The Glamour Of Show Business

Today's the next to last day of our little tour of nearby Salem. This photo is something of a precursor to tomorrow's city daily photo theme day. It's a back door of the building where I took the theme picture. If you could look directly above this door, you'd see my theme day photo.

I'm not going to say what it is yet, because to some, that might be a spoiler as to what my theme day photo will be. Of course, some may guess, anyway. I can't imagine there are many doors like this in Salem.

State Capitol With Trees In Bloom

Guest photographer Moe sent me this beautiful photo he took a few years ago of the Oregon State Capitol Building with the trees in full bloom. I thought it a lovely image to include in our little Salem tour. It's a nice reminder that spring blooms are just around the corner.

Thanks, Moe, for showing us something most of us probably don't see every day. :)

Photo is copyright © Moe. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Salem First United Methodist Church

It's day four of our mini-tour of nearby Salem. Today's photo is of the church where both my maternal grandparents and aunt and uncle both were married many years ago.

My grandparents married there in the 1920's. My aunt and uncle married there in the 1950's, on my grandparents' 25th wedding anniversary. I wasn't able to go inside the day I was there. Maybe someday.

For more information about the church vist their web site.

Other stops on the Salem tour:

• Oregon State Capitol Building
  
• Inside the Oregon State Capitol Building
  
• Riverfront Park

Riverfront Park

Continuing our mini-tour of nearby Salem (see also: outside and inside the state capitol building), today's photos are of the 23 acre Riverfront Park along the Willamette River. The park is a work in progress, and has a variety of awesome features -- a carousel, pavilion, playground, amphitheater, the Eco Earth Globe, and the Willamette Queen, and the AC Gilbert House.... and probably other stuff I've missed.

My friend Steve and I visited part of the park -- the carousel, the Eco Globe, and the the pier where the Willamette Queen is docked. We weren't able to go inside the Queen, since it was closed. The photo at right shows part of the pier.

Eco Earth Globe:



The Eco Earth Globe (click on the thumbnail above to see a bigger version) was created out of a large pressurized tank once used by a paper mill. It now is positive representation of our planet, depicting the various cultures all over the word.

Riverfront Carousel:

   

The carousel was built by volunteers who spent many months giving their time to this beautiful creation. The cow (pictured above) stands in the entryway. Her name is Lady Camoolot.

The Pier And Willamette Queen:

     

According to the Willamette Queen web site, the sternwheeler was designed as a scaled down likeness of the former Mississippi and Yukon Territory Riverboats with paddles that really do propel her.

Related links:

• Oregon.com - Take a spin on Salem's Riverfront Carousel
  
• City of Salem: Riverfront Park

Tomorrow I'll show you a church in Salem where my grandparents and my aunt and uncle were married.

Inside The State Capitol Building

Yesterday I posted some photos of the Oregon State Capitol Building and surrounding grounds. Today's photos are from the inside the rotunda, which is the main entrance to the building.

The photo above is the Capitol dome. My friend Steve actually set up the shot for me and let me use his tripod. The only thing I did was press the shutter. :)

The photo at right shows the front windows looking out towards the beautiful cloud-filled sky. The photos below show various things -- the bronze Oregon state seal, some text engraved above a doorway, part of the murals on the curved walls, and the steps leading up to the state senate chambers. Click on each photo to see bigger versions.

I also took photos from the gallery areas in the house and senate, but they all... well, they suck. The lighting inside the building really isn't conducive to happy picture taking unless one has better lenses than I possess. Thank goodness for the big windows in the rotunda area for the photos you see here.

Tomorrow I'll post some photos from Riverfront Park along the banks of the Willamette River in Salem.

   
   

Oregon State Capitol Building

I took a photography trip to nearby Salem on Friday, and thought I'd spend the next few days sharing the sights.

First up is the Oregon State Capitol Building. I'd never been there despite living so close, so I was a happy camper to finally make a visit. I have my friend Steve to thank for that.

First up is the outside of the building and grounds. The photo above shows the front of the building, while the photo at right is a side view. Below you'll find a few more photos. Click on them to see the bigger versions.

