More Wall Art

More doctor office art. Salem Clinic has an abundance of Pacific Northwest-inspired photos and sculptures adorning it's walls. This one done in metals depicts Mt. Jefferson in the Oregon Cascades.

Fish Art

Rainbow? Coho? Chinook?

Doctor office art, to distract your mind from the cost of tests.

Looking for Food

During our recent snow, I did my best to keep food out for the birds. I was told this is a Spotted Towhee, though most websites say it doesn't live here.

Blueberries in Winter

A local blueberry field with it's winter dress.

Hope of Spring

A Photinia bud encased in ice from the storm.

Power restored!

Well, here's a 'pretty' picture of the ice storm we experienced 5 days ago. I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of gunfire -- rifle and cannon to be more precise. I opened the front door to listen, then realized it was the sound of trees breaking off all around our valley. And I noticed the view from my front deck looked different, as in wide open. A clump of birch trees was gone! (See the previous post.) Two were lying across the road. The other one took out my beautiful Sweetgum and Red Dogwood trees on it's way down. Thankfully none fell on the house. And the power was out.

We set up the Coleman camp stove and brought out the kerosene lanterns and goosedown. By the time the the power company came by two days later checking all the overhead wires, the temperature in the house was hovering around 38°F. You can see my poor dogwood tree split in half. Thankfully the conifers just lost a few branches here and there.



No electricity = no TV, no news, no phone, no internet, no computer, rationed water (we are on a well). (I can't believe we don't own a battery-powered radio!) But I did get to read a good book, cover to cover. And two days later, just as the food in the freezer was thawing and we were wondering if we would ever be warm again, our power was restored.

So A belated Merry Christmas to all and may the Arctic keeps it's 'blasts' to itself!

And now my backyard...

I had thought by this time I would be all over town getting lots of bright, colorful Christmas shots. Perhaps the 'arctic blast' will be over very soon and I will be able to do so.

Squares and Rectangles

Late night at the post office.

Some Christmas cheer

Keeping Warm

Today was enough above freezing that most of our snow melted. I have a bird feeder right outside my computer window and my sweet husband was kind enough to wipe down the outside so I could photo the birds as they came and went. I did not realize how difficult it is to photograph birds. They were in constant motion, twitching and turning. Just as I focused and pressed the shutter, off they would go. After trying every setting on my camera and about a hundred shots, I finally got one that was more than just a blur.

Need Knows No Season

A volunteer 'bell ringer' for the Salvation Army was instead playing Christmas songs on his sax and brass horn (Baritone/Tenor? Marching French?) on a skybridge downtown and he was quite good! The "Red Kettle campaign" is the Salvation Army’s major fund-raiser, first started in San Francisco in 1891.

The funds raised help support many of the people in poverty with food and toys at Christmas, utility and homeless assistance, senior and child care, drug abuse treatment and other social service needs. All money deposited into the kettles remains in the towns where it is collected.

>>>Here's a little Christmas cheer for you.

Brrr

We are just wimps when it comes to this cold weather. Our road remains covered in ice though a few SUVs and PUs have made it up the hill. I am thankful I don't have to go anywhere. Here's a view from my front deck, across the way. Can you feel the chill?

Cuteness

Needs a home, (other than this one). He is so adorable. About 8-9 weeks old. I love that single white 'toe' on his right paw. Any takers?

Cold Weather

We've had a little snow, which we only get every couple of years down here in the valley. Our temperatures have dipped below freezing and the deer were back and forth across the field all day. I think they were looking for unfrozen water. Or maybe they just liked frolicking in the snow.

Over the roadway and thru the bridge..

One of several sky bridges connecting downtown shops, malls and parking structures. This one is over Liberty Street between Nordstrom Mall and J.C. Penney's.


btw, I created a page dedicated to our servicemen and women and their families. My webserver must have upgraded something and my 'share this page' script quit working, but if you would like to send it on to someone, you can copy and email the url.

Home for Christmas

An Apple a Day

We only looked through the window at the candy store in downtown. Well, we did step in side and inhale a little.

Shop Local

A great gift shop in Salem Center downtown, where all products have been [Made in Oregon]. Pendleton wool, Tillamook cheese, wines from the Willamette Valley wine region, jams, smoked salmon, Oregon hazelnuts, Trappist Abbey baked goods, Briggittine Monks fudge... lots of good things!

Arbres et La Tour de Cellphone

A walk in my neighborhood. The sun was nearly set, and cast a red glow on the clay soil and trees. It also gave the eyesore microwave/cellphone tower a nice golden glow.

Mt Hood Sunrise

Taken from the onramp to Hwy 22 east near Aumsville. Mt Hood is about 60 miles away.

Colorful Wall

One of the few businesses open in Liberty Plaza is the colorful Thai Orchard Restaurant. I love this lamppost and colorful wall. I have not eaten there.

Lèche-Vitrine

When approaching through the [sky bridge] from Penney's into the Liberty Plaza (downtown on the corner of Liberty and Chemeketa Sts.), I was met with the clean, contemporary lines and lighting which I think create a warm ambience in the open walkway. The building has undergone extensive remodeling with high quality craftsmanship, and has only a few occupants so far.

Need advice -- is this better to post in original above, or the black and white below? Appreciate any cc.

Cute Little Village

Aren't these just the cutest? Couldn't believe my fortune to find these. I've only seen these in pictures. They were growing in abundance underneath a conifer near our dentist's office. From a medical site:

"In sublethal doses, the fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) may produce visions and delirium, and it is perhaps one of the oldest known hallucinogens."

Capitol Christmas

The State Capitol has had it's halls decked out for the Christmas season.

Golden Glow

A walk in my neighborhood. Late afternoon sun illuminates some roadside trees.

Country Lane

On a walk in my neighborhood. A neighbor's welcoming tree-lined driveway.

Barn House

On a walk in my neighborhood. A cute little barn converted into a house. I would love to see the inside. I remember when goats lived here.

A Bend in the Road

A walk in my neighborhood.

City Daily Photo Theme Day

Today is theme day for the City Daily Photo community. This month's theme is 'circle/sphere'.

The round glass in the windows in the round, turreted tower, I believe are original. Now the Globe Travel business, this is the Capital National Bank building which I previously featured [here], and [here].

An old photo of the building before the street-level front was mutilated 'modernized' can be seen [here].

187 City Daily Photo bloggers are participating in this months theme day. [Click here to view thumbnails for all participants].