Police Department

I'm not sure when it happened, but I noticed the other day the police department on 3rd Ave. had a bit of a face lift. It used to be one could only see a vague outline of the words 'police department'... it was so faint, in fact, I didn't even realize it was actually there until I took a photo of it once and noticed it when I viewed the photo later on my computer.

So it's all snazzy now. As snazzy as a box-shaped building like this can be without some serious renovation, that is. :)

The Brown House Under Construction

I passed by the Charles and Martha Brown House a few days ago, and noticed it was being worked on so I thought I'd take a picture. It's great to see it making progress, as a like of volunteer man hours have gone into restoring it. See the Brown House web site for more information on what they're doing and why.

I attended an open house at the Brown House a few months ago, if you'd like to see some of the inside.

Stayton Public Library

Today between 2 and 4pm, the Stayton Public Library Foundation is hosting a 1st birthday party of the expansion which was completed last year. The photo above was used on a postcard the Foundation sent out to folks to promote the party.

I'll be at the party for at least a few minutes (gotta take some photos, of course), if the heat doesn't kill me off first. Hope to see you there.

The Highest Point In Town

This is Stayton's water tower. I've posted a couple of photos of it before. And now I'm doing it again. Gosh, friends, this is such exciting stuff. Or not.

Have I mentioned recently how very much I appreciate user submissions (see the guest photographers section for previous submissions), and would love it if you have a Stayton area photo you'd like to share? And that you can find the submission info under the heading 'To Contribute'? And that I would be forever thankful if you did submit something and you'd get full credit and retain your copyright of the image?

The Bird & Hat Inn

As promised yesterday, today I'm posting some photos I took at the Bird & Hat Inn, a beautiful bed & breakfast on 3rd Ave.

The Inn was part of the garden tour I attended on Sunday, so I took the opportunity to take some photos of both the inside and the outside of the house. The photos on the left in the mosaic above were taken inside. Since the house was built in 1907 and still retains the historic feel of that era, I thought digitally aging the photos to be appropriate. And I just felt like it. ;)

The photo on the right, of course, is the Bird & Hat Inn itself. I also posted a photo of the place last year.

You can see bigger versions of the photos above and a lot of flowers and various other things on my Flickr photoset of the garden tour, plus I've keyworded some of the photos I know were taken at the Inn. Several more were, but I'm having trouble remembering which flowers were taken where.

I didn't get to all the homes on the tour this year, unfortunately... maybe next year.

Thanks to all the folks who put on the tour who provided information and were so nice in general. If you're in the Stayton area, or just feel like supporting a good cause, check out the site for the Brown House, the restoration for which the tour was raising funds.

How The Other Half Live

There's a new neighborhood just off of 10th Ave. which has some gorgeous homes. I'd hadn't been through it before a couple of nights ago, so I decided to skulk about a bit with my camera and tripod.

Of the homes I saw, the one above completely captured my attention. I liked the Stayton water tower on the right in the background, too.

The Castle

This home on East Water St. has always reminded me of a castle. The architecture is unlike anything else you'll find in Stayton, and it has an exotic feeling to me.

I've photographed the bridge leading up to the home in the past (a water canal runs right in front of the home)... Bridge Reflection, and a reshoot of that: It's All Water Under The Bridge.

I know nothing of the history of the home, so if anyone out there can provide some details, it would be greatly appreciated.

The Stayton House

This cute little place sits on the corner of 3rd Ave. and Washington St. Built in 1905, and has been both a private residence and various businesses over the years. It currently houses a real estate office.

Porter TV & Appliance

This is an old TV, appliance, and music store on 3rd Ave., in the "historic downtown" area of Stayton. It has long since closed, but the building remains as you see above. It may be run down nowadays, but I have a hard time imagining downtown without it being there. Others may disagree, but it just feels like part of Stayton to me.

Doorway To Worship

This is the front of the Church of the Nazarene on Washington St. It's a cute little church... the epitome of a little white church, in my opinion. I've posted a side view photo of it before.

