Sky-writing jets, #2

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Once I got on the MAX Yellow Line, I sat in the sunny light rail car enjoying the view. In this photo the train is on the Steel Bridge just about to cross over the Willamette River. The two sets of tracks you see are for the MAX Red Line and the MAX Blue Line. The MAX Green Line approaches the bridge on the same tracks as the MAX Yellow Line. All four cross the river on the Steel Bridge, then branch out to serve various places in the greater metropolitan area on both the east and west sides of the river. It wasn't until I uploaded the photos to iPhone that I noticed a bit of jet trail in the photo. For more serendipity, there's the Big Pink on the skyline.
 

I like the blue sky reflected in the Willamette River. And look at all the jet trails!

Sky-writing jets, #1

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Sky-writing jets on Saturday, first noticed as I waited for the 12 or 19 bus to downtown. I needed to transfer to the MAX Yellow Line for a ride to the Kaiser Interstate clinic for my flu shot. I took this photo at 8:16 a.m. looking southeast over the buildings just to the east of the Blue Diamond PDX.
 

I took this photo at 8:19 a.m. as the sun continued to move in the fantabulous blue sky.

Successful lines, going in all directions.

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On the way back from getting my flu shot at the Kaiser Interstate clinic Saturday morning, I noticed this young man's dreads as I sat down, how swell their curves and vertical lines worked beside the vertical and slanted lines in the MAX Yellow Line car section where the car articulates to go around curves and swerves. Since he had in his earbuds, I mouthed to him, "I like your hair!" He pulled one out and said, "Thank you. They're a mess right now." Then I asked if I could take his photo for my blog. He agreed, so I did, then I moved over next to him to ask him what his name was--Byron. I spelled it to make sure that I had it correct, and he said, "Yes, like the poet." I replied, "Yes, like Byron Scott of basketball fame." He grinned and said that he and his dad, Californians, are big-time Los Angeles Laker fans, that his dad's answering machine message mentions the world-champion-Los-Angeles-Lakers. What a fine moment, all because of successful lines, going in all directions.

Festival of Flowers, Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown Portland

I took these photos on May 29, on my way home from work. The Festival of Flowers fascinates me, every year that I've seen it.

Found on the World Wide Web: This year's design, Tattoo Portland created by local landscape architecture firm Lango Hansen, will celebrate the love for all things Portland. The Square will be 'inked' with a giant heart composed of nearly 20,000 begonias, impatiens and pansies. Portland's living room will be red hot with larger than life flames formed from marigolds and zinnias. Show your undying love for the Rose City with a temporary tat in the Square inspired by this classic imagery. The tattoo rebellion will continue along the downtown transit mall with an anchor design at the Congress Center and a pair of dice at Unitus Plaza. The event will be open to the public for two weeks beginning May 31st followed by the annual flower sale on June 12th. To see a rendering of the design please click here. This event is made possible by Multnomah County Cultural Coalition, Oregon Cultural Trust and Union Pacific Foundation.
 

Here's the tattoo. I didn't get a photo of the pair of dice.
 

Wide shot shows Pioneer Courthouse across SW 6th and two MAX light rail trains at the stop--one must be a Yellow Line, one a Green Line. Those are the only two which use that station.
  See that person in white, up high on the concrete shape beneath the US flag? That's where I stood to take the first and third photos in today's post. This photo gives you a close view of the letters--from www.adxportland.com: The installation is made up of a tattoo heart containing P O R T L A N D lettering. Lango Hansen came to ADX for CNC services for the lettering.
 

Here's a wide shot, looking basically the same direction as the photo just before this one.

April 1, the movement of pedestrians. April 2, the movement of vehicles.

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Saturday night, March 16, I first rode the MAX Yellow Line from the Portland Expo Center where I had enjoyed the Portland Roadster Show - yea, Ratty Caddy - and some fine rockabilly - yea, Marti Brom and Levi Dexter. I got off the MAX at SW 5th and Pine, walked around the corner and waited for the bus home on West Burnside, at the stop in front of the 76 station, known as the SW 4th Avenue bus stop. 

Here comes the 12 Sandy Blvd., my bus. I've tried many times to get a good photo of an approaching bus at night--success, finally. 

And I like how the photo shows the width of West Burnside. Here's what I found online at the city's Web site about the widening of the street: By 1931, the need for more roadway space led to a street widening project on both East and West Burnside. On the west, Burnside was widened from the bridge approach to the Park Blocks. Building fronts were chopped off and rebuilt at the new sidewalk line to add an extra lane. On the east side, the first floor of many buildings became an arcade to accommodate a new sidewalk as the old sidewalk gave way to another traffic lane.



