Intrusions

September 25, 2013

A couple of weeks ago we traveled around the Olympic Peninsula with friends.  They live in France, though they're not French.  We know them from Africa and have visited them in France and, on their canal boat, in the Netherlands.  They had never been to the United States.

The first day of our trip we went to Hurricane Ridge and then stayed at Sol Duc Hot Springs.  That first night we went for a walk.  We were intruding in a place of wildness, quiet, and dark.  The lights of the resort were intruding as well, presenting us with this as we crossed the river, one set of intruders enchanted by another.

Boo!

August 2, 2013

In the Children's Museum are many rooms including one on local ecology including a little pseudo-cave.  There's a hole to go it, a hole to come out of, and holes in between to laugh at your grandparents.

Art!

August 1, 2013

Today is the anniversary of my beginning this daily photo post.  I'll try to keep it up albeit, as with the past few days' posts, not necessarily posting each day a photo taken that day.  Today's photo, however, is from today's trip with the grandkids to the Children's Museum at Seattle Center.  It's a great place to take kids, huge really, and includes this room where they can create in glue and glitter, fabric, and paints.

Options

July 31, 2013

The other day we walked over the lovely pedestrian bridge connecting lower Queen Anne to Myrtle Edwards Park, and I took this photo.  It occurred to me on looking at it that it shows four different ways of moving people and things around (train, bicycle, walking, and shipping, via the grain terminal in the background) without a road, car, or truck in sight

More Simplicity

July 30, 2013

They're just lights in a coffee shop, but lovely in their simplicity.

And Still More Yum!

July 29, 2013

A hot day, ice cream, it really doesn't get any better.

Sunshine in a bottle

July 28, 2013

Sunflowers make me happy.

August

July 27, 2013

Nancy and I took the kids we babysit for now to visit the kids we babysat for several years ago.  They've gotten older, but are as delightful and as good looking as they ever were.  It's all due to good babysitting, I imagine.

Time Passes

July 26, 2013

The Carroll Clock was installed in 1915 at Fourth and Pine in front of Carroll's Jewelers.  Now it sits in front of the Museum of History and Industry with the Virginia V resting behind it, marking the passing of time.

Mosquito

July 25, 2013

From the 1880s  to the early 1920s the Puget Sound area depended on ships to move goods and people.  There were over 2,000 such ships, so many they were called the "mosquito fleet", and they were of critical importance until rail and, especially, roads made them redundant.  Now, the only one left is the Virginia V, launched in 1922 and still using her original steam engine cast in 1888.  She's a big, beautiful mosquito.

Toe Truck

July 24, 2013

The Toe Truck was built by Ed Lincoln to be a symbol of his company, Lincoln's Towing.  It never actually towed anything, but was driven in parades and stood on the roof of Lincoln Towing for many years.  How can you not love a city with a Toe Truck?

Beauty

July 23, 2013

There are many beautiful things in this world, but when it comes to the work of craftspersons there is nothing more beautiful than a beautiful boat.

Serenity

July 22, 2013

Today's photo was taken the same day as yesterday's and in a certain way shows the same thing i.e. beauty in the ordinary.  This little spot is just down the street along the sidewalk.  It's nothing special.  But it's lovely.

Simplicity

July 21, 2013

It's been almost a year since I began this photo a day project.  Since August 1, 2012 I've made it my habit to, every day, take photos, one of which I would post.  Today's post marks the official end to taking photos absolutely every day but not, hopefully, of posting every day.  Today's photo was taken a few days ago and shows, for me at least, the beauty that can be found in the simple and ordinary.

Big Bertha

July 20, 2013

Seattle is replacing its aging, elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep bore tunnel.  It will be the largest diameter deep bore tunnel ever dug and will be dug by the largest tunnel boring machine (TBM) ever built.  The machine's name is Bertha, and today was the one chance for the public to see it up close and personal before it disappears underground for the next couple of years.

Here's some information from an article I read.  It weighs in at 7000 tons, the equivalent of more than 30 orange and black BNSF Dash 9 diesel locomotives. Its 24 huge electric motors generate the 25,000 horsepower that will slowly rotate the cutterhead (at about one revolution per minute) as it chews and grinds the ground – TBMs don’t actually drill into the ground. The TBM’s 56 thrust jacks that push the rotating cutterhead (the business end of the boring machine) against the ground ahead exert 44,000 tons of thrust, or 13 times the thrust of the engine and booster rocket that lifted the space shuttle into orbit. The machine is powered by what is essentially a 26 kilovolt extension cord. Seattle City Light built the dedicated feeder line just for this purpose.

Here's a photo of Bertha.  It's very hard to get a sense of scale, but you can get some idea by comparing the machine with the people (the tiny, little people) on the left.

Sad

July 19, 2013

On my way to visit my friend Peter I came across this destroyed RV just off the freeway.  I don't know the story behind it.  Hopefully no one was hurt beyond having a really bad day.

Red

July 18, 2013

It's nothing much, just a cord seen through a window.  But it caught my eye.

