May 23, 2014 - Bringing Home Victory

Seattle's Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery will host their 88th Annual Memorial Day Commemorative Service on Monday.  While Memorial Day didn't become a Federal holiday until the late 1960s it had been celebrated, traditionally on May 30th, since the end of the Civil War.  It was originally called "Decoration Day".  Over the years and wars that followed the  holiday became more uniformly called by its present name.  Memorial Day was moved to the last Monday in May in 1968 when Congress passed the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act".  This act authorized that Washington's Birthday, Columbus Day and Memorial Day were to be observed on Mondays.

"The American Doughboy  - Bringing Home Victory" is a sculpture by Alonzo Victor Lewis unveiled in 1932.  It depicts a "returning from a victory mud-covered, with a grim smile on his face."  Long-time Seattle residents may recall its original posting outside of the Civic Auditorium at Seattle Center.  It was moved to the Veteran's Hall when the Civic Auditorium was converted to the Opera House for the 1962 World's Fair.  In 1998 it was moved here to the Veterans' Memorial Cemetery.

In the background can be seen the markers of veterans that served trying to bring home victory for wars dating back to the Civil War.

May 14, 2014 - A Ferry Commute

Three iconic images of Seattle - a ferry, Mount Rainier and the Space Needle, 17 miles away - as seen from the ferry terminal at Kingston. 

The M/V Puyallup approaches the Kingston ferry terminal as one of MSC Cargo Italy's 124 vessels heads north on its way out of Puget Sound.

The M/V Spokane heads to Kingston with Mount Baker in the background.  At 10,781 feet Mount Baker is the third highest mountain in Washington behind Mount Rainier 14,411 and Mount Adams 12,277. 

May 13, 2014 - Urban Garden

Driving by this artwork on a rainy day it is easy to notice this three story sculpture when entering downtown Seattle from Interstate 5.  However, it takes a foot commute and a gorgeous day to truly appreciate the whimsical sculpture.  Installed in June of 2011, "Urban Garden" by Ginny Ruffner is a 27 foot high animated sculpture in downtown Seattle at 7th and Union.  In 15 minutes it will cycle through a watering can watering the 9 foot high pot, to having the Blue Bells open and the Daisy turn.

"Urban Garden" as viewed from Freeway Park.

May 1, 2014 - Twenty-four Seven

The Art Deco styled Pacific Tower on Seattle's Beacon Hill and Mount Rainier as viewed through the tail rotor of an Airlift Northwest Eurocopter EC-135 at Harborview Medical Center.  Better known as the Pacific Medical Building, the 16-story Art Deco building opened as a Marine Hospital in 1933.

Airlift Northwest is a non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Washington that provides emergency medical transportation throughout Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.  Dr. Michael Copass founded Airlift Northwest in 1982.  They make over 3200 medical transports a year, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Earlier this Spring their helicopters transported 5 survivors of the Oso landslide to region hospitals.  The first victim airlifted by Airlift Northwest was an infant that was brought to this landing pad at Harborview Medical Center.

Pictured here are two of their Eurocopter EC-135s - N139AM and N954AL.  The EC-135 has been in service with police and ambulance services around the globe since 1996.  In 2013 it was reported that the EC-135 was providing a quarter of the world's civilian emergency medical services flights.