tell-tale signs

and I thought ...

2010-02-22T23:17:00.000-08:00

honestly speaking

2010-02-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

this morning

2010-02-22T23:14:00.000-08:00

the wind, the sun, and us.

2010-02-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

waiting

2010-02-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

she left when dawn arrived.

2010-02-22T22:54:00.000-08:00

I'm currently reading a novel called "The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had to" by D.C. Pierson, and am enjoying it immensely so far. I spotted it at Powell's and loved the cover. The narrator, a typical geeky teenage boy, and his best friend (the title character) are rather likable and quite interesting.

dreaming with my eyes wide open

2010-02-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

The cherry blossoms announce the arrival of spring. This tree is just down the street from where we live.

look at where we are now...

2010-01-29T20:51:00.000-08:00

which side is the outside?

2010-01-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

memories, old and dry.

2010-01-29T20:31:00.000-08:00

if nothing else, we survived.

2010-01-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

the pretense of happiness.

2010-01-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

The tree, situated beside the EMP in Seattle, was entirely adorned with these lights.

you delight me

2010-01-27T16:40:00.000-08:00

stop and eat the sugar

2010-01-27T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's a marshmallow world in the winter~~

A tasty window display at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Seattle.

no exit*

2010-01-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

I really liked the textures of this brick wall; it was the side of a building where we parked in Seattle to go to Pike's Market. I like the dirt and grime on it; I think it gives it a human quality.

*Sorry, Mr. Sartre. I couldn't think of a better title.

my mood in the span of five minutes

2010-01-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

(One side of the Experience Music Project, designed by Frank Gehry.)

catch me when I'm free

2010-01-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

thoughts caught in my mind

2010-01-27T15:58:00.000-08:00

(Remnants of some kind of plastic bag caught and torn on barbed wire.)

warm enough for berries

2010-01-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

I was so delighted with the different shades of red on these berries!

making way for the new.

2010-01-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

old banner III

2010-01-27T15:39:00.000-08:00

fantasy

2009-11-06T22:22:00.000-08:00

Taken at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery earlier this summer.

a feast for one

2009-11-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

Taken at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery earlier this summer.

saved

2009-10-22T19:37:00.001-07:00

we have to be buddies

2009-10-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

I have a new perspective on life

2009-10-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

I need your help

2009-10-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

old banner II

2009-10-22T19:29:00.000-07:00

inner strength

2009-10-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

you brought me to my knees

2009-10-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

I once lived in a better place

2009-10-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

mini cards

2009-09-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

buoyed by hope

2009-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

save the ta-tas

2009-09-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

This is my 2nd year in a row participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, along with other volunteers from work.

childhood longing

2009-09-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

a love letter read too late

2009-09-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

living on the edge

2009-09-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

the nostalgia of death

2009-09-18T00:03:00.001-07:00

the bittersweet familiarity of old friends

2009-09-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

untitled

2009-09-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

the morning prayer

2009-09-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

This looks so zen.

hold it together

2009-09-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

I may be mistaken, but I think that is Mt. Shasta in the background. If not that particular peak, then it's there somewhere. Possibly.

the watchman's lookout

2009-09-17T23:51:00.000-07:00

This was what awaited us at the height of the Watchman's Trail, after a 0.7 mile hike--a fire lookout. It was well worth it.

alpine chipmunk

2009-09-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

What is this chubby little chipmunk doing so high up in the mountains?

from Crater Lake

2009-09-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

Nardy's Crater Lake Travelogue

2009-09-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm George Bernard Shaw. My nickname is Nardy. I'm here to share with you my very own travelogue! On Sunday, I traveled to Crater Lake, which is in Southern Oregon. I showed up unannounced on the trip (I was a surprise!), and promptly found myself stuck in a car for five hours. I spent the night in Medford, which was an interesting little town. The next morning, I set off for Crater Lake! It was only about 60+ miles from Medford.

The day looked very promising! I had heard that it was supposed to be in the 80s up at Crater Lake, and the blue skies seemed to fulfill that forecast. The road was windy and bumpy in some spots, and if it got too uncomfortable--which it can when you're sitting up on the dashboard--I oinked in protest (which at first startled my co-travelers, but soon they found it very endearing and adorable).

At last! Here I am at Crater Lake!

Aaahhh. Let's take a minute to enjoy the lovely view.

Tree stumps that are gnarled and weathered beautifully abound on Crater Lake, and here I am testing the strength of one. Just kidding, I am more svelte than I look.

Did you know that Crater Lake is the deepest lake in America? It is also one of the clearest! Check out how blue that water is!

