Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Meet Paul Bunyan

Hello blog visitor. Meet Paul. Paul Bunyan. He lives in my part of town in North Portland. He's a big boy. Originally created as temporary art in 1959 for the Oregon Centennial Exposition, he has continued to live and thrive out here in NoPo, and was even moved and relocated a few feet to make way for the new light rail. He wore a hard hat and safety vest during that move. I particularly like his axe. And though you can't see it, he does have a red hankee in his back pocket. (Actually, you can see it here.) He's such a bear. Gggggrrrrrrrrr.



There are lots of Paul Bunyan statues statues out there. I'm particularly fond of those that include his friend, Babe the Blue Ox. Here's one I've been to, and have a nice picture somewhere of AdRi standing under Babe's blue balls.

7 comments:

Rozanne said...

I remember the first time I saw that Paul Bunyan. So hilarious. I love that he wore a hardhat and a vest while the construction was being done--I didn't know that. Keep Portland Weird.

I've been to that Trees of Mystery Paul Bunyan, too. The blue paint near his crotch is darker than the blue paint on the rest of his pants, making him look like he has an incontinence problem.

Gavin S. said...

Why are you so adorable? Miss ya!

-Bry

Ja'AmLo said...

I went to college very close to the Klamath statue. A group of us would up there every few months and paint the Ox's balls red.

Stop laughing.... there was alot of weed up there. Not that I smoked it, but there was lots.

Anonymous said...

My dad, in high school, was his year's Paul Bunyan representative for their annual Paul Bunyan festival up in Shelton WA. In fact, as a kid I remember going to a Paul Bunyan parade up in Shelton, with dozens an dozens of Paul Bunyan representative from scores of years at my dad's old high school. My cousin was also a Paul Bunyan rep one year. As far as I know, the tradition continues. It's a whole NW thing, you know. We love Paul Bunyan apparently. He's, you know, wrapped in myth and legend and represents all that we Pacific Northwesterners stand for: Summarily Logging The Old Growth and Pretending We Can Dominate Nature.

Ja'AmLo said...

methinks there needs to be a pink bunyan contest then. and he can plant trees with his kind sidekick....
now what could the sidekick be...... ponder this.....

Anonymous said...

Sidekick? How about Johnny Appleseed? He's not a creature but he seems a fitting alter ego for Paul Bunyon.

If you need a creature, I nominate a squirrel or a bluejay since they are always so busy planting future trees (acorns and hazelnuts mostly) on my property, especially at this time of year.

L

Anonymous said...

What's really freaking me out is Paul beard/neck, which seems to be taking over his entire face and growing into his lumberjack shirt.