end of the week jetsam - or is it flotsam?

Closing in on the last of the Fall color...and isn't it rambunctiously bright?



Messages in the cemetery. Some pretty cool last names.



My new office. I arrived before they were ready for me. Wish I'd had a camera that first day...what a mess! Not a bare spot to be seen. This looks exceptional by comparison. Work in progress.

Vatican Says Alien Life May Exist

I've been reading reports that the Vatican says intelligent life may exist in other galaxies (sorry for our earlier disagreement, Galileo.) It turns out that they have a super duper observatory at Castel Gandolfo - whoda thunk it? - outside of Rome. Now, I'm down with all of that. I may actually enjoy watching movies about aliens now. But - I want to know if we can transport some of that intelligent life to earth.

Birthday cards! Lauren! Fun!

One recent day on my way home I was in this traffic jam...my guages tell the story.



Lauren's corner. My fake-daughter is named Lauren. It would have been my real daughter's name had I had one. Had to take this photo.




Scenery on my way in to work one recent morning. Sunset scene is the same silos.






Friday night began my birthday extravaganza. A friend and I went to Fourth Street Live - saw and heard the amazing Monarchs - a band from my youth that still sounds phenomenal. (How come the crowd was so white-hair heavy when I'm not? - They made me feel young, which is a great way to begin a birthday.)



Here are the handmade birthday cards I've received so far this year. Below is the full contingent of cards (not including the many Facebook wishes and emailed greeeting cards) and also some family photos during part of the near week-long birthday celebration...hurray! I can't even notice I'm a year older because everyone has kept me too busy having fun! Tomorrow we're going to dinner...this birthday keeps going and going and going...



Below: Mike and Celeste; Mom and Andrea; two sisters.

Those Blue Bottles

Those blue bottles have captured my imagination. I have photographed them with the sun shining through them, catty-whompus, head-on and 'regular'. Here are a few other views of blue glass in a sunny window. That's about it for the blue bottles. Something else will call to me soon enough. (Yeah - the last one I bought was actually a Goodwill purchase of a purple rather than blue bottle...50 cents!)

Jack the o'lantern, blue bottles in sunny window & Sheriff Max

Max was dressed as Sheriff Max, but we couldn't let him out when the kids came. Too unpredicatably rambunctious. Typical sheriff, right?


Earlier today I took a snapshot of my blue glass in a sun-filled window.


And tonight I caught Jack the O'Lantern looking quite used up in his geranium perch. I need to try this again tomorrow night without a flash so you can see the eeriness that shows when he is lit from within instead of without.

A Smile in Every Room

The above words were a part of the article in today's Courier Journal about friend Gaye Medbury's home. Enjoy Gaye's home. The small pictures do not do it justice. The actual newspaper article was better, but not as thorough. Here is a link to the article - with 53 pictures to enjoy!
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=B2&Date=20091030&Category=FEATURES08&ArtNo=910300801&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

You may have to copy and paste...if so, I'm sorry, but do it! You'll enjoy the journey. "A Smile in Every Room" is suitable, but not entirely apt. "Many Smiles in Every Room" would have been even more accurate.

October evening

Here are some photos along the riverfront in Jeffersonville, on the banks of the Ohio River...plus one taken of Autumn leaves next to the parking lot where I work. Rain tomorrow will probably end the gorgeous display.

Blue Bottles in Window

I've been gathering blue glass for a couple of years. Here is a collection in my window. It makes me happy to look at them. They're even prettier when the sunlight shines through them.

Wienie Roast!

Went to an old fashioned wienie roast last Saturday. To protect the innocent, I won't name names, but this is a good way to share photos with them. It was a cold night with warm people.

