Neon Star

I went to the Star Cinema last night to see "Iron Man" (which I loved). While I was there, I took the opportunity to take another photo of the vintage neon sign outside the theater. Part of the lettering wasn't lit, so I focused on the star and overall colorful nature of the sign instead.

By the way, a big hello to the nice folks I met outside the theater, who asked if I run Stayton Daily Photo. It was good to meet you.

Down At The A&W

Today's photo is another from my nighttime wanderings around town. This is part of the A&W Restaurant on Washington St. It's a cool retro style diner, and the overhang you see on the left is part of the drive-in section, where one can pull up their car and place an order without going inside or through the drive-thru.

Fey Asian

Fey Asian is a Chinese/American restaurant on E. Washington St., where they have incredibly good sweet and sour chicken. It's also my understanding they have great egg foo yung. I'd only eaten there for the first time a few days ago, so I believe further research is required. ;)

Pyramid Scheme

Today's photo is of a nighttime shot of one of the windows at the Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant on Locust Ave. The red and blue in the neon sign make an interesting purple glow in and around the window.

Do What With The What, Exactly?

This sign I spotted at Neitling Park has me a bit perplexed. What is that thing the person on the sign is holding, and what does it do? And why is it pointing at that dog's back end?

I don't know, but I do have a few theories. 1) The end has a mirror on it so the person will be warned when the dog is about to do his duty. 2) It's some sort of, um, plug to prevent the dog from spoiling the grass. 3) it doesn't really do anything, and the makers of the sign were just really, really confused. If so, they aren't the only ones.

In any case, it certainly doesn't seem to involve the litter bags available right below the sign.

Body Shop

This little auto body shop sits behind Carquest on W. Hollister St. I just liked the letters in the windows. The lit sign is a bit blurry... I shot this handheld, and wasn't as still as I should have been.

Enter Thataway

This is what was greeting visitors to the Community Center yesterday. I don't know what happened to the door -- I swear, it was like this when I found it.

Employees Only!!

This is a side door at Stayton Heating & Cooling on 3rd Ave. The sign on the door says "Employees Only!!" and the shiny spot on the 'o' in 'only' is a smiley face sticker. I thought that was a nice touch.

Newspap

This public newspaper recycling bin lives in a parking lot in front of Bi-Mart (which is kinda like Wal-Mart, but smaller and regional) on Shaff Rd. I love to take pictures of signs (see yesterday's post and a grouping of all the signs photos posted here), so I couldn't resist the broken 'newspaper' sign on top of the bin.

I'm pretty sure I received some strange looks when I was taking the picture, though. And then more strange looks when I went back to take close up shots of the sign (see Part I and Part II at the request of a friend on Zooomr.com. His son likes garbage trucks, and he wants to put the blue truck on a t-shirt for him. Very cool.

Where To Go To Pick Up Chicks

I saw the above the other day, and it made me giggle. So if any single person out there is wondering where to go to pick up chicks, here's your answer -- Wilco Farm Stores on 1st Avenue in Stayton, Oregon.

You're welcome. ;)

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.

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.

American Star

I've posted a photo or two (okay, three) of the neon sign on the Star Cinema before, but it's so cool, I'm doing it again. The flag behind the sign is at the police station, which sits right next door to the Star.

I really need to go back at night when it's lit and take more photos. I shall do that someday soon, when it's not so cold at night.

Other photos I've posted of the Star:

• Star Cinema
  
• Going To The Movies
  
• Nighttime Star

Just In Case I Forget Where I Live

This is the sign on the front of the post office on 2nd Ave. Now that I've taken the picture, I will always remember where I am... unless I'm somewhere else.

It Was In Stayton

In front of my favorite Stayton landmark, The Jordan Bridge, are various plaques commemorating the bridge and what was done to get the thing transplanted from one location to another. The above picture shows part of one of the plaques.

And, strangely enough (since I usually forget this sort of thing), I actually have the text of the sign, which you will find below. Because that's where it is.
The Jordan Covered Bridge

Built in 1937 over Thomas Creek, Linn County, it was dismantled in 1985 and stored in Stayton.

In 1986, the Marine Corps agreed to help and this location was chosen. Replacing deteriorated wood as they went, Jordan Bridge Company volunteers and the Marines reassembled the bridge. The shake roof and the rounded portals reflect the original construction.

This is the first full-size covered bridge in Oregon to be dismantled, moved, and reassembled. The project received an award from the US Department of Transportation and the Council on Historic Preservation.

June 1988.

Home For The Holidays

I spotted this sign hanging from a pole on 3rd Ave., near the Mason lodge. There are various such signs, lighted wreaths, etc., around the main part of town... put up by the public works office, I suppose. Unless they weren't. Dunno.

