Monika Dechene » Places

Swift Watch 2012

Monika — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:07:29 +0000

In Portland, there’s a magnificent yearly natural event that begins at the end of August and continues through all of September. Folks gather on the lawn of the Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland to watch thousands of Vaux Swifts warm the Chapman chimney to roost for the night. It may not sound incredibly exciting, but you’d be amazed at how wrong you could be. There is an amazing sense of beauty as you watch countless swifts swirling in formation. Waves upon waves of swifts fly overhead to join the tornado of birds hovering over this lone chimney, and it’s almost as if you’re watching a choreographed dance. Hawks sometimes make an attempt at what they consider to be easy prey, and they find themselves being chased by a swarm of swifts. It happens every evening every year in September.

Unless it’s a passion of yours, I’m assuming bird watching doesn’t normally get penciled into your calendar. I’d highly recommend those who happen to find themselves in Portland in September to make time for swift watching. For some, it’s a great one time event: something to see just to say you can see it. For others, it becomes a yearly family picnic: pack a basket, watch the birds, and enjoy the last beautiful days of summer before the mist and clouds move in for the year. No matter the reason, it’s enjoyable and a great way to enjoy a cool September evening.

Be sure to visit the Audubon Society’s webpage on more information regarding Swift Watch. There is still time to see it before the swifts continue on with their migration.

My Favourites of 2011

Monika — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:19:56 +0000

I began 2011 with the excitement of a Hawaiian vacation. I took so many photographs on my trip, and I was ready to go with a busy photography schedule for 2011… But, we had an amazing opportunity and we moved to the Pacific Northwest under five weeks after our tropical Hawaiian holiday. I spent a good year establishing our roots in our new home, and it was a busy year! One long drive from the Southeast side of the country to the Pacific Northwest, six months of house shopping, a mini-holiday in the Midwest to visit friends, another long drive from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, and a lot of trying to settle into our new home. We’ve been here for almost a year, and in a lot of ways, it feels as if we’ve just arrived.

Because of our busy year, I decided to take a year or so off from my photography to focus on the move and family. I still took a number of amazing photographs to document our year in Portland, and I’m so very glad I did. My favourite photographs from 2011 are really a reflection of my favourite moments. There were so many!

Happy New Year, everyone! As always, I’ve got my camera poised and ready to capture the joys and surprises of the coming new year. I hope you’re ready!

Road Trip (version 2.0)

Monika — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:24:56 +0000

When Mark and I planned our move, we had to leave our 8-year old sheltie, Joule, with his parents. Our temporary home would only allow for two animals, so Joule had a mini-vacation in Wisconsin while we spent six months trying to find a forever-home for our family. While we were sad to be without one of our dogs, we knew Joule would enjoy her temporary home. Mark’s parents have Joule’s litter sister, Ginger, and we knew the two would love being together for a while. When Mark and I finalized the details of our new home, I immediately made plans to pick Joule up from Wisconsin. Instead of flying, my mother-in-law suggested a leisurely road trip. When Mark and I made our cross-country trip from Raleigh, North Carolina to Portland, Oregon in February, there was no time for us to really enjoy the quintessential American sightseeing that comes with a long drive. There were no stops to try the “World’s Best Pie” or see the “World’s Biggest Ball of Twine“. So, when my mother-in-law suggested we enjoy the drive from Wisconsin to Oregon, I was so pleased to find out that we would be making a few interesting stops along the way. On our 2,031 mile drive, we walked around the Mitchell Corn Palace, drove through Badlands National Park, visited Mt. Rushmore, made a stop at Wall Drug, and walked through the Occidental Hotel. These stops really made our drive enjoyable, and I’m so very glad we didn’t zoom through our trip because I would have missed out on some fantastic photographs.

On an interesting side note, I’ve been on the road for over 6,260 miles (there was a road trip to California as well) this year. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be driving any long distances any time soon.

Chicago, Illinois & Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Monika — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:45:50 +0000

One coast-to-coast road trip can be enough for most people in their lifetime. Apparently, it wasn’t enough for me… Just barely two weeks into our newly purchased home, I was on a plane to Chicago, Illinois. I spent a few days in Chicago, Illinois then traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to spend some much needed with friends. It was wonderful having some down time, especially since I was about to hit the road again for another long multi-state drive.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

I like to think of Chicago as my home-away-from-home, and I’m always excited when I get to visit one of my favourite cities. One of the best things about visiting Chicago is spending time with my best friend, Nora Warens. Trips to visit Nora can be defined by two distinct characteristics: (1) stellar photographic opportunities and (2) fantastic food. I’m fairly certain that Nora is trying to bribe me with food. She keeps introducing me to restaurants I simply can’t live without. On this visit, she “dragged” me to Avec. Chorizo stuffed dates, you say? Yum!

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

I spent a good portion of my visit to Milwaukee laughing with my old university friends. When I was able to spend some time tooling around the city, I spent it in the Milwaukee Art Museum. The weather during my visit to the museum was fairly ominous, with the sky about to drop a downpour of rain at any time during my walk. Despite the danger of getting soaked to the bone, the cloud coverage made photographing the museum especially fantastic.