Cincinnati

Didn't take a single photo on my day trip to Cincy today. Cincy is on the Ohio River. The leaves are only just beginning to turn. We ate a very late lunch at a restaurant right on the picturesque river. --- It was a work trip and was very good, though my back ached from the non-ergonomic conditions of the inventory I conducted. My co-workers are fantastic people and good at what they do. (Much like most in my old job, which is very heartening to me.) (Hey! Who on earth uses the word 'heartening'? Where did that come from?) We learned a lot, such as how to make our own situation ergonomically correct and able to facilitate the best work by the short, the average and the tall. My co-workers received many vicarious compliments on their facile grasp of the new concepts. Yay, team! (Funny coincidence...I headed the Purple Team at my old job and I left with us as top performers. This new team at the new company is ....the PURPLE team! I had nothing to do with it, but it bodes well.)

Boss is out the rest of the week, but I will have plenty to do nonetheless. For one thing, I will explore the entire (huge, old) building - and locate the TP to replenish the private room - as I am the only woman in the testosterone-rich office setting.

Forgot something important - I need to have Friday, November 20th off as I will be attending a watercolor workshop in central Indiana with my good friend Donna that day. Oops!

An old wedding set

Forgive me for cleaning up my files. I had never posted this set to my website and ran across it this week. This lovely bride had me letter the return address, the response card and envelope, the invitation and envelopes.

Copperplate tidbits

Here are a few small pieces I did this week in copperplate. The piece on ships had to be lettered twice (one on top of the other) because the first white lettering sank into the paper. The Oprah quote is one I lettered much larger several years ago. I hope to do a few more little pieces this weekend. Head start on Christmas gifts or an art show I plan to do next year. It's been a long time since I've lettered just for the fun of it - and I'm loving the feel of the pen on the paper.

Diana's Sandi Goddess

My friend Diana came over this morning and asked me to take some photos of her latest piece. It's for a woman named Sandi, and the form looks like a goddess to me - therefore the name of today's blogspot. It is a full sheet of Stonehenge paper - about 30 by 22 inches. (The white at the bottom is a separate piece of paper, not part of the piece.)


Here is a photo of the entire image, but because much of the lettering is in pastel colors and some is very small, I am also including some detail photos of some of the areas. The quote is a Nancy Woods poem about writing her life in the stars upon the universe...very pretty. There are some small jewels in the sky of the painting along with the name Sandi debossed into the soft-bodied Stonehenge paper. Some shiny parts are due to collaged-on gossamer paper. It looks more like simply texture in these photos, but in person it is very striking.

ET Wedding monogram

I did this wedding monogram of the bride and groom's first name initials a few years ago. Just found it when I was looking through files for something else.

A Pear is Like a Lady

Thanks to Georgia Deaver for supplying me with this quote. I'd painted some pears in the past, and when I saw the quote I knew I wanted to put them together. Today I did this little piece in calligraphy on watercolor paper and added a pastel drawing of a pear. It's my first rough for a larger piece.

Bees!

Bees are swarming on my hummingbird feeder. Yesterday there was a mound about the size of a 50cent piece. Today it's at least double that size. They're really emptying the feeder. A friend told me last week that she'd like to have a beehive...she's welcome to the bees! These photos were taken through my kitchen window screen. Sorry, but I didn't want to risk being stung. I'm not National Geographic photographer crazy.

Painting today

I began a new set of paintings today. They started out white...gesso and paint mixture. Added pastels in three colors. Added more gesso and acrylic to add some tone to the white. I will wait to see what they tell me to do next. These photos are a little dark.





I am also experimenting with the pair of orange paintings I did a few weeks ago. I want to add some bright, bold blue to spark against the orange, but am taking it slow to see where it needs to go. I have varnished them and they look really good without the blue - but I keep thinking a spot or two of blue could make them better.

Took care of legal things today and shopped! Bought a new red leather Fossil bag at Dillard's and a beautiful new suit jacket in browns and black and gold at Stein Mart. Bought some new canvases too...have to have the raw materials when the painting bug hits!

One door closes, another opens

(A doorway in Savannah)


Left a (stress-filled) job that I loved and some great people on Friday. No more driving across the bridge to Louisville every day. No more seeing the progress on the new arena being built next to the Clark Bridge everyday - if I was even in town, that is. Will miss my clients and teammates and others, but new, exciting things are happening. Life is unbelievable!