As someone named Gecko pointed out in a comment on the other photo, the church was once the Baptist church before it moved to another location.

In other news, StaytonEvents.com has posted an article from the fire department about the recent suspicious house fires here in town. If you live in the area, please read it and keep an eye out. My own home was one of the ones hit (read more about that night here). Thanks.

The Brown House Open House

Yesterday I posted a photo of a woman who was born at the historic Charles and Martha Brown House during its time as a hospital in the 1930's. Today I'm posting some shots of the house itself, which I took during an open house on Saturday.

I'll let the Brown House's official web site explain the history and purpose of the restoration currently underway at the house.

The photo above shows the current state of restoration on the outside of the house. It's really gone through some changes since they started renovating a handful of years back. I've taken a couple of photos of it in the past -- one in June, 2006 and another in September, 2007.

The photo at right is an old wheelchair I spotted sitting in one of the rooms on the main floor.

Click on the thumbnails below to see more photos of the house (plus captions), plus some of the volunteers who are working on the renovation. I kind of got creative with the processing of some of the shots to give them an aged feel. It seemed appropriate for the setting.

I want to thank everyone at the open house for being so kind to me. It is very much appreciated.

Holm Building

Guest photographer Dave Nielson from StaytonEvents.com provided us with today's image. It's a great shot of the Holm Building on 2nd Ave, incorporating some spring-blooming tulips.

Be sure to check out his web site for another image of the Holm Building, plus several other photos from the Stayton area, plus a constantly updated schedule of events in town.

Thanks, Dave, for the lovely contribution.

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

Oh Industry

A few months ago I posted a photo of part of the cannery here in Stayton for the February 1st city daily photo theme day. I've been wanting to get a better photo of the cannery since then, and for whatever reason, I ended up doing it close to sunset.

There's still quite a bit more to the cannery which can be seen from the street, and I'm sure more which can't. The cannery sits on Washington St.

In A Sea Of Change

I tried my darnedest to find out the history of this little white building yesterday, but no one I talked to seemed to know anything about it.

It sits in a parking lot off of 1st Avenue (right across the street from the church in yesterday's photo, in the middle of several businesses. I've heard it used to be a school house and was transfered from somewhere else to here, but I can't confirm that or anything else about it. I seem to have a vague memory of it being a video arcade when I was a kid, but I very well may be very wrong about that.

The building looks rather out of place, with trees and grass around it, in the middle of the parking lot.

If anyone out there knows anything about the building, I'd love to learn more. You can leave a comment here, or send me an email (the link is in the right-hand menu of this page). Thanks!

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.

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):

   

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. ;)

Green Shed

This little building sits at the edge of the creek which runs next to the library on 1st Ave. I'm not sure what color the building really is (mainly because it never occurred to me to try to see it from the other side), but since being so close to the water, that has at least contributed to the lovely green hue it sports.

Back Door

This is a back door to the Red Apple Restaurant on 2nd Ave. The building has rather interesting colors, which is why I took the photo. The door was right by the bicycle I posted two days ago. I've never eaten at the restaurant, but I just discovered it's apparently Chinese, so now I sincerely want to. And someday I shall.

I almost forgot to post an update today. That would have been my first miss since I started this blog 1 1/2 years ago. That would have sucked. I'm glad I avoided such a terrible disaster. The world might have stopped spinning.

Garage

This is the top part of an old garage on 2nd Ave. According to the Stayton-Sublimity Chamber Of Commerce web site, it was built in 1885. That's a few years back. Check out their downtown walking tour page (it's #10 on the list) for more info.

I posted a photo of the whole building last year, if y'all want to take a gander at that.

Deidrich Block 1912

This nifty bit of history is on a the corner of the 1912 Deidrich Building on 3rd Ave, in the "historic" section of downtown. I posted a picture of the front windows and door in September. I love the color of the building... a very pretty blue.

In Reverse

Today's photo is of the Jones Hotel apartment building being reflected in the front windows of the post office, both of which are on 2nd Ave.

