July 28, 2013 - Speed Kills

Here's one pua'a that won't be making it to an imu!  The wild boar was on the side of Hawaii's Queen Kaahumanu highway on the Kohala coast.  No luau for us this week!  (Although, if you're going to eat roadkill you could do worse....)

Overpopulation of wild pigs on the Big Island is an issue with land management agencies because of the damage that they do to the fragile natural environment.  They trample and disrupt the indigenous plants and disrupt the ecosystem.  Pigs were originally introduced to the Hawaiian islands when they were first settled by the ancient Polynesians that discovered the islands.  Without any natural predators pigs thrived in the wild.  In the 1700's the European settlers introduced even larger pigs.  These 150 pound boars, as this roadkill can attest, still roam the countryside.

July 25, 2013 - All Clear!

Mount Baker proved to be the perfect opportunity to check to see how the camera's sensor cleaning fared. At 10,781 feet the third highest and second most glaciated peak in Washington is 80 miles away and typically not seen from this viewpoint on the north side of Seattle's Queen Anne Hill.  The skies, air and were clear enough today, though!  And more importantly, the sensor appears to be clear!

The ski resort on Mount Baker once recorded a world record snowfall of 1,140 inches of snow in one season!

(Thanks to my colleague that brought this to my attention and got me out of the office!)

July 13, 2013 - Suspended Mountain

Mount Rainier appears to hover on a layer of clouds above the Seattle skyline.  The Space Needle and buildings of downtown Seattle are across Puget Sound, 15 miles away from the ferry dock in Kingston where this picture was taken.  The 14,410 foot high active volcano is another 50 miles beyond that, with its base firmly planted in the ground.  The mountain is an icon in the western Washington landscape.  On a clear day, it can be seen from Canada to Oregon.

July 3, 2013 - Sophie's View

On the lap of her mom, a 9 year old girl takes in the July 3rd firework show put on by the Whidbey Island community of Sandy Hook.

July 2, 2013 - Duck Dodge: Red, White and Blue Night

What a difference a week makes!  Last Tuesday's Duck Dodge was 'damp'; over an inch of rain damp!  There wasn't cloud in the sky for this Tuesday night's sailboat race - themed red, white and blue.  On this night you could actually see the background to the race - the I-5 bridge over the ship canal, Gas Works park, the floating homes and Saint Mark's Cathedral.  All manner of vessels were on Seattle's Lake Union tonight: sailboats, tour boats, paddle boards, paddle boats, float planes, yachts and even Hot Tub Boats.  Hot Tub Boats?  Yes.  They are hot tubs.  Yes.  They are boats.  Yes.  They float.  Yes. They are for rent.

From the "August 17, 2010 - Duck Dodge Time" post
The Tuesday evening Duck Dodge is a summer tradition on Lake Union that began in the mid 70s. Dozens of boats “race” on a course for two hours, then proceed to converge for a themed party. The rules are pretty simple: Don’t make a duck change its course and don’t run into other boats. The winners get a duck decal for their mast.

The original handbill from that first summer in 1974, when the race was called the “Lake Union Beer Can Regatta or Tenas Chuck Duck Dodge”, proclaims that any skipper, any sailboat, any crew can participate and that same fun spirit survives. Every race has a theme – prom, Mardi Gras, pirates, pajamas – and every week there is a different host Committee Boat.

July 2, 2013 - Focal Standard

The flag that flies atop Seattle's Two Union Square can be seen from many parts of the city, including from the newly renovated home of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) on the south shores of Lake Union.  At 56 stories, Two Union is the third tallest in Seattle.  The 20 foot by 30 foot flag flies 300 feet higher than the Space Needle on a 90 foot pole.  Even in the background, Old Glory can be the focal point; especially on the eve of Independence Day!