Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Thinker


A couple of years ago I discovered this little urban "park" just a block or so from Main Street in Walla Walla. I don't know if it has a name, but the flower boxes all have the Baker Boyer Bank emblem on them, so my guess is that's who funded it. This little toad is called "The Thinker" and looked so content to spend his days contemplating the little brick-covered park in front of him. If I were him, I would be, too! More pictures of this park will follow.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Unfortunate Advertising


As I was coming out of the Wal-Mart parking lot yesterday I was confronted with this. It caught my eye because this is the first graffiti I've ever seen on this particular wall, which is amazing in and of itself, considering this wall runs the length of this section of the road. The other interesting tidbit is that this is not permanent graffiti; it was written in chalk. The only questions I'm left with are, How does the artist know this for a fact?, and Do I really ever want to visit Bulgaria now?

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Eye-Catching

These marigolds and petunias were just begging to be photographed. Their vibrant colours caught my eye immediately when I pulled into a favourite local park. My husband and I were there to find a geocache (he's really into it, and I sometimes tag along), but I ended up lagging behind to take pictures. I carry my camera everywhere now, which is fun and fortunate! These flowers line the main entrance to Pioneer Park, a popular, tree-filled park not too far from downtown Walla Walla.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Fritz


We went to some friends' house for dinner and making music on Friday night. There were 3 couples involved, and we are all musicians of varying sorts: electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, voice, harp, drums, clarinet, etc. So we gathered after a delicious dinner of pitas, hummus, falafel, tabouleh salad, and tsatsiki (it was all so delicious!) and sang and played for about an hour. It was great fun. All the while, Fritz, their friendly cat, was wandering around the room, vying with the instruments for our attention. He succeeded when I saw him lying here, ready to be photographed. Though he looks apathetic to my presence, he was quite proud of himself to have won.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Travel in a Moment


I'm not quite sure why, but when I went to get in my car and noticed these flowers stretching over the fence in front of where I had parked, I suddenly felt as though I'd been transported south to California. It may have had to do with the stuffy summer evening, or the arborvitae plants lining the fence beneath this determined branch, but whatever it was, it was quite effective. In a mere moment I'd traveled to a place I've been so often and times I might have forgotten in the attic of my mind. In an instant the cobwebs had been swept away, and there I was, at a mall with my friends in Ontario...in my grandmother's backyard in Riverside...on my street as a small child in San Diego. Curious how sometimes unexpected moments lead to unexpected places.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Peaceful Weekend


I thought this photo appropriate for the day I typically go to church. This isn't my church, but I loved the peaceful simplicity of its facade. I believe this church is called the "Community of Christ," which I find quite inviting. I wish the shadows hadn't been on the building so the entire thing was bright, but it was too late in the afternoon for that, and the trees across the street were quite large! This church is on the eastern side of Walla Walla.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Thirsty


I stopped by a park yesterday morning to enjoy some quiet time with my coffee and bagel. It wasn't as quiet as I expected. Several house sparrows were chirping away and flying to and fro, playing in puddles and chasing each other around the treetops. Fortunately, only one car drove by, and that was the main thing I was trying to avoid: human noise. As I was getting ready to head to my office, these two squirrels came tearing out of a nearby tree. They chased each other around the large trunk, around the grass, and then back around the tree. I stayed to watch them play, and before too long they got a bit thirsty and stopped by this puddle near me to get a drink. I couldn't help but pull out my camera...they were so cute!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Black Cup Coffee


Last summer, the Black Cup Coffee Co. opened up in College Place. Ever since, it's been my favourite coffee shop. Their coffee is smooth and strong, not just bitter water like Starbucks' hot coffees. They also only hire very friendly staff. I've only ever gotten a bad coffee there once, and the barista was new, so it was understandable. The owner recognizes regulars like me, and always has a smile and a "How are you?!" ready for me. She also makes the best drinks in the house, and I love it when she's behind the counter! They, like most coffee shops I've been to, sell their own brew, and display it in attractive packaging around the shop.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Corners

I love how every aspect of this building is square. Even the designs in the upper part of the windows are straight lines. This building sits on the old Main Street of Old Town Freewater, now part of Milton-Freewater on the Oregon side of the border. It's a beautiful old building that is currently being used for what appears to be a home furnishings store. What caught my eye was the men holding up the stair-steps of the building's facade. They don't appear to be too happy about their duties, but they've been doing this for probably quite some time. This photo was taken on the side of the building. The front would be around to the left of the shot.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Snack Time

It almost looks as though the cows in the background are looking on in envy, since it would appear they aren't going to get a snack today. Mama tried to make sure I wasn't doing anything questionable, but couldn't quite peek around her huge belly. Baby = oblivious. Farming towns are fun to take pictures in - fields, animals, and barns are all quite photogenic! This field full of cows was just a mile or so from the university located in College Place.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Luscious by Nature

What this building used to be I never could figure out. It sat empty for several years, and then suddenly last year (I think) it turned into something called "Luscious by Nature." To the left of the covered part of the patio dining area is a door marked, "An Urban Market." Although I still haven't figured out what either of those two names mean, I have eaten here twice, and enjoyed it both times. I didn't necessarily enjoy the bill, but their veggie wrap was simply amazing. Avocado makes anything better. Except maybe ice cream. Correct me if I'm wrong here... At any rate, the building has stood on this spot since the very early 20th century, though what it was originally built for I can't say. Maybe this is a research project for me. Anyone from the area know anything about the history of this building?

