Margery Niblock

August Ambles

Artistic Advertising

Elizabeth Fraser is a prolific neighborhood artist, whose home also serves as an art gallery. The wonderful palette on her front door defines the building's interior.

She has wonderful openings, delightful art, and is an asset to the area.

Beautiful Window Boxes

I've enjoyed these lovely window box displays for the past several years, and have complimented the owner when I meet her as she's walking her dogs.

This is the first time I'd been able to take a photograph that was acceptable to me. It seems that whenever I'd passed by with my camera previously, the light was never quite right.

The couple living in this house have also done amazing things with stones in their garden. I've watched their hard work and have admired their diligence and artistic ability. It's always a joy to walk past their home.

Shocking Arrest of Daisy Duck

When I looked at the police department's arrest log for the week of 7/23/2008 to 7/31/2008, I was stunned to see the name of "Duck, Daisy" under the column headed "Arrestee Name." I pick up these arrest logs each Friday, check them over the weekend, and highlight the ones that might produce an interesting story for The West End NEWS. On Monday mornings I talk to the person assigned with the task of dealing with the media regarding these issues, and hopefully by the end of that conversation I have at least one story to write up.

Daisy Duck was arrested on July 31 at 11:03 in the morning for "Criminal/Traffic/Civil/Offenses." Her home address was given as Portland and her age was 58. Daisy lied about her age, because she was actually born in 1940, so she chopped ten years off to reach that number.

Daisy Duck was one of my childhood "friends," along with Donald and the rest of the clan. I actually pulled out the Portland telephone directory, to see if there is anyone with that name residing here. There wasn't. But in relaying this event to friends in Philly, I've discovered that there are two people down there with the last name of "Duck." One is Donald and the other is Joseph; however, there are no Ducks in Portland, Maine.

I noticed that there was no name listed for the arresting officer, which caused me to think that someone might have added the name as a joke.

When I delved a bit further into the entry, the person I deal with regarding these matters said: "Oh, I see the case number isn't a valid one. The number for this is much higher than any numbers we use." He said the narrative stated that Daisy had caused a disturbance at the farmers' market.

He then postulated that during computer training for the managing information system (MIS), where names, charges, and other information are entered during practice sessions, this particular entry had somehow gotten into the actual arrest log.

First I thought it might have been done just to test me, to see if I would notice it. It's all about me, you know! That wasn't the case in this situation.

My Peach Lover Poses

That darling woodchuck still can't resist his peaches. I haven't eaten a peach in a long time because they taste like cardboard to me. But I'm always purchasing peaches at the supermarket for Woody.

He's grabbed it! He usually won't eat it outside if I'm around. He brings it into his home and then he'll leave the pit near his front door. And a nice, clean pit it is.

This is our third year together. He looks a lot plumper than he did last year. He has to really squeeze himself back into his entrance, which is what he's doing in the picture above.

This was taken the next day. We were just looking at one another. There's a peach outside, which isn't in the photo. He's trying to decide whether he should come out to retrieve it or if he should just wait for me to go away.

He stayed with his head by the entrance for about 20 minutes and then backed off. I waited a bit longer and then left. The next time I came back, the peach had disappeared.

What's Wrong with This Lighter?

There's not a thing wrong with its lighting capacity. But the spelling does leave a lot to be desired. It should be "KENNEBUNKPORT." It was a gift, and it's quite a collector's item.

"art of the month club" Origami

The mailing this month contained this lovely origami crane, accompanied by a sheet of instructions.

There were also three pieces of paper included in the mailing, which are to be used to make cranes.

At the top of the page it says: "According to legend, if you make a wish and fold one thousand paper cranes, the wish will come true."

I certainly have a long way to go in order to get my wish, but there's no rush.

It's June in Maine

Old Port Festival

The first Sunday in June is always the day for the Old Port festival, a wonderful downtown tradition.

This year's weather was perfect! The parade by the Shoestring Theater, headed by Nance Parker, was well attended and much enjoyed.

There was also a petting zoo.

A Bit of Country in the City

A neighbor of mine has created a wonderful pond in her backyard. It's deep enough for a frog to hibernate in over the winter.

This bullfrog is quite happy with his new digs.

She also has three chickens, who seem to be quite content in their new urban setting.

