One A Day - Mostly Seattle

Tiny details

2009-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

How often we walk past the most amazing things as we go about our daily lives. I'm certainly guilty of scurrying about, running errands, hurrying to be somewhere, being pre-occuppied, looking where I'm going but not really seeing what is around me. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The image above is one I made while passing my neighbor's brick wall ... thinking about the tenacity and resilience of a perhaps annoying growth of moss. Yet, when really examining this patch of green attaching itself firmly to the carefully placed mortar between the even rows of bricks, I have to marvel. Amazing. Miraculous. Awe-inspiring, really. Mother Nature in her glory.

Tomorrow is another City Daily Photo Blog theme day as it is the first of the month, once again. You'll have to wait until tomorrow, though, as this months theme is "waiting". Should be an interesting group of pictures around the world as CDP bloggers elucidate this concept. Do come back. I promise it will be worth the "waiting".

Tallman Avenue

2009-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I see street signs that make me curious ... how did that name come about? I did a search for information about Tallman Avenue in Ballard, but came up empty. Still, I have to wonder ... was there a really tall man who lived on this street? A Norwegian or perhaps a strapping tall Viking ... Ballard is known for it's Scandinavian heritage. Tallman Avenue is a pretty short street of only about three city blocks. If you're curious, like I am, here's a link to the location of Google Maps.

Seattle Sunshine

2009-11-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

When a relatively warm and very sunny day comes along in Seattle at the end of a dark and damp November, what do you think about doing? Here's an idea ... why not buy and fly a kite? This shop, The Gasworks Park Kite Shop, is on Stoneway just a few blocks from Gasworks Park on the edge of Lake Union. Now that's an absolutely wonderful place to fly a kite, get some sun, and enjoy the Seattle skyline. How about it? Shall we go fly a kite?

West Point Light House - another view

2009-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Same place as yesterday but a different time. Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving celebration yesterday!

West Point Light House

2009-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

West Point Light House is at the western tip of what is now Discovery Park and situated at the northwestern tip of Magnolia Bluff. This light house began operation on November 15, 1881. I can't say I've been visiting this light house since the beginning, but I have walked here many times since the mid 1970's.

I'm thankful today for where, how and with whom I live. My hope is that you, too, can say the same. Happy Thanksgiving!

iphone Wednesday - Big People Scooters

2009-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

I took this with my iPhone a couple months ago. Back when the sky was blue and the sunshine seemed to be perpetually smiling. This sassy lass, sitting on a barely visible Vespa in a piazza near her local town duomo, graces the weathered side of Big People Scooters in the Georgetown neighborhood. This mural strikes me as one that probably qualifies as one of the "Ghost Signs" that Mr. Cachet told me about in his comment on yesterday's post.

And if you happen to need service for your vintage scooter, or new scooter for that matter, this is the place to go in Seattle. Stop by and say hi to Jeff, Brandon and Joe. They'll take good care of you.

Since this is iPhone Wednesday, be sure to stop by and see what my friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are doing with their iphones today.

Corkstone Plastic Flooring

2009-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Corkstone Flooring Company sign painted on old brick wall of building at 2116 Western Ave. in the Belltown neighborhood at Western Avenue and Lenora Street. This painted sign is probably 60 - 65 years old. Here is a Corkstone Plastic Flooring advertisement from the December, 1945 issue of Popular Mechanics.

Night Lights

2009-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Colorful lights at night are some of my favorite things. As dark falls earlier each evening the possibility of interesting photos increases every day. These oversize letters are above one of the entrances to the City Centre Building located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and Pike and Union Streets.

Under the Aurora Bridge

2009-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Besides rainy weather, Seattle is also known for it boating community. The Lake Washington Ship Canal flows beneath the Aurora Bridge from Lake Union toward Puget Sound. Nestled on both the north and south shores near the bridge are houseboat communities.

Ever wondered what it might be like to live aboard a houseboat?

Ballard Library

2009-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I had occasion to stop in at the Ballard Library. This branch of the Seattle Public Library system was the 15th project to be completed under the "Libraries for All" building program approved by Seattle voters over 10 years ago. The planning for construction process began in October 1999. The branch re-opened in it's new location in May of 2005. A long process, to be sure.