And that right there is Wizard Island! Although, according to the Klamath Indians, it is actually Llao's hat; Llao was a god that grew angry when he was scorned in love and blew up, and someone came to help the Indians and he pushed Llao down into the Earth, and only his hat is visible now. According to scientists, Wizard Island is a cone that may one day, in about 1,000 years, become active. But I will be bacon by then, so no matter.

I walked around a lot, and when I got tired I sat down on aforementioned beautiful tree stumps. Trees are that rare thing that are beautiful even in death.

My co-travelers and I drove around the Western part of the rim, stopping by most of the viewpoints. It rained a little bit, but for the most part, the weather was simply gorgeous. From my view here you can see Mt. Shasta, which is in California. Isn't that crazy?

And then, rather ambitiously, I embarked on a 0.7 mile hike up on the Watchman's Trail, whose destination is a fire watch tower at an elevation of 8,056 feet (or something like that). I felt equal parts triumph and exhaustion.

Hey! Why isn't that camera pointed at me? Just kidding (although I can definitely be a camera hog--no pun intended! Har har har).

Here I am, reflecting over my trip. I am overlooking Wizard Island and the vast Crater Lake. There is a smaller island, called Phantom Ship, which we saw, but since it was on the Southeastern side of the lake we didn't get close to it. I borrowed one of my traveling companion's binoculars, and we spied various creatures and plant life. We also saw a motorboat down in the lake--you'd think they would only allow unmotorized boats, but I suppose one would get tired fast if you had to row your way around the lake.

It is such a massive beauty of nature, I can scarcely wrap my head around it. It was a wonderful trip, and I am so happy that I got to go. I can't wait to write my next travelogue!

feeling awkward, I looked at the ground.

2009-09-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is a gray punch buggy at my apartment complex. When I first saw the contrast between the flat gray paint of the automobile and the scratchy straw-yellow of the grass some weeks ago, I knew it was something I had to record.

old banner

2009-09-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

clever kittens (never again)

2009-08-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Why, hello! Sometimes I have a dry run of no new photos, but the fun doesn't have to stop! Hop on over to clever kittens to view my non-photography goodies.

i keep looking for you

2009-08-18T23:24:00.002-07:00

i told you not to come round here again

2009-08-18T23:24:00.001-07:00

tell me when we've arrived.

2009-08-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

Birds of prey gangs: Out to terrorize some poor little pudgy pigeons, no doubt, or to beat up on some seagulls.

i know it was you who called and hung up

2009-08-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

This mini series is from earlier this summer, when we went to the unusual and beautiful sand dunes of Oregon.

the clock struck two

2009-08-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

everyone thinks I'm on the mend*

2009-08-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

*An Amy Winehouse lyric.

it seems to me you don't know what you're talking about

2009-08-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Some books I recommend:

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin [Nonfiction]

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey [Fiction]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon [Fiction]

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai [Fiction]

Some books I don't recommend (all fiction):

The Alchemist's Daughter by Katherine McMahon

The Fig Eater by Jody Shields

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

arrested beauty

2009-08-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

"Stop! Put your hands up!"

Hahaha doesn't that look like what this flower was asked to do? This is a dahlia I purchased at the Portland market yesterday.

Billie finds success

2009-08-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Earlier, I had written about Billie the bee, who tried to find work as a model but did not really have the know-how. Well, an entire semester of courses on posture, lighting, and finding her best angle has given Billie the boost she needs, and here she returns in her most stunning work to date--the spread that made her a household name.

This one made the cover of the August 2009 issue of betty bee magazine!

The story of Billie is really just to give me an excuse to display more than one of these bee photos, because I could not pick just one. This was such a funny occurrence--at the Portland market, a bee landed on the zinnias I was photographing, and then here at the Beaverton market, a bee again chose the flowers I was shooting.

a cautionary tale for reckless lovers

2009-08-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Cherries and pits on the asphalt at the Beaverton Farmer's Market.

the finishing touch to apathy

2009-08-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

[Opposite the Beaverton City Library.]

the dynamo of volition*

2009-08-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

*The title of a Jason Mraz song.

[Opposite the Beaverton City Library.]

we're only human so far*

2009-08-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

*A Jason Mraz lyric.

[Opposite the Beaverton City Library.]

all the things that make me sad

2009-08-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

[By the Corner Bookstore.]

i can only lead you to the gates

2009-08-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

I was captivated by the different textures and looks of this patch of tree. You can see the outer white bark, the creamy skin underneath, and also the dark wood. It's a multiracial tree!

You can see the paper-like bark curling away, revealing fresh skin. The white paper-bark is very soft and smooth, and slightly sticky.

the swordfight in which no one won.