House Portraits

I've been doing scratchboard house portraits the past few months. It's a lot of fun doing my artwork, and I really enjoy when the owners pick up the pictures. They've all been quite happy with the representation of their homes, so that pleases me, in turn.

Praying Mantis Babies

The specks in that container are baby praying mantises; they'd hatched two days prior to my taking this shot.

My young friends Andrew and Henry are in charge of this nature experiment. They'd sent away for a praying mantis egg case that had instructions about what to do after the eggs hatched, which was supposed to be in about four to six weeks. Andrew had just about given up hope after eight weeks of waiting, when they hatched the following day.

The egg case is the round brown object on the stick, toward the right. The mantises are eating aphids until they go out into the garden to start working there. Some of them have already been released into the garden at the boys' home and some will go to the community garden they participate in.

I hadn't seen one of these insects since I've been living in Maine. I had been quite excited when one appeared in my Philadelphia garden.

Another City Bird

This pigeon has made a nest in a wonderful spot.

june "art of the month club"

It was exciting to receive my June envelope, with an apology for being late; May never produced an "art of the month" mailing.

As you can see, there was a charming little envelope decorated by hand, which contained flower seeds. I planted them immediately. I'll be checking them often and will take pictures of whatever sprouts in the area I've placed them.

If you click on these two photos to enlarge them, you can read about the guest artist. It's pretty funny.

Spring Things

April "art of the month" Mail

My art of the month arrival was quite exciting. It must have taken a long time to put all of these pages together into this little fold-out book. The drawings were a compilation of the postcards people were asked to send back in March, when we were told to draw something that we loved.

The dinosaur at the end is my favorite thing from the entries that were received. He's quite spectacular!

Birds in Eaves

I discovered where some sparrows are living. They have a nice eave to call home. They don't need much space for getting in and out. I'd be curious to see what the interior looks like, whether they've built an actual nest in there.

I'll never know.

This is another eave where birds can be seen going in and out. This house is on the same street as the previous one.

I hope you're able to see the small sparrow that's nestled into the corner of the eave.

Fiddlers in the Park

The dog in the forefront is being well entertained by these two people. They were terrific! What a pleasure it was to walk into the park and listen to their music.

Here We Go Again!

This was the first time I've seen Woody this season. This will be our third year of "togetherness." He's looking good. The violets are starting to open now. I remember last year he waited until they had all appeared, had gotten nice and large, and then he just ate each and every flower. More power to him! I certainly don't begrudge him his meals of violets, even though they are one of my favorite flowers. He does allow me to enjoy them before he starts munching, however.

St. Lawrence Reduces Its Size

The stained glass is being removed from the historic St. Lawrence Church. Part of the building is in a dangerous condition and must be taken down.

The stones have been numbered so that some time in the future, that portion of the building will be able to get restored to its original beauty. It's quite sad to see part of that important structure removed. It's such an integral part of the neighborhood, something you're used to seeing.

After that portion is all gone, I'll still have my beautiful etching of the church, done by Ron Slater, a most talented man.

Around the Corner

This sweet garden ornament lives around the corner, and this odd monkey sculpture also adorns the same garden.

Otto

I met Otto, the albino ferret, when I was taking an early evening walk. He lives right on my block, although I'd never seen him out. I was told that he's a little depressed lately, since his brother Potto died.

Mother's Day Flowers

Flowers are always such a welcome gift, no matter what the occasion is. These lasted a very long time. Now I have the greens in the same vase, with some fragrant lilacs.

Bzzzz

I noticed this bumblebee resting on a daylily leaf when I went to put something into the compost bin. I went in to get my camera, thinking it would probably be gone by the time I got back. He must have been very tired from all his pollen gathering, because he was still in the same spot, waiting to have his portrait taken.

Welcome Visitor

I don't know bird calls, but when I heard a sound that was not the usual bird, that much I was aware of. I ran to the window and saw this cardinal walking around on the bricks in the patio.

For about ten days, at differing times, I'd hear him and go to the window to watch him. He hasn't been here for the past several days and I do wish he'd return.

Out and About Once Again

New Family Members

This magnificent chickadee was created by Sue Talbot, who carves all sorts of birds out of wood. When I saw her work I had to get one of her creations.

Sue informed me that the bird was carved from tupelo wood and painted with many layers of thin acrylic washes. The legs and toes are brass rods that have been shaped, soldered, and covered with epoxy putty. The base and cone were carved from one piece of cedar.

