December 24, 2010 - Watching for Santa

In downtown Langley, a sculpture "Boy and Dog" appears to be keeping an eye out for Santa this Christmas Eve. Langley is a small town on the Eastside of Whidbey Island. It sits on a bluff that overlooks the Saratoga Passage and the Cascade Mountains.

The local artist, Georgia Gerber, has installations at public sights throughout the Puget Sound area.  They include Pike Place Market's iconic pig Rachel, Husky Spirit outside of Hec Edmundson Pavilliion on the University of Washington campus and the Woodland Park Zoo's "Lowland Gorilla Family".  If you see a bronze sculpture in the area, it would probably be a good guess to assume Ms. Gerber is the artist!

December 22, 2010 - 4th & 5th & 6th & Pine

Holiday shoppers crowd the sidewalks of downtown Seattle between Westlake Mall and Pacific Place. The Nordstroms store occupies the building previously occupied by the Frederick & Nelson department store. The brightly star in the background adorns the former Bon Marche department store, now Macy's. All three stores - Nordstroms, Frederick & Nelson and the Bon Marche - started in Seattle.

The Macy's star started out as a small star atop a tree of lights built and hung from the side of the building. However, each year the tree seemed to get smaller and smaller and the star larger and larger. In 1957 the current star, sans tree, was unveiled. It has lit the downtown retail core each holiday since.

Updated 9/30/11: On September 28, 2011, Bob James, the creator of the holiday star passed away at the age of 90.

December 22, 2010 - A Market Christmas

Pike Place Market is decorated for the holidays! In addition to the fruit and vegetables lights, dozens of decorated and lit Christmas trees adorn the tops of the covered sidewalks with a larger tree standing near the entrance. There is even a set of "rein-pigs", out of sight in these pictures, on the roof waiting to pull Santa's sleigh.

December 21, 2010 - First Jog of the Winter

Accompanied by a four legged-companion, a morning jogger circles Green Lake on the first jog of the winter.

Green Lake Park is a 320 acre park in north Seattle that encompasses a 250 acre lake. It has a 2.8 mile path for walking, jogging, skating or riding. A 3.2 mile path for jogging also circles the part. The lake is not manmade, but has been significantly altered over the years. It has been dredged, lowered and used as a repository for fill from construction projects. It no longer has inflows or outflows. Development around it has eliminated the creek that used to feed into it. Green Lake is now fed by rainfall, storm runoff and the municipal water supply. The lake currently has a mean depth of about 13 feet and a maximum depth of about 30 feet deep. When originally named "Lake Green" in 1855 it was prone to algae blooms. As a stagnant lake in the middle of an urban environment that problem hasn't gone away.

Over the years the lake's recreation use has varied considerably. The park is currently popular for swimming, tennis, basketball, non-motorized boating, jogging, walking, biking and fishing. Previously the lake and park have been used for hydroplane races, aqua follies 'swimmusicals' and concerts. It even has its own nature reserve. Duck Island is a manmade island in the lake listed as a reserve and is off limits to people.

December 9, 2010 - Thornton Creek

In Seattle a new fire station isn't just a new fire station, it becomes a place for new public art. And in Seattle a downspout isn't just a downspout, it can become public art while making an ecological statement.

The flag at the new Seattle Fire Station 39 in the Lake City neighborhood is viewed through the peeled steel pipes that comprise the functional sculpture "Thornton Creek". The 28 foot sculpture carries the water from the roof to underground cisterns that provide water for the surrounding native-plant garden.

"Thornton Creek", by Stephen Glassman was funded by a program adopted by Seattle in 1973 that requires that 1% of eligible city capital improvement project funds be set aside for the commission, purchase and installation of artworks to enrich the lives of citizens and give voice to artists. The title of the sculpture is named in honor of the community's efforts to uncover a watershed that has long been covered by concrete in north Seattle.

The red fruit and thorns of a Nootka Rose are part of the native-plant garden.

December 6, 2010 - Needle Topper

As seen from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill, a tree of lights serves as a topper to the Space Needle during the holiday season. The 'tree' is made up of 1200 lights and can be seen from many parts of the city. It will remain lit through New Year's Day.

December 4, 2010 - An Admiral's View

Downtown Seattle as seen from the Admiral Way Viewpoint in West Seattle.