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Just Passing By

I find it fascinating how many more things you notice around you when you're taking a photo a day. At least, I do. I notice colour combinations, people doing interesting things, unique building features, and a photographic moment in even the simplest, everyday things. Life is a lot richer when you're looking for moments to capture in time. For instance, I pulled off the road to take a photo of Peopeomoxmox and as I turned my head to check behind me before opening my door, I noticed a silent movement above the building in front of me. I'm not sure what this comes from, but the building is our local branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I've had a couple of friends either work or intern for them, and my husband has visited their library, but I've never been inside the building myself. I just loved the silent ghosts of machinery slipping out through this vent in the roof. If the sun hadn't been just there, I never would have noticed.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Still An Icon

In spite of urban growth and cities growing ever more upwards as much or moreso than they grow outwards, Christian churches are still very recognizable and sometimes (as in this picture) quite noticeable as well. I heard several times during my college career that churches originally had steeples to make them the tallest buildings in any city, village, or shire, drawing people toward them and allowing them to stand out from the rest of the area's constructed edifices. This is because back in the day, travelers would not usually go from place to place for leisure. Pilgrimages were probably the most common reason for the "everyman" of the day to travel (though an actual historian would be able to confirm or correct that). This meant heading to a particular city/village/shire in order to visit the local church; nothing more, nothing less. Today, they still stand for the same thing, and they're still just as recognizable...though unfortunately much less noticeable.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Classic

The Whitehouse Crawford is a schnazzy restaurant located in an old building that rather resembles a warehouse. I've never actually dined here as you need to be prepared to really make a dent in your monthly income at this locally famous restaurant, but I've heard nothing but good things about its food, service, and selection. If you're a vegetarian (like me) your selection as I hear it is significantly smaller, but there are still delicious dishes to choose from. If you're one who enjoys a glass of wine with dinner, there are plenty of local wines to choose from here, too. If you're interested in a night of fine dining, Whitehouse Crawford is the place to go.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Peopeomoxmox

Peopeomoxmox means Yellow Bird in the Walla Walla tribe tongue. He was a tribal chief during the Battle of Walla Walla in 1855 and was taken hostage while negotiating peace under a flag of truce. He was subsequently killed and his body mutilated by Oregon Volunteers. His burial site is still unknown. This statue in his honour stands near the heart of Walla Walla's beautiful historic downtown.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Fun-ky Car


The emblem on the side of this 3-wheeled roadster says "Fun Car Rentals." Not sure where that's located, but it sure looks rather fun. Saw this pull up in front of the post office and pulled over to take a photo before I lost the opportunity. If you can't tell, this car's windshield would come up to the average American man's middle.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Chinese Food Lovers


A couple of young lovers enjoying Chinese food (even eating with chopsticks!) in a favourite local park. I just missed (by half a second) him reaching across and feeding her with his chopsticks. I could've kicked myself for not being that much quicker! The evening was beautiful with a slight cooling breeze. A perfect evening for takeout in the park.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Private Property


I knew there was a nice view up a road called Seven Hills just West of Milton-Freewater. When we got there, the sun wasn't quite down yet, so we took a few pictures and kept going. We found a road that wound around between some hills and then ended up in a field of windmills with a gorgeous view into the valley and the sunset. After about 30 minutes of taking photos, a car pulled up and the guy told us we were on private property. Oops. It's unfortunate we can't go back there again sometime, but I hope he gets smart and puts up some signs, because we had NO IDEA we were trespassing. At least we got some awesome pictures before he found us.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Highland Fever


Yesterday we celebrated my sister's birthday by attending the local Caledonia Games. It was a ton of fun, and we learned a lot! There were dancing and piping competitions (yes, that's piping with bagpipes), performances, souvenirs, treats, and even kilts for sale, and clan tents to visit. My sister and I paid $5 each for two raffle tickets for a trip for 2 to Scotland. We're both determined that one of us will win. We'll see! This young girl (probably about 9) was competing in the solo dance competition. The ones I saw went up to 3 dancers per group. They were such fun to watch!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

On a Detour


I had to run to the store last night, and decided since it was such a lovely evening to take a "detour." Instead of taking the highway directly into town, I grabbed my camera and took the back roads. I was rewarded with a cool evening breeze and a beautiful sunset over farms, fields, orchards, and vineyards. What a fantastic way to welcome the Sabbath.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Sustainability


I went to a sustainability forum last night at a local college. They had printed programs and pamphlets, but they'd printed very few, so people could share. "Instead of killing a tree, we just chopped off a limb!" they joked. They also took other steps, such as replacing bottled water for the panelists with filtered tap water in recyclable glass jars. Great idea, I thought.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Grill Men


This 102-year-old building, which hasn't been used as specified (BANK above the door) for many, many years. It is now being turned into a bistro called Grill Men, though the open date has not yet been specified. This building is in "Old Town Freewater," the historical Main Street of what is now a combined town of Milton-Freewater. It is on the Oregon side of the border.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Summer Afternoon


We're a farming community, so this is not an atypical sight around here! This crop could be anything - I'm not a farmer, so I can't identify it, sorry. I love the photographic element the wheels of the sprinkler pipes provide; I only wish I could've gotten a better angle on this. I was in a hurry, unfortunately. This field is only about a mile from town. A lot of the surrounding area looks like this...if it's not covered with grape vines. But details on that are for a later post.

And so ends my first City Daily Photo post.