Ferry for Sale

I happened to notice a ferry for sale on ebay. The sale ends today, actually - M.V. Chinook Ferry on Ebay (large file). Only $4.5 million. Geez, spare change.

Anyway, it made me think of how things must have been before the bridge connected Astoria to Washington, and about the ferry that ran from Astoria across the river. I've never been on that particular ferry, more's the pity. But I'm a big fan of ferries in general. I love the ferry from Westport to Cathlamet. And the ferries from Seattle to the outlying islands are grand, too. Tourist's Seattle Ferry Ride

But I think the grandma of all ferries is The Staten Island Ferry in New York. Where else can you get a view of lower Manhattan, cruise by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and get a ferry ride that lasts 25 minutes each way to Staten Island and back, all for free.

When I was a kid, the ride cost a nickel, and I used to go back and forth just for the hell of it every time I went to New York. The last time I was on it was back in the early 1970s, and it cost a quarter. The World Trade Center was under construction, and cranes were sitting 75 stories above Manhattan. I wish I could have seen the completed buildings before they were destroyed.

I also recall a memorable ferry ride to Block Island, Rhode Island, when I was about 6 years old, during which I managed to embarrass my entire family by walking up to a man with a huge beer-belly and asking him if he was pregnant.

The only other thing I remember about that day was a lady taxi driver who smoked cigars and drove us all over Block Island while telling us the local history. My father was delighted. Back then, there was actually a lot of empty space on Block Island, and it hadn't been ruined yet. New York and Boston hadn't discovered it, and it was still a nice, quiet place to go.

There's also the funny little Hadlyme Ferry in Connecticut that crosses the Connecticut River near Gillette's Castle. Gillette was a stage and film actor who specialized in playing Sherlock Holmes.

And of course, there's the Catalina Ferry from San Pedro, California, out to Catalina Island. Not the express service, the good old-fashioned pokey ferry that takes a while to get there - long enough to relax and have a couple of beers. That's one of my all-time favorite ferry rides.

Anyway, back to Astoria. When I saw the ad for the ferry on ebay, I thought how cool it would be to have a ferry here again. I know, it's expensive and impractical, but I'd sure love it. And I bet those tourists everyone's busting ass to attract would love it, too.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

A Trek up the Coast

Saturday my partner in crime and I decided to do a reconnaissance mission up to Aberdeen, Washington, to check out were the Grays Harbor Street Market will be held. The town ain't pretty, and reminded me of how Naugatuck, Connecticut, used to look in the 1960s, i.e. pretty run down.

Fortunately, pretty ain't what matters in a street market.

We skedaddled out of there pretty fast, and went straight to the Westport (Wash.) Marina. All I can say is, Yikes! It will be condo city in no time. The development is still in its infancy, but the writing is on the wall. Right now, Westport, too, is a little run down, but it's easy to see that in 10 years it will be a polished tourist trap. I was shocked to see there's actually still vacant land near the marina. That, too, will be gone in no time.

Since we were hungry, we decided to check out the Half Moon Bay Restaurant out near the end of the marina. Omigod, you'd have to really try hard to get a worse plate of fish and chips than that one (for $13!).

The meal was like something you'd expect to get served in some landlocked wasteland. The menu purported that this piscene obscenity was cod. The breading tasted like overcooked styrofoam, and the fish was so dry it was damn near dessicated. I think it might have died in 1932, and the resurrection was unsuccessful. However, the ensuing attack on my credit card was successful, more's the pity.

While we were consuming the ill-fated fish, we noticed a helicopter that kept hovering over the jetty, which it did for more than 1/2 hour. We finally saw someone being hoisted aboard, and it took off. I kept wondering why the helicopter looked so familiar. Well, hey, it was our very own Astoria Coast Guard, rescuing some kid who fell on the jetty.

Astoria Coast Guard to the Rescue

After lunch, a little exploring was called for. For me, the lure of the beach is always strong, so we headed down the road to the beach. On the way, in the woods, what did we see but a lighthouse - the Grays Harbor Lighthouse.

Yes, in the woods, what seemed like more than a quarter of a mile inland. It looks a great deal like the North Head Lighthouse, and that's no coincidence; it's designed by the same man.

The lighthouse keepers were there, and even though it was only 10 minutes till closing time, the wife of the team agreed to take me up the very narrow and winding metal stairs to the top.

She knew a lot about the history of the place, and to me, the most interesting part was that the ocean used to be much closer to the lighthouse - only 400 feet away. In this instance, the ocean added land instead of taking it away.

Of course, right near the ocean on this spit of land, some enterprising soul built a huge three-story condo/vacation suites project that is a complete eyesore. Perhaps the sea will get angry at the desecration and reclaim the land.

The view from the top of the lighthouse is spectacular if you can igore the condos and look directly north. You can see all of Grays Harbor and really get a sense of the place. It's a climb well worth taking.