December 1, 2010 - A Needle For A Cause

The Space Needle was one of a number of landmarks around the world bathed in red on World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day is held December 1st each year to honor the victims of the AIDS pandemic and focus attention on the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS related conditions. It is estimated that 2 million people die each year from the disease. The name AIDS was introduced in 1982, the year after the condition was identified. In 1991 a simple red ribbon was introduced to be worn as a badge to raise consciousness of HIV and AIDS. The symbol, and the color, continue to be widely associated with HIV and AIDS.

At the base of the Space Needle is a 35' tree composed of several dozen spheres illuminated by thousands of LED lights. The tree, designed by Blachere Illumination of France was first installed in 2009.

November 13, 2010 - Christmas All Year Long

The wonder of Christmas is open for business in any season at a small shop in Leavenworth, Washington. Kris Kringl is where "...it is Christmas all year long."

Leavenworth, is a 2,000 person, Bavarian-themed town, located in the central Cascades two hours east of Seattle. The town was originally home to the Great Northern Railroad. When the railroad moved to Wenatchee, the town struggled. In 1962, Project LIFE - Leavenworth Improvement For Everyone, transformed the entire town into a Bavarian village, with tourism as the focus. Today, Leavenworth's celebrations include a Christmas tree lighting, an International Accordian Celebration, a Kinderfest and the world's most attended Oktoberfest outside of Germany.

November 4, 2010 - How Many Sunrises Before the Fall?

A Japanese Maple leaf, shows its bright autumn colors in the sunrise. In a few days, maybe a little longer, it will have fallen to the ground.

October 22, 2010 - The Soul of Seattle

A nearly full moon and Jupiter overlook the International Fountain located in the heart of the 87 acre Seattle Center grounds. Seattle Center was the location of the 1962 World's Fair. Some 10 million visitors attended the profitable fair. Funds for the preparations came largely from bonds totalling some $15 million. One of the many legacies of the fair includes the buildings and public spaces at the Seattle Center that remain. These include the Space Needle, monorail, auditoriums, an opera house, a performing arts center and civic center. In the middle of the space is a large, open public space with the International fountain as its focal point. Seattle Center is purportedly the fourth largest visitor's center in the US and is considered by many to be the soul of Seattle, with the International Fountain being Seattle's front lawn.

October 19, 2010 - Playhouse

The Seattle Children's Theatre (SCT) complex is a Seattle gem located in the shadow of the Space Needle. The SCT complex was the first self-contained theatre complex built for young audiences. It includes the Allen Family Technical Pavilion, opened in 2000, the 482 seat Charlotte Martin Theatre that opened in 1993 and the 275 seat Eve Alford Theatre that opened in 1995. Each year some 200,000 tickets are sold by this professional theatre company for works that entertain young and old alike.

October 6, 2010 - Half of "Father and Son"

As the sun sets beyond the Olympic Mountains, only the son in “Father and Son” by Louise Bourgeois, is visible. The fountain has two stainless steel figures – a father and a son. The water feature changes each hour, rising to hide the son and lowering to reveal the father. The fountain is located at the Olympic Sculpture Park, a 9 acre outdoor sculpture museum and beach located at the north end of Seattle’s seawall. The park is operated by the Seattle Art Museum.

The fountain is located at the Olympic Sculpture Park, a 9 acre outdoor sculpture museum and beach located at the north end of Seattle’s seawall. The park is operated by the Seattle Art Museum.

September 26, 2010 - Dreaming in Color

The Kreilsheimer Promenade at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall opera house at Seattle Center as illuminated by Leni Schwendinger’s “Dreaming in Color.”

The opera house was originally opened in 1962 for the World’s Fair. After a dramatic $127 million renovation it was reopened in June 2003. The 2900 seat hall is home to the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. The building architects were LMN Architects.



The Kreilsheimer Promenade incorporates the lobby’s five story, 130 feet long, serpentine glass wall, a horizontal water feature designed by Gustafson Guthrie Nichol and translucent metal scrims lit in four changing color compositions into a welcoming portal into not just the opera house, but into Seattle Center.


The water feature consists of three, 48 foot long stone panels tilted subtly towards the lobby. A thin layer of water flows from stone benches across the panels and into a metal grill.



“Dreaming in Color” incorporates nine, 30 foot tall metal screens, similar in design to a fireplace screen, that are suspended 12 feet above the walkway. The lighting on the scrims cycle through four color compositions—“Aquamarine, A Beguiling Song,” “Sleepwalk Into Primary Red-Blue-Green,” “Within the Northern Lights” and “Of Rothko, Section and Plane”. The color compositions were designed how music is written with the horizontal axis being time and the vertical axis being the scrims – the musical instruments of the installation.