The photo on bottom right is of the Oregon Pioneer, a hollow bronze statue covered in gold leaf. I remember back in fourth grade (1984) being part of a state-wide school effort to help raise money for the periodic re-guilding of the statue. We brought in pennies. It was cool.

For more information about the capitol:

• Oregon State Legislature: Capitol Information
  
• Wikipedia: Oregon State Capitol
  
• Wikipedia: Oregon Pioneer

Tomorrow I'll take you inside the building to see some beautiful architecture and people. Click below for more views of the capitol and the grounds (click on each thumbnail to see bigger versions):

   

Tractor Seat Collection

Guest photographer Moe sent along this interesting photo of a tractor seat collection. Yes, you read that right. Here's Moe's description:

Went to the Doerfler estate sale outside Sublimity on Thursday 02-21. Asked to see the collection of tractor seats. The old fellow at the house collected things, knives, bear traps, and tractor seats. It was interesting to see other people's collections. Anyway here is a pic of some of the tractor seats.

Thanks, Moe, for showing us something most of us probably don't see every day. :)

Photo is copyright © Moe. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Another View of the Eclipse

Frequent guest photographer Ronda Faught took this awesome photo of the lunar eclipse two nights ago that puts mine to shame. There are all kinds of details in the moon my photo completely missed.

Be sure to visit Ronda's web site for more of her awesome photography.

Photo is copyright © Ronda Faught. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

A Blurry Ode To An Eclipse

This is my not-so-spectacular shot of the lunar eclipse last night. It's over-exposed and blurry. Sorry about that. I wasn't really prepared, and my longest lens isn't really up to the job. And I screwed up the exposure.

So if you want to see some beautiful photos of the eclipse, check out sid6581's photos (use the navigation bar above the photo to see more) and scherbi's Rusty Moon. both at Zooomr.com.

Smile

This, friends, is the face of the Great Root Bear at the A&W Restaurant on Washington St. If you aren't familiar with the big guy, he's the mascot of the restaurant chain.

For whatever reason, I had thought his name was Root Beer Bear, since one of A&W's main things is root beer floats, but the A&W web site says otherwise. I was wrong all these years. My whole world has been shattered (insert dramatic sigh here).

I Will If You Will

So, the other day my mother, after hearing I'd taken more shots of the Stayton-Jordan Bridge at Pioneer Park, said, "You know, they have pretty trees down there, too." In other words, she thinks I might have taken a few too many pictures of the bridge.

Mothers. Do they always have to be right? Not that it will stop me, of course. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I took a picture of the trees, just for her. These are actually the trees at the edge of Wilderness Park, which is immediately behind Pioneer Park. Close enough.

Santiam Historical Museum

The other day, I posted a photo of the side of the Santiam Historical Museum. I had thought I'd already posted a photo of the front, but... eh, not so much.

So, here's the front. It's a really a cute little building, with an interesting history (see the previous post for some of the details).

I still haven't been inside. It's only open on Saturdays, and I haven't been able to make it. Hopefully soon.

Over My Head

This is the edge of Stayton's industrial area, just off of Wilco Rd. There are several blocks in that area of large buildings and large equipment doing various things (don't ask me what). I don't get to go down Wilco Rd. itself, since my scooter isn't fast enough to go the speed limit. and other vehicles don't take kindly to me slowing them down. Funny, that.

Somewhere A Wagon Is Missing A Wheel

I spotted this wagon wheel in a small field off of E. Virginia St. So of course I took a picture. Because that's what I do... I take pictures of anything and everything for this blog. I get weird looks, me with my camera all the time, taking pictures of things like random wagon wheels, but I gotta do what I gotta do. Okay, technically, I don't have to do it.

Anyway, as a completely non-important point of reference, my paternal grandparents once lived on E. Virginia St. for many years. I'm sure you're thrilled to learn that.

Stayton Fire Stayton

The fire station on Ida St. is district headquarters for the Stayton Fire District. The district encompasses 107 square miles and has four fire stations. All the stations are volunteer-based -- in fact, both of my brothers were volunteers at the Stayton station when they were younger.

