90/365 Jesse and Skeeter

Skeeter is my daughter and son-in-law's dog.  She weighs all of about 3 lbs. and has lost all of her teeth so her tongue tends to hang out of her mouth. She's a cute little thing that prances around like a reindeer (if reindeer pranced) and has the funniest little bark.

89/365 Hope springs eternal

Peanut sat patiently under the Easter buffet table, doing his best to will the food to jump off the table and into his mouth.

88/365 Geology

OSU Professor of Geology, Alan Niem (aka Captain Niemo), gave a group of Otter Crest owners a geological tour of our beach.  I've always wondered what created the many interesting rock formations that make up the beautiful Otter Crest Beach...now, I know...volcanic eruptions from Eastern Oregon, earthquakes, landslides, erosion, and underlying volcanic pressure.  Professor Niem explained that the Oregon Coast lays on the edge of the North American Plate, that eventually (sometime between tomorrow and the next 300 years) will cause a huge earthquake (Japan size). 

I liked Professor Niem.  He loves, loves, loves geology.  Looking like a cross between a road crew guy and the nutty professor, with charts tucked under his arm and his pockets full of paper towel wrapped samples, he actually made geology fun.  His lecture was peppered with geology jokes...his favorite...when someone would ask..."How old is this rock?"...he'd answer "so and so million years and three days" and he'd laugh and laugh at his own joke.  At one point he even pulled out a jar of small rock samples from his backpack.  He showed us a red one, telling us it was jasper, and then he popped it in his mouth and chewed it up...it was candy...again he cracked himself up at his own joke. 

Professor Niem starts the tour on the cliff overlooking the beach.  He had charts and diagrams galore showing...this guy is passionate about geology...and pretty funny too.

Down on the beach, Professor Niem shows us how the cliff formations were made (hardened sand and mud raised through volcanic pressure), and told us where the best place to look for fossils is.

Found these fossils...Professor Niem said they were 10 million years and 3 days old. (His favorite joke...everything is millions of years old..plus 3 days.)

Professor Niem shows us a crab fossil he found at a beach not too far from ours.

The land actually used to go all the way out to Gull Rock (about 1 mile in the distance).  Erosion has washed away all the softer soil, leaving Gull Rock, which is made of volcanic rock.

87/365 Robin egg

We found this robin egg in the middle of our yard with no trees around. How did it get there?  I've taken it in the house, convinced the egg will hatch and I'll rescue this little bird....but Eric says the bird is dead and the egg will start stinking soon....I don't believe it.

86/365 The Sea Hag

On Depoe Bay's main drag lies a time capsule of a bar called Gracie's Sea Hag.  Step through the weathered wooden door with a porthole window, and you're walking right into 1978.  Furnished with maple captains chairs, brass lanterns, ships wheels and various dead sea creatures, it couldn't be more kitschy...or more cool. 




Piano player, Michael, visits with guests at the bar.

We always snag a seat at the fire pit in front of the dance floor, which gives us a great view of the evening entertainment...Michael the piano player.  Michael's blind and from Hawaii.  He's like a cross between Stevie Wonder and Jimmy Buffet.  He croons out everyone's favorites, throws in a joke or two, and makes everyone feel at home.  He's a wonderful singer, a more than decent piano player, but where he really shines is the occasional time he pulls out his acoustic guitar and lets loose.




Michael plays against a painted backdrop of Depoe Bay.




A strong cocktail and a seat at the firepit....the best!



The crowd consists of locals, inlanders with vacation homes nearby, and tourists.  They come to listen to Michael sing while stuffing themselves on piles of fried seafood and coleslaw, washed down with a good stiff drink.  It's a place to be chummy with the guy sitting next you, or to dance with a random stranger, or to talk with the staff like they were your best friend from highschool.  To me, The Sea Hag embodies the personality of the Oregon Coast.

85/365 Dinner at Tidal Raves

On of our favorite places to eat at the beach is Tidal Raves in Depoe Bay.  Perched on the rocks above a cove, the views are stunning...but the real reason to come here is the consistenly amazing seafood.

84/365 Rockfish in Whole Foods

83/365 Graffiti art

Just off the UW campus in Seattle is a former hot tub parlor that has been abandoned for several years.  On a busy street and covered in smooth stone, local graffiti artists have claimed it as their collective canvas.  It's an expression of youth and pop culture, and truly a work of art.  I could imagine art scholars 500 years from now studying this piece...but it's only temporary.  Someday this building will be torn down or painted over, and this 21st century masterpiece will be lost.

