LITERAL PHOTO SHOPPING

A while back, my daughter called to see if I wanted to go to the airport with her and my granddaughter, to have lunch. It struck me as a fairly odd idea. I mean, airports are for catching flights to somewhere else, right? They are not, in themselves, a destination.

Turns out I was wrong, and the idea was quite a good one.

We drove to the airport, which is a mere five minutes from my house. The fun began as we left the parking garage. It's been years in the building, and I haven't been there in at least a year. In that time, the architects and builders, and yes, gardeners, have transformed the bulky, looming, concrete exterior of the garage into the Hanging Gardens of Portland.

The view from the skywalk to the airport

We had lunch in a restaurant that had windows facing the blacktop where jets pulled up to gates, little trucks with trains of baggage tooled around, and workers did whatever they do on the tarmac around jets. Meggie and her little friend, Ireland, loved watching the activity. Almost as much as they did inspecting the contents of their juice glasses.


What's in there?

I'm pretty sure our next stop was the play structure near the security check point you go through to get to the boarding areas, the gates.


Slip sliding around

Then, armed with my camera, we went shopping down the concourse. The idea was to scout out ideas for later, when we were actually ready to do a little Christmas shopping. Find the cool things, photograph them, and create a catalogue of items we might want to come back for.


Painting with water

The above was a big hit with Meggie and my daughter. It was a tablet a bit darker than the gray of newsprint, and paint brush. Plain water was the "paint", and when you first brushed it on, it was very pale, then deepened to dark gray, and then gradually disappeared completely, so you could create again and again on the same sheet.


Photoclip mobile

I thought the photo mobile was a great idea, but confess I'm more likely to make my own than to buy one!


Wreck This

I don't remember what the inside of this journal looked like, but it was really neat. Melody and I both fell in love with it.

And we looked at the Bunny Suicides book in front of it, too. I thought it was rather macabre. Big controversy here now over its being in a local middle school's library.


Bicycle bells in a bowl

(Had to add the "in a bowl" for the sheer alliteration of it!) It's been a long time since I saw this kind of bicycle bell, and I think they're absolutely adorable. But I seriously doubt I could bring myself to spend $20 on one.


Eyesore, indeed

My favorite is the one that says, "Keep an eye out". I think of Bruce when I see eyeballs, of course. I carried an eyeball keychain for months after he put his out, and we decided "his" song is now, "I only have eye for you," which still makes me laugh. I know. I'm one sick puppy. It's one of those times when you might as well laugh, because crying won't help.


Robot love

These little guys I may go back for. I love them, especially the Daddy Long Legs type. You should see it bouncing around the table!

And that's how you Photo Shop! Fabulous fun, and except for parking and lunch, we didn't spend a dime. Okay, okay, okay. I bought a greeting card and some stickers. But the card was really funny!

We had a great day, one I'd like to repeat soon, and often.