Didn't really take any pictures over the summer; unlike previous summers, I didn't go anywhere. Friends were either from the area, or at least a 5 hour plane flight back east, so there was no real need to travel. Besides, work was busy & I'd been down to California several times already this year.

The first "vacation" didn't crop up until Labor Day! That's when my parents drove up to visit for a couple days. Unfortunately, their visit wasn't as long as I had thought it would be, and the whole vacation was basically spent shopping & fixing stuff. Not a lot of pictures came out of that! So the first picture that I like didn't get taken until the end of September, and then it was just pure chance: I was walking home from work and saw a picture worthy scene:

Willamette River and cloudy skies, from the east-side esplanade

The next picture came a month later, in October. Leaves were changing color, providing picturesque views from the convenience of my apartment building's roof:

Colorful leaf changing

And finally, with the days rolling by towards the Winter Solstice, it's getting darker earlier. So walking home from work again presented an interesting view, this time of downtown Portland at dusk:

Downtown Portland at dusk

Now playing: Cascada – Everytime We Touch – 01 Everytime We Touch

Way back in June, it was time for the Portland Rose Festival 2010 and Fleet Week 2010 here in Portland. And of course I went out again and spent a day photographing the ships & Portland in general! I didn't go on any of the rides or go watch the parade (I can see how it's fun for kids, or if there's someone/something you know in the parade, but otherwise I find it boring) or take any of the ship tours (the lines were, once again, just too long).

In fact, I'm not really happy/satisfied with Fleet Week 2010. I just didn't seem to have good timing like in previous years. Also, it might just be me, but it seemed like there were a lot fewer ships than in previous years. So, there's only 2 pictures this time that I feel really turned out well & that I like:

HMCS Vancouver, on the Willamette River in Portland for Fleet Week 2010

Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon open to let a tug boat pushing a barge downstream.

That tug + barge were actually part of the problem with getting good pictures. I think the barge must have been empty, because it was floating fairly high in the water. So high in fact, that I couldn't get any pictures of the ships docked on the west bank from my favorite spots along the East-side Esplanade. Guess I should have woken up earlier and gone down! Anyway, the complete album can be found on Windows Live here.

Now playing: Air Supply – Ultimate Air Supply – 10 Two Less Lonely People in the World

Okay, okay, so these are all from Fleet Week rather than the Rose Festival itself. I can’t help it; parades get to be boring, and the International Rose Test Garden is too busy.

HMCS Algonquin, HMCS Nanaimo, HMCS Whitehorse, USS Shoup during Fleet Week in Portland. Note the fact that 3 Canadian Forces vessels were present, and only 1 US Navy ship was...

No ships in this one. Instead, there’s the esplanade, interstate highways, the Oregon Convention Center, and Liberty Center (where I work). Yes, this shot (& posting) is just a gratuitous attempt at showing people where I work. And I know it’d work a lot better if I wasn’t on the 3rd floor, which is conveniently hidden behind the concrete of an interstate ramp and 1/2 mile of buildings.

Steel Bridge with TriMet MAX train. See! It wasn’t entirely cloudy that day!

USS Shoup in profile against part of downtown Portland.

The Canadian Forces ships again. HMCS Algonquin, HMCS Whitehorse, HMCS Nanaimo (not visible; hidden behind HMCS Whitehorse).

Now playing: Emm Gryner – Science Fair – 06 Good Riddance

So, apparently there's some confusion about what the picture in the last post was. Something from someone about "dude, why’s there a picture of an airplane crashing into a white tower with a grey skeleton walking by." Ahem.

IT'S A FREAKING WIND TURBINE! See! Here's what they look like when complete! :

Here, maybe it'll help more if I show a bigger panorama (click for large size so the white things sticking up in the background are more visible):

(ignore the car in the picture; it's not really relevant to the windmills/wind turbines (sorry, I still think of them as windmills & have finally gotten tired of correcting myself) that are under construction.)

Also, I'd think that following the link to the XKCD comic would be a bit of a tip-off as to what the picture was off…never mind the direct reference to Don Quixote (the inference of which the comic leaves "as an exercise to the reader"). Whatever. :)

Now playing: Maybe Smith – Animals & Architects – 02 Hearts Like Bears

Thank goodness Don Quixote was here! Knocked the top right off the fearsome turbine-alien.

Now playing: Wintersleep – Welcome to the Night Sky – 04 Weighty Ghost

One lane bridge on the road to the coast between Carlton, OR & Beaver, OR. It has a couple different names depending on where you’re at on it: Meadow Lake Road, Nestucca River Road, Upper Nestucca River Road, & Blaine Road. It was fun to drive when I took it, but I imagine that would change as soon as some snow got on it. So probably only safe to take it from late spring to early fall. In mid-April 2008 it was passable enough, and there’s a number of campgrounds that were completely empty along the National Forest parts. There are some nice views towards the Carlton side that I wish I had captured pictures of. Maybe for next year!

Cape Kiwanda, as viewed from the south near Pacific City.

Offshore rock at Cape Kiwanda.

Now Playing: Brenda Weiler – Live – 18 Sweet Lullaby

Taken back in March when Emil & his girlfriend were visiting. For some reason I didn’t take pictures of the informational signs, so I don’t actually remember which waterfalls these are pictures of. They’re in the Columbia River Gorge, off the old highway. I’ll have to head back out there sometime & capture what the names are...

Now playing: Stars – Sad Robots (EP) – 05 14 Forever

Lewis and Clark Bridge across the Columbia River between Rainier, OR and Longview, WA. Taken last year while heading to the coast via Astoria.

Fort Clatsop (replica) in the Fort Clatsop National Historical Park. It was prettier when I was there in July (2007), but unfortunately I don’t seem to have any pictures from that!

Astoria Bridge that carries US 101 across the Columbia River at Astoria, OR.

The beach at Nehalem Bay State Park. See, not all days out at the coast during winter are that bad...

...just don’t look in the other direction.

Or maybe it was just luck that there was a clear patch right over the part of the beach I was walking on.

On the dune right next to the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park.

Cannon Beach. The water seemed colder then at Nehalem beach when I was walking around out in it.

Now playing: Lifehouse – Lifehouse – 01 Come Back Down

It was hot Friday and Saturday. Which meant I was busy being lazy and staying cool by sitting in my car (with its AC running). I should have posted this when it was 100+ degrees out, but I didn't, but now it's appropriate again because snow is predicted to fall in the mountains tomorrow!

Yes, the weather has gone crazy this year.

Outside my apartment window, back in February.

Now Playing: Brenda Weiler – Fly Me Back – 09 Fly Me Back

US 26, right after/before the tunnel through the west hills. Looking towards downtown & PSU.

Houses/apartments/condos/whatever built on the side of the west hills.

Now Playing: Po' Girl – Home to You – 09 9 hrs to Go

Downtown Portland, from the Vista Viaduct over Goose Hollow. That's the MAX (public transit train) just starting to go by.

The viaduct (looking east-ish towards downtown). This picture was taken in February instead of January, so that's why the sky isn't as dreary a shade of gray.

Another picture from February of the Viaduct.

Now Playing: Coldplay – Viva la Vida – 07 Viva la Vida

Here are some more pictures of Reservoir #3 in Washington Park, Portland, Oregon. I took them back in February, so you can tell I'm a bit behind on posting things...

Now Playing: Josh Ritter – Hello Starling – Bone Of Song