Here's the photo, cropped a bit, just because I am so excited about how great the headlights and tail lights look, how swell it is to be able to read the number and the name of the bus. 

Seen on the street, February 16, 2013, No. 7

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I got off the MAX Yellow Line at the Union Station stop so that I could walk a block west to the main post office. As I crossed the street, the MAX train rounded the curve in front of Union Station. Photo opportunity--the juxtaposition of these two types of transit. At BeFunky, I used the HDR special effect, after I had already straightened, cropped and resized at PicMonkey.

Seen on the street, February 16, 2013, No. 6

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Sweet scene, this daddy and his two children patiently waiting for the MAX Green Line--I'm on the Yellow Line, so I know they didn't want it, or they would have been standing up as we approached. The rain stopped, the sun came out, a chill remained.

Seen on the street, February 16, 2013, No. 5

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On this particular Saturday, it rained off and on, the sun came out now and then. I liked how the darker sky in the background of this photo and the lack of leaves on the trees make the buildings pop. Those tree limbs speak to me of summer-time-shade. The buildings are on the north side of West Burnside. The trees are on the south side of West Burnside. I'm at this intersection most every workday, on my way home on the bus. On Portland Trail Blazers' game days, I catch the MAX Yellow Line to the right of this photo and head for the Rose Garden Arena. If you look closely, near the No Parking sign on the left, you'll see two male skateboarders. One is on a bench; the other is standing at the end of the bench and is mostly hidden by the sign. 

The large structure just to the right of center is one of the many fountains in Portland. I found on the city's Web site that it is officially untitled, that it has become known as the Kelly Fountain. It runs spring through fall, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Also online, this description: Oregon artist Lee Kelly won an international competition to design this sculpture. Kelly has designed several other sculptures in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest. In this work, water flows over several 20-foot-tall steel structures. In conjunction with the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Water Bureau helped to restore Kelly's fountain to its original beauty in the spring of 2004. The fountain had become run-down over the years. 

The MAX Yellow Line at SW 6th Avenue and SW Pine

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The MAX Yellow Line pulls in at the station beside the Big Pink, downtown Portland, on SW 6th Avenue and SW Pine. A couple of guys walk towards it as it slows and another one buys his ticket at the kiosk. On Saturday, January 19, I got on board before it pulled out. My plan, to ride to the Rose Garden Arena for the Portland Trail Blazers' basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is the train that I got off and then took the photo of the Rose Garden Arena in the fog, Monday's post. 

On ball game days during the week, I catch a ride to the Rose Garden Arena at the MAX Yellow Line station at Pioneer Courthouse Square, after eating cheap at McDonald's or Subway and walking the four blocks to the station. On game day Saturdays or Sundays or holidays, I catch the MAX Yellow Line here because it's closest to where I get off either the 12 or the 19 which I had caught a block and a half from my apartment. Mass transit works pretty doggone good, if you play it right. 

Seen at a MAX stop

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I took this photo in the early evening on March 2, 2011. Waiting for the MAX Yellow Line at the stop entitled Overlook Park, I thought the juxtaposition of the arriving MAX light rail train on the left with the departure of the one on the right would make for a good photograph. I'm pleased with the result.

What I find fascinating, well, one of the things I find fascinating, about the MAX trains is that there are doors on both sides of the cars which means that the train can let folks on and off no matter which side butts up against the platform at the stop. And there's always an announcement before the train stops, something along the lines of "Doors to my right," or "Doors to my left" so, even if you've spaced out while riding along, you know which way to head to get off!

That other person and I are waiting to go towards the City Center, southwest eventually. The folks leaving on the northbound train got onto it at the station out of sight on its right, as you're looking at it here in the photo. The white strip of truncated domes--detectable warnings--lets everyone know how close the edge of the platform is, a safety feature. The aluminum box in the lower left is the ticket machine, something I don't have to ever use as long as I remember to have my mass transit pass with me--it's a fine perk from where I work!

Framed for Christmas, No. 9

At Tuba Christmas, held at Pioneer Courthouse Square, on December 8, 2012, I saw this fellow in an elf costume. He's pretty cute, and I like the fact that if you look close enough, you can see the man's face in the elf's hat. I'm happy that I got this shot, but it wasn't until I looked at it on the iMac that I noticed the woman behind the elf, sort of holding onto him. I'm guessing that she is helping with peripheral vision for the elf.

My favorite part of the photo--the white dog wearing a sweater and reindeer antlers. Seeming to smile, the dog looks intently at that woman in the dark coat, perhaps thinking that a treat is on the way. I didn't stay around to check--Leland and I crossed the street to catch the MAX Yellow Line so that we could go eat lunch.