I don't know what the red on the pole is. Maybe whomever (unless it's whoever) put up the sign severed an artery while he/she was up there and they bled all over the place.

Don't ask me where that came from. I'm very tired at the moment.Ho, ho, ho.

Welcome

This welcome sign hangs in the window of a business on 3rd Ave. I can't remember which business, of course. I'm lucky I remembered which street it's on.

Anyway, consider this a welcome to all who visit here -- first timers and repeat offenders alike.

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.

Please And Thank You

This whole not being about to go out and take pictures thing is getting to me. Take today, for example. I'm posting a sign from a grocery cart return area in a parking lot, for goodness sake. I need wheels so I can go shoot again!

Feed

This sign hangs over the storage building at Wilco, an farm supply cooperative, on 1st Ave. It's very blue, and yet it's also somewhat purple. This is exciting stuff. Aren't you glad you stopped by today?

5 Minutes For A Dollar

There used to be telephone booths all over town. But thanks to the advent of cellular/mobile phones, there are far fewer, and judging by the sign on the side of the booth, they're a lot more expensive.

I can't remember the last time I used a phone booth. Of course, I generally have trouble remembering yesterday, so that's probably not saying much.

This particular phone booth lives on Washington St., by the A&W Restaurant. Click on the thumbnail at right to see another view of the phone booth.

Stop City Of Stayton

This sign struck me as odd. When read as a whole, it clearly says, "Stop City of Stayton." Stop them from doing what? It doesn't say.

Stranger still, I think it was actually placed there by the city itself. Is the city engaging in some sort of compulsive behavior? Did it put out this sign as a cry for help? I just don't know.

Someone should get to the bottom of the pressing matter. I would volunteer, but seeing as how it took me over four months to actually get around to posting this photo after I took it, I'm probably not the best candidate.

Think! Safety Pays You!

This rather large sign graces an outside wall of the Norpac Cannery on Washington St. So remember -- think (something I generally try to avoid) and then safety will pay you. Or something like that. I could have things a bit confused.

I featured another Norpac shot in August of last year, if anyone is at all interested.

A Friendly Warning

This sign can be seen hanging out at the power sub-station on Fern Ridge Rd. I must confess I didn't do any field testing to see if the sign is, in fact, telling the truth. I'm perfectly happy to take it on faith.

Texaco

Here's a completely random photo of a gas station on 1st Ave. Oddly enough, this is actually the second time I've posted a photo of this gas station. I don't know why. This photo is completely different, in that it's the other side of the station. Yep. Totally, utterly different.

Tenant/Customer Parking Only

This is a side wall of a weather-beaten shed behind a restaurant on 2nd Ave. The sign marks the area as 'tenant/customer parking only'... but the sign was facing a small gravel area overrun with weeds, so I'm not entirely sure who would park there.

I have another view of the shed's peeling paint here.

What A Teacher Does

I spotted this reader board sign a couple of weeks ago, and felt it would be a good thing to post just before school starts here on Tuesday. Teachers are simply awesome.

Blue Music

Today's photo is of a nifty neon sign in the front window of Kiki's Music on Washington St. There isn't a lot of neon in Stayton, so I try to photograph what I can.

The thumbnail at right shows the whole sign... click on it to see it larger.

Dirk's Barber Shop

I've never been inside Dirk's Barber Shop on 3rd Ave., nor do I know anything at all about the business. But it's my favorite place on earth at the moment, if only for a small line of text. On the sheet containing the "barber hours" it says, way down at the bottom:

(Or whenever I am here)

I love it. I want to go there and get my hair cut every single day (or whenever the barber is there), just because of that.

Bonus photos, bonus photos!

Sometimes guest photographer Mark in Hillsboro has posted some excellent photos in a gallery from the air show that occurred there over the weekend. Check them out... you won't be disappointed. In fact, check out all of his photos, because he's a great photographer.

Stayton

I spotted this written on the side of a flatbed truck the other day. For those who don't know -- and, really, why would the rest of the world know this -- the town of Stayton was named after a man named Drury Smith Stayton back in the 1800's. He helped his children build homes, and the town was formed around their plots. For this and other Stayton-related facts, check out the visitor's info page at the Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce web site.

GO

I was given a bit of a challenge yesterday by Mark (check out the guest photographers section for some of his awesome photos). I posted a photo of a stop sign yesterday, and Mark responded with:

How come you didn't post a pic of a "Go" sign for contrast? ;)

Well, the photo above isn't a sign, but I think it's close enough. It's the front of a soda/cola/pop machine outside of the Safeway grocery store.

Mark, I have but one last thing to say: pfffffffffffffffffft. ;)

STOP

... Okay, now start again.

:)

For those who care (not that such folks exist), this was taken in the Bi-Mart parking lot on Shaff Rd.