The Opera House was originally referred to as the “House that Suds Built”. James Osborne, a saloon owner, bequeathed $20,000, an amount equal to the entire city budget, to the City of Seattle in 1861. These funds were to be used to create a forum for civic and art events and had one requirement – the city had to match his contribution. In 1886 David and Louisa Denny donated the land that would eventually become Seattle Center for public use. The land went undeveloped and Mr. Osborne’s gift grew in interest for 41 years. A city bond was passed in 1927 that raised $900,000 to match Mr. Osborne’s requirement. The resulting “public use forever” improvements brought to the city a baseball, track and football field and a civic auditorium. In 1959, work began on the auditorium that would transform it into the opera house for the 1962 World’s Fair.

September 22, 2010 - Stained Glass Needle

The Space Needle and the summer's last sky are reflected in Bill Weiss' stained glass entry to the Seattle Center Parking Garage.

 

The LEED gold certified building opened in July of 2008. In addition to a 1.5 acre living roof, it makes liberal use of skylights to bring daylight inside of a significant portion of the structure. It borders the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation campus currently under construction and is across the street from the Experience Music Project.

August 17, 2010 - Duck Dodge Time

The weekly “Lake Union Duck Dodge” as viewed from a portion of Charles Greening’s “Sundial” at Gas Works Park. The viewer becomes the vertical element to the sundial – the gnomon – by standing in the middle. “Sundial” stands atop a large manmade hill made of thousands of cubic yards of crushed building foundation and top soil on the north shore of Lake Union.

Gas Works Parks stands on the grounds of the former Seattle Gas Light gasification plant that operated from 1906 to 1956. The park opened in 1975 and as it was a former industrial site has undergone significant bio-phyto-remediation.

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.

August 16, 2010 - One Long, One Short

A small sailboat motors through the Fremont Bridge at sunset. The double bascule bridge has only a 30' clearance for vessels which necessitates its opening over 700 times a month. Federal law requires that marine traffic has the right-of-way over vehicular traffic. The Coast Guard has granted the City of Seattle an exception during rush hour. The 3 million pound leafs are raised with a 100 horse-power electric motor. Vessel operators request an opening with a whistle signal - one long, one short.

The Fremont Bridge is the lowest of the four similar bridges that cross the Lake Washington Ship Canal and connect Lake Washington to Puget Sound. Two of the bridges, the Fremont and Ballard Bridges, and the canal were opened in the summer of 1917.

The bridge's name and the year 1916 are visible in the stone foundation below the tower. The George Washington Memorial Bridge, with a vessel clearance of well over 150 feet, can be seen through the rising span.

The blue and orange paint scheme was a result of a community vote. The votes were originally for a blue bridge, but community activists favored an orange bridge. What was worked out was a Seattle compromise. The neon in the near tower of the top photo is just art. This is Fremont after all!

August 10, 2010 - (Almost) Last Call

Catch it while you can! The Buckaroo Tavern, established in 1938, will be closing their doors and turning off the quaint neon sign on September 17th.


The neighborhood bar is located on the northern edges of Fremont, a Seattle neighborhood that claims to be "The Center of the Known Universe". The eclectic neighborhood is home to the world headquarters of Getty Images, a statue of Lenin, a Volkswagon crushing troll, nude bicyclists and was where Nirvana's "Bleach" was recorded.

July 24, 2010 - In and Out, Up and Down

Boaters heading out to the Puget Sound wait their turn at the Hiram Chittenden locks to leave Lake Washington. The locks are the terminus of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and lower ships 20-22 feet to the saltwater of Puget Sound. To prevent saltwater intrusion into the Lake Washington waterways a salt water barrier on the allows the heavier salt water to sink to the bottom and be returned to the Puget Sound.

Meanwhile, other boaters coming in from Puget Sound are headed west into the fresh water of Salmon Bay, Lake Union and Lake Washington are being raised up to the lake level in one of the locks. There are two locks. The larger one can accommodate vessels as long as 760 feet. The largest Washington State ferries are 460 feet, but about 10 feet too wide for the locks. Each year, in addition to thousands of pleasure craft, over 1 million tons of goods pass through the locks.

July is the start of the Sockeye run. Part way through the second month of the run over 135,000 Sockeye salmon have passed through the fish ladder that bypasses the locks and are headed in and up towards their fresh water spawning grounds from the Pacific. The 2010 forecast only anticipated 123,000 Sockeye to return the entire run.

