Umbrella Man

A family gets their picture taken with a snow-covered Umbrella Man (formerly known as Allow Me) in Portland's Pioneer Square

While it has become de rigueur for every tourist to have their picture snapped with Umbrella Man, a couple of giveaways suggest the beloved sculpture may not be from around here. First, he wears a suit. Nobody in Oregon wears a suit. Second, the eponymous umbrella. Even during the rainy season, Portlanders are as likely to throw on a raincoat as throw up an umbrella.

We’ll forgive him though, as his friendly attitude is a hallmark of the citizens of Portland, one of the many, many reasons I love living here.

The sculpture known informally as Umbrella Man (and formerly as Allow Me) covered in snow in Portland's Pioneer Square

The sculpture known informally as Umbrella Man (and formerly as Allow Me) covered in snow in Portland's Pioneer Square

Allow Me

The sculpture known informally as Umbrella Man (and formally as Allow Me) covered in snow in Portland's Pioneer Square

I just got back from a trip to Austin where the temperatures were regularly above 100°, quite a bit warmer than we’re used to here in Portland, so here’s a picture from this past December when the weather was slightly cooler. We had gotten an unusual amount of snow so I walked from our house to downtown Portland to photograph the city in the snow.

We know the sculpture by Seward Johnson in Pioneer Square as Umbrella Man but his formal name is Allow Me. He is supposed to represent someone offering to lend a hand but he reminds me of someone trying to hail a cab.

Ships, Trains, & Automobiles

A view of the industrial side of the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon

In this view from the Steel Bridge of the grain terminal on the Willamette River, you can see a train pulling into the terminal and both a barge and an ocean-going ship in the background. Also note the waterfowl around the barge, they pick up the grain that spills into the water like a dog eating fallen scraps from the dinner table. I’m always pleased to include wildlife in my non-wildlife shots.

You can also see the Broadway Bridge (the red bridge) in the background, and even a little bit of the large Fremont Bridge, the bridge I take on the rare days I drive to the office.

A view of the industrial side of the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon

A view of the industrial side of the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge in Portland, Oregon