2009-08-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

This one is called Lion's Ear. Each 'petal' has a fuzzy texture, like weightless slivers of peach.

the Ophelian complex

2009-08-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

I like the softness of this picture. Think: cuddle blankets, fleece jackets, flannel jammies, down pillows...

[Beaverton Farmer's Market.]

the taste of truth.

2009-08-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

"Peer into my soul," she said, but she disappeared before I could do so. I will never know the taste of truth.

[Beaverton Farmer's Market.]

the peculiarity of familiarity.

2009-08-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

I saw these at the next Farmer's Market I traversed to, the Beaverton Farmer's Market next to the Beaverton City Library. Sadly, I forget what this little bulb-like plant is called. I love how they resemble a string of Chinese paper lanterns. I remember I had a pretty lantern one Autumn Festival, and when I set it down it burned up and away. I was so sad.

words to live by.

2009-08-16T02:37:00.000-07:00

These are eggs laid by fat free-range hens*.

*I know they're fat because the stall owner had pictures of them. They're just a bunch of happy, overweight chickens hanging around the farm--it's really funny--although chickens are inherently funny already.

Daria weighs in

2009-08-16T02:33:00.000-07:00

I want one!!!!!! A vintage egg scale--who knew these things existed? Unrelated, but did you know you can make square eggs?

a humbling nature

2009-08-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

I dislike the taste of cilantro.

a display of my true feelings.

2009-08-16T02:27:00.000-07:00

Leftover petals floating at the bottom of a bucket.

an unfortunate slight

2009-08-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

Whether they were tossed or dropped or simply fell, all these little bits of nature ended up in a rather artful arrangement. Perhaps they are all members the same karass, and their wampeter was to be in this photograph. [Hopefully I've used these Bokononist terms correctly.]

she keeps her glass half-full

2009-08-16T02:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know artichokes can flower? I had no idea. They're monstrous.

Billie finds a new job

2009-08-16T02:10:00.000-07:00

Billie decides to give modeling a shot, and flies in to join the zinnia photo shoot.

She only knows one pose, though, and thus, returns to pollinating flowers and producing honey. (She will try again later.)

the ground gives birth to miniature rainbows

2009-08-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

I visited one of Portland's many farmer's (farmers' ?) markets today, this one being the Saturday Portland Farmer's Market at the Portland State University park blocks. On Thursday, I had chanced upon the smaller-scale Thursday Farmer's Market in Nob Hill/Pearl District while on my way to Patagonia (an outdoor gear store), and found a stall selling the most inspiring and vibrant bouquets I remember seeing recently, run by a family. I found out that they also did the Saturday market, and the girl I spoke with said they had an even bigger selection then, so along I came, with the goal to buy flowers to photograph. The vendors above are actually a different family; there were a few stalls, all run by Asian families (interestingly enough), selling lovely flowers.

own a little piece of telltale signs!

2009-08-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

I recently opened a new Etsy shoppe to offer prints of my photography and original artwork, and would like to welcome you to come visit!

telltale signs shoppe

My new sticker labels.

slow reflexes

2009-08-02T20:20:00.001-07:00

In the laundry room at my apartment complex sits a row of genteel chairs, looking like they were hustled from a waiting room somewhere. They are all attached together, so if one goes, they all go, or else you'll need a hacksaw or a screwdriver or both. They're such great popsicle colors. I think it'd be neat to have it in my dwelling. Not that I plan on taking it...

the book says nothing about this

2009-08-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

the star pupil.

2009-08-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

I just have to say that this is one of my personal favorites.

burn the evidence

2009-08-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

Gerbera daisies, my favorite flower. These are actually synthetic ones from Ikea, makers of great faux wood bookshelves.

when i grow up

2009-08-02T19:49:00.000-07:00

A tiny pinecone still attached to a twig--I found this a few months ago, and have it on display in my little dwelling. It's very dainty.

yummy town

2009-07-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

An Asian bakery in Chinatown, New York. What a great day it was to find this place!! Ah, egg tarts... How I miss thee!!

the honest answer

2009-07-28T23:19:00.001-07:00

[Taken at the Oregon Sand Dunes.]

speak to them softly

2009-07-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

[Taken at Rock Creek, Fall 2008.]

commonly known as complicated

2009-07-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

[Taken at the sand dunes of Oregon; texture layer added.]

the Atheist.

2009-07-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Conrad enjoys long discussions on religion, watching the sun rise, and steak.

[Taken at the Sea Lion Caves; texture layer added.]

cornered by distance

2009-07-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

She felt the distance in the gap between their hands, not holding; she felt in the space between their mouths, not kissing; she felt it in the air around their hips, not touching; she felt it lodged in their chests, not sharing.