I've passed this new building numerous times and been intrigued by its shape, as well as the fact that it has a "green" roof. I'll go back at some point and photograph the exterior. On this visit, however, I was more curious about how the interior looked. The photo above is a sample of the unique design and materials used in this public building. If you read some of the book titles you'll realize that this is part of the children's section. I was particularly intrigued by the metal covering used on the wall.

More information about this branch is here and the environmental features are here. A very unique and forward thinking project.

Hanging on

2009-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

The wind blows and the rain falls, yet the golden leaves refuse to give up and tumble through the air to the ground. A lesson in tenacity and perseverance for us all. It is simply not the right time ... yet. Yes, November is howling and blowing in Seattle. I'm thinking Australia sounds pretty nice about now.

Main Arcade

2009-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

These are some of the "high stalls" in the main arcade of the Pike Place Market. High Stalls are permanent, year-round business locations in the market. Generally these stalls are devoted to edibles like "Big-Ass Grapes" or catch a flying salmon as it sails over the counter.

Farm and craft tables, on the other hand, are rented on a daily basis and allocated via a seniority system and daily morning roll-call. The farmers and crafts-people who sell at the market from these tables are often not open all year around. Some farmers arrive at the market only during their particular growing season and then don't come back again until the next year. Many crafts-people are present only a limited number of days each week by choice.

So, if you see something today at the Pike Place Market, don't assume that you can always find that product tomorrow. T'ain't necessarily so. A good example is that I'm taking the month of November off from the market. Many others disappear during January and February. Some of us are there year around, but perhaps only 2-3 days per week during the off-season, depending on customer traffic.

This is but one more in my ongoing series of blog posts about the Pike Place Market.

Iphone Wednesday - The Apple Store

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

What could be more appropriate for an iPhone Wednesday photo than one taken inside the Apple Store?

The latest iMac offerings from Apple have drawn a lot of interest, especially with that big and glorious 27" screen. I must confess that even I was smitten. I stopped in the store simply to do research ... and walked out with a new computer. I did have a good reason, though, as my 4 year old Mac G5 was giving me serious warning signs about not too distant trouble. That I don't need. In this day of digital capture and storage, computer crashes are just as devastating as fire or flood when it comes to image files.

Am I happy with my new iMac? Yes! It's performing very well and I love the 27" screen!

My friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are also posting iPhone Wednesday photos today. Be sure to stop by and say hi.

Elliott Bay Books

2009-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

A fixture in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square since 1973, the Elliott Bay Book Store has long been a favorite of local and tourist alike. I've spent many happy hours there over the years, perusing the rooms full of books. I've also sipped espresso, eaten chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, homemade soups, and listened to writers read from their published books in the cozy basement of the store.

Rumor is that this cornerstone business is contemplating a move from Pioneer Square to Capitol Hill. If this happens it won't be a good thing for the former Skid Road area of historic Seattle. I personally hope this rumor is just that ... and only idle chatter.

Link Light Rail - Westlake Station

2009-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages of traveling via public transport is packing light. One of the disadvantages is also that you must pack light. No cavernous automobile trunk to swallow oversized luggage. No curbside checkin when you arrive at the airport. Whatever you pack you must be able to carry. Rick Steves would be proud! Penny and I each had one bag that was quite manageable for our trip earlier this week. You can see for yourself the small size of the bag Penny had in the photo above as we waited inside Westlake Station for the Link Light Rail train to arrive.

Click here for other Link Light Rail posts.

Link Light Rail - Tukwilla International Boulevard Station #2

2009-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

More public art. "I love... , I wish... , I remember..." by Tad Savinar. You'll find this art piece suspended from the ceiling inside the Tukwilla International Boulevard Link Light Rail station. This Savinar sculpture features reminiscences like "I wish there were more stars in the Tukwila sky" and "I remember spending time in Tukwila".

Click here to see previous posts about Seattle's new Link Light Rail system.

Link Light Rail - Tukwila International Boulevard Station

2009-11-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

My wife and I returned from our brief trip to Texas last night. We took advantage of Seattle's new Link Light Rail train to get to and from Sea Tac International airport. Fortunately, we live within easy walking distance of a bus stop, so taking the bus to Westlake Center in downtown Seattle was simple. At Westlake station we boarded the Link Light Rail train for Sea Tac and about 30 minutes later we were at the airport. Last night we reversed our steps, and although it was later in the day, we encountered a pretty hassle free ride home.