The chickadee was shipped down to Portland from Camden, Maine, in a well-packed cardboard container. He seems to have acclimated very well to his new home, and I've told Sue that she has "visitation rights." It's also very special, since the chickadee is Maine's state bird.

Toni Wolf, a wonderful artist, sent me this little paper frog that she made. Toni knows I have a long-standing relationship with frogs and she thought that sending this little fellow my way might make spring seem a bit closer.

It's a welcome addition to my eclectic collection of artwork. Thank you, Toni!

March "art of the month club"

My envelope for March arrived from the art of the month club. As you can see, for this month's activity I was asked to draw something that I love on the other side of this prestamped, self-addressed postcard. I didn't exactly follow the instructions to the letter.

I cut out my skunk from one of my prints, and pasted it on to the card. Then I did do some drawing of grass and I signed my name to it. I hope those folks won't be too upset with my interpretation of the rules.

Snow and Hydrants

This is a creative way to draw attention to a lost glove. For those of you who don't live in snowy climes, the reason that metal rod is attached to the fire hydrant is so firefighters will know where those very important pieces of equipment are if they happen to get buried under the snow.

During the winter, you'll see firefighters driving around to make certain that all of the hydrants are exposed and available for use, if need be.

Huh? What Is It?

I got quite excited when I saw this "thing" lying on the bricks. I had no idea what it might be. It's a little dog toy that squeaks when pressed. I pressed it and it squeaked, so I'm able to report that with authority. Some poor pooch is without its little leopard toy.

Bacon Lovers' Delight

My agent Kevin, who handles my artwork at the eBay store, sent me this photo. I thought that he'd done something new and different with a package of bacon and wanted to share it with me.

I'd never seen a bacon pot holder before—nor had I ever hoped to see one. It's very similar to that purple-cow syndrome from our childhoods. But that was not the case at all. This isn't something Kevin made. He'd found the photo on the Internet while searching for something. You know how that goes, don't you?

I wouldn't be surprised if he does make one of these at some point. I've had bacon at his house and he does wonders with it, so I hope I get invited if he ever decides to make one of these.

Oops! Spring Snow

I'm so anxious to see "my" skunk again that when I saw these footprints in the snow, I thought that's who made them. I was quite disappointed after sending them to a friend, when she sent back a drawing of skunk footprints and told me these were made by a cat. A cat! Of course I should have known. That's what wishful thinking can do, it can turn one into a fool.

This is what my garden looked like on March 29! We had more snow, a spring snowstorm. Well, at least it helped us break the 100-inch mark. That's special.

Ending a Year, Starting a Year

Who Are Your Favorite People?

My friend Kate O'Halloran gave me this delightful little gift on the way to the party that is the next subject.

It's just too precious to hang in my car, so I placed it on a wall in my kitchen. What a perfect item for the "police-beat" reporter for The West End NEWS!

I felt I had to share it with some of the police personnel that I deal with on a regular basis, and sent the photo off to a few of them. Detective Sergeant Robert Martin, a highly-decorated officer with many commendations and citations, who also possesses a finely-honed wit, responded with the following e-mail.

"That is funny. It probably won't get you out of a ticket but it might get your window broken."

It was excellent cautionary advice from one who knows what he's talking about.

Here's the back of the air freshener; it's a little badge.

Glitter Party

I was invited to a solstice party on December 22, hosted by Hannah Holmes and John Dorvee, which happened to be—you got it—the solstice! Everyone attending was supposed to wear something that glittered. The sequined "butterfly" above is the blouse I wore. It was a good choice. I was the "glitteriest" person there. I thought I might be.

One of the men there, who admired my shiny blouse, after hearing me make mention of my leopard-skin tuxedo jacket, said he'd like to come to my home and see my wardrobe closet. That jacket was purchased for my "dinosaur" party, a terrific event, with a magician, and of course lots of good food and great company.

[rear view of tuxedo jacket]

Several of my parties wound up with titles as a way of distinguishing them: There was the dinosaur party, held at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia; the bumblebee party; the dog- fight party; the gun-that-went-off party. I'll just mention that it was a tavern owner whose gun went off while showing it to someone in my kitchen. Scary! Unknown to me, he was holstered up with three weapons; one across his chest (.45); one at his waist (.38); and one on his ankle (.22). There were three unarmed off-duty officers (two of them a married couple) in attendance at that one, one of whom left immediately. The others remained and the rest of the people at the party thought that a firecracker had gone off in the kitchen. The gun-toting friend was removed from my party list after that event.