The above info came from the Stayton Fire District web site. Well, except for the part about my brothers. That I already knew. :)

Museum

This is the side of the Santiam Historical Society Museum on 2nd Ave. I thought I had already posted a photo of the front of the building some time back. It appears I was wrong. Darn it. I'm going to have to fix that.

It was built in 1927 and was first known the Women's Community Clubhouse. Later on, it was the rather cramped town library, before the library moved to a new building. It's now the town museum, and I'm sorry to say I haven't been inside since it was still the library. Again, I'm going to have to fix that.

Renovation

Guest photographer Moe has provided today's image of the renovation of something of a landmark in Stayton.

The Dairy Queen restaurant was a fixture on 1st Ave., across from Regis Field for a good many years. I remember going there frequently for ice cream as a kid.

The DQ is still around, but it moved to a new location. It's nicer now that it's all brand new, but there was something nostalgic about the old building.

It sat empty for some time before it was eventually renovated. This photo, taken in 2005, shows part of the process. It's now a new fast food restaurant (a combo of Taco Time, Samurai Sam's, and a smoothie place of which I can't remember the name) with an entirely different feel to it.

Thanks, Moe, for sharing the photo!

Photo is copyright © Moe. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Jordan Bridge

Guest photographer Ronda Faught has once again provided us with some lovely photos, this time of both the outside (above) and inside (at right) of the Stayton-Jordan Bridge at Pioneer Park.

Be sure to visit Ronda's web site for more of her awesome photography.

Photo is copyright © Ronda Faught. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce in any way without permission of photographer.

Over The River And Through The Woods

Today's photo is of a footbridge at Pioneer Park. It was from this bridge that I took yesterday's photo of Jordan Bridge.

A couple of other photos posted in the past of the bridge:

• Walk This Way (by guest photographer Mark)
  
• Foot Bridge (by me)

Speaking of guest photographers, tomorrow I'll post a lovely photo (or two) of Jordan Bridge, taken by Ronda Faught. Stay Tuned.

A Reflection Of Reality

We had an almost spring-like day yesterday, so I went to Pioneer Park to take some pictures. The photo above shows the reflection of the Jordan Bridge being reflected in the water below it. The only parts of the photo which aren't a reflection is the grass on the upper right and some of the branches on the left.

At right is the same photo flipped so the bridge is right side up. Click on it to see a bigger version of the photo.

Under The Ledge And Out Of The Rain

Today photo is of the back door and wall of the Masonic Lodge on 3rd Ave. Don't ask me why I took a photo of the back door of the Masonic Lodge. I guess because it was there. That, and I like the little balcony under the window on the left side of the photo. What can I say, I'm easily amused.

Into The Blue

It's been raining here a lot lately. So I was happy to get a brief glimpse of something other than rain and clouds way off in the distance in the form of the light line of light you can see in the photo. I took this just as it was getting dark, so the distant light really stood out.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

A while back I started taking photos of the various churches in Stayton. And then I forgot. But I'm back again with another photo. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is on Western Ave. in the West Town area of Stayton.

I apologize for the lackluster photo. It was raining, and I was having a difficult time keeping water drops off the lens. It's been raining a lot lately.

Mini Snow Mountains

These mounds of snow were found in the parking lot at Bi-Mart (a store sort of like Wal-Mart) on Shaff Rd. I like them. They have bits of yellow paint in them where whatever gathered the mounds up scraped the paint in the parking lot. It gives them character.

If I'd been more adventurous, I could have tried to ride over them with my scooter. Mind you, I said tried... I rather doubt I would have succeeded.

Metal & Wood

There's a metal building of some variety on 4th Avenue with this rather interesting wooden door. It appears to just be a wooden board with hinges and a lock. Gotta like the minimalistic functionality. The hole cut in the metal isn't exactly straight, so the door and the metal wall don't quite line up. Again, gotta like it.

I wonder what's in the building. A speakeasy? A secret organization of dedicated individuals who believe kumquats should rule the world? A portal to another dimension?

Who knows, really. Well, except for those who do, of course. Anyway, it's a nifty door, which is my point, now that I think about it. I probably should have figured that out a few paragraphs ago, but it's too late now.