Change of Pace

July 17, 2013

Time for a break from the cooking photos.  It's still a photo having to do with eating, but this time the eater is one of our feathered friends, who didn't have to cook a thing.

More Yum!

July 16, 2013

The beat goes on in the world of me stretching my nascent cooking wings.  Tonight we had black cod done on the grill, but before that came these prosciutto wrapped scallops.  It's all rather fun, actually.

Yum!

July 15, 2013

At my advanced age I've decided to give cooking a try.  Today's dinner (and photo) represents the culmination of my efforts so far.  Here we have the fourth variation on what to do with the meatloaf I made a few days ago.  This time I made a gravy, out of beef and chicken stock and vegetables, and garlic mashed potatoes.  Now I just need to figure out how do do it all in less than the better part of a whole day.

Wild and Wonderful!

July 14, 2013

I spent much of the day today with my friend Peter, helping him with some challenges he's facing.  This magnificent bird resides in the garden behind Peter's home.  Now that summer is here, he finds himself presiding over a most glorious collection of lilies.  Peter's home, with it's gardens and clocks, magnificent old music boxes and Peter himself is a place of wonder and beauty.

Shopping

July 13, 2013

Evynne loves going shopping with Grammie, but sometimes a girl just needs a little break.

Goooooooooooooal!

July 12, 2013

Summer is here, and with that comes very little league soccer.  It's called "Li'l Kickers", and the kids love it, especially Evynne who at least has some idea of what's going on.  Last week's photo was of her dribbling the ball.  This week's is of her being pleased as can be at having kicked the ball into the goal.  Women's national team, here we come.

Compassion

July 11, 2013

Today I found myself in the neighborhood of St James Cathedral and so went there.  I was not the only person there and not, I expect, the person with the most need to be there.

Serious Fun

July 10, 2013

Today I found myself near Gasworks Park and stopped there for today's photo.  I love the contrast between the massive machinery and the whimsical colors it's been painted, heavy yet light-hearted.

Inspiration

July 9, 2013

One of the fun things about this daily photo project I've been doing for nearly a year now is the reading I'm inspired to do about what I've photographed.  Today the photo is of the fountain portion of the water feature in Cal Anderson Park.  The "Inspiration" of the title is what I received reading about the 12 year struggle by Kay Rood and many others to transform an eyesore people would cross the street to avoid into the wonderful park we have today (History Link: Cal Anderson Park).

No Trespassing!

July 8, 2013

Why do you suppose there's a "No Trespassing" sign twenty or so feet out in the water?  Someone thought it was important, but I can't imaging why.

Symmetry

July 7, 2013

The George Washington Memorial Bridge (we call it the "Aurora Bridge") was the final link in the  Pacific Highway (US 99), running from Canada to Mexico.  That job has now been taken over by I-5, and the Pacific Highway is no more.

You can't seem him from here, but under the far end of the bridge resides the famed and feared Fremont Troll, still clutching the Volkswagen he snatched from off the bridge.  Those who are not faint of heart can check out my January 6 post for a close-up of that bad boy.

Rocket's Red Glare

July 6, 2013

Just before the official fireworks began on Lake Union there appeared, from the same general direction, a cloud of dense, black smoke.  It turned out that illegal fireworks had ignited the canvas on a boat in a vertical, dry-storage facility named "Sky Launch".  That particular rocket's red glare was substantially more dramatic than anticipated, and a good portion of several boats in that rack was launched skyward in a most unfortunate way.

Northwest Passage

July 5, 2013

"Northwest Passage" is the name of the boat my step-brother and his wife own, and that's where we spent the day today.  It was a lovely day to be on a boat, and for the six hours it took to get to Port Ludlow and back that's precisely where we were.

Rockets' White Glare

July 4, 2013

What would the Fourth of July be without fireworks?  That's a rhetorical question, of course.  It would still be the Glorious Fourth but, like Disneyland, fireworks just somehow make it all better.

There's an App for that

July 3, 2013

No need any more for a magazine holder in the bathroom.  Today, even the Reader's Digest has a digital edition, and all you really need is an iPad.

Messing About in Boats

July 2, 2013

Today was another glorious summer day, a perfect day to remind ourselves of the deep truth Water Rat, in The Wind in the Willows, conveyed to Mole when he said, "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats."  And the waters of Portage Bay, in the Washington Park Arboretum, proved a perfect place for the reminding.

Green Beard

July 1, 2013

In our part of the world, trees (huge trees if left alone for a few centuries) and moss just go together, like love and marriage, horse and carriage, Pacific Northwest and rain.  The trees and the moss are both due to rich, volcanic soil combined with cool, cloudy days and lots of rain.  But in the summer we get days like today, hot and sunny, in which we can enjoy walking through the shade and stillness produced by all that cool, cloudy, wetness without having to endure the reasons it's there.

Take One, Leave One

June 30, 2013

Little Free Libraries are all the rage these days.  They are most prevalent in the U.S., but are found all over the world.  My neighbor decided to get with the program with some variations.  Instead of a glass-fronted, bird-house sort of thing he decided to re-purpose a Seattle Weekly newspaper dispenser (Seattle Weekly is free, so no problem with coin operation).  And instead of having it face the sidewalk, he set it up for drive-by operation —  for people with very low, right hand drive cars.