Misty Cannon Beach

Monika — Wed, 25 May 2011 07:56:13 +0000

Cannon beach is best recognized by its well-known landmark, the Haystack Rock. It’s a 72-meter tall monstrosity of a rock formation. And bonus! It’s reachable by land during low tides. It’s a popular tourist attraction for Oregon visitors. I had a chance to visit Cannon Beach during a rare dry day, but the haze of the ocean mixed with the warm air to create this amazing soft fog over the horizon. It gave Haystack Rock an amazing aura of mystery. Because it was a dry (read: beautiful) day, there were tons of people out enjoying the weather, including some adorable children. One in particular caught the attention of my lens: a brave little boy who held his red balloon so tightly in his hand. Sometimes, moments just create themselves.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest 2011

Monika — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:44:37 +0000

Saturday was an absolutely magnificent day in Oregon – perfect temperature in the low 70′s, perfectly blue skies, and a gorgeous bright sun raining sunshine on the world. Vanessa (you may remember Nessa as one of my brides last year and my old university friend), Mark, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day when we planned our trip to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm for their yearly Tulip Fest. When Nessa informed me about this particular festival, I had no idea what to expect beyond a field of tulips. As we were driving to Wooden Shoe we passed a tulip farm, and I excitedly exclaimed, “There it is!” Nessa glanced quickly then knowingly laughed. When we pulled into our parking space at Wooden Shoe, I took one quick look at the field just beyond the end of the lot and my mouth dropped. Fields upon fields of tulips, portions a mixture of beautiful colours and others grouped by their vibrant colours. It was absolutely magnificent! The tulips burst with colour, and the baby blue sky just seemed to make the fields smile and come alive. We brought Saffron with us, and she loved meeting other dogs and smelling the tulips. Kids were running up and down the rows. There wasn’t an unhappy face in the crowd. I firmly believe that the Tulip Fest at Wooden Shoe will become a yearly tradition for us.

Springtime in Portland

Monika — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:22:59 +0000

Today, it’s been absolutely dreadful outside; there’s been no stop to the rain. It seemed like the perfect time to go through the photographs I took last weekend in the Sellwood-Moreland neighbourhood, located in Southeast Portland. Last weekend was absolutely magnificent, complete with clear blue skies and perfect lighting. There have been a few moments when the sun will peek out through the silver haze of clouds, and the anticipation for spring has the city in a buzz of excitement. Flowers and leaves have started to appear on branches, and there is just a hint of colour everywhere you turn.

Sunrise Over Portland

Monika — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:59:05 +0000

When I opened my eyes, I could just see this amazing range of colours in the sky. The sunrise over Portland was absolutely gorgeous. Actually, I’m willing to bet sunrise over Portland is always gorgeous (how could it not over the rivers and mountain backdrop)… it’s just hidden by the constant blanket of clouds. Slapping on my glasses and grabbing my camera, I took a few quick snapshots to capture the clear skies as hues of red and orange made way for a gorgeous baby blue sky. Today is promising to be a gorgeous and magnificent one!

The City of Books

Monika — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:45:43 +0000

When I informed my friends I was moving to Portland, one of them instantly Google mapped my new home and exclaimed, “You’re going to be living within blocks of Powell’s Books?! I want to live with you!” She and I had a good laugh, and I may have teased her a little too much about the awesomeness of my location. I promise that this will be a stopping point for friends who visit me! Powell’s Books‘ “flagship location” is a reader’s dream bookstore, and one could easily get lost in the stacks. We’re talking an entire building dedicated to the art of literature in every genre! Their rare books collection gives you a sense of history and an amazing appreciation for how timeless great literature truly is. The entire building smells of paper. As someone who just absolutely adores reading, it’s a dream come true to live so close to paradise.

Meet Cupcake Jones

Monika — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:58:11 +0000

Last weekend, I stumbled upon Cupcake Jones on 10th (just shy of being on the corner 10th and Everett Street). While my husband is in love with (blueberry) pies, I’m a huge fan of cupcakes. There’s something about a well-made cupcake that just screams awesome to me. I’m a fan of savory desserts, so I love treats that carry just a hint of sweet. The buttercream topping on these cupcakes were perfect — a little sweet without being overwhelmingly so. Plus, cupcakes with filling! They were just perfect. Perfect. Perfect. Perfect!

Bonus, they also make treats for dogs! I couldn’t resist and ended up buying four doggie cupcakes for Saffron, our 3-year old cocker spaniel. Do you know how hard it is to train your dog not to eat a cupcake when it’s just sitting there on the ground? She wasn’t all too happy with me as I tried to line my photograph, but I think she forgave me. I know dog trainers say that owners tend to give their pets human characteristics, but I’m pretty sure Saffron was smiling pre-buttercream inhalation. How can you not feel awesome after getting such a yummy treat?