Fax Copies

This neon sign hangs in the window at Postal Connections on Shaff Rd. So, apparently they only fax copies but not original documents ('cause that would be fax originals), and then when those copies get faxed, the result is copies of copies, so those are fax copies copies, and so on.

Which is why I like email... less complicated.

Incidentally, you may be thinking I've deliberately misunderstood the sign. You may be right.

All In A Row

These buildings reside on 3rd Ave., across from the police station. They were built in the early 1910's, and house local businesses on the bottom, and I think the upper floors have apartments in at least one or two of the buildings. I haven't been to those floors, so I'm not sure. Which is par for the course with me. ;)

Lead On

This is my alternate photo for yesterday's city daily photo theme day, which was "what your city is known for." My first instinct was to go with the Stayton-Jordan Bridge (pictured above), but the cannery I featured yesterday has been a part of the community (1924) much longer than the bridge (late 1980's). And I'd posted a photo of the bridge for a theme day a couple of months ago, so doing it again might have been a bit of an overkill.

But I love the bridge, so I tend to gravitate to it a lot. In my mind, when I think of Stayton, I think of the bridge. A bit of history can be found on Oregon.com

DP Theme Day: What My City Is Known For

My photo for today's theme is of the town cannery, which has been a major part of Stayton since 1924.

I had a couple of options for today's theme day. In fact, until a few days ago I was all set to go another route when it was suggested to me that there was a better way to go. And they (and by "they" I mean my mother) were right. Figures. ;)

Stayton is very much an agricultural town, with a lot of area farms. Here's a bit on the history of Stayton's cannery (pictured above, in part), from the City of Stayton's web site:

Through the early 20th century, Stayton transitioned to more of an agricultural town, becoming known as the “bean capitol of the valley” and featuring a “Bean Festival” each summer. The Stayton Canning Co. Cooperative was established in about 1924 and its processing plant, to this day, remains the largest single employer in Stayton. The Stayton plant remains the flagship of the cooperative, now known as Norpac Foods, Inc.

The photo above shows just a small part of the cannery. I've never been inside, but both of my brothers worked seasonal jobs there, as have a whole bunch of other folks. The site contains the corporate offices of Norpac, plus a processing plant and warehouse.

I've posted a couple of photos in the past of the cannery: Think! Safety Pays You! and Stack 'Em High.

Tomorrow I'll post the alternate photo for today's theme. I'm sure you're very excited.

Oh, and sorry the photo of the cannery isn't better. It was raining... freezing rain, to be exact. So I parked my scooter, took the picture, and then took off.

A whole host of other city daily photo blogs are participating in today's theme day. Check 'em out below:

Portland (OR), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - Manila, Philippines - San Diego (CA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - New York City (NY), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - San Francisco (CA), USA - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - Mainz, Germany - Weston (FL), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Turin, Italy - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Bicheno, Australia - Durban, South Africa - Joplin (MO), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Brussels, Belgium - Chicago (IL), USA - Montpellier, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mazatlan, Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Toulouse, France - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Susanville (CA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Helsinki, Finland - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Lisbon, Portugal - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Trujillo, Peru - Dunedin (FL), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - London, UK - Baziège, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mumbai, India - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Stayton (OR), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arradon, France - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Athens, Greece - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Jackson (MS), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Budapest, Hungary - Rotterdam, Netherlands - St Malo, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cleveland (OH), USA - Nottingham, UK - Kansas City (MO), USA - The Hague, Netherlands - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Wrocław, Poland - Chateaubriant, France - Cheltenham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Monrovia (CA), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Toruń, Poland - Grenoble, France - Lisbon, Portugal - New Orleans (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Boston (MA), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Wichita (KS), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Christchurch, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Wailea (HI), USA - Aliso Viejo (CA), USA - St Francis, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Seattle (WA), USA - Pasadena (CA), USA - Vienna, Austria - Orlando (FL), USA - Torun, Poland - Delta (CO), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Paris, France - Stavanger, Norway - Niamey, Niger - Le Guilvinec, France - Bogor, Indonesia - Saarbrücken, Germany - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Juneau (AK), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Glasgow, Scotland - Chicago (IL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Sydney, Australia - Riga, Latvia - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Terrell (TX), USA - Terrell (TX), USA