#228 It's about Me and a Place to Visit

 

Random 1: Mission San Francisco de Asis, Rancho de Taos, NM

#228 It’s about Me and a Place to Visit

This post comes out of left field, right field, and down the road a ways—two photo essays and a recommendation. There’s no high purpose to the two photo essays other than I found some photos I could have fun putting together. The recommendation is a fun place to have lunch and a visit. There’s plenty to see here, so let me get started.

I remember a catchy advertising slogan of a “flowers-by-wire” service that went “Say It with Flowers.” The implication was that flowers can carry a variety of emotions and sentiments. I’ve pulled up a few flower photos to see what they say or might say.

Blue, blue, and more blue.

What message would a  large blue flower send?

Does a blue background compliment the pink hollyhock. Taken at the church in Taos.

Delicate, wouldn't you agree? 

Butterflies and bees.

Near Red River, NM.

Share the good stuff.

Oregon Gardens, Silverton

Flowers for sale.

I have no idea where this was taken 23 years ago.

Taos, NM

More or less color.

Near San Luis, CO

This is more colorful, but is it more interesting?

Vincent Van Gogh as well as many other famous artists believed that self portraits (now “selfies”) gave insight into the human soul. I can’t compare myself to any of those other artists, but I too believe that the selfie can lead to insight. I find it hard to pass up opportunities to add a selfie to my collection—and then see if it tells me anything.

Mirror images.

Another use of flowers. 

"Off with his head," said the Red Queen.

Windows as mirrors.

And what does the red light mean?

A picture in a picture. It's got to say something.

A shadow of the self.

The warrior kachina is my spirit (12% Apache) fighting Parkinson's.

The reality is most of the time even the sweater wins.

Am I just a shadow of my former self?

A Recommendation: The Historic Butteville Store

10767 Butte ST NE, Aurora, OR 97002

503-678-1605  www.butteville.org

Hours: closed Mon., Tu - Sun. 9:00 - 6:00

Breakfast (9-10:30), lunch, special Sat dinners twice monthly

Anne ordering lunch.

Library Room

Years ago Anne and I went to a nice Christmas High Tea and concert at the Butteville Store. Sadly, the Store no longer lists that type of entertainment in their scheduling. Instead the current management has earned a fine reputation for cafe or bistro-style meals and specialty ice cream dishes. 

We’ve gone several times, with small groups or by ourselves, to the Store and been delighted each time. The lunch sandwiches and home-made soups are interesting and tasty and the ice creams and sundaes are delicious. 

This was the wheel of the sternwheeler which used the Buttrville landing dock until the rail took over in the early 1900s.

The history of the community is not to be missed. The site’s web page gives a vary complete history of the Native American (Kalapuya tribe) background, the French Prairie area, the community (which is one of the oldest in Oregon), the sternwheeler landing, and the building. The Butteville Store is a museum of artifacts and pictures of the rich history of Butteville and has excellent seating both inside and out.

Ospreys (and sometimes eagles) can be seen on the Willamette River a block away from the Store.

Donated to the state of Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. in 1999, the historic Store is now administered as part of Champoeg State Park with food service provided by HalfPint Bros. Only a few miles off the I-5 freeway between Canby or Aurora and Newburg, the Butteville store is a fun and rewarding stop. 

Random 2: a rough wood fence in Santa Fe, NM.

NEXT: We'll see what I can find.

It's About Me

It’s about Me

This post is about me. First is a story about my senior year at South Salem HS. Second will be 21 photos (some of my favorites) that I’ve never shared or displayed or sold as prints. I feel good about sharing both of these.

My Senior Speech Year at South Salem HS

My third year on the South Salem speech team was quite special and yet nobody really noticed. Throughout the entire year in debate, individual events, and special speeches I won awards in every event I entered—most of the time third place and never first. Besides debate, the individual events I participated in was quite a variety: extemporaneous speaking, impromptu, oratory, dramatic interp, salesmanship (Linfield College), public address (Linfienld), and student congress. In every one of these events in six different competitions (high school and college tournaments) I won awards. I also entered two scholarship competitions and won awards in each (Odd Fellows United Nations competition and American Legion Oratorical).  

Highlights for the year included winning five Superior or Excellent awards at Portland State in five different events—I competed in 3 events one hour and two events the next hour—I was awarded Outstanding Speaker in the tournament by Coach Dr. Ben Padrow. At the Linfield College tournament I placed in the three individual events I entered and with my partner, Mike Harrell, won 2nd in Sr. Debate. I did receive a speech scholarship to Linfield from Dr. Hap Mahaffey. At the state tournament at Oregon State University Mike and I along with Catrhy Stone placed third in team debate, and at the NW Regional National Qualifying Tournament at Evergreen College in Washington I won 3rd  in Men’s Extemp (top two got to go to Nationals).

With approximately forty trophies (all seconds or thirds) won in my senior year of high school, it was encouraging that my partner at Linfield, Paul Butcher, and I took first place (undefeated) in our first college tournament.

Some Favorite Photos

There’s no significant order to these photos, They are just images I like or that bring back good memories, yet I’ve never before shared them. I thought it was time they were seen and shared. Let me know which ones you like (or don't like).

Health and Safety doesn't like this picture.

Crown Point Vista House, Early Morning

Ancient standing stone and small castle in Central Scotland.

This really is a selfie taken on a Scottish ferry trip.

Grafitti Wall in Santa Fe

Anne enjoys a scone in a stationary rail car tearoom in Dufftopwn, Scotland.

An ancient stone circle in a cow field near Killin, Scotland.

Abandoned crofts on an island we passed on a ferry from the mainland to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, Scotland.

Dramatic clouds framed the dunes along Balnakeil Beach in the far Northwest corner of Scotland.

Anne crossing a clapper bridge (large flat stone bridge) in Datmoor National Park, England.

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A small croft in the Scottish highlands near Braemar.

Gathering Pollen in Scotland

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse on a rare summer day.

Abiquiu Lake, New Mexico, near the home and studio of artist Georgia O'Keeffe

Forest bridge on the trail to the Burn O'Vat near Ballatter, Scotland.

Sunset in Arches National Park, Moab, Utah.

I have absolutely no idea what this creature is, but I know I wouldn't want to meet it in a dark alley. Photo taken near Sisters, OR.

Old Friends (Elgin, Scotland)

Anne on the trail in the far northwest of Scotland, near Durness.

Credit the photographer, Anne, for catching me at work in an ancient cairn in Ireland.

Store window and street reflection in Scotland. Is Anne inside or out?