I just went to check my e-mail and one had come in a couple of minutes ago from the detective whose wife (now ex-wife) whisked him out of my house right after the gun went off. The bullet landed in the kitchen door jamb and I never removed it, as a reminder of how very lucky I was that night.

These guys must know that I'm writing about them. I checked my e-mail once again, and had one from the officer whose wife (also a police officer) did not drag him out the front door of my home.

Memories, memories, now back to the solstice event. Then the man who was interested in my clothing, proposed to me. I'd be happy to have him come over and look into my closet, but as far as marriage, "been there; done that"; x 2! That was enough for me. Some people just aren't marriage material, and I think I'm one of those. I love men, I just don't love being married to any of them.

More Glitter—on Flowers

Folks, do you see those shiny spots on the flowers that look like sequins? It's glitter! This is almost as bad as those donut peaches I wrote about many months ago. Why would anyone need to put glitter on flowers?

Old Port Fight

Three young suburban men in their twenties, no doubt buoyed by high levels of alcohol and testosterone, were engaging in fisticuffs in the middle of the street, a quarter after the hour of the closing of the local drinking establishments.

A Portland Police Department sergeant on routine patrol, after viewing the scene, brought his vehicle to a halt and ordered the combatants to cease and desist. One of the men heeded the command but the other two, somewhat in lack of good sense, were bent on finishing what they had started.

The pummeler on top was arrested and charged with assault and the pummelee was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

One can only hope they were pleased with their accommodations at the Cumberland County Jail, whereby they would be able to contemplate the result of their foolishness in quiet reverie, and possibly forge some worthwhile New Year’s resolutions based on the evening’s events.

Safe Sex Isn't Free

On New Year's Day at three o'clock in the afternoon, a twenty-four-year-old person of the male persuasion, catering to his libidinous urges, entered a Rite Aid drugstore in search of condoms. He is to be commended for his desire to have safe sex; however, he either didn't want to pay the price of the aforementioned items, or couldn't afford to. Whatever.

He was seen stealing condoms, police were called, and the guy was arrested for theft. We can only hope that his detainment didn't last long enough to prevent him from purchasing those same items and having a better start to the new year.

And He Had . . . What?

A guy goes into a Big Apple at 11:30 in the evening. He's wearing a ski mask (but after all, it is Maine) and after being aggressive toward the staff, refuses to leave the premises.

An employee promptly called for the help of the men in blue and upon their arrival the prominent feature pertaining to this 45-year-old man was a wooden handle protruding from his left jacket pocket.

Guess what? Upon the removal of the wood from the pocket, it was discovered to have a steak knife attached to it. The gentleman was relieved of said item before being transported to jail and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and criminal trespass.

Owl Takes Up Residence in Neighborhood

A magnificent barred owl took up residence around the corner in a giant fir tree for several days. I was hoping it might be a more permanent move, that I might be able to visit it and take photos on a daily basis.

Barred owls and spotted owls are very similar in appearance. Barred owls live in the eastern portion of the country and spotted owls' habitats are in the western parts of the United States.

He's gone! I'm going to keep checking out that tree though, hoping to see him once again. It certainly was a winter treat.

Reckless Conduct, Snow, and Ice: A Bad Combination

We've had a lot of snow and ice in Portland, more than the usual amount. People here usually don't turn the snow and ice into weapons.

But that's what occurred when police responded to a call after being notified that a man was throwing large chunks of ice and snow into the street directly in front of passing vehicles, causing them to either swerve or slam on their brakes.

When Officer Kent Porter arrived at the scene at three in the afternoon he saw pieces of ice in the street that were so large they could have caused serious bodily injury or damage to property.

Officer Porter, a gentleman with a pleasant demeanor, explained the reason he was asking the 53-year-old Portland man to stop this particular activity. The guy's response was "Get a life!" And then he threw a large shovelful of ice and snow at the policeman.

The officer, who has a very nice life, part of which is protecting the public from jackasses such as this, decided it was time for this man to take a short ride to the jail. He was charged with reckless conduct and disorderly conduct.

