We started the week in Venice and will end it in Portland. I think Venice has nothing on us – if you go out and look at both the old and the new lamp posts that brighten our city there is much to admire. Then again, there always seems to be room for complaint…. as wittily recounted in this article from last year which describes the history of change in Portland’s illumination. It is a fun, quick read.

http://www.oregonlive.com/history/2015/12/joseph_rose_remembering_portla.html

And I quote:”Long before then, back in the uncultivated frontier days, settlers white-washed stumps to keep horse-drawn wagons from careening off rough roads after sunset. By 1852, Stumptown had mounted lamps burning whale-oil eight feet above sidewalks. They really didn’t do much good, giving off about as much light as six candles.” By 1914 you had this:

Third St (now 3rd Ave) \: The Great Light Way….

I favor the old fashioned posts that you find in Old Town, Chinatown, and some of the bridges. What’s happening on the newer bridges, for example on the Sellwood bridge, might be economically efficient, but surely lacks beauty. Then again, we have all this light art adorning our bridges from the sides at night, so I am content.

Some of my favorite views of lamp posts are in the small pools at the waterfront, where they are reflected in various ways throughout the year. Chinatown with its vivid red colors are a close second. 

And, of course, we have all the light beams at Oaks Park!

I am starting today with photographs of wind turbines because I am always in awe of how they look and sound. I know that there is a lot to design to make functional things in everyday life prettier or more interesting. But I also feel that things that are designed for ergonomic reasons only can be quite beautiful – these towers among them.

As an aside, it struck me as funny that the nation’s wind power museum is actually located in Lubbock, Texas – wasn’t that the oil producing state? Here is a short history of the harnessing of wind power:

http://energy.gov/eere/wind/history-wind-energy  .

Other utility poles have their own charm – those for the laundry, as well as those for the aerial tram (although the people who fought the tram probably disagree.) Can you believe it will be 10 years old in January already?

http://www.gobytram.com

Bridge posts construction has its own attractiveness and sometimes mysterious looks – I will show only a few photos here, since I will probably talk about bridges during another week. I don’t know a single photographer who is not enamored with bridges…..

And then, of course, there are those posts that separate the acolytes from the masses at mass…..

And now for some levity – before I go insane over the polls….

Posts are really good for holding things:

You could make a whole wardrobe out of posted items….

And posts are excellent for birds:

Food included:

And they are quite informative:

In keeping with today’s Halloween customs, I’ll post some photographs of posts and poles that struck me as eerie in one or another fashion.

Definition of eerie:

Happy Halloween!