Located in Oregon, USA, featuring Stayton and other nearby towns in the Willamette Valley.
Archive for August, 2006
Oak Tree Twins
Aug 31st
I have a confession to make: I am in love with the above two oak trees. I pass by them two or three times a week, and every time, I just want to stop and stare at them.
I thought I’d let you have a chance to stop and stare, too. Or not. Whatever works for you.
These lovely trees are on E. Pine St. in Stayton.
Standing in wait
Aug 30th
With school starting next week, soon the stands at the football field at Regis High School in Stayton will be filled with students cheering their team on at games.
I went to a high school football game once, when I was a kid. I can’t remember with whom I attended, or who was playing, or who won, or if I stayed for the whole thing. But other than that, it was great.
Technorati tags: high school football / stayton / willamette valley / oregon / daily photo / photoblogDandelion field
Aug 29th
In this neck of the woods, school starts again in a week… the effective end of summer. My 14-year-old niece went into a slight panic yesterday when she realized she only had a week left before she begins high school. I’m more than a little happy those days are long behind me. 
To me, the photo above is symbolic of summer’s end, with autumn just around the corner — a field of dandelions which have spent their days in the sun and are greeting the sunset, with change coming with the sunrise.
Or something like that. The photo was taken at sunset in Stayton.
Native Plants for Sale
Aug 28th
The sign above was posted outside someone’s house on Larch Ave. in Stayton. I’m guessing — and I could be wrong — they sell plants which are native to the area. I just liked the sign, so I took its picture.
Stack ‘em high
Aug 27th
A big part of Stayton is the Norpac Cannery on Washington St. If I grasp the concept correctly, a cannery is where various things of the food variety get packed into various cans. Those cans are then sent to various stores where various people buy the various things packed into various cans. But I could be wrong.
My family has a fairly extensive cannery-related history going back over seventy years, so you’d think I’d know more about the process. My grandfather ran a cannery for many years, and various other family members worked in them at various times. My parents ran a farm sometime before I was born, and were members of the co-op at the cannery.
Anyway, the crates above were stacked outside the cannery. I thought they were nifty.
A movie under the stars
Aug 26th
Last night I attended a “movie under the stars” sponsored by The Stayton Public Library and Star Cinema. They showed the perennial classic, Grease, on the side of the Mason lodge in Stayton. Jeff Mexico, owner of the Star, graciously agreed to let me take his picture while he set up the projector.
Several people came, complete with lawn chairs, blankets, and munchies, and the weather was perfect for an outdoor movie. It was fun to watch young kids discover the movie for the first time, and to hear at least a couple folks sing along with the musical numbers. One young boy was even wearing a leather jacket similar to what John Travolta wears in the movie. He was adorable. I wish I’d been able to get his photo.
Church of Christ
Aug 25th
I finally remembered to take my tripod with me last night when I decided to take a few night shots. I know, you’re very impressed.
The above sign is from the Church of Christ on Washington St. in Stayton. I love how it is backlit, casting the light around the sign. It’s a lovely effect. If you click on the photo to view it full size, you can see the light play on the stonework of the building.
Horsing around
Aug 24th
This is Mac, a horse which belongs to my brother’s neighbor. He (the horse, not my brother or his neighbor) is wearing a fly mask to keep pesky little bugs off his face. That got me thinking.
One of the joys of having hands is that I can scratch an itch as it occurs, but if all one has are hooves, then flies, mosquitoes, and various other little creatures would be beyond annoying. On the other hand (hah!), feed bags like horses use would be rather nifty. The only physical activity I’d have to engage in is chewing… no more exerting myself, lifting forks, spoons, etc.
At least, so I suppose. I haven’t actually tried it. Not yet, anyway.
The photo was taken a bit south of Salem, Oregon, somewhere out in the boonies.
Freight Train at Sunset
Aug 23rd
The west end of Stayton is mostly industrial. The freight train above was sitting prettily just off of Wilco Rd., the main road through the industrial section, with the setting sun casting a lovely golden glow on the train’s exterior.
Yes, I said the train was “sitting prettily.” Because it was.
An update to yesterday’s Smoke Plume photo post: I searched a bit, and couldn’t find any news articles about it online, so it was likely a controlled field burn. A rather large controlled burn.
Smoke Plume
Aug 22nd
The above shot of a very large column of smoke was taken west of Stayton along Shaff Rd. I haven’t been able to find any online news sources with information about it, so I’m not sure exactly where it was burning or what the cause of it was. I do know it was somewhere southeast of Stayton, between Lyons and Scio. It seemed too large to be an intentional field burning, but I’m far from an expert on the matter.
At the bottom of the photo is a farm field, with irrigation equipment in use.
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