Framed

Kauai, Hawaii ~ September 24, 2006

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Oregon Beaver

Astoria, Oregon ~ September 30, 2005

I found this very cool wood-burned driftwood at an estate sale here in Astoria. Somebody had more than average talent. It looks like an old engraving or a book illustration. The date above is when I took the photos, which was near the time I bought the piece. Unfortunately, I sold it on eBay, and it was probably one of the dumber things I've done; for what I got, I should have kept it. At least I have the photos.

There must be a story here, but I'll probably never know what it is. A pop-top hanger. Nice touch.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Hippo in the Sand

Seattle, Washington ~ May 5, 2008

Woodland Park Zoo

I almost stumbled on this sculpture before I saw it. Then it took me a minute to realize what it was. Very cool, very creative. I love this sculpture! And real hippos are only a few paces away.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Apparition

Sacramento, California ~ April 6, 2008

It's not a movie set, and it's not Egypt. I took this photo from a delightful outdoor restaurant on the Sacramento River. I believe the building holds offices - possibly government offices, but I'm not sure about that part.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Mosaic butterfly

The Louvre, Paris ~ May 6, 2004 (?)

I seem to have taken this somewhere in the Louvre on my birthday. It's with other photos from that day, but these are recovered photos from an SD card that got messed up, possibly from going through an airport scanner in my luggage. To make it a little worse, I had never set my old camera for the right date, so everything from that trip is two days off. The date above is as near as I can get to the truth. I believe it's accurate, but I can't say I actually remember this mosaic, as lovely as it is. I guess it would be an understatement to say there's a lot to see in the Louvre. . . .

Lee and I were also a distracted that day. I don't remember the whole story, but I do remember that his credit card was swallowed by an ATM machine that morning on the Blvd St-Michel (a long way from the Louvre). There was nobody in attendance (I don't remember why - I thought this happened on a Saturday, but May 6, 2004, was a Thursday. We tried going to the Louvre and said we'd deal with it when someone was in the bank's office, but the situation was unsettling. I remember we ended up walking up and down the Champs Elysee looking for the head office of the bank, which was supposed to be open. We finally found someone there who could help us by means of a few phone calls, and then we had to get back to Place St-Michel to find the person we were supposed to see about the card. Long story short, we got the card, and promised to spend more time in the Louvre another day . . . which we did on another trip, although I believe that on the later visit the Roman mosaics were out on tour.

Anyway, nice butterfly.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Capybara Crossing

January 7, 2006 ~ Gamboa, Panama

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Info

Rome Zoo ~ April 14, 2004

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Oregon Coast

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area, Oregon ~

March 12, 2006

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Contemplating the Pompeiian mind

Pompeii, Italy ~ April 19, 2004

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Smith Rock State Park

Near Terrebonne, Oregon ~ September 1, 2007

If you're so inclined, you can go onto Google Earth and look up Terrebonne. The numerous blue dots nearby are pictures of Smith Rock. There's a trail up and back (long way or short, your choice) for hikers, but this is also a place climbers come from all over the world. It seems they practice here for bigger challenges, but Smith Rock is stunning in its own right. (I take the trail - and a camera.) The surrounding farmland doesn't prepare you for this anomalous outcropping and it's perfectly scenic Crooked River setting.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Quintessentially tropical

An island off the coast of Belize ~ February 2, 2005

I couldn't believe it when I saw these shells beneath the tree. They appeared so emblematic of a tropical island. They looked so perfectly posed - even staged. I don't know who put them there, or whether they were tossed randomly. All I could do was enjoy them and . . . snap the shutter.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

King angelfish

Off of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ~ February 2, 2007

The water was murky, but the king angelfish with their blazing yellow tails hovered in abundance. The snorkeling guide had brough bread to feed them, so there was a lot of commotion over who got the goodies.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

What I do for a living

Astoria, Oregon ~ January 11, 2010

Say "Aaaaaaah!" Sometimes the customers want to know things such as, "What's inside the shark's mouth? Can we drill it and pour in grenadine? Is it hard plastic, or soft?"

A toy animal's portrait usually looks more like this. It lets customers know what they're getting, but maybe it's a little boring. Hmm. I think I just got an idea :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

How Seal Court got its name . . .

Seal Court, Scripps College

Claremont, California ~ c. 2005

. . . even though it's really a sea lion.