'Tis the Season

My Latest Toy

I'm a child at heart. I love toys. I think that's one of the best things about being grown up, that I can buy anything I want for myself.

This little felt "monster" came from the Filament Gallery on Congress Street, run by Jill Dalton and Ernest Paterno. I've bought quite a few things there since they opened several years ago.

This is an argon sculpture created by Ernie, who does marvelous things with glass. It's a wonderful addition to my home, hanging on a wall in the living room.

And this delightful clock was also created by him.

A Beautiful Dog

This is Loki, an Akita. In Norse legend, Loki is the trickster god. A young man who lives around the corner owns Loki, and I met them in the park at the top of North Street.

Crushed Mail

This is a mail slot; a big one.

It's on the outside of the front door. It is eleven inches wide. I had it put in when I first bought this house (which I no longer own, although I still live here). I put in a large mail slot because transcripts were coming to me from a court stenographer in Philadelphia several times a week. I'd proofread them as soon as they arrived, make corrections, and drive them down to the post office so that the turnaround time would be fast.

There were also mailboxes on the front of the building, and the mailman was so clever he knew not to try and stuff a large envelope into a small mailbox. He really had an understanding of size and visual perspective. It helps in that line of work.

This is what the mail slot looks like on the inside of the door. It's still eleven inches wide!

The mail carrier who delivers to our building normally places the mail on a chair inside the hallway. I then sort it out for the three apartments and place the mail on the appropriate steps for floor 2 and floor 3. It works very well. The mailboxes outside are a little too small, especially when folks are dealing with Netflix.

I can always tell when we have a substitute delivering our mail. This is what the mail looks like on those occasions. This is my mailbox. Nicely done, isn't it?

This is what confronted me the other day when I stepped outside because I realized the mail hadn't been left on the chair. The young man who lives on the third floor was going out at the same time and when he saw my mailbox he said "What is wrong with this person?"

There was more than just cramming wrong with that person. I don't get Netflix; that was for James, who had just commented on my mailbox's appearance. So what was wrong was that the person either didn't know how to read or just didn't bother. And sometimes it's windy on the hill. Things might blow out of a mailbox loaded up like this. But who cares? Not that particular mail carrier, evidently. C'est la vie.

"Everybody Knows Marge" Birthday Mouse Pad

This was a most clever gift from my friend Kate. She got the idea after I'd told her about the handsome young man I'd been chatting with at the crazy carrots stand, which I'd written about a few weeks ago. He knew who I was and I didn't know who he was. When I'd asked how he knew me he said "Everybody knows Marge."

Kate thought that was pretty funny (and so did I), and she made this mouse pad to commemorate that statement. The flames are like the ones on my FlameMobile. It's all connected in one big circle.

Lots of December Snow

This was our first snowfall this December. It brought eight inches of whiteness and our first parking ban of the season. A few days later we got another four inches, and yesterday we got about a foot. That's a lot of snow for December. It's snowing again today and we may get another six to ten inches. It certainly seems as though we will have a white Christmas, which most people in Maine yearn for.

It's quite lovely to look at; driving is another thing entirely. And walking is quite another matter.

Seasonal Sweater

My son and daughter-in-law (Marc and Maria) got me this sweater a few years ago. I always look forward to wearing it. It is really warm. I've worn it when the temperature was only in the teens, as it was the other day, and it's fine. I get many compliments whenever I wear this. People stop me and say how much they like the sweater. And that's not just women. Many men make comments also. It's a garment that makes people smile, which is a very good thing.

Last year I decided that I could wear the sweater as long as there was snow on the ground. It's a winter sweater, not just one for Christmas. I think there's also a dreidel in one of those gift boxes.

Christmas at Police Headquarters

This is Deputy Chief Joe Loughlin with his boxer, PT. Joe (coauthor of Finding Amy) says the dog is "brave, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, courteous, and kind." He looks quite regal also. I would say that Joe has the same qualities. They're well paired.

Cheery Sun

Nance Parker, of the Shoestring Theater, had an exhibit of her paintings and some craft items this past weekend. I went for this papier-mâché sun in a big way and had to bring it home with me.

I've hung it on the outside of the bathroom door. I can see it when I'm working at the kitchen table and I'm really enjoying its bright personality.

