November 28, 2024 - Straight Shot

 

At the most southern end of Seattle's Magnuson Park, artist perri lynch's "Straight Shot" begins.  It was installed in 2007.  The 12 ink jade limestone pillars are precisely aligned. The distance between each pillars doubles with the most northern one exactly one kilometer north.  The pair of drilled holes in each stone are also precisely aligned.  Chances are if you've been to the park you may have seen a lone stone north of the soccer fields.   Perhaps you may have also noticed one or two of them near the boat launch.  The next time you're there look around to see if you can spot the rest of the sculpture.

Before becoming a municipal park this was the location of Seattle's first airport.  It's very likely that a visitor was aware that this was once a Naval Air Station - it's hard not to recognize the hangers and buildings still located on the north end of the park! The Navy began construction in 1922 and at the time of Pearl Harbor was one of just three Naval Air Stations on the west coast.  In 1924 the first aerial circumnavigation started and ended here in the Sandpoint neighborhood. Air operations ended here in 1970 with support operations continuing until 1991.  

   

 

April 6, 2024 - Boys and Girls, Men and Women, in the Boats

 

This year's Husky Open featured a pair of collegiate races and 31 races involving local club and high school teams.  The Men's Masters 8 boat 55+ was won by the Ancient Mariners with a US Rowing Age handicap listed as 66 years. The Men's Masters quad, 40+ had an age handicap of 71! 

The 2000 meter course starts in Lake Washington and ends at the west end of the Montlake Cut.  Rowers pass by the ASUW Shell House in the shadows of Husky Stadium as they enter the Cut.  Originally built as a Navy seaplane hangar in 1918, it served as the UW shell house from 1920 to 1949.  

March 19, 2024 - Social Media and Sakura

 

The number of visitors to the cherry blossoms in the quad at the University of Washington has exploded.  Instagram started in October of 2010 and by 2018 had 1 billion users.  

The photo above was taken on a weekend of Spring Quarter of 1989.     

The photo below was taken this year during UW's Spring Break. On a Tuesday. At midday.  

January 6, 2024 - Peaceful Purple

 

During the football season, Husky Stadium glows in purple in the nights before a game.  On this night the purple does all of the talking in the vacant stadium.  The team was in Texas for the College Football Playoff Championship Game held at NRG Stadium in Houston.  The #2 ranked hometown Huskies would lose 13 - 34 to the #1 ranked University of Michigan Wolverines to finish 14-1 on the season.

The first game at Husky Stadium was November 27, 1920; a 7 - 28 loss to Dartmouth.  At that time the capacity was 30,000 in a bowl-shaped configuration with an open end providing a view to Lake Washington.  In the 103 years since, the stadium has grown through major renovations in 1936, 1950, 1968, 1987 and 2013.  The 1950 renovation added the first upper deck and cantilevered metal roof.  The 1987 renovation added a second cantilevered metal roof, upper deck and 13,000 seats on the north side. The 2013 renovation saw the removal of the track, the lowering of the field by four feet the construction of new south stands, box suites, athletic offices, facilities and other amenities.  The new layout brought fans closer to the field and dropped the seating capacity from 72,500 to 70,138.