Benson Bubbler, seen at night.

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My favorite Benson Bubbler to photograph at night. On the corner of SW 6th and SW Main, with enough wind that the water's falling sideways. And an approaching TriMet bus in the background. All of these elements add up to a photo that I like. Click here for last year's post about the same bubbler, from a different perspective. I love these Portland water fountains!

Thankful for Thanksgiving Day and family memories.

These images are scans of small, much older photographs. The quality is slim, but the love is deep.



Thankful for having had these fine women as part of my life. Except for me, they're now all gone from here, to a place where I shall join them at some point in the I hope distant future. Left to right, front row, Ma (my Daddy's mother), Mama (my mother), Mama Sudie (Mama's mother). Back row, Aunt Baker (Daddy's sister), and me.

 

Also thankful for my dearly departed husband LeRoy and our two sons, Lamont and Leland.

 

Thankful for my Daddy, seen here with Lamont.

 

And my Mama, seen here with Leland.

I cannot resist sharing these two photos of the Albertina Kerr building with you, especially after the foggy one yesterday.

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You can see where the hedge ends, the raised corner bed starts there in the shadow--it's been replanted with hardy cold weather plants.



Here's a photo that gives you a chance to see the steps I walked up to get to the gardens so that I could take all of those Nature's beauty photos. The sandwich board at the top of those steps mentions the restaurant and the gift shop inside the building.

Here's what I found at the Albertina Kerr Web site, so you'll know a bit about the center:

Since 1907, Albertina Kerr has strengthened Oregon families and communities. Today, we provide programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges - empowering them to live richer lives.

We're building an army of angels. A community that stands together. Where we challenge the norm to create a society that has no barriers. Where people who face developmental disabilities and mental health challenges are included and empowered. Where families are supported and children have reason to smile. Where everyday people reach out to the most vulnerable and give back to their community. 

Thank you for joining us.

Nature's beauty, No. 24

To wrap up the entire Nature's beauty series, I decided to go with this photo of the Albertina Kerr property that I took on that cold Sunday morning when I lucked out and decided to see what I could find in the fog. To me, it's important to show you where I was for over two hours, practically swooning with every step as I saw one after another sight that I needed to photograph.

The first five days of the series featured images taken at the far left of this photo where there is corner flower bed, raised above sidewalk level and enclosed in a stone wall topped with bricks. You see where that last tree on the left meets with the end of the hedge? The raised bed starts there and goes an equal distance down to and around the corner before the hedge begins again. The rest of the photos were taken inside the hedge, in several well-maintained beds filled with roses or shrubs or foliage plantings. When I think about how many exceptional opportunities I had for photographs in this small space, I am amazed and humbled by Nature's beauty. And I say, "Thank you," to those who garden on the Albertina Kerr property.

Nature's beauty, No. 23

After a couple days of thorns, I thought this next to last post in the nature's beauty series ought to reflect another aspect of the rose bush, the leaves.
 

Wide shot.
 

Close up, slightly to the right of the wide shot.

Nature's beauty, No. 22

--> Two close ups of the same part of a rose bush and several pointed reasons I felt lucky to be able to make my way around the garden without touching a single plant.
 

First, this one.



Now, this one.

Nature's beauty, No. 21

Two photos today.
 

Rose stem, thorns, dew drops, spiderwebs, cropped close-up. Love the reflections.
 

Rose stem, thorns, dew drops, spiderwebs, here's the wide shot.

A short break for a stop at the Installation Space at the Portland Building, a city government building in downtown Portland

This is my third year to participate in the city/county art show known as All The Art That Fits, sponsored by the Regional Arts & Culture Council. And my first time to make it onto what I think of as the back wall of the space. Yea! There is a wall to the left of this one, and a bit of space beneath the stair railing on the right. I think that if there had been more submitted art, then they would have hung some along there, too. When I dropped off my acrylic and tissue paper on canvas board artwork, I asked if it could be placed not too high so that folks might be able to read the word I had spelled out on it with wooden beads. Well, there it is, at the bottom so that folks can indeed read the word, if they're willing to bend a bit at the waist.


The word: GENERATIONS.



Here is the rest of the back wall's art.
 

And here's the art hanging on the wall to the left.

From the RACC Web site: On Wednesday, November 20th RACC will be opening the 17th annual City of Portland and Multnomah County employee art exhibit, all the art that fits. The “salon style” exhibit takes place in the Portland Building Installation Space and is a yearly favorite for both the artists and regular visitors. All types of 2-dimensional artworks are represented in the unique show, from quirky to thoughtful, from beautiful to amusingly odd.

RACC invites visitors to vote for their favorite artwork as part of the People’s Choice Award. This year’s winner will receive two Main Stage ticket vouchers for the Portland Center Stage, generously donated for this event. The exhibition will run through Friday, January 3rd, and the People’s Choice Award winner will be announced on January 6th.

Only original artwork created by current employees of the City or County is eligible. All the artwork submitted will be installed wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling. For those eligible and interested in participating, submissions must be dropped off Wednesday, November 20th, between 8:00 and 10:00 am, to the Portland Building lobby located at 1120 SW 5th Ave. between SW Main and SW Madison.

Viewing Hours & Location: The exhibition is free and open to the public 8 am to 5 pm, Monday – Friday. The Portland Building is located at 1120 SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland.

Nature's beauty, No. 20

Looks like the spiderweb has just about completed the webbing for the insects' circus tent, doesn't it?

Nature's beauty, No. 19

Alongside the front windows on the east wing of the Albertina Kerr building is a trimmed hedge--I think it might be some sort of boxwood although I cannot say for sure. I squatted down for a closer look at this dewy little cloud of spiderweb with these tiny branches coming through it. I liked what I saw enough to take a photo and share it with you.