[Taken by the Sea Lion Caves in Oregon; texture layer added.]

the complications and compromises of dreams

2009-07-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

She loved the coast, but not for the reasons most people do--of course, she enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the cool of the breeze mixed together, the salty air, the shifting sands revealing trash or treasure underneath; but it meant so much more to her than those physical sensations:

It meant escape.

She spent entire days dreaming of sailing/swimming/flying/drifting into an endless sea, the possibility of getting lost thrilling her. Never to be found again, to be completely alone, surrounded only by a sea indistinguishable from the sky. Her desire for such solitude was as inexplicable as it was selfish, but she didn't think about these things. She only knew she wanted to have her solitary freedom,

but could she do it?

Could she find the courage? There exists desire, but desires are like ideas--they remain impractical/useless/inactive/dead/nothing until they are actually done, or at least, put into the process of being realized. And there was the basic question of--how? Should she buy a sailboat? A normal little boat? Fly out in a hot-air balloon? Simply swim? Also--how long would she get to enjoy her alone time? Her dream of escaping into the ocean needed to last for some amount of time; she didn't want to be hungry, or thirsty, or have to go to the bathr--oh, well, no matter for that one.

The more she considered her options, the more she realized she needed to be more prepared. She couldn't simply just do it; the enjoyment would last no longer than a few minutes, if she was lucky. She had to be smart about it. A boat seemed to be the best idea--not a large luxury one, but one that had a kitchen, a sleeping area, etc. She had a bit of money saved up, but not enough for a boat by any means; she probably couldn't even afford a nice canoe. Well, maybe she could, she didn't know how much they were. The boat needed to be stocked with food, water, and unromantic necessities like toilet paper and trash bags.

And there was the matter of how long she would be gone--ideally, forever, but one had to restock, eh? Perhaps she could live in the ocean and make periodic trips back to land? But what about fuel? That was expensive--and there was no job to bring in money when you live in the sea! In the end, she found a little fixer-upper cottage on the coast of Washington; her nearest neighbor was three miles away, which was a little near for comfort, but compromises had to be made, she decided.

From her window, if you stood back far enough to see only the gray-green water, and you rocked yourself from side to side a little bit, it was enough to pretend you were bobbing in the ocean, alone, alone...

[Taken at the sand dunes of Oregon.]

i don't get enough sleep

2009-07-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

[Taken from a cab in New York.]

i'm always listening

2009-07-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

something to remember me by

2009-07-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

a great way to begin the day

2009-07-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Amen!

[Taken at a Chinese eatery in New York City.]

i need you II

2009-07-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

[Taken at Rock Creek.]

i need you

2009-07-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

[Taken at Rock Creek.]

it's time to carry on II

2009-07-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

today, a song

2009-07-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

If some of these look familiar it's because they are older photos I'm adding here.

[Taken at Rock Creek.]

Alice

2009-07-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday, at 2 p.m., without fail, Howard thought of his late wife. It wasn't that he didn't think of her at other times; it was just, at this precise time, certain memories would come rushing back as if they had just happened an hour ago. At first, they had been so strong that Howard became convinced that she was still alive--alive!!!---and then the devastating realization that she was not waiting at home for him (or playing with their terrier Teesta, or eating vanilla ice-cream, or wrapping her polka-dot scarf around her dainty neck, or even pulling up the weeds in her garden) would paralyze him.

Eventually, he learned to prepare himself for this event, since he never could predict how it would leave him feeling. Sometimes, often times, he would take Wednesdays off from work altogether. He couldn't stop it from happening; even when--and it did happen--he forgot the time or the day--all of a sudden, he would mysteriously appear in a lifelike dream where they were visiting her mother, or just waking up next to each other, or arguing about what color they were going to paint the hallway. The hallway--for crying out loud, why did he ever fight with her about that?! Little things like this crushed his soul now.

As the years dredged on, he waxed and waned between loving this golden hour that allowed him just a few more vivid moments with her, and hating the heart-wrenching solitude it left him in (I could and should have loved her more! If you give me a second chance I will!!!). This strange phenomenon followed him well past retirement, and, at age 86, on August 3rd, a Wednesday, at 2 p.m., she came again. And, at last, at last, this time, she stayed.

a secret to be told.

2009-07-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, keeping a secret reveals more about a person than the secret itself.

[Taken at Rock Creek.]

something happened to me on Saturday

2009-07-05T22:34:00.000-07:00

Something happened to me on Saturday. I think it's called love, but it may have just been indigestion.

[Taken at Rock Creek.]