A new day has begun. Got a new job on Monday that I know I will love and will love me back. Exciting times! They wanted me to start today, but I am taking two weeks for R & R to prepare for the demands of my new role(s). One door closes...another opens. (Actually had two good job offers yesterday. Unbelievable! I chose the one I knew I wanted, which is basically being created as we go.)



(Another Savannah doorway...steps to climb!)

Celeste - my little mermaid - is 20

One of my sweet and beautiful nieces turned twenty on Saturday. Here are some photos. Family is good.


Birthday Girl - Celeste.


Celeste, Natalie, Andrea. My beautiful gurlzz.


Jim and Mom.


Celeste with Dee.



Here's the cake! Mmmm Cheesecake Ice cream cake.


Sisters/Moms.


Celeste and Andrea. My gurlzz.


Andrea and Dad.


Andrea and Grandma


Lovely Natalie - look at those eyes!

What a Life!

What a life Maximillion lives! Here he is curled up in his favorite chair. He has grown so much. And to think the vet told Steve that he wouldn't get very big! Ha!



One recent Saturday as I was crossing the bridge back home from Louisville I saw many sailboats on the Ohio River. I went home for my camera and snapped several photos. Here are a few of them.







This ladder on the rooftop of a building downtown always makes me wonder if it's for breaking in or for breaking out. I prefer to think of it as an escape.



The two matching buildings are part of the Galt House complex that overlooks the river at the foot of Fourth Avenue. The closer one in the center is on Muhammad Ali (the street, not the champ.) I like the window.



And last but not least, here is Maxi with his favorite toy - a rubber snake.



Today I made several birthday cards to round out my exchange. I can't share them until the end of the year, but I'll try to do something I can share with you soon.

Yesterday I stopped at Aunt Chris's cute little house on my way home from work. I took her some dinner and cleaned her bed and bedroom. I brought her draperies and bedspread home to wash, so I will probably stop there again on Monday to deliver the cleaned spread and hang the clean draperies. Maybe I'll bring more of her draperies home on Monday. My new washer is fantastic!

Changing art scene

Ha! These two paintings looked very different when I showed them to Diana on Sunday. They were almost monotone. Not much tonal variation. They were at the starting point and fairly placid looking. Not so now! All the black is the new part. Imagine these without the pop of the black paint. Boring. Pleasant, but boring. I think they look like a Mars sunset now. How did that happen? It was nowhere in my consciousness or plan. I wanted 'pretty'. This is only an interim stage, and I wish I'd photographed the beginnings. They will change again. Stay tuned. Hopefully the end will be an improvement.

Enough Labor! Heading to Labor Day

What a week! Work was Cra-Z. Met Laurie D and Steve S for lunch on Tuesday - a much-needed dose of camaraderie and goodwill - not to mention artists' companionship. Thursday was an off-site meeting with a client meeting thrust into a priority position. Friday another stressful meeting - same client. Much needed party-time with friends at Laura and Rob's yesterday - cookout, corn-hole (Hoosier name for backyard beanbag game), and then Yahtzee, which I hadn't played in nearly a lifetime. It was fun. It was good to see Jaco and Mariana, and good to spend away-from-work-time with Diane and Mark, Laura and Rob.

Early this afternoon I met Diana - freshly in from Florida - for a walk in the park (literally.) The Canadian geese have taken over the park since I was last there, and dweebs are not cleaning up after their dogs on the walking paths. Yuck. We critiqued each other's art projects, did two laps around the lake and then had salads for late lunch at Applebees. Celeste, my lovely beautician-niece, has just left my house after cutting my hair back short again.

Tomorrow I plan to work on my pair of orangey-hued paintings, incorporating some of Diana's suggestions and letting them simmer in my brain a while longer. I bought Pat Conroy's "South of Broad" the other day and may begin reading it and save the remainder of Barbara Walter's surprisingly good memoir "Audition" for my travel reading this week when I will be in Missouri and Illinois. Will also prepare for my trips, but other than that I'm planning nothing for this day even though there were some really enticing coupons for Michael's art store in today's paper.

