That's a Big Elephant Ear

Another photo today from Saturday's Santiam SummerFest in Stayton. The guy in the photo just bought an elephant ear (it's made of fried dough, for those who aren't aware) and looks perplexed as to how he's going to keep it on the plate, let alone eat it all.

But that's part of what festivals and fairs are for, aren't they? You eat food you wouldn't otherwise eat, in quantities that would feed remote villages for days.

Don't forget to check out my Flickr photo gallery of the event.

I also created a Cars, Car, and More Cars photo gallery because I seem to have amassed a fair amount of photos of them. I can't identify them unless they explicitly say what they are, since I know virtually nothing about cars. If anyone can offer up info about the cars in the set, please post a comment on there to help me out. I'd really appreciate it.

Santiam SummerFest

Yesterday was this year's Santiam SummerFest in Stayton. I went with the express purpose of taking photos to share here. Okay, and to eat some curly fries. And to buy my mother a Buddha statue. And I had the best strawberry smoothie in the world.

But, really, it was all about the photos. To that end, I've created a Flickr gallery of the event for your viewing pleasure. There are classic cars, dogs, people more classic cars, more dogs, and various other things.

I'll probably post one or two more pictures from the event here on the blog over the next couple of days.

By the way, I want to send a big thank you to everyone (and there were many) who saw I was taking photos and kindly stopped before they walked into the shots. I really appreciate it.

Funky old garage

This building on 2nd Ave. in Stayton used to be a car garage, judging by the faded signs still left on the building. I have no idea what function it serves now, if any. I've posted the photo in black and white because the building seems to be a throwback to a bygone era.

In other news, later today I'll be going to Stayton's Santiam SummerFest. It will have music, a petting zoo, a dog show, classic cars on display, etc. It grows every year, and is really something to see. Which, of course, you'll be able to do tomorrow, since I'm sure I'll be posting a picture of the event.

Be our guest

Earlier this month, I featured a photo of the Welcome to Stayton sign on Fern Ridge Rd. Today, for your viewing pleasure, is the Welcome to Stayton sign on 1st. Ave leading into town from the south.

This one featuring a wheel and what is apparently a red barn. To me, the barn looks like it has large red teeth, as you can see from the photo at right (click on it to see a bigger version). A barn with bite -- I like it.

There are other similar welcome signs, lest anyone forget where they are when they're here. They lend a friendly greeting to newcomers, and I think they're pretty nifty.

Walk this way

We have another photo from the talented Mark in Hillsboro. This one is of the foot bridge at Pioneer Park in Stayton. I love the angle he chose and the sunlight on the bridge -- they give it that extra artistic feel.

Others photos by Mark: On the Water and Country Cemetery.

Thanks again, Mark, for sharing your photos.

Two flags, one spirit

These two flags fly together at the public library in Stayton. The top, obviously, is the United States flag, and the bottom is Oregon's. Our flag is actually two sided, with an image of a beaver on the back (seen at right), since Oregon is the beaver state.

For those inclined to joke about our state nickname, trust us, we've heard 'em all. :)

50states.com has some interesting info on the Oregon flag, and includes the graphics used on both sides of the flag.

Post office art

Sometimes I'm about as observant as a horse with blinders on. I tend see what's directly in front of me, and often miss what else is going on. It's one of the reasons I took up photography -- so I would "force" myself to see more of life.

So it was the other day that I went to the post office in Stayton and saw the artwork above, which is painted on the front window of the building. I have no idea how long it's been there. I can't remember seeing it before, but that means nothing. It could be new, or it could have been there for years. If I hadn't parked right next to it, I doubt I would have noticed it this time. I'm glad I did, because it's kinda nifty.

This is the same post office with the Oregon, in a nutshell mural I posted earlier this month. It's funny I noticed one mural but not the other.

In other news, a big thank you goes to Marie McC at Best of Daily Photo for including two of the photos posted here in the last week. One is from a guest photographer, Mark in Hillsboro, for his country cemetery photo. The other is my bridge reflection photo. There are some great photos highlighted this week (and every other week), so it's an honor to be included.

Helipad

This is the emergency helipad at Santiam Memorial Hospital in Stayton. The hospital tends to be the "go to" place for several small towns in the area. Stayton's not far from some popular rivers and lakes, plus a busy highway, so the helipad gets used a fair amount.

On a somewhat related note, on the left-hand side you can see part of the field of future Christmas trees I featured back in June.

Just hanging out

The Jordan Bridge at Pioneer Park in Stayton is a great place to hang out. Weddings are held there, as are bridge card games, picnics, etc., and the Annual Covered Bridge Festival. To me, though, it's just a nifty place to stand and look out over the park or the water. It's also a lovely place to photograph.

