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Single Frame: Sugar at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, 14 August 2026

Bob Mould first became known to the greater world via the influential Twin Cities hardcore/post-punk/rock band Hüsker Dü. This power trio put out eight total albums between 1979 and 1988, helping develop the world-conquering alternative rock sound of the 1990s. Unfortunately Hüsker Dü was too ahead of their time and my time, as the band broke up during my middle school years where I basically…

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#bob mould #husker du #live music #music #pioneer courthouse square #punk rock #rock #sugar

Single Frame, sort of: Centennial Mills Building, Portland, 4 August 2026 (and Polaroid Go)

Shawn’s note: I’m away this week, so blog posts will be light. The Centennial Mills Building is the remnant of a mill complex located on the Willamette River, just north of downtown and immediately north of Union Station. While people think Minneapolis when they think old flour mills, Portland’s position at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers means it’s the largest port in the…

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#centennial mills #instant film #polaroid go

Hello, again: The return of the Minolta SR-T 101

Sometimes you can go back. Last month, I noticed that the metering on my Minolta XD5 was bonked. Sure, I could use an external meter, but the big reason why I used the XD5 was because of its built-in aperture and shutter priority modes. If I wanted a manually metering experience in a compact SLR, I’d reach for my Olympus OM-1n. I put the XD5 on the shelf, wondering if it’s gone for good since my…

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#film photography #minolta #minolta sr-t 101 #minolta srt #minolta srt-101 #minolta xd5 #minoltaxd5 #slr camera

A trip to the Willamette Valley Wine Country, 23-24 July 2026

Durant Winery, 23 Aug 2026. Pentax IQZoom/Espio 120Mi, Kodak Ultramax 400 Although I am not the biggest wine drinker, I do love visiting the Willamette Valley Wine Country to the south of Portland. I’ve warmed up to the Willamette Valley in general, and do appreciate the beautiful landscape of the region. Emee and I make it down a few times a year. The last time we were down here was during a…

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#McMinnville #Willamette valley #wine country

Mechanical Pencil Rankings, August 2026

It’s been three months since I last checked in with you fine folks about my ever-expanding mechanical pencil collection. I’ve always dug them, but it wasn’t until I got deeper in this fountain pen/stationery hobby did I go beyond what I could easily find at the art supply store. It’s easy to acquire many, as they are relatively inexpensive compared to fountain pens (you can get a lot for $10-20).…

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#blick premier pencil #enpitsu sharp #faber castell tk #KOKUYO FitCurve Mechanical Pencil – 0.5 mm #mechanical pencil #pentel sharp kerry #pentel smash #pilot s-10 #platinum oleenu #platinum pro-use 171 #rotring rapid pro #staedtler 935-25 #Tombow MONO Graph Fine Mechanical Pencil – 0.5 mm #tombow shaker #Uni Kuru Toga Metal Mechanical Pencil – 0.5 mm

Reminder: Old Library Branches Ride is TOMORROW, Saturday August 1st

It’s the third and final month of Bikesummer/Pedalpalooza, and time to present my longest organized ride of the fest so far. I’ve done Old Library Branches a few times before, but this one will be hitting a bunch I did not have a chance to see during the NE/SE one I did four years ago, as weather cut the ride short. But no excuse this time: It’s going to be beautiful out on Saturday! Old Library…

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#bicycle ride #bike rides #bikesummer #bikesummer2026 #multnomah county library #old library branches ride #pedalpalooza #pedalpalooza2026 #pedalpaloozapdx

Revisiting the lesser-used cameras: Canon Demi EE17 and Yashica YF

Smith and Bybee Lakes, 25 July 2026 Yashica YF, Yashinon 50mm f/1.8 lens, Kodak Ektar 100 My camera stable is hovering at a dozen, which is on the high side for me. I typically feel more comfortable when it’s closer to eight. I sometimes have a fantasy of paring things down to a lean collection of five: SLR, TLR, rangefinder, zoom compact, and half-frame. But I’m agnostic about my preferences,…

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#all my cameras #camera collection #canon demi ee17 #yashica yf

Sunset Moonrise Ride TONIGHT, Wednesday July 29!