Radioactive Fish

A Tale of Two Radioactive Fish in Love

I had no idea this big fella was hanging over my head when I was downtown yesterday until I stopped and really looked at the sign. A pink and yellow fish. Who knew?

The sign is above a Chinese restaurant on 1st Ave. I like the radioactive look. The fish has definite style. It's not afraid to swim upstream, to find its own path in life.

Lest you think it's one of a kind, there is another pink and yellow fish on the other end of the sign. But, alas, they're separated by an ocean of words... "Daily Buffet"... "Chinese and American Food"... maybe someday they'll finally reach each other and they'll live forever in a sea of love.

Yes, someday they'll be each other's catch of the day. Currently, though, they're anchored in place, left only to gaze at each other, while the rest of us go about our lives, unable fathom the turmoil these two fish are in.

Good luck, pink and yellow fish. Good luck.

Wetland Enhancement Area

This area used to be a large field with trees, bushes, grasses, and flowers. But development took over, with houses and businesses moving in. Now there are only narrow areas such as this one where the natural state is preserved. This one is between a street with houses and a park.

I won't go into how I feel about the whole thing here, since I covered it last August, when I posted a photo of some of the houses. The very small areas between the houses such as this are beautiful, so I hope at least those are preserved, as the sign says.

Baby Bunnies Lifejackets

This sign outside Stayton Animal Supply has me wondering... does this mean they carry life jackets for baby bunnies or life jackets made of baby bunnies? I was afraid to go inside and check. ;)

The Speed Of Nothing...

... And that 'nothing' is speeding.

This is the top of the hill on 10th Ave., near the hospital. People tend to go over the speed limit up there, which always amazes me. The visibility isn't great since the hill is fairly steep on both sides, and the hospital is about a half block past the sign.

I'm always happy to see them put out this reminder of what the speed limit (25 miles per hour equals about 40km) really is on that road. But as you can see, some folks still zip past it without much regard for what it says. When I stopped to take this picture, most were going roughly the limit, while a few didn't seem to care much.

The radar isn't actually tracking nothing, of course. There was a car going by outside of the view of my camera. I just liked the idea of it tracking... oh, say, the speed of light? A really fast bug? Random air molecules? Or maybe stupid ideas like the previous three?

Population 7700

The population signs greets folks as they come into town near where Fern Ridge Rd. crosses Highway 22. Color me a bit surprised we've reached 7700 citizens. That's a lot for us.

Why, I remember when it used to be 5000 people. Ah, yes, the good ol' days when everything cost a nickel and people would give you the shirts of their backs 'cause folks were friendly, gosh darn it, and we didn't have shoes so we strapped cardboard to our feet but we were grateful to have that cardboard, and we walked uphill both ways in howling blizzards just to get the school...

Oh, wait... nope, sorry, that was when my grandparents were young. My bad. ;)

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.

One Way

Today's photo (as opposed to... well, some other day's photo, I suppose) is of a 'one way' sign and a field next to the methodist church on Fern Ridge Rd.

So, like, go that one way and not the other, 'kay? ;)

Stayton Plaza

The Stayton Plaza is a shopping are on 1st Ave. No special reason for posting... I just like the sign.

The Plaza has a video store, a couple of discount stores, a few restaurants, a bank, etc. Most of the buildings have been around for decades. Despite the stores changing over the years, they still remind me of being a kid and going to one of them for various things... getting a toy or school supplies when I was little, walking to the grocery store during lunch in high school... simple little things.

Clearance 8'4"

This completely random photo was taken at a bank drive-through, because I was at there and I had a camera, so I took a picture. You've always wanted to see the clearance sign at a bank drive-through in Stayton, haven't you? That's what I'm here for: to fulfill your every photo need.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope everyone is having a day of peace and love. And pie... lots of pie. ;)

The sign above currently sits in front of Regis High School, a catholic school on Regis St. here in Stayton.

Really? Where?

There are various large puddles around Stayton during and after our recent rainstorms, and the sign above had been guarding one such puddle just off of 6th Ave. When I went by it a couple of days ago, though, it was still there, a silent sentinel on mostly dry street, nary a puddle to be seen.

Note: I revamped this here blog thing. I'm hoping it loads faster and is prettier to look at. Your thoughts are welcome... just leave a comment below.

Technorati tags: stayton / willamette valley / oregon / daily photo / photoblog

Big, Round, & Yellow

This giant yellow donut, which sits just off of 1st Ave. in Stayton, advertises a local donut shop called Starlight Donuts. No, the donuts for sale in the shop are not yellow like their sign. Although, come to think of it... I'm sure some do have lemon filling. But, still, not quite the same thing.

Now I'm hungry for a donut. Or two or three. I hear a maple bar calling my name...

Technorati tags: stayton / willamette valley / oregon / daily photo / photoblog