On the Water

This lovely view of a beautiful water scene in Stayton is from Mark in Hillsboro (remember his Country Cemetery photo posted the other day?). Mark said he's fairly new to photography, but I must say, he's really quite talented already. Thanks again, Mark, for sharing your photos. There are one or two more I'll be sharing over the next week or two.

Photo is copyrighted by the submitter.

In other news, thank you to Marie McC over at Doorways Around the World (and also Alexandria Daily Photo) for featuring a photo of a doorway I took. You can view it here.

Bridge reflection

A small bridge (you can see the bottom part of it in the photo) cast some nice reflections into a small creek. The bridge is actually a driveway to a home in Stayton.

Caterpillar

I went to take some pictures of a small bridge in Stayton, when I came across this little fella. I never did get a decent shot of the bridge. Still, it was definitely worth the trip.

Country cemetery

Today's photo was submitted by Mark in Hillsboro. It's a beautiful shot of a small cemetery near Stayton his wife's grandfather once maintained. Thanks to Mark for the submission -- it's a lovely photo.

Mark also sent a few other photos, some of which I'll be posting here and there over the next week or two. Be sure to tune in, because they're very well done.

Photo is copyrighted by the submitter.

Stained Glass

This stained glass window is on the front of the Immaculate Conception Church in Stayton. This is the church next to the Madonna statue from July 12th's post.

Everything's just ducky

A small creek runs along one side Stayton Community Center Park, and this and other very lovely mallards were taking a breather on the grass across the creek and down a bit from the edge of the park. Part of the time they would swim around, then go back and lay on the grass.

A squirrel also made an appearance... he watched the ducks for a bit, then went along his way. If you check out my Flickr photo set, you can see him, and more of the mallards (including one which looks to be walking on water). In all, there were probably 10 to 12 ducks, but I had branches between me and them, so part of them were hiding from my camera's lens.

Bicycling to the park

This man has the right idea, riding his bike to the park on a sunny day. I take my bike most places I go. Of course, my bike has a motor since it's technically a scooter, so I don't need to pedal. I don't exert myself at all, really, beyond turning the throttle and steering to make it go. Still, it has two wheels, so close enough.

The picture was taken at Pioneer Park in Stayton.

A reminder: if you have any nifty Willamette Valley area photos you'd like to share here, feel free to send 'em on over. Check the right-hand side for contact info. You can email the photo or send me a link. Thanks!

Whose broad stripes and bright stars...

This American flag flies next to the post office in Stayton on 2nd Ave. When it's windy, the flag's rigging bangs against the poll and makes quite a racket. I occasionally find myself getting annoyed by the noise if I'm near it, but then I stop and remember what's causing the noise and what it represents. The United States has its faults, but I am still very proud to be an American.

Bearing fruit

For this shot, I went to the exotic location of my front yard in Stayton. We've had a tree of an unknown variety in the yard for years, and this year it decided to bear some fruit.

It's a cherry, apparently. I'm about as good at identifying this sort of thing as I am at ID'ing flowers and plants, which is almost not at all.

In other news, have you joined the daily notification mailing list yet? It's a single little email a day, to remind you to see what I've posted each day.

A kid being a kid

This adorable little boy was playing at Pioneer Park in Stayton the other day. I love the expression on his face, and the stains on his shirt. A kid being a kid.

Be sure to click on the photo to see the full-sized version.

A place of solitude

This statue sits in a small courtyard between the Immaculate Conception Church and the church's rectory on 6th Ave. in Stayton. Click on the thumbnail at right to see a close-up of the statue itself.

Welcome to Stayton

This sign welcomes visitors as they enter Stayton, coming off of Highway 22 onto Fern Ridge Rd. If you click on the photo to view the bigger version you'll see several pieces of iron surrounding the sign which speak to the agricultural history of the town.

At least, I think that's what they represent. Other than a wheel or two, I have no clue what any of the iron is. But it looks nifty.

In other news, for those of you following along, my new digital camera arrived today. The above photo is one of the first pictures I took with it. I now have a refurbished Kodak P850... not the newest camera in town, but it's great for the price. I recommend it.

In the shade of the ol' oak trees

These, as you may have already figured out, are oak trees. They live in someone's yard on E. Pine St. in Stayton. I like the shadows they leave on the grass.

These trees live on a hill, and while I was there, I was trying to take an overview picture of the town. That was difficult, because there are a whole bunch of trees blocking any sort of view. Of course, the trees in and of themselves are a great view, so I'm not complaining.

I'm still trying to get a good overview shot. Someday, I will succeed. Oh, yes, I will. Or maybe not.

Technorati tags: oak trees / trees / stayton / willamette valley / oregon

View from a ferris wheel

The above was taken a few years ago at the Oregon State Fair in Salem, Oregon, while sitting atop a ferris wheel. It's looking towards the main entrance, which can be seen in the upper right-hand corner. It's located on Sunnyview Rd. NE.