Here are two photos of Seal Court: photo 1 and photo 2

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Park Blocks

Portland, Oregon ~ February 17, 2008

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Roots and veins

Near Tucson, Arizona ~ December 27, 2004

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

I'll never know what happened to this image of Elvis, but I like it

Palisade, Colorado ~ March 6, 2000

Scanned from a print or negative

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Art Deco in the desert

Parking structure

Hoover Dam, California ~ April 2, 2003

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Up

The Louvre, Paris ~ May 2004

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Soft blooms by the steps

Astoria, Oregon ~ May 10, 2004

It's Floral Friday!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Painted Hills

John Day Fossil Beds, Oregon ~ July 20, 2007

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

My favorites

Santo Stefano, Sicily, Italy ~ April 30, 2004

I loved these plates so much I bought two cereal bowls of the same design. One (much to my dismay) broke. The other sits on my desk holding a yellow highlighter, a camera battery, a few old Starbucks "Song of the Day" free download cards, a couple of paper clips, a staple puller, and (by actual count) 16 ballpoint pen tops I seriously thought I had lost. (I wonder what happened to all those pens?) At least I can see the bowl every day, and I haven't broken it yet.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Colorful

Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon ~ February 16, 2008

Ruby Tuesday

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Ancient ruin on a hill

Segesta, Sicily, Italy ~ April 26, 2004

When we were planning this trip, Lee looked at a picture he found in a guidebook and said, "That's the destination" - the end point before heading back to the mainland. It was Segesta, a picturesque ruin on a hill at the far side of Sicily. The ancient temple was stunning, almost isolated, and very peaceful. Although located in Italy, the ruins are, as they appear, Greek. The way the temple is situated adds dramatically to its appeal. I found a great location photo of it here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Built to last

Chicago ~ April 24, 2005

Built to last and built to please. I love the architectural wonders of The Windy City. The entire feel of being in Chicago came back to me tonight when I looked at this image. Beautiful and intriguing buildings filled block after block.

My thanks to Stan Hollenbeck for supplying the following info: "The building is Romanesque Revival built in 1897 but not a Sullivan. Louis Sullivan, one of Chicago's most influential architects, developed a unique form of decoration that he used for many of his buildings, beginning in the 1890s. This Sullivanesque style was imitated by other architects. The records do not indicate who was the architect of that particular building."

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Christmas colors on New Year's Eve

Governor Hotel, Portland, Oregon ~ December 31, 2008

The ceiling "skylight" (which actually has bulbs in it) in the lobby was magnificent. The colors were so festive and Christmas-like, and the adjoining restaurant was still in holiday decor.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

In the Pontiff's garden

Vatican City ~ April 15, 2004

When I think of the Vatican, I think of many things, but I never thought about the gardens until I visited. The gardens are delightful, and these daisy-like flowers were blooming beautifully near the cactus garden - which was really an unexpected discovery. Maybe Krise of "Floral Friday" can tell me what they are.

Visit Floral Friday to see more lovely flowers.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

White on white

Bend, Oregon ~ December 26, 2009

The entire town and had been enchanted by freezing fog, causing ice to cling lightly to everthing in sight.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Dark clouds

Islands off of Sayulita, Mexico ~ February 10, 2006

We actually tried to snorkel along the rocks here, but the water was rough, and we couldn't see much. It was an interesting experience, though. I'd do it again.

Enjoy Watery Wednesday around the world. Share the fun!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Cattle guard

Central Oregon ~ January 1, 2010
Highway 26 between Bend and Portland

The weather and sky were oh, so changeable as we crossed the high desert, skirted Mt. Hood, and dropped down into Portland on New Year's Day. Much of the time we were literally chasing a rainbow, but at this moment the blue sky and shredded cloud were what caught my attention.

Zebras in golden light

Lion Country Safari near Miami, Florida ~

January 13, 2008

It had been raining heavily, and the moist air collected the rays of the waning sun.

See other participants in Mellow Yellow Monday.

Scripps College Library

Claremont, California ~ c. 2005

The Ella Strong Denison Library at Scripps College was designed to resemble a Spanish Renaissance Chapel.

Sunrise with moon

Kauai, Hawaii ~ September 20, 2005

Notre Dame Cathedral

Paris, France ~ October 17, 2008

Happy New Year, 2010!