Will post photos of the orange paintings whenever they are completed. It may be months. Time flies, but I don't.

Maxi is growing!

I knew it! I knew he wasn't going to stay little. He went to the veterinarian today for the remainder of his shots and he has gained 8 pounds! He may gain up to 10 more, probably will max out at 35. Big tall guy, he is. Long legs.

Mount St. Francis annual picnic

I have no photos, but a couple of comments about this year's Mt. St. Francis picnic, which, because I used to participate in Art in Speed Park on the same weekend, I have missed for the past many years. The food is the thing at this annual picnic near our home. First - I won a cake and a basket of fruit! Hurray for me. Second, they added a silent auction this year and I saw but didn't bid on a beautifully constructed nightstand stained in wild berry made by the wonderful carpenter who remodeled my kitchen, Andy Gawlak of LaGrange, KY. That was a nice surprise to see. Third, after making small talk with us for a few minutes one of the monks told Steve and I that we looked happily married. Last, I acted as waitress for a man and gave him correct change for his hundred dollar bill and got the first tip of my lifetime - $2. for a $3 cup of beverage. Hurray for me, ha ha! (I was just being a 'nice guy'. I've never been a waitress in my life unless you count putting dinner on the table for my family every night for many, many years.) We had fun, and the country style food was fantastic. The weather was perfect!

Before that I made a mid-day run to Louisville artist Gaye Medbury's studio sale - open only to friends and friends of friends. I took home a sack full of loot and memories for another year. Gotta love Gaye, a fabulously creative woman who lives her artistic life every day. Enjoyed as well seeing Pat of the Artkerfuffle blog, a friend I see much too seldom. Gaye's home is so wonderfully unique I have nominated it for home of the week for the local newspaper's fashion section.

Tomorrow I will visit and most likely spend some cash at the annual Art in Speed Park art fair in Speed, IN. Kim Johnson and her team have juried many fine artists to participate and I am anxious to see all of them...many friends from years past, and many new ones I'm sure. This show is a little jewel with fine juried artists and craftsmen of a high caliber. I will participate again next year - just far too busy this year to manage to create any new work...I have a year to work toward having a full booth next year. And I bought cool stuff at Gaye's that I will incorporate into some new pieces...creative juices are flowing. It is fun to be around creative people! Even more fun when they are also friends.

"Maxi is Growing" and 2009 KY State Fair photos

Maxi-million is growing. He's losing the puppy look and today I notice that both of his ears are standing at point (one used to flop over like in this shot from a week ago.)


My bougainvilla - memories of Spain for me - is doing beautifully, isn't it!



Steve and I had fun at the fair. First off, we headed for our annual corndog. Slathered with catsup, yum-yum! We passed up the livestock this year, something unheard of in years past. Then we walked the midway as in our young days, then looked at the art exhibits (I hadn't entered anything this year, but I can still say unequivocally that I wouldn't have judged many categories the same way.) After that we gave a quick run through the commercial exhibits - not stopping until I ran down my favorite fudge...and since Sunday I have systematically, piece-by-piece, eaten the whole pound minus one piece of chocolate pecan fudge from Hodson Farms. It's so much better than the other vendor's...firmer and more like the Hershey cocoa fudge my daddy used to make. There is very little left. It will be gone by tonight. Hurray for me. I'm really good at that! I could take a blue ribbon in fudge eating probably. And after I kill the last piece I will be green and won't want another bite until next year's fair. And then we headed home...and the traffic wasn't nearly as bad as on the way in.

Here are a few sights from the midway, beginning with the living statue. I saw my first one of these on Las Ramblas in Barcelona, and another in the celebrating crowd at the Running of the Bulls. The Spanish ones were gray rather than white. This one must be marble.