Grays Harbor Light House

All that wandering around included a side trip to Bay Center. It reminded me so much of the way my home town (also an oystering village) looked when I was a child that it was very nostalgic. So much so that it was a little scary.

I was more than ready to head back to Astoria, and I'm looking forward to the Ship Inn's heavenly fish and chips.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

The Biggest Box

I can already hear screams of horror ... I am about to hold forth on a very unpopular topic around here - WalMart.

Since we're encouraging the big box business over in Warrenton, I'd like to see a WalMart go in. Not even a Super WalMart, just a plain old WalMart. Okay, you can start screaming now.

Oh, I know all the arguments, one being that they pay their employees poorly. Well, nobody tied 'em up and made 'em work there, for heaven's sake. In an area like this one, it could make the difference between having a job and not having one at all. And McDonald's pays just as poorly, if not worse.

The biggest argument is that WalMart puts little stores out of business. Frankly, that's a crock, and most of the time, when people say that, they're referring to what are known as Super WalMarts, which include a grocery store. And even that argument is a crock, since the other big box stores, such as Safeway, have already wiped out the mom & pop grocery stores, for the most part.

As for other merchandise, if you want high quality expensive shoes, pants, whatever, you're not going to go to WalMart, anyway. But if you want the best value for your dollar, and are happy to settle for just good quality school clothes (which they're going to grow out of in a year, anyway), WalMart is the place to go. The clothes aren't fancy, and often aren't very stylish, but they're more than adequate, and functional. Same goes for the shoes.

The only store that would be put out of business in this area would be Fred Meyer, and that would be no great loss. When I first moved up here I needed the usual stuff for the house, including a shower curtain. So I went to Freddie's, and found one I liked with a lighthouse on it. It was $19.99. I thought it was a bit much, but I paid it, and went on my merry way.

Three years later, it needed replacing, and the very same shower curtain was now more than $25 at Freddie's. But by then, I knew where the WalMart is. So I looked at the WalMart shower curtains. I was utterly pissed off to find the very same shower curtain ... identical in fact, down to the manufacturer ... for $9.99. Whoa. Now I keep an ongoing list of things I need at WalMart, and the next time I have to go to Portland, I stop at WalMart in Longview.

At the time of the shower curtain fiasco, I decided to cruise around the store to check the cost of other things I was buying at Freddies. And I was horrified. Freddie's was charging $1-$3 more for almost every single item, same brand, etc. In the clothes department, there was no comparison at all. WalMart clothes and shoes are affordable. Freddie's are not (at least in my opinion).

I'm a photographer. I use a lot of photo frames. If I bought my photo frames at Freddies I'd be in the poor house. WalMart has perfectly good frames for reasonable prices. Can't beat it.

I should also mention that now WalMart only charges $4 for many prescriptions. A pal of mine in Texas is overjoyed, since she's on a lot of prescriptions. I don't have to tell you that for those without medical insurance, and there seem to be a lot of them up here, that would be a lifesaver - and maybe the difference between being able to afford needed meds or doing without.

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. All I know is that I ain't the only one around here who has to watch every buck they spend, and I'd rather get the most bang for my buck as possible. So I'm all for good old affordable WalMart. Bring it on.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

Ol' Man Winter

My pal Margot from Kansas was here for most of December, and into a bit of January. Strangely enough, after living through decades of wicked Kansas winters, the entire time she was visiting, she complained about being chilled to the marrow.

She spent a great deal of her time here wrapped in sweaters and blankets, parked by an electric fireplace.

In today's email, after mentioning that not so long ago the temperature hit -20, she said, "I really have cabin fever. Monday the fog was terrible ... the fog never really lifted so I couldn't drive ... It began to snow and rain and sleet Tuesday morning. There was also wind. By this morning my car was buried under three foot drifts. I think the actual snow fall was about a foot. I think I will be able to go to the office tomorrow."

I was brought up in New England, where the temps would often hit -20 in the winter. It ain't no picnic, and we won't even go into what happens to your face and nose when you walk outside when it's that cold.

Oregon winters at the coast sure seem very mild to me. Yet she thinks OUR weather is unspeakable? Go figure.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

Dreams of Pier 11 - It Could Be So Grand

I've been thinking about the Pier 11 building ever since I posted about the ill-fated John Jacob Waterfront Grill in Astoria getting grilled.

I've spoken to many people around town, and there's one thing we've agreed on, even in currently contentious Astoria ... that one piece of real estate probably has the most potential in town to be a really great gathering place for locals to enjoy good food and drinks and a fabulous view. IF the food and drinks were reasonably priced (i.e. not the cost of a car down payment), and IF the atmosphere was comfortable and welcoming.

In the process, we had lots of fun brainstorming about what the place COULD be like ...