Merry Christmas!

An Iguana Named "Lizard"

This is my scratchboard rendition of Lizard, the lucky iguana who lives in my friend Karen's lovely home. What a setup this guy has! But it could have been a very short story with a disastrous end.

This is where it all started, on Exchange Street, in Portland's Old Port. Karen was on her way to an early-morning meeting at eight o'clock one fall morning eleven years ago.

She noticed a baby iguana running down the sidewalk. It was bright green, about six inches long. The weather was turning cold and Karen scooped up the animal, placing it into the large handbag she was carrying.

She brought the creature home, looked up what its needs were, and got the necessary items for maintaining it. Then she put up signs downtown, placed an ad, and did whatever she could to try to find the owner. No one responded.

She then checked on the Internet for people who wanted iguanas as pets. After some further investigation, she realized these would not be good homes for the little iguana.

He was growing and thriving under Karen's care, so she now had an iguana sharing her home. They've just returned from two years in North Carolina, where Karen went to get an advanced degree in genetics, which is her specialty. They drove down together; and they've just driven back together. I did the drawing of Lizard before they left.

I missed them both for that period of time. Lizard had a very nice setup in a front window of Karen's home and many days when I walked by I could see him looking out the window. I'd always enjoy getting that glimpse of him checking out Congress Street from his perch.

I went over the other day to take some photographs of him. He's now around four and a half feet in length.

Iguanas need the right wavelength of light and a vegetarian diet or they can develop metabolic bone disease, causing softening of their bones. Lizard has a humidifier and he gets misted. He loves water and will climb into the bathtub when he wants a bath. When I asked how often he does that, Karen said "He wants a bath every day, but he gets one every other day."

He is paper trained, so he has free reign of the house. And the bathtub is on the second floor, so he goes to a lot of effort climbing the steps to let Karen know he wants his bath.

His favorite food is an overripe banana. Yummy! says Lizard. He shares the house with three cats and they're all good pals. The only problem is that now he has a large cage because the felines will eat his food if it's just left out as it used to be before the arrival of the cats.

See what I mean?

Iguanas grow about an inch per month and they shed and peel monthly during this growth phase. Lizard only sheds four times a year now. He's fully grown (thank goodness!).

I think it's really neat when animals that would ordinarily have no contact with one another live together in harmony. If only human beings could achieve the same acceptance of one another, the world would certainly benefit.

Fall Walks

Seeing chalk drawings on the sidewalk is always a pleasant viewing experience. I thought these two were quite attractive. I came along just after Dawn and her daughter Jenna had completed them. And the nice thing about chalk is that it doesn't remain permanently. It's washed away with the next batch of raindrops.

What Is It?

This was an enigmatic animal upon approach. I couldn't quite decide what it was. I had suspicions that it was a bunny—without ears. Ouch! Who took your ears off? Poor thing. To satisfy my curiosity, I had to bend down and look at the label, which had the word "rabbit" on it. So it's an earless rabbit. He still looks very happy, even though he's lying in the street.

Free Stuff

It's not unusual to see signs that say "Free Stuff" when I'm walking. This little setup remained for many days until it was finally removed.

Upon closer inspection, I was surprised that one of the items was a jar of gefilte fish. That's not something I've ever seen out on the street. I don't think there were any takers for the food, and I'm not surprised.

That's not a brand I'm familiar with. I like gefilte fish, although I cannot imagine anyone who hasn't grown up eating it acquiring a taste for it later in life. That's the only thing I eat horse radish with. Yum!

This box was also available to anyone who might want it. Pretty good deal, I'd say. It's a good thing I don't have room to spare anymore, or lots of these street goodies would have wound up in my place.

This sad little watermelon comes with an attached warning.

No thanks, I don't need that one!

Poor Bird

I think my editor Ed King, of The West End NEWS, will forgive me for this sad photo. I'll explain how these disconnected images came to be merged.

As I was walking down the front steps, headed for a late afternoon walk on a lovely day a couple of weeks ago, I was confronted with this poor bird near the bottom of the landing. I was in a good mood, looking forward to a nice stroll. And I had several copies of the paper, which I was going to give to people along the way.