I believe this little tot could have won "Best Dressed" at the fair. How cute is this little blondie? (She reminds me of my niece Natalie when she was that age.)


After I took the second of these two photos, Steve asked, "What is it with you and these toothless guys?" LOL - I said I was just trying to capture typical fair images.



Last but not least is this budding photography winner. We both liked the blue cat she had in her viewfinder. I liked her intent pursuit of the perfect photo even better.


And then we went home. 2009 KY State Fair runs through Sunday, but it's now over for me. Big weekend coming up too. ART in SPEED PARK Saturday & Sunday, Mt. St. Francis annual picnic - hello chicken and dumplings! - and Gaye's art yard sale where I will snatch up too-good-to-be-missed bargains of things I don't need but can't live without. You know, what other people would call 'junk'. Looking forward to all of it!

Goodbye to What's His Name

A couple of weeks ago we bid farewell to our friend, Barry. Here are some photos from lunch, beginning with the posse.


Catherine, Nate and Angie -


Ify, Elizabeth and Erica -


Daniel, Sam, Laura and a bit of Barry -


Barry, Tie wearer, Kendra -


And here is the entire group - photo courtesy of our waiter at Pesto's.



Here are a few snapshots from an after work get-together beginning with Mac's mugging face that looks rather sad to say goodbye.


Diane and Mark -


Newly engaged, Scott and Rachel -


Rob with LC -


Sam and Rob -


Angie and Mac - not looking like they're in a happy place.


Happier Angie.


Anonymous.


Things get rough when people are forced to wear neckties...a tribute to Barry who wore a necktie almost every day at work - until his Hawaiian shirt day!


He's Happy Now!


Marie and Elizabeth - You are going to miss this bunch!


Elizabeth and Diane -


Goodbye from Nate.

Here's Lookin at You, Kid! (Barry with Catherine)

Neighborhood excitement 2am

The fire engines didn't wake me up, but the idiot neighbor did at 2:10AM when he called to ask me if I have a dog - because though fire engines had waked him up, the dog was whining in the backyard. (I was sound asleep and didn't think to tell him that his truck wakes me every morning at 5 when he leaves for work. But NOW I have his phone number! Ha! Called him at 3 to see if he was okay.) I also have a headache that won't quit, which is why being waked up is bugging me so much. That was the first respite from the headache I've had for two days.


Here is a snap of a couple of the fire engines that came in response to the fire across the street, and one of our new pup Maximillion...so named because Steve says he'll be a million dollars worth of trouble. I said his name should be Lotto, because in finding soft-touch Steve, he'd won the lottery.

Jan 'n' Jake

Iampeth Convention was fun! I'll post more images and comments in the coming days, but for now, here is one I am proud of. (Thanks to Ann Cobb for snapping it.) This is me with the new 'rock star' of the pen world. Jake Weidmann's work is fantastic, and he is such a sweetheart too. Here he hugs me with his bodybuilder arm and holds up the delicate penwork from his hand - and handmade pen - of my name. My parting gift from Iampeth. (It's so much better than the undeserved parking ticket where there were no markings or signs saying 'no parking' to be seen. Nashville, you should be ashamed!)

And for those who are counting - got 100% on each of my last two lessons in Accounting 501. Hurray for me! Course is over and I got my A!

If an accountant were counting his flowers...

Ha! I finished Accounting 501 yesterday. It's been so grueling! It's done. The only thing now is to wait for grades. As part of the waiting process, enjoy these flower shots I took in the butterfly garden tonight.



Before too long I will be leaving for Nashville, TN - Music City USA - to attend the Iampeth pointed pen convention. I am looking forward

to meeting many online friends, re-connecting with others, Meeting my hostess Marilyn and spending time with my good friend Donna. This should be FuN!

Backyards and Birthdays

My butterfly garden changes weekly. Here are a few shots of what's blooming now. Well - I'm cheating. The beautiful hibiscus bloom is on friend Laura's deck.






