On a quiet spring night last week I set out for some shots around town at dusk. I still made it home in time for SVU 🙂 Here’s another New Paltz in 5.
New Paltz Christmas Tree Bonfire
Getting rid our our Christmas tree seems to be an annual annoyance, so you can imagine my excitement when driving home the other day and seeing a banner on the side of P&Gs for “Christmas Tree Bonfire in the Park”. Yesterday, on a not so wintery Saturday in January (at least snow is on the ground!) ND and I lashed a bungee cord around our tree, dragged it through town and over to Hasbrouck Park to join dozens of families and neighbors all united around setting our Christmas trees on fire. The Mayor, Jason West, spoke, reminding everyone that the Christmas tree bonfire was an old New Paltz tradition, and his hopes to make it even bigger and better next year, while a local bluegrass trio, Yardsale, played in the background and the fire department carefully tended the bonfire. Magical moments in a magical town.
Yardsale was playing in the dark. I was lucky to catch them lit up for just a moment when a huge dry tree got thrown on the fire.
The Bridges of Multnomah County
PDX, Rip City, Stumptown, City of Roses — Portland has a number of nicknames, one of the most appropriate being Bridgetown. All in all, eleven bridges cross the Willamette River, eight of them entering the downtown area. A little over a year ago, I had a chance to take a walk on the Broadway Bridge around dusk and get some great night shots of the Steel Bridge and the Freemont Bridge. Ever since, I’ve wanted to get back and walk more of the bridges.
Last week, we caught a rare break of sun and blue sky on a 45 degree afternoon. We walked the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridges, slowly enough that the afternoon turned to evening, allowing me to catch some night shots of downtown.
Looking north up the Willamette River to the Morrison Bridge
We caught a boat coming through the Morrison Bridge…
and then the Hawthorne…
The afternoon light on the Hawthorne bridge was beautiful
Looking south down the Willamette River to the Hawthorne Bridge at rush hour
Morrison Bridge at dusk
Downtown Portland at Dusk
