Reub's journey

28 August 2009

Friday My Town Shoot-Out: Incongruities

The idea of the My Town Shoot-Out is to post photos of your local community every Friday. This week's assignment was chosen by Mary, from Kansas: Incongruities.

All photos taken in Corvallis, Oregon.

This week I feared that it was a better assignment than I am photographer. Nevertheless, I offer you the following shots, and look forward to seeing your work too.

If you read Wednesday's post you'll wonder how I could stomach buying a dozen eggs, but that just goes to show what suckers we are for buying cool-looking produce at the farmer's market. Eleven brown eggs...and one green one? Who could resist? Haven't eaten them yet, though (unsurprisingly).


This little guy was sitting so solemnly for his face-painting, framed by that darned "Princess" balloon. Balloon artists are mean people.


We have a friend (I'll call him "Mark") who just moved to town. Mark offered to ride shotgun while I drove somewhat aimlessly around looking for incongruities. "There's one!" I said, pointing at this perfectly respectable 6-story building on the riverfront. If you're from out of town it needs an explanation, which is that this community went ballistic when the developer got a variance to build a 6-story structure. The words "incongruous, out-of-place, ridiculous, and unfitting" were all front page news for months. But it was built and somehow we have all lived through it.


Mark and I veered into the toy store downtown, where he helped me spot this crocodile in a stroller.


The penguin seems undisturbed by the dinos, who are all in a tizzy. Great toy store.


But Mark's greatest find was the juxtaposition of the naughty "Ti Amo Lingerie" shop next door to the "All About Kids" store. Y'know, as I think about it, you could argue that there is a certain congruity to this. I wonder what the next store in line should be?

27 comments:

  1. Nice shoot-out Kerry! I think that the next store in the "mall of life"" would probably be a medical supply store/pharmacy!

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  2. I really like your egg shot and the pretty handsome princess :)

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  3. Hmmm, a bail bondsman? I really like your shots, especially the dinos with penguin and in the stroller.
    That city council should really stick to the rules and allow NO buildings under seven stories!

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  4. That was very enjoyable. It's great to see posts that show dedication.

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  5. I'm thinking a family counseling place would be next in line - that's a great one!

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  6. These are fantastic photos. I like the first two shots the best.

    I'm thinking next in line would be a self-defense studio.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  7. This was an EXCELLENT post. Really really well done!

    I love the quote you have by Alexander Pope on your header picture...I may have to steal that one! LOL!

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  8. Very, very clever. You really put forth an effort on this one. Thanks

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  9. Those are really funny! I love the bad-ass penguin.

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  10. interesting shots! love the boy princess and the eggs. clever!

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  11. And after the family counseling store would come the local AARP office?

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  12. I love them all but the eggs were just wonderful :)

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  13. love all your shots and take on the theme - well done!

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  14. Your story about the building causes me concern. If we become accustomed to the incongruous does that mean that satellite dishes on igloos could be acceptable any day now?

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  15. That crocodile in a stroller is shockingly incongruous. That was a good find.

    We have a couple of incongruous buildings like yours. They're a high-rise condo development on the waterfront. I still resent their usurping the water view, but I must admit they're the best-constructed high rise buildings in town.

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  16. Excellent entry! that high rise building will fit perfectly here, since most of our buildings here are high-rise!

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  17. Thank you for leaving your comment on my blog about the secret door! Really appreciate it. Your photos are great! I love the eggs one the best, who would expect to find a green one amongst brown?

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  18. I really enjoying looking your photos of this week's photo theme. I love them all.

    What's that green egg? We have here, we call it red egg. It's actually salted egg

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  19. The "mall of life!" I like it! First we have "Ti Amo" followed by "All About Kids", then perhaps some family planning (whoops, I meant family counseling, J9), then straight to Marge's Pharmacy for some birth control, karate lessons for the whole family taught by JarieLyn, pop in next door & see Nan about bail $$ for our sleaze-ball friend who owns "Ti Amo" and (we're getting OLD now) then hobble over to see Kent at AARP in order to rail at him for sending AARP offers to unemployed 28-year-olds. Did I miss anybody?

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  20. After the city's nasty kerfluffle regarding the 7 story building, it doesn't look like it will happen again any time soon. Which is good.

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  21. Redlan, I haven't eaten that green egg yet, but if it's salted I will be shocked. Apparently there is a certain breed of chicken that always lays green eggs. So I suppose the question is: when will green eggs and ham appear on our household menu?

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  22. Really great shots this week Kerry. I can't wait to see your doors and windows next week. (Perhaps a better view of the Ti Amo window - LOL)

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  23. Wow, I can't believe your city has a problem with the height of a building but allows an adult "toy store" to be next to a kid toy store! That's some funky zoning.

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  24. Love them! The storefront really had me laughing.

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  25. Well done. I struggled with this topic but you've really got some great ones. Looking forward to doing yours this week.

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  26. The green egg is a bird's egg. I have seen green eggs though not as big as yours. May be it is a snake's egg.

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  27. Excellent post! I'm with Kerry on what store comes next!
    ;^0

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