82/365 UW Farmer's Market

Wondering....how do you cook these?

Organic mushrooms growing in organic poo.

81/365 Juniper

80/365 Winged victory

By far, our favorite artist we saw at First Thursday was Christopher Truax.  Part sculpter, part mechanic, part sci-fi geek, part really cool guy, Chris' art is whimsical, and perhaps a little disturbing in a "what if machines took over the planet" kind of way. His robots were the most fascinating, made from bits and pieces of metal and car parts...and even real bird wings.  Everyone who viewed his art seemed to be as fascinated with it as Eric and I.  We talked with Christopher for a few moments and as it turns out, this brillant artist is a really nice, humble guy.  He accepted our praise with just the right amount of gratitude and pride...and then told us about the exhibit he hopes to put together some day.  I won't say what his ideas are because I'd hate for someone else to beat him to it...but let's just say, if he gets his wish, Eric and I will be one of the first in line to see that exhibit.



This piece took Christopher 18 months to create....those are real bird wings on the back of the robot.



"Time flies."

Our favorite piece made from old Ford Fairlane parts.

That's Chris on the left talking with some admirers, and his very proud Mom.

79/365 Risky business

Saw this woman in one of the galleries on First Thursday.  Risky footwear to wear to a place that has items with $30,000 price tags precariously perched on pedestals, don't you think?

78/365 Butts

Eric and I went to First Thursday and saw some very interesting and compelling work.  One of our favorites was Sean Healy's "Upstate" exhibit.  Most of the work was created from cigarette butts (and other materials).  According to the gallery host, Sean's work was representing the men of my father's generation who worked the mills, the mines and the plants their entire lives.  Get up, go to work, come home, kiss your wife, go to bed...get up tomorrow and do it again...and while you're at it, smoke two packs of Pall Mall's a day.  You can find Sean's work at the Elizabeth Leach Gallery through May 28.



Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of clean, unsmoked butts were arranged on this large acrylic disk in a male pattern baldness arrangement.



Smoked butts lodged into concrete formed the silhouete of a man.

77/365 Sky Blue Pink

I had moved to Burbank after my second divorce so I could live closer to my children.  It was one of the best and yet worst times in my life.  I was lonely, depressed and confused....but I also discovered "me" during that time and made a vow I would never again alter my true self to satisfy a man. I spent a lot of time alone, but I also spent some wonderful time with my daughters.  One of our favorite things to do was to visit a boutique in Burbank called Sky Blue Pink.  It was a small place filled with funky, affordable clothes.  We'd spend several hours picking through the clothes and then taking turns in the lone fitting room trying on floral skirts, striped pants, and graphic tees.  After shopping we'd usually end up at lunch some place in Burbank, often at Mi Piace, a favorite Italian restaurant.  That was years ago.  I've long since left Burbank.  But sometimes I still think about Sky Blue Pink with a wistful fondness....not because I miss shopping there, but because of that bittersweet time in my life.  Last week Eric and I were walking around the Pearl on a rare only partly cloudy day.  I looked up and saw Big Pink framed by the blue sky....and I was transported to Burbank.

76/365 Fins

Classic beauty in front of Jake's Famous Crawfish downtown Portland.  I wish they still made cars with style like this. Eric suggested this particular angle for me to take...good suggestion.

75/365 The Laura E.

My sister, Laura Ellis, just celebrated her 50th birthday.  Last summer in Provincetown, Cape Cod, I saw this boat (lower right) named after her sitting in the Marina.  Cheers to you, Laura E!

74/365 On the tracks

Street car turnaround in downtown Portland.

73/365 Church, a bit on the creepy side

72/365 Giddy-up!

Spied in an apartment window in downtown Portland.

71/365 Wall art

Another photo from The Nines.  The hallways to the guest rooms end in these interesting rotunda corners.  The crystal chandelier cast some gorgeous shadows on the blue-green wall.

70/365 In the Nines

Took this photo of myself in the elevator reflection at the Nines.  Played with it a bit in Photoshop by bumping up the saturation and fiddling with the curves.  I'm usually not one for "photoshopy" photos, but I kind of liked this effect.

69/365 Plastic fantastic

Manniquin at The Nines Hotel, downtown Portland.

68/365 Mark Morris house

I am infatuated with derilict houses.  This one is the Mark Morris house in downtown Portland.

67/365 Whale watch

I've admired this sign in Depoe Bay many times.They touch up the red every year, so that stays vibrant, but the rest is as crusty as the Northern Gray Whales it advertises.