When I saw it, I thought: "I cannot deal with this right now. Maybe it won't be there when I return; maybe someone else who lives in the building will see it and move it away." Upon my return, the dead bird was still on the step. I now had two papers left and I took one of them and used it to move the bird onto the second one. When I saw the bird on the newspaper, it looked like a photograph worth taking, and so I snapped it before sliding the bird off into the grass.

About a week later, my neighbor mentioned that he'd seen two dead birds in his yard, one of which smacked into his window while he was right there. Why three birds in a week would either mistakenly fly into windows or just die of heart failure is something to ponder.

The "X" Trees

As I walk, I keep seeing what I have come to think of as "X" trees. These are the trees that were destroyed in our mid-April Nor'easter last spring. The neighborhood is filled with these marked stumps.

The little tree in the last picture has just been planted, replacing the "X" tree that had been there. It will take many years for this sapling to reach the size of the previous tree on that spot, but it's encouraging to see that the city has begun the replacement work. Soon there will be trees instead of "X" marks in those locations. What a storm that was! Sixteen hours of unrelenting wind.

Need a Magical Desk?

I can't imagine anyone passing up an opportunity to own a magical desk. When I passed this bonanza, there was no chair there. So obviously someone had taken the magical chair, but must have already owned a magical desk, and didn't need another.

I figured out that the lamp wasn't magical, since it wasn't mentioned in the sign. That's why it was still there. Too bad, there might have been a genie in it if it had some magical qualities. I have no room in my place for any desk, magical or otherwise, so I just kept walking.

Where's the Baby?

It didn't take long to figure this one out. Evidently someone put out a baby in a bassinet and the baby was taken. Whoever took the baby must have already had a bassinet at home. I really enjoy solving mysteries of that type. It gives a sense of satisfaction.

She's at It Again

That Cinderella just has a thing about losing a shoe. This one isn't a glass slipper, but I'm sure it was left by Cinderella. Who else leaves one shoe around? I always have the vision of this poor woman hobbling around with only one high heel, wondering why it's so difficult to walk.

Lost Toys

This was too good to pass up. I brought it home and hung it on one of the vases with my found objects and money. It makes quite an attractive addition to my colorful kitchen. This little duck is also living in my kitchen. How could I possibly have left him out in the middle of the street. It's a good thing it wasn't Friday when he got dropped, he wouldn't have been salvageable after the torrential rains we had.

A child left this purple platypus in Police Headquarters. At least I'm assuming a child left it. It's been there for a couple of weeks. No one has touched it, as though they're waiting for the person who lost it to return and reclaim it. It's sad and sweet at the same time. I hope that the reason a child was in the police station was because a parent had some minor incident to report. And I guess I should mention that I was there for my weekly picking up of the crime sheets for my news articles.

I wasn't there to turn myself in because of an outstanding warrant for my arrest. It's not against the law to be silly—yet. When that time comes, I'll be a goner.

Too Much Work

This pile of wood looks much bigger when you actually see it than it does in this picture. I'm too lazy to deal with all of the work involved with a wood stove. I'll just stick with my easy gas fireplace for an alternative heat source. Flick a switch and it's on.

If you happen to see what appears to be a spiderweb near the pipe at the right, it is just that. I noticed it when I uploaded the photos. You can be assured that it's gone now. (Drives my son and daughter-in-law wild!)

Getting Ready for Halloween

The gals next door never let me down when it comes to decorations. Whatever the season, whatever the holiday, they always have something special to celebrate the occasion.

There's a house a couple of blocks away that has a huge display. The ghost and the witch are just enjoying themselves watching people and vehicles go up and down one of the steepest hills in Portland.

And this witch is climbing the tree to get a better view and a different perspective.

I should walk down this street on a daily basis to see how long the pumpkin will remain without being destroyed. It's possible it will actually last until Halloween.

Sad Sign

This sign was not only sad to see, it was shocking. People leave strollers out all the time and no one bothers them. That's one of the reasons I am so impressed with this city. The stroller referred to had been left behind a gate, toward the rear of the property's side yard. Someone had to walk all the way to the back to take it.

Bring it back!

Mysterious Symbol

When I saw this painted in the street, I didn't know whether it was graffiti or it was a symbol for where some digging will be going on. It's very attractive, in either case.

Pumpkin Time

Here's my living room pumpkin. As of now I have six in my apartment. I may end up with a couple more. They're cheerful!