Ceci n'est pas un Arbre

June 29, 2013

Like Ishmael to the sea, I find myself returning to the Sculpture Park for inspiration.  This evening, walking past this stainless steel sculpture of a tree titled "Split", I at first thought the crows were part of the sculpture, but I soon realized they simply find it useful.

Cutie Plays Footie

June 26, 2013

Evynne and Alec have soccer practice, a sort of soccer pre-school, for 45 minutes each Friday.  Today we went to watch.  Even Alec,with his mom close at hand, was engaged in his two-year-old activities, and Evynne was fully engaged in hers, running and dribbling as though it mattered.  Which, of course, it does.

Junior Scientists

June 27, 2013

When you're just two, everything's new.  I don't know what Al was showing his sister but, clearly, it was something wonderful.  It's been a long time since I felt such wonder at things quotidian and ordinary. It's also been a long time since I could squat down and then, effortlessly, stand back up again.

Gritty

June 26, 2013

One of the attractions of the Sculpture Park is its location. Situated at the north end of Belltown, it is just north of downtown Seattle on the waterfront.  Along with this stunning location comes the necessity to straddle the very busy BNSF tracks just before they enter the train tunnel, passing under downtown proper, on their way to Union Station.  The photo shows the pedestrian bridge which links the western, waterfront portion of the park (and Myrtle Edwards Park, which continues along the waterfront) with the eastern, larger portion.  To my mind, this linking of high culture with gritty, blue collar industry is pure Seattle, and I love it.

Living Art

June 25, 2013

Certainly the most unusual installation at the Olympic Sculpture Park is the Neukom Vivarium, consisting of a 60 foot Western Red Cedar nurse log in an 80 foot building complete with climate control and magnifying glasses with which to see the plants, lichens, and insects living on and in the log.  Of course, many of the things living on the log are easy to see without a magnifying glass. Some even need periodic trimming.  Today's photo is a detail of the log.

Time Flies!

June 24, 2013

In today's photo Evynne is wearing a dress made for her mom when she was a little girl.  Jen was afraid it would be too large for Evynne, but it's already nearly too small.

Waiting

June 23, 2013

In Seattle there's a well-known sculpture titled "Waiting for the Interurban".  It's always decorated for one occasion or another and depicts people waiting for, well, the interurban — in this case the interurban which ran from Seattle to Everett.  These men were sitting at the bus stop on Third Avenue, and it occurred to me I could perhaps title it "Waiting for the Intraurban".   But I'm not sure they were actually waiting for the bus.  Perhaps a better title would be, simply, "Waiting".

How Low Can It Go?

June 22, 2013

Today was not only the first day of summer but also an extreme low tide day.  It's a day for people to get out and see the things that are normally underwater.  For those who are so inclined it's a day to dig for geoducks.  For this mom it's apparently a day to stimulate her child's immune system as he happily plays in the living ooze.

Summer Solstice

June 21, 2013

Just like that, too soon really, the summer solstice is upon us, the longest day of the year.  It's a wonderful day, marred only, perhaps, by the niggling awareness that it's all downhill from here.  I suppose if a year could have a mid-life crisis, today would be the day for it.

We went with David and Julia on their sailboat to a little rendezvous in Port Madison.  The trip over and back, and our time there, were lovely.  It really could not have been a nicer day.

Boy at Work

June 20, 2013

Not the frivolous sort, Alec takes his television watching seriously. Here he's watching "Leap Frog" and, in the process, learning how to spell.  It's so nice to be able to put the kids in front of the television and feel virtuous at the same time.

Wheeee!

June 19, 2013

Today we took the kids to Discovery Park for a hike.  We got no farther than the little playground near the visitor center.  But that was far enough.

Second Chances

June 18, 2013

This photo is of the Claes Oldenburg sculpture "Typewriter Eraser".  On thinking about it, it occurred to me that erasers are all about giving people another chance to get it right -- a sort of grace, I suppose.  It seems a good thing.  Of course, today there are no more typewriters, and second chances come to us courtesy of the backspace key.  It's almost too easy.

Toxic Beauty

June 17, 2013

This photo is of the approaches to the 1st Ave. bridge over the Duwamish Waterway.  The Duwamish Waterway used to be the Duwamish River.  The river was lovely, winding and pristine.  The Waterway is straightened, dredged, and a Superfund site.  But people are fighting to restore it, and although this photo does not specifically illustrate that effort it does show, I thought, a sort of urban beauty.

Gaudeamus Igitur!

June 18, 2013

"Let us rejoice!"  I looked it up, and that's what "Gaudeamus Igitur" means.  So let us rejoice!  Nate finished his MBA course of study at Seattle University.  Commencement was today.  We couldn't be more proud of him or happier for him.

Bathing Beauties

June 15, 2013

At Alec and Evynne's house swim wear is optional, but flotation devices are mandatory!