- Sydney In Her Yellow Rain Hat – photograph by Bill Wagner
Last week my picture was on the front page of the Longview Daily News – a phenomenon that occurred because of my blog post, “The Fed and The Dead,” about the bear situation in Oysterville. Within minutes of that 7:00 a.m. posting, I received an email from a Barbara LaBoe, a reporter from the Daily News, giving me a cell number and asking me to call her if I was willing to talk to her about the late bears of Oysterville. I called her and learned that she was already in Astoria and was heading this way.
She arrived shortly after 9:00, notebook open and pen poised. With her was staff photographer Bill Wagner who was armed with several cameras with gigantic lenses. They found me at the Andrews Greenhouse where a work party had gathered to finish up the cleaning of 100+ large panes of glass. It was a misty-threatening-to-rain sort of day so, to top off my grubby work clothes, I was wearing my bright yellow plastic rain hat.
While Barbara interviewed me, Bill’s camera(s) went click, click, click – faster than the words came out of my mouth. When I commented on “so many” he laughed and said that more than one person had remarked over the years, “You took all those pictures and that’s the one you chose?” I laughed, too, feeling secure in the knowledge that I was only one of many they would be interviewing and assuming that my image wouldn’t be the chosen one.
When the story came out the next day, the phone calls and emails began arriving. The comments covered the gamut of possibilities – “strange outfit,” “cute rain hat,” “did they get the picture off the post office wall?” “that darling yellow hat,” “you looked as fetching as ever.” Yesterday, I finally was given an actual copy of the paper and was almost afraid to look. Actually, I rather liked the picture, myself. And, interestingly, no one commented on what I was quoted as saying. I can only assume that, to the readers who know me, the picture was worth more than my few dozen words.
I like the picture and they should of written a story about the restoring of the greenhouse.
I agree with Lois!
They were standing in the middle of of a soon-to-be historic Oysterville event, taking pictures and interviewing one of the participants…documenting the wrong story!
I agree with Lois!
Sartorial splendor in the glass.
You know, I actually suggested that to them but there wasn’t even a glimmer of interest. I introduced them to the property owner and I finally goaded the photographer into taking some pictures of the greenhouse … just in case! Maybe when we are actually “up and running” there will be a re-visit.
Sydney: BILL WAGNER. He is my hero. The best photographer in the whole WEST COAST of America. One time Jeannie Speelmon was interviewed about a windmill out on the beach that someone she knew had built. Bill Wagner, then working for the Daily Astorian, came over to take the snaps. She said he took 7 rolls, remember those good old days, and left down the dune grass road in his VW bug. He got about 1/3 down the trail, turned around and came back and took 3 more rolls.
He also took my favorite picture of the Astoria Bridge. He climbed on top of it and shot it toward the Washington side showing the long sweep of a hill. Also a slide picture in Long Beach of the old slide that was in the park, It was SO tall that climbing it got me scared. They evenually took down, but in it’s day it was the thing to do in the park.
That all said, you look lovely in your yellow hat, but it is you that is lovely, the hat’s ok.
Love the hat, Sydney!