I've been walking around looking for outside pumpkins and taking pictures. Here's one with an unusual face.

It made me nervous seeing that pumpkin sitting on a fence so close to the ground. I didn't think it would last too long there. When I walked by the next day, it was on a roof above the front porch, which was a much safer place for its perch. I still remember the cutest pumpkin ever from last year's assortment, which wound up crushed to bits on the sidewalk.

The supermarkets all have spectacular displays with pumpkins.

This outdoor pumpkin has its address carved into it. That's something I'd never seen before.

And here are some other outdoor pumpkins that I found attractive.

My friend Kate goes all out for Halloween. Last year she had 16 pumpkins on the roof above her porch. I'm looking forward to whatever she has planned for this year's event. She had this in her dining room when I stopped by the other day.

She also has what she refers to as the "scary lamp." When it's lit, it looks as though the paper inside it is burning and that a breeze is blowing it around. It's pretty cool. Kate found it at a yard sale last year. She also found this pumpkin lamp that lights up.

This is what it looks like when it's not lit. Like I said last year, there are never enough pumpkins for me. 

End-of-Summer Walks

Huh?

Well excuse me! I didn't know that there were any parking "spot owners" in my neighborhood. People don't own spots in this city. This certainly bears investigating. This envelope was in the street a couple of blocks from where I live. Very mysterious.

Plum Tree Bounty . . .

This is one of the most beautiful colors in existence (to me). There were many plums on the sidewalk also. The owners had gone away for a couple of days, but they'd better return quickly to reap their harvest.

. . . and Pears a Block Away

This pear tree has an abundance of fruit this year. I always tease the owner, wanting her to place a bottle around one of the forming pears. She always tells me it will make the branch too heavy. Pooh! It will not.

Lost

How the hell does anyone lose a basketball? There was nothing wrong with this one. Oh, kids today! Eh?

Graffiti

This garage door had been an eyesore for more than a year. The man who owns this building, which is composed of artists' studios, is also a developer. The fact that he hadn't tried to remove it made the graffiti even more offensive. Many of my neighbors felt the same way. One of them had called him and I was told that he said he considered it to be "art." Art? I think not!

I sent him an e-mail in mid-August, stating my complaint about the fact that this never seemed to be going away and that I felt it was hideous. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a response from him. Here's what he said:

     I guess that I have left the graffiti because I kind of like it. It is an artist building and graffiti is a guerrilla art form. Admittedly it   isn't even really very good or interesting graffiti. If it is an eyesore to the neighborhood, I would be happy to paint over it. I have also thought of a mural for the door. Any thoughts on that?

I told him that I am very aware of what art is, since I am a professional artist. I said this was not art. I mentioned that the stencil of the man, done in red, was not objectionable. I like him. Someone went to some effort with that section. But the rest was trash, plain and simple.

I thought the idea of a mural was terrific, and it could be a mural done in a graffiti style, but would be art. I referred him to a building that had its front repainted this summer in a graffiti style, which is a wonderful addition to the street that it's on. 

Within the past few days the garage door had been cleaned up. Hurray! I don't know whether the center section couldn't be covered over for some reason, or if that's something the owner chose to leave there. It's a vast improvement, however. But the red guy is gone. That's too bad.

This is the final update. It's all nice and white! I sent the owner an e-mail that said "Thank you!" Let's hope it stays the way it looks now.

The Grape Harvest

We'll be heading over to Nini's to stomp on the grapes pretty soon. She's gotten quite a nice crop this season. That was also her pear tree whose photograph was shown earlier. She's a Master Gardener, and she really has the touch.

Nini's Night Blooming Cereus

The night blooming cereus was very late producing its marvelous flowers this year. It normally does its wonderful one-night performance at the end of July. These pictures of the buds were taken on September 12. This is the latest the plant has begun blooming since I've observed it, which is almost eighteen years.

This is what the plant looked like on September 16.

These flowers were opening the same morning. They're not supposed to open in the morning, however. It's something that normally happens at dusk. It had been quite cool that week, not at all feeling like summer. I wasn't able to get over in the evening to watch the opening of any of the flowers, get a whiff of the plant's magical aroma, or to partake of the delicious dessert that Nini made.

My plant, which is the child of Nini's, didn't even have one bud this summer. Darn! I'll have to wait another entire year. Maybe I'll feed it more.