SILLY BIRD IN HIS NON-GILDED CAGE




Natalie turned 18 on the 4th of July...here are some snapshots from our family party, which included Steve's fireworks...no photos of those.

HERE'S WHAT 18 LOOKS LIKE


PARTY BALLOONS in RED WHITE & BLUE


COUSINS


NATALIE.KYLE.CELESTE.KERRY



DYLAN REACTING TO SCREAMING MIMI FIREWORKS



MAMA/GRANDMA



TOOTSIES


SISTERS

Walkin the Dog - and other Oregon shots

I love this! As I prepared to snap the old granary building, a man rode by 'walkin' the dog'. I think they've done this before! Pup is on a leash and practically trotting. WALKIN' THE DOG

A couple of snapshots from the Japanese Garden, a lovely place in Portland. CRANES


WATER CASCADE


A view from picturesque Anne Amie (sp?) Winery. Two more at same place: A window at the winery, and a snapshot of some of the grapevines behind it. This area of Oregon is rife with wineries, and this was the most beautiful that I visited.
WINERY VIEW

WINERY WINDOW

WINERY VINERY

The last one is a touristy shot. Public sculpture in McMinnville yielded "BEN 'N' ME".

There's More Than One Way to Fly!

And here are two methods...Photos from the hot air balloon ride I took with Beth near Portland, and photos from the plane at the start of my long journey home.

First, the mighty gas jets in the balloon basket.

Some vineyards as seen from on high.

Our partner balloon and our shadows - quite neat, huh?

Dinghies in the water - dinghies from the wingies? No - we only felt like we had wings.

Fellow travelers...

We did a maneuver called "Splash and dash" where we touched down on the river and actually floated like a boat for a short time before lifting up again. Apparently only skilled ballooners can do this. Ours was good.

Here is the reflection of a treeline in the river.

The reflections of our balloon and our partner balloon look pretty good, don't they. That's me leaning out of the spiral decorated balloon to take this photo.


This one is a favorite. It's us waving at our reflection in the river.

Here's the basket being righted in preparation for stowing on the truck for the ride back after our flight. OOPS! Lean your head to the left, please, in order to see the correct view.



As counterpoint, here's another way to fly...or not. "Waiting" is what I call this photo. No wonder flights are never on time. Planes need siestas, or maybe they just like to wait in lines.

Flight pattern.

On a wing and a prayer.

And of course, some go - some stay. If you're going anywhere this summer - have fun!


I'll try to post a few more Oregon photos before the fun begins tomorrow and Saturday...Fourth of July weekend!

Turning 17 and Quick snapshots in Charleston

Birthday girl with her guy. How great to be seventeen!

Three beauties, three of my favorite people.

And here's a photo of a lucky man who is loved by all those girls.



"Reese" aka Terry enjoying the camaraderie and the nice evening.

A nice view of Louisville's skyline from "The Sunnyside". That is a bird above the bridge. I worry about how much the new arena, which will be just to the right of the Louisville side of the bridge, will affect the view...not to mention the traffic.

Here are two photos from my "just got home" trip to Charleston. One is of a doorway in one of the three pretty courtyards at my hotel, and the other is a windowbox shot on Meeting Street - for my purple team!




Flight photos are coming. I promise! Too much schoolwork to catch up on right now...and when will I ever paint again? Just reminded myself - I have a calligraphy job waiting to be done. Never enough time.

Louisville

I had promised FLIGHT photos. Instead I want to serve up some photos from Louisville that I've taken over the past year. One is a tiny liitle petrol station. I don't think it's operating, but it's quaint and cute and in Middletown, an eastern Louisville suburb.



Another photo I'd like to share is Baby on Top. a photo op that reminded me of National Lampoon's Vacation where the aunt is strapped (deceased) to the top of the car. What does that say about the family that strapped the baby's car seat to the top of the vehicle????


Just another sample of Louisville. Those flight photos are yet to come.

