Downtown Portland, OR, at night from across the Willamette River. May, 2006.

The traditional dog (Or is it a lion? I can never remember) guards the entrance to the Japanese Gardens as azaleas bloom in the background. Portland, OR, May, 2006.

A busker at the Saturday Market. Portland, OR. Jume 10, 2006.

It was a pretty warm day and I had hiked a couple miles down to the river with a bottle of wine and crackers. After imbibing a bit, my friend waded out into the river and set the wine on a rock as I attempted to take an advertisement-like photo of the wine. I envision the text being overlaid in the grass portion of the shot. You tell me if I succeeded. Click on the photo to see the full sized version for a better view. Crooked River Ranch, OR, June 18, 2006.

Another shot from the winery, this time down a hallway. I then took the photo into Core Fun House on my computer and manipulated it to give it a softer feel. To get the best effect, you'll need to click on the pic to see the full sized version. Hope you like it. Willamette Valley, OR, June 21, 2006.

Yesterday I took a tour of a privagte winery in the Willamette Valley here in Oregon. During my walkabout, I discovered this alcove. I liked the siimplicity and lighting. Hope you do, too. June 21, 2006.

Natural grasses along the bank bend to take a sip of the Deschutes River. June 18, 2006.

Steelhead Falls on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon. June 18, 2006.

I call this my L.L. Bean shot because it reminds me of a photo in one of their catalogues. Cortes Island, BC, April, 2006.

I need your input

On my computer screen, most of the photos on this page are gone but the text is still there. Just 4 photos are visible. Yet, all the photos in the archive are still visible when I click on those links. Is it the same when you look at this page?
Thanks for the help.

There were international participants in the parade.

There were dozens of equestrian units of one sort or other, from queens of the rodeo, to Arabian princesses. All were quite decked out in their finest regalia supplemented with plenty of roses.

This vaquero was quite good at twirling his rope.

This is a float depicting Sasquatch (Big Foot) taking a shower. Everything on the float except the people must be made of natural materials. Not sure what they used for the hair on this one. Copra or coconut fiber, I guess.

But sometimes--especially if the people walking along side of the float don't communicate with the driver, things can go a little awry. Like here, where the float drove right into the crowd!

Probably the third best known parade in the US, after the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the New Oreans Mardi Gras parades, is the Portland Rose Festival Parade, which occured this past weekend. Over the week I'm going to post some of my pics of the parade. This one shows vendors and parade goers in the street prior to the parade's beginning.

This was the grand prize winner of the parade floats. Those are chinook salmon jumping out of the blue water.

While I was on retreat on Cortes Island, BC, I was hiking one afternoon and found this road. I found the trees, just beginning their Springtime leaf out to be a gorgeous canopy. April, 2006.

The Contest

It's coming up on the 2nd anniversary of this site and once again this year we've got a contest. I took this photo yesterday of the grill of my boss' car. The first person out there in blogger land who can identify the model car it is from will win a print of any photo within this site's archives they choose. Obviously, it's a red car and you don't have to identify the year. Just the model. Go!

Water drips into a bowl. Portland (OR) Japanese Gardens. I have processed this one and it is better realized at its full size by clicking on the photo. May, 2006.

Sometimes simpler is better. There's not a lot of complexity to this image, but I enjoy the simplicity of it, the lines, textures and colors. Quadra Island, BC. April, 2006.

Along the Willamette River in Portland, OR, at night. I wonder what's up around the bend there. May, 2006.

Ivy has taken a seat on this rattan bench at a friend of mine's house. Portland, OR, May, 2006.

I snapped this photo of an orchid at a friend's house this past weekend. Portland, OR, May 29, 2006.