First of all, and this may sound a bit radical, we would have the bar run across the whole back wall so the customers are facing the river. As I recall, there's already a step down to that section of the building.

We'd remove that wall that separates that section (if it's possible structurally) and just leave whatever posts are structurally necessary. That way the area would be open to the rest of the building. And all the booze would be below eye-level on shelves, but lit and visible. And, please God, LOTS of beer taps.

It goes without saying that there must, must, must be comfortable swiveling bar stools, with padding, almost shoulder-high backrests, armrests and footrests! Lord have mercy, that alone would be a revelation in this town of butt-busting bar stools.

We all thought it would be great to have regular restaurant tables and chairs along the east and west sides, next to the windows. And more tables in the middle of the place ... the high ones, with those same lovely comfy bar stools, for diners who don't want to sit at the bar but still want to see the view.

Where the old bar is would make a good spot for the gamblers amongst us. Lord knows, their vices have kept many a bar afloat, and hey, they're going to do it anyway.

One of the problems with the place is that it's too damn big. How about, on the west side, making a dancing area with room for a band?

Of course, the main thing that would make any venture on Pier 11 successful is to have the booze and food prices local-friendly and reasonable. Lots of sandwiches, burgers, reasonable steaks, and of course, fresh seafood. I know I'm gilding the lily here, but I personally would almost kill for a decent salad bar.

Anyone else out there have any thoughts on our "vision" of Pier 11?

So many restaurants around here are victims of backward-thinking, i.e. let's price this shit so high only tourists can afford to come here. It's the locals who are the life blood and who keep establishments going in a seasonal town like this one. Capture the hearts of the locals, the tourists will follow.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

Beware the Half Moon

When men are young, they go bare-chested and flex their muscles as signs of display to court or attract women, or just for the hell of it. For the most part, if they're in any kind of shape, nobody minds, and they may even be appreciated for their efforts.

However, something bizarre happens to the male when they hit middle age. Some glitch happens in their wiring, maybe. I call it BCDS, otherwise known as Butt Crack Display Syndrome. They can be affected by this syndrome at any time, anywhere, and feel an inexplicable need to bend over or sit down and expose 4" of butt crack.

Today I was at a local tavern, sitting at a table and watching the Super Bowl Game. I'm fibbing. I hate sports. I was actually reading a book while the game droned on. We went there because our pals were there, sig other loves sports and the tavern has a wide-screen TV.

A spaghetti dinner was being served, and the barmaid plopped a plate by me. Distracted by my book, I didn't pay much attention, and started scarfing down the food.

Then, I had the misfortune to look up to get her attention to thank her and ask for another beer. What was I greeted by, with a forkful of spaghetti on my way to my mouth? The butt crack from hell.

This mother must have been a yard wide. It was blaringly white in the otherwise muted light, parked on a bar stool right in front of me. It's not like there was any subtlety, or that you could, perchance, miss it.

Nobody can tell me that the owner of this dermatological billboard didn't notice a very distinct and chilly draft on God's little acre of posterior. I mean, he was wearing a coat and two shirts, plus heavy pants and boots. Yet he made no move to cover up. Who the hell knows, maybe he thought he needed an airing.

He was obviously a victim of BCDS. Which is, apparently, incurable and untreatable, more's the pity.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site

Another Sell-Out?

Geez, just when you think the majority of the Clatsop County Commissioners couldn't possibly do any more damage than they already have, trying to literally sell Clatsop County down the river to the highest LNG bidder ...

Whoa, we have yet another decision looming on the horizon. You gotta give 'em credit ... they just keep 'em coming.

The latest lunacy involves DeLarua Beach, an undeveloped expanse of ocean front property. There are three alternatives: do nothing and keep the land, sell it to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department to turn into park land, or go for the gold and sell it to private interests.

The first two alternatives would, of course, protect that pristine section of beach from development and save it for us, and for future generations to enjoy. The third alternative would block off that whole section to everyone but the wealthy elite who could afford to buy and build there. Malibu, anyone?

To quote The Daily Astorian today, "Commissioners Ann Samuelson and Richard Lee said they didn't think the $1.3 million offer from the state matched the value of the property."

Once again, Sam Patrick seems to be the only one who isn't in a greeding-frenzy. He thinks the county should keep the land. Is he the only one who gives a shit about the future of Clatsop County? I'm beginning to think so. And no, I don't know him, and I'm not related to him. Hell, I've never even met him.

Hasn't anyone ever told/taught the wayward commissioners that there are some things that are impossible to place a tangible value on? And just shouldn't be for sale?

If they succeed in selling us out to LNG on the river and/or to private interests at DeLaura Beach, they will leave an embarrassing legacy even their great-great-grandchildren won't be able to live down.

Click here to see Elleda's photography at the Astoria Photografpix web site