By the way, apparently I'm in the mood to break things. After crashing my scooter two nights ago (which the insurance is probably going to consider totaled), I went ahead and broke my 20" flat panel monitor tonight. It seemed fitting. And did I mention my Palm PDA is broken, too? If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all.

For those wondering, yes, the monitor was an accident. Something fell against it and broke the screen. Dell's replacing it, fortunately. I'm glad I bought the accidental coverage. As you can tell, I'm prone to needing such things.

The Brown House

I posted a photo last year of the Historic Charles and Martha Brown House, a historic home on 1st Ave. which is undergoing renovation. I thought it might be interesting to do an updated photo to show the progress on the outside of the home.

For background info on the house, please see the post from last year.

A Community In Need

I've heard recently that the Oregon area food banks are in desperate need of donations right now, so I thought it a good time to highlight Stayton's food bank, just off of 3rd Ave., on E Ida St. It's a worthy cause -- we all have to eat -- so please consider donating to your area food bank.

Love Oregon?

This building on 3rd Avenue is decked out for the political holidays, so to speak, for an upcoming ballot measure. I'm not advocating for or against the measure, I just thought the building was cool. It was built in 1912, and is "the only concrete stone building in Stayton retaining original entrys and display windows," according to the Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce web site. I don't know what it's used for now... looks like storage at the moment.

The Entrance Is Here

This is the backside of a building with some storefronts of some variety or other. I wasn't paying attention. As usual.

The backsides of things tend to be more interesting, anyway. ;)

The photo at right is of the second floor of the building. Click on it to see it larger.

Jones Hotel

Today's photo is of the entrance to what was once called the Jones Hotel, a building that's been around since 1922. Nowadays it's an apartment building.

Click here for another view of the building I posted last year, and a view of one of the walls from a few months ago when its paint was peeling (that's since been fixed).

Bird & Hat Inn

This lovely house is a bed and breakfast on 3rd Ave. I've never been inside, but I always enjoy passing by, as they maintain the yard beautifully. I'd love to just wander around the place and take pictures. Think the guests would mind? :)

Stayton itself doesn't have an actual hotel or motel (though there's one very nearby), but we do have two or three B&B's. A little more personal, I think, though I've never actually stayed at a B&B. Maybe someday.

Corner Bar

The Santiam Depot restaurant on 3rd Avenue is housed in a building dating back to 1911. According to the Stayton/Sublimity Chamber of Commerce web site it was a bank (1911), a Stayton Mail (Stayton's weekly newspaper) annex (1914), and a grocery store (1918). I'm not sure when it became the Depot, but it's been around for several decades.

That said, I've never been inside. I should do that someday. Anyway, I love all the neon, which is why I wanted to photograph it. It's too cool.

In other news, thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate this blog's 1st birthday. Y'all rock, and I appreciate it.

Red Barn

This is a retail nursery on 1st Ave. called Yarnell's Grower's Outlet. From what I understand, it used to be an actual functioning barn, but I don't know it's history. If anyone out there knows, please email me (my email link can be found in the right-hand menu, or email 'site (at) specialweb.com').

It definitely makes for a distinct building, though you'd probably miss if you didn't know where to look. It sits off the road a bit, behind some other businesses.

At right is a back and white version of the photo. Click on the thumbnail to see it larger.

Through The Trees

Last June I posted a photo of the Brown House (see the link for details on the significance the house holds for Stayton). Well, today I bring you... a back window of the Brown House! Isn't this just thrilling?

It was taken from the other side of a small creek which runs along the house and through some trees.

That makes it, I suppose, an "over the creek and through the woods to the Brown House window we go" shot.

In other news, in exactly one month this here photo blog will be a year old. Whoo.

X

It's time again for me to give into my compulsion to post a photo of the very nifty Jordan Bridge, the covered bridge at Pioneer Park. The photo above is of some cross beams on the side of the bridge, and some rod things.

Thus concludes my periodic compulsive Jordan Bridge post.