Oregon's picturesque coast

Today's posts are of photos of the beautifully picturesque rocky Oregon coast. The first two are views of the Newport Bridge. One is a typical seaside view, and the other is from a bit of a distance away, through the trees.



These next two photos are of a sea lion sunning at Newport Beach and also a boat in the bay at Newport.



Four more from little beach towns and Newport: A gull on her post perch, beautiful flowers outside a shop, a tea shop window - see me in the reflection? - and another view of the lighthouse...different sky. Oregon reminded me a lot of Ireland...flowers everywhere and very green. Parts of the coastline reminded me of the Cliffs of Moher. Also all the tea. More tea drinking opportunities than I've seen since Ireland! Oregon doesn't seem big on fish and chips though. More healthy-styles of cooking seem to prevail, but it could be that we just didn't frequent other places. No diners, no fast food. Actually we frequently cooked. One meal stands out as really wonderful. Beth cooked that night...but as the little girl in the old commercial for Shake'n'Bake used to say, "And I helped." It loses a lot if you can't hear in your mind as I do the extended accented 'hay-ulp' syllables in 'helped'.






These last photos are of the beautiful coastline along the way back to Portland from Newport; boats docked near a winery we visited; looking down into The Devil's Punchbowl formation and out a cave-like opening to the sea; and the circular shape in the rocks that is 'the punchbowl'. The next batch of photos will be flying photos! Another day.

Portland Photos

More vacation photos...and more to come. Here are some views in the Chinese garden in Portland. Lovely place. Very serene. Good gift shop too. The tea house was nice. I love the photo with the reflected skyscraper in the water. I also enjoyed the arrangement of teapots on the shelf. Andrea & I drank Eight Treasures tea, served in a cute little pot with a lid made to scrape away the plentiful flower petals floating in the slightly sweet tea.





A street scene in Portland and presentation of my lunch at a Portland Thai restaurant. Wow! Two young ladies had darling hats on and were enjoying beautiful coconut encased fruit drinks at the next table. Beth urged me to snap their photo. Wish I had! They were so cute and sweet looking.






Wildlife in Portland. This couple was even more striking from the front and side. I was too polite to take the front view and too slow to get the side view. Enjoy the rear.





Portland is for Lovers? This couple wouldn't get out of my way when I was trying to compose a photo at the Chinese Gardens, so when they decided to tarry with an extended smooch, I snapped their photo. Live. Love. Laugh. Enjoy many more lip-locks. They were one of three smooching couples we saw that day. Should have snapped them all.




It didn't seem quite right to post these crab traps in the same post with three kinds of crab, but I thought they were picturesque. We ate at Mo's, apparently a place that is de reiguer for travelers to the area. Seafood. Not a wide selection at this water-side one. (Apparently it's the original but there are one or two others with different menus.) There was a photo of Robert Kennedy there.

Happy Birthday, Stevie!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Stevie! We love you!

Newport Beach at Negative Low Tide...-2.8!

Ranger Guy lived above the beach (a difficult climb, but he'd climbed down the rocky face to view the negative low tide) and we were lucky to run into him at a tide pool. He pointed out some of the varied critters to us and named the seabirds (orange billed cormorant was one I'd never seen) and generally made me think that he and my brother Roger would have been great friends if they had met. These pix are of Guy naming the creatures normally hidden from view; a mix of creatures attached to rocks - starfish and anemone to name two; the operable one of two lighthouses at Newport Beach; and another view of the starfish clinging to rocks.


Crabs, crabs, we got crabs! Actually, I snapped shots of three types of crab on Newport Beach. Ranger Guy is holding a tiny hermit crab in one shot, the pretty peachy colored one is a dungeness crab and the dark one is unknown to me...I thought it was a horseshoe crab, but Roger said it's not...and I trust his knowledge. Guy was gone when I saw this critter.

Couldn't not show Patrick...the pretty solo starfish.

What a treat it was to see the Pacific Ocean at Newport Beach OR at a negative low tide of -2.8. I had never even heard of a negative low tide, but I knew it was something special!