The photo above is another pieces of public art which graces each of the several Link Light Rail stations. This one is called "Soundings" and is by artist Clark Wiegman ... the following is a short description from an article about the public art in the stations published recently in the Seattle Times newspaper.

"Soundings" by Clark Wiegman (Tukwila International Boulevard Station): This two-part sculpture at the escalator entrance to the Tukwila station's elevated platform strikes a number of notes. Drawing inspiration from the Duwamish name for Tukwila, k'ap'uxac ("place of hazelnuts"), it depicts a large-scale hazelnut split in half, with one half transformed into a lute-shaped medicine rattle. Up the rattle's handle flows an outline of the course of the nearby Duwamish River. Ambient sound will emerge from inside "Soundings." How audible it will be over the noise of nearby freeway traffic and landing airliners is difficult to say.

Postcard from Fort Hood, Texas

2009-11-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to view the memorial flowers and wreaths placed at the main gate of Fort Hood. My son-in-law, a Department of the Army policeman at Fort Hood, was able to give my wife and me a very somber tour past the scene of the horrendous shooting that took place here last week. A very poignant reminder of the fragility of life.

Birthday Surprise!

2009-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Turning eleven is a really big deal. I don't remember that far back, of course, but I think my wife does. A couple of months ago my beloved got the great idea of flying to Copperas Cove, Texas, to surprise our granddaughter, Katie. As it happened, Alaska Air had some good fares for non-stop Seattle to Austin flights. I said sure! Let's do it. (After all, Katie and her mom pulled the same surprise stunt on me for my 60th, and a turn-a-bout is always fair play.)

A cover story was devised that our flight-attendant relative would arrange with one of her airline friends, flying from Seattle to Austin, to bring special cupcakes from Ammah to Katie. Katie and her mom would drive the 60 miles south from Copperas Cove to collect them yesterday, and then share the delicious and special cupcakes with her school class today, on her birthday. Many emails and phone calls went back and forth talking about these fictional cakes to be delivered by "a tall blonde stewardess" in time for Katie's birthday.

The ruse worked, and Katie was stunned to see her Ammah descending the steps to baggage claim at the Austin airport. So, we're here in the heart of Texas to help Katie celebrate turning 11.

Happy Birthday, Katie!! Eleven looks like a lot of fun!

Oh, we didn't actually bring cupcakes, but Ammah, Katie and little sister Carly did spend the evening decorating cupcakes baked by Katie's mom. Click here to see the process and the results.

Iphone Wednesday - The band plays on

2009-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was visiting my neighbor last evening and he was waxing nostalgic. Sometime back in the late 1940's or early 1950's he and his wife put together this collection of wind-up plastic toy animal musicians. I decided the way he placed them so fondly on the coffee table deserved a photograph. So, strike up the band! They are fun to watch; feet, arms and heads all move ... and not in unison by a long shot!

My friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are also posting iPhone Wednesday photos today. Be sure to stop by and say hi.

Where's Dinner?

2009-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

A lonely Great Blue Heron in a farm field on Fir Island in the Skagit Valley near Conway, Washington. I had driven the 60 miles or so north of Seattle specifically to photograph the wintering snow geese, which I posted back in February.

I've been spending more time editing and processing images during the last few rainy days. So, every now and again I run across something that seems worthy of sharing ... especially given the fact I didn't make any new images yesterday. -:)

What do you suppose this bird is thinking?

Landmark Elephant

2009-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Elephant Super Car Wash, a landmark at Battery and Denny Way in Seattle's Denny Regrade area. Elephant Car Wash started business in 1951 south of Downtown Seattle on Lander Street. The sign above on Denny Way began spinning in 1956.

So, do you take your car through a car wash, or wash it by hand?

Impressionistic

2009-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the simple and mundane can really shine -:)

I was testing a new Canon 7D camera earlier this week. I borrowed the body from Glazer's Camera Store long enough to walk around the block and make about 120 images in the space of 15 minutes or so. The fall leaves against the patched wall is just one of the photos I did on that short walk. Jury is still debating the merits of the camera, though.

Stormy Weather in Seattle

2009-11-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I decided to have a bit of unusual rainy day fun yesterday. Our weather has turned wet and blustery. Wild, some might say. Most of the time I forget that I have video capabilities and this video was made with my Canon 5D MK II using a 100-400 mm lens. All was shot from the comfort of my living room, so I managed to stay warm and dry.