The photo was taken from a moving ride, so please forgive the blurriness. I'm still waiting for my new digital camera to arrive, which should be here Monday (cross your fingers), so I'm going through my photo archives at present.

How dramatic

I was skittering about a few weeks ago, trying to take decent photos at a local cemetery. The sky was overcast and wasn't really cooperating in the 'good lighting for a picture' department, but then I looked up and saw the above. That's when I decided I was wrong, and the overcast skies were perfect.

It was taken standing in Lone Oak Cemetery in Stayton, and I was facing... um... let's see... I think it was west. I have absolutely no sense of direction (in any sense of the word), so I had to look at a map of Stayton to figure it out. Anyway, it's pointed towards 3rd Ave. The cemetery is on the corner of 3rd Ave. and Fern Ridge Rd.

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Church of the Nazarene

This is the Church of the Nazarene in Stayton, located on E. Washington St. I couldn't find anything in the way of history by searching the web. Sorry. I thought about making something up, but that just seems extra wrong, what with it being a church and all.

I've only been in the basement of the building, for a yard sale kinda thing. I remember buying several books, and I think a power cord for a dryer. I really don't know why I bought that.

Okay, maybe I do. See, I had a brief yet intense addiction to yard sales during that time period, which led to me buying several books I have yet to read. Who knows if I ever will. I also bought other random things I very likely will never use. I had to quit yard sales cold turkey, and it's still difficult passing by a yard sale without stopping. But it's really better this way.

Which way?

Going left on the path in the picture will take you to the Stayton Public Library. Going right will take you to the playground and tennis courts. And just behind the tree is a small creek.

My choice would be to go to the library, check out a book, then come back and sit by the water to read and watch kids play on the park's toys. Ah, the simple things in life.

Oh, and can't forget to buy some ice cream before hand. And pack a picnic basket. And grab a blanket to lay on. And an extra shirt or jacket to use as a pillow. And can't forget my cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, extra money to buy other random things I will surely need. And I'll need someone else to carry all that junk, because I'm not gonna do it.

So much for the simple things in life, eh?

Parading about town

Yesterday was Stayton's rather nifty 4th of July parade. Once again I was dealing with an ailing camera, so I created mosaic out of the decent parts of the pictures. Click on it to see it full-size.

Be sure not to miss the giant cow and frog. You won't forgive yourself if you do. Or maybe you will. But, really, why risk it?

Happy 4th of July!

Today marks the United States' independence day. The photo above is my niece lighting a firework in south Salem, July 4, 2005.

To everyone who celebrates the holiday -- have fun and be safe. To everyone else... well, you be safe and have fun, too. If you don't have fireworks available, put some Mentos in some Coca Cola and see what happens. If you've already seen it, watch it again.

Oregon, in a nutshell

This mural lives on the side of the post office in Stayton, on the corner of 2nd Ave. and some other street (possibly E. Burnett St.). It does a good job encapsulating my state, complete with a smiley face sun, a giant mutant fish, and a logging truck which is apparently heading straight into a waterfall. ;)

Seriously, I like the mural. It says "Oregon" to me. Or it could be those voices inside my head. Either way, it's nice to see the artwork as I pass through downtown Stayton.

Charity concert

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a concert in Stayton which benefited prostate cancer awareness. There were four very good artists/bands, and it was fun.

What wasn't fun was my digital camera, which decided to work only sporadically, and the pictures could be much better. I had to use the auto settings and then point and shoot as quickly as I could, so I could take pictures in between it shutting itself off and not turning back on.

Here are the bigger shots of the photos in the montage above (click on each thumbnail to see the full-sized versions):

Vin Thomas	Impossible Tuesday
Second Best	Drift

Incidentally, I'm getting a new (well, refurbished) digital camera later in the coming week. My current one is 6 years old, so I guess it's time it gives up the ghost. It really could have waited, though.

DP theme day - local supermarkets

Once a month, several of us city daily photo bloggers participate in a theme day. Today's theme is a typical supermarket in our hometowns.

My picture's of the fireworks on sale at my local Safeway, along with soda (we call it pop 'round here) and potato chips... in other words, the essentials of any good 4th of July celebration. You can also see a mini-bank, and on the far left is the all important candy bar section.

A bonus photo of the bakery department is at right, just because it looked... well, good enough to eat. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized photo.

Today I'll be attending a concert sponsored by Safeway in the field next to the store. It will benefit prostate cancer awareness, and will last 6 hours. I, personally, won't last that long, but I'll give it my best shot. Should be fun. I'll more than likely post pictures from the event in the next day or two.

View more theme day photos from around the world:

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