon drums with roasted sweet potatoes available for sale.

Faster than a Speeding Train

A Norfolk-Southern car blurs past, trucking stuff from here to there.

Red Bike on a Rainy Day

Not the best day for riding your bike to work.

Red Van

Vehicles--like pets--usually reflect the personality (and sometimes appearances) of their owners. Don't know if hippies are still around or not, but this van seems proof that there might be.

Mercedes

An elegant Mercedes parked a few blocks away.

Hood Ornament Quiz

Here's the hood ornament. Can you name the make and model? (Gotta leave your guesses in the comments.)

Old Ford

A sunny Saturday morning reflected in the polished hubcap of an old Ford.

Rusty Blue

A tired old delivery van rusts away in the junkyard.

Biker

Happened to catch this guy at just the right moment as he zoomed by (and no, I wasn't driving at the time). I have no use for motorcycles personally since half the fun must be feeling the wind blow through your hair--of which I have little.