CB1100 Monthly Photo Challenge

[Whoops]

Antsy

Caty

   

   

[Cormanus]

[Gone in 60]

Ferret, I think you have the honor for February. I’m riding tomorrow, any chance you could noodle on a new challenge for us?

If my battery is cooperative that is. Forgot I was going to look into that.

[the Ferret]

How about your bike parked somewhere in your city or town?

This is Main Street in my town (File photo)

[Gone in 60]

That works! I can roll out of my garage and if my battery is dead, I can just push it back!

[pdedse]

I thought it was Feb. 1st yesterday when I saw Ferrett give the topic, and since I was already planning to ride, I thought why not snap some shots of my downtown area.  Then I get home and see that it was still Jan. 31, but perhaps the photos will still qualify.  

Gresham, Oregon, the 4th most populous city in the state.  Established in the 1850s by the Powell brothers and today the main thoroughfare through downtown Gresham is named after them (and, it's also hiway 26 that I referred to for last month's topic).  It grew from 4,000 to 10,000 between 1960 and '70.  By the time I arrived in 1999 it was at 83,000.  The 2020 census says 114,000.

Next to Jazzy Bagles on Powell Boulevard; even when I'm not taking photos of Mt. Hood, I can still include it.  The berries are rasberries.  Berry farms are common around Gresham.


A lot of downtown "Gresham highlights" are depicted on the mural; if you live here for any length of time, you know the reasons why the artist included the particular details


 
 
Main Street, Gresham.  I have lot of good memories here: parties with the kids' soccer, basketball and baseball teams at Wall Street Pizza, my wife and I go to a kinda seedy, smoky bar to play pool somtimes on Fridays, I'd pick up cinnamon rolls for the kids on Saturday mornings at Jazzy Bagles, and Main still has some go-to Mexican and Italian restaurants that we've frequented many times over the years.  
 
On any given week-day you'll also encounter seeing-eye dogs and their trainers practicing as just outside Gresham there is a school where the dogs are bred and trained to provide companions for the blind.  The community leaders have done a nice job of revitalizing this area so that it's a fun, albeit small area on weekends with mini concerts, street musicians, teddy-bear parades, antique car shows and farmers' markets.  And just east and south of Gresham is where the countryside begins, allowing quick access to wonderful motorcycle riding.

[Gone in 60]

I went for a quick ride around town yesterday evening. No battery issues! 

I snapped some pictures around Orange CA. The mid-century city hall is cool and is sometimes featured in photo collections of Orange County mid-century design examples.

The local bike store is well-stocked but the old man who runs it is known to be a bit of a nut. Last time I went in to buy an inner tube, I handed him my money and he struck up a conversation with “You know George Patton’s car accident was an assassination, right?”

The central Old Town area has been featured in many of my photos. The new main library is a great place to visit and they lend out audio books online.

I also included our local groan-worthy real estate billboard courtesy of the Katnik Brothers. It’s always themed to something “cute”. Right now they are the Mario Brothers.

[the Ferret]

Looks a little bigger than my town lol

[Gone in 60]

Well, as far as bigger, I can't vouch for that. But our "town" is just part of the greater L.A. / Orange County Megalopolis. You can cross one street and be in the next town in all four directions. But, our part of the city has a nice home-town feeling to it.

[Gone in 60]

It’s March! Time for a new challenge!