Alright, folks! Tonight will be a good night for a moonrise. Come along for a nice little ride to a great viewing spot! Sunset Moonrise RideWednesday July 29thMeet at 7, ride at 7:30Montavilla Plaza, SE Stark St at 79th Stock up on snacks and libations before meeting up, then depart on a chill, slow-ish paced 5-mile (give or take) ride to our mystery destination. Ride not a loop. Lights,…

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#bikesummer #bikesummer2026 #pedalpalooza #pedalpalooza2026 #pedalpaloozapdx #sunset moonrise ride

A West Hills Hike (Hoyt Arboretum-Pittock Mansion), 18 July 2026

The View from Pittock Mansion, 18 July 2026. Yashica YF, Yashinon 50mm f/1.8 lens, Kodak Gold 200 It was shaping up to be a nice summer Saturday in Portland: ample sun and a temp of 78ºF/25ºC. Emee and I had no plans for the weekend, and no kids around to attend to. That morning Emee suggested going on a hike, and I was game. Even though we had a car and could easily travel to “better”…

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#city hikes #hoyt arboretum #max light rail #pittock mansion #urban hike #urban nature hike #urban walk #walks #washington park

REPORT: Bikes and Film Cameras Club Ride, Saturday 11 July 2026

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#bikes and film cameras club 11 july 2026 #bikesummer #bikesummer2026 #pedalpalooza2026 #pedalpaloozapdx

Heinz Stücke 1940-2026

All photos taken by me, from when Heinz Stücke spoke at Clever Cycles on May 20, 2026 I just found out that Heinz Stücke passed away last week. Heinz’s life can be best described in one sentence: He is the most bike-toured person in the world. In 1962 he set out from his native Germany on a bike tour that did not end until over fifty years later, after riding nearly 400,000 miles and hitting up…

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#bicycle touring #bike touring #bikepacking #dervla murphy #heinz stucke

On knowing when to say when, and the benefit of good camera shops

Blue Moon and late day light. 17 Nov 2023. Olympus OM-1n, OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Kodak Pro Image 100 Last month I mentioned how my Minolta XD5 was no longer metering properly. This meant that I was down to one functioning SLR, my Olympus OM-1n. As someone who is in a constant conversation with myself about the amount of stuff I own, I thought that maybe this was a sign that I just needed one…

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#blue moon camera #camera stores #canon #canon demi ee17 #canon fl #canonet ql17 gIII #minolta #minolta srt-101 #minolta xd5 #slr camera

2026 BikeSummer (Pedalpalooza) Ride Report: Halfway Through

Vitamin C being handed out at the Linus Pauling Ride, 15 June 2026. Minolta XD5, MD Rokkor 45mm f/2, Kodak Pro Image 100 We’ve passed the half-way mark of this year’s Bikesummer, aka Pedalpalooza. I’ve led three events (was supposed to be four, but bad weather cancelled Sunset/Moonrise) and participated in ten other ones. This is pretty significant, as I don’t think I did nine events total…

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#bike camp cookout #bike happy hour #bikesummer #bikesummer2026 #coffee outside #coffee outside ride #kmhd #linus pauling #pedalpalooza #pedalpalooza2026 #portland names and neighborhoods #rivendell #sacajawea park #stark st milestone #sunday parkways #tree lovers ride #zines

Bike Overnight: Camping at Ainsworth/Columbia Gorge, 13-14 July 2026

moosemoose enjoys the grandeur of the Gorge, 14 July 2026. Olympus XA/Kodacolor 100 I’ve gotten in two overnights this year! As noted last week, that’s more than last year, my nadir of bike camping/touring since I started in 2005. It’s nice to be positively trending again. And the destination for my recent bike overnight is a place I positively love, Ainsworth State Park in the Columbia Gorge.…

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#ainsworth state park #bantam #bantam rambleneur #bicycle touring #bike camping #bike touring #camping gear #Carradice #carradice odyssey #Columbia Gorge #multnomah falls

Seeing the Hockney exhibit at Portland Art Museum, and a new found appreciation of the institution

David Hockney at Portland Art Museum, 5 July 2026. Olympus OM-1n, OM Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Kodacolor 200 My feelings for Portland Art Museum (PAM) were at one time best described as ambivalent. I first visited PAM in 2002, using a free pass that I got for applying for a job there that I did not get. Besides a traveling exhibition I noted a decent selection of Indigenous and Northwestern Art, but did…

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#david hockney #museums #portland art museum

A quick mid-July Update

20 June 2026. Pentax IQZoom/Espio 120Mi/Kodak Ultramax 400 I hate writing these types of posts. But as of late the blog has been filled up (when it’s filled up) with posts about upcoming rides, and little outside of that. While those posts are necessary, they are of little utility to those who are outside of Portland. It’s been over a month since my school year ended, and I thought I’d have the…

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#ainsworth state park #bike camping #bike overnight #Columbia Gorge #life update #nw pen show #pen show #quick update

Societe des Rambleneurs: Rough Stuff Ramble, Monday June 20

A week from today not only do I lead one of my favorite rides, but I’ll bring you along on some of my favorite rough stuff routes in Northeast! Rough Stuff RambleMonday June 20th, 5:30 PMNormandale Park, NE 55th and Wasco (near the covered structure) Time to get off the beaten path on a weeknight adventure! We’ll explore areas of NE, in search of the unpaved and the unknown. Expect some…

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#bicycle rides #bike rides #bikesummer #bikesummer2026 #pedalpalooza #pedalpalooza2026 #rough stuff #Société des Rambleneurs

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