July 24, 2010 - Ballard Terminal Railroad

Ballard's Lil' Beaver, a restored 1940 EMD SW-1 Diesel moves several empty hopper cars that move materials for the Salmon Bay Gravel Company. The Ballard Terminal Railroad was formed in 1997 after the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad abandoned this spur. The Ballard Terminal Railroad runs on three miles of track from Shilshole through the edge of the Ballard neighborhood's business district on the north edge of Salmon Bay to the Fremont neighborhood. The railroad serves three companies - Salmon Bay Sand and Gravel, Western Pioneer Fishing and the Olson Furniture Company. The three companies were the primary investors in starting up the railroad. The Lil' Beaver takes its name and color scheme from the Ballard High School mascot.  Bryant Johnson, in the vest, is accompanied by his boss Jim.

July 23, 2010 - Evening at the Park

A nearly full moon over Elliot Bay, Mount Rainier, Seattle and Ella Bailey park.

June 26, 2010 - Afternoon at the Park

A gorgeous day to be at Ella Bailey park in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. The park, adjacent to the former Magnolia Elementary School, has only been existence since 2007. It replaced a blacktop playground and takes its name from the former owner of the property. In 1929, teacher Ella Bailey sold the property to the City of Seattle for use as a park for $2,350.

The entertainment for this birthday party seems to not just dwarf the birthday boy, but the familiar Puget Sound landmarks as well!

May 30, 2010 - Awaiting the Flags

The Chimes Tower and some of the 5,000 white marble headstones of Veterans' Memorial Cemetery at Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park await the arrival of thousands and thousands of flags that will adorn the headstones of all veterans buried throughout this park for Memorial Day services. The first Memorial Day service held at Veterans' Memorial Cemetery was May 30, 1927. Construction of the octagonal Chimes Tower was begun in 1950 and funded in part by veterans' groups throughout the greater Seattle area. It stands as a permanent memorial to veterans who were buried elsewhere, but who are remembered by friends and relatives. At 144 acres, Evergreen-Washelli is the largest cemetery in Seattle.

May 25, 2010 - A Self Portrait

One of many such paintings by the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. This self examination was painted in 1660 and is one of over 2 million pieces in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The Met is located in Manhattan on 5th Avenue and borders Central Park. The building is nearly a quarter-mile long and has 2 million square feet of space.

May 18, 2010 - Mobius Strip

The Seattle skyline as viewed through the sculpture "Oushi Zokei Madoka". The sculpture was a gift from the city of Kobe, Japan, commemorating 25 years as Seattle's sister port and is located at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on the waterfront. The artist, Keizo Ushio, has introduced Mobius Strips to the world on a grand scale using his stone sculptures.

Wikipedia tells one that Mobius Strip "model can easily be created by taking a paper strip and giving it a half-twist, and then joining the ends of the strip together to form a loop."

May 9, 2010 - Piling Light

Just south of the Washington State ferry terminal at Mukilteo stands the Mukilteo Light. It has been operating continuously since 1906. While the Coast Guard maintains the navigational instruments the lighthouse and grounds are leased to the City of Mukilteo.

May 6, 2010 - A Troll's Eye View

Gasworks Park and Lake Union as seen looking East through the railing of The George Washington Memorial Bridge. The 2,945 foot long, 70 foot wide steel cantilever bridge is more commonly known as the Aurora Bridge. The bridge is about 160 feet high. Prior to its completion in 1932 several tall masted ships had to move from their anchorage in Lake Union, as the clearance above the shipping lane, 150 feet, wouldn't have been enough for some of them to clear. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Over 230 people have committed suicide by jumping from the bridge, second in the US only to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. This view will soon be gone as a suicide prevention fence nearly 9 feet high will be completed later this year.
(Note: The suicide prevention fence was completed in February of 2011.)

Underneath the north end of the Aurora Bridge, an 18 foot high, one-eyed concrete troll keeps vigil. Here's a view from over his left shoulder.  The Fremont Troll was commissioned by the Fremont Arts Council and sculpted in 1990 by four Seattle artists -- Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead.

April 20, 2010 - Always Good For a Smile (Sorry We're Clothed)

Update April 20, 2011 - While the Lusty Lady closed its doors June 27, 2010, the marquee, whose last sign read "Lusty Later", was acquired by Seattle's Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) where