Playing With My New Toy

 So who doesn't love playing with a new toy. I love my Canon Power Shot SX40 it does great close in photography ...

 ... fish-eye ...

 

... and excellent telephoto quality.

 It was a partially cloudy day but I still managed to get good color in normal ...

 ... and vivid mode.

 Bear in mind I'm still learning the settings ...

 ... but I occasionally got some superb shots (these are reduced size and you really can't see the detail you can in the 12 MP larger size pictures)

 The bridge in this picture is at least a quarter of a mile away...

 ... this shot is a little closer...

 ... but like I said I'm learning the settings and f stop is next so the background is blurred on this bench a larger f stop (focal length) would have cleared up the background - I will go back here and redo this shot.

 I did get my usual railing shot...

 ... tested grain on this tree and dying vine...

 ... then got a picture of 14 Cirque Du Soleil trucks at the mall parking lot...

... and a nicely color shot of the poster ...

 

...but my favorite was this accidental eagle - the bald type that  flew into one of my frames of a picture of the river.

Quote of the Day - "There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." ~ Ansel Adams

Seattle Center Tut and More

Sorry to say no photos were allowed at the King Tut Exhibit we came to here in Seattle but there was a lot more to see ...

 ... at the Pacific Science center...

... including tons of experiments and demonstrations in the many areas of the center.

The inner courtyard was full of amazing things to see...

... like a triceratops ...

... and a stegosaurus.

the buildings we very cool...

The Seattle Center is more than just the Pacific Science it is also the home of the Space Needle and if you had been to Boston with us last visit you would recognize this yellow glass sculpture by Chihuly in the Chihuly Glass Garden.

The other really amazing thing here is the EMP Museum.

"The EMP Museum (formerly known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame or EMP|SFM) is a museum dedicated to the history and exploration of popular music, science fiction and pop culture located in Seattle, Washington. The Frank Gehry-designed museum building is located on the campus of the Seattle Center, adjacent to the Space Needle and the Seattle Center Monorail, which runs through the building."

The EMP Museum was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and opened its doors in 2000.

Across the walk from EMP was this really cool Totem Pole...

... And running through the EMP is this monorail that was built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Monorail celebrated its 50th Anniversary this year (2012).

The EMP is truly unique...

...as is the Space Needle and the entire Seattle center...

... but Seattle is even more than just the center and it is a vibrant city ever changing...

... with inspiring art ...

... and the famous Pike Place Market...

That runs a few blocks but is, in fact multi levels...

... and it's located right next to Elliott Bay...

There are all kinds of things to buy at the market from crafts and art but the big draw is the fresh food from...

... Berries, Fruits and nuts...

... To Lobster Tails --- yummy

Quote of the Day ~

"The best museums and museum exhibits about science or technology give you the feeling that, hey, this is interesting, but maybe I could do something here, too." ~ Paul Allen

Portland and Sauvie Island

Isaac was working on his birthday so we decided to go up to Portland when he had some time to visit. When we arrived at his place I noticed a great image of a ladder and it's shadow on a nearby apartment building ...

... and the beautiful design on the top of his apartment building.

The car parked in front of us had this great dot com sticker and I later found out it's a Vermont dot com and at home we got a Vermont country store catalog so it must be a sign that Paul & Michelle's wedding IN Vermont was calling to us wish we were there ...

The decorations on this meter, one stating "2 Ps__ Gas" and the other saying "See you never." were Cryptic but I thought noteworthy - maybe not.

Having lived in California I also got a picture of the plaque naming this historic Portland building after a great California community.

When Nicole arrived we went to lunch at a Tex-Mex Cafe named Esparza's that reminded me of a really good movie titled "True Believer" with James Woods and Robert Downey Jr. where a Latino killer named Art Esparza almost got away because an oriental man named Shu Kai Kim who looked a little like Esparza  was imprisoned for the murder. So now Texas has come to Portland along with California and a great old movie...

... with two vultures waiting at the door and inside they has an Texas License plate, an Armadillo and a Jackalope. Just perfect

I liked the color and architecture of a building close to Esparza's ...

... and this really cool decoration on another.

After a great lunch we took off for Sauvie Island the largest island along the Columbia River, at 26,000 acres, and one of the largest river islands in the United States. It lies approximately ten miles northwest of downtown Portland. Our first stop on Sauvie island was Kruger's Farm that sells great produce but also has lots of activities for families...

... and one even that will be happening soon the a corn maze ...

... on a grand scale.

They have all the odd decorations to make it a colorful and fun place...

... and plenty of beautiful flowers like the dahlias ...

... like the ones in my last blog from shore acres - it must be the season...

...and plenty of sunflowers ...

in many color variations...

... since I like flowers i stayed out taking pictures ...

... of the great flowers while the others bought produce inside.

I had walked up to the road to get the pictures of the cornfield and while there also got this shot of river homes and houseboats...

... then got more as we drove farther along reminding me of another movie and state - yup "Sleepless in Seattle" and Washington state. Notice on the right even a side-wheeler was one of the homes.

There are lots of farms on Sauvie Island two of the other better known are Bella Organic Farms and Sauvie Island Farms and in the background is Mount Hood - hard to see but there.

Here is another view of Mount hood sorry for the haze but there are two big fires up in Washington state and  we could also see Mount St. Helens that looks a lot like Hood with a flat top.

Quote of the Day ~

"I am NOT going to New York to meet some woman who could be a crazy, sick lunatic! Didn't you see Fatal Attraction?" Sam Baldwin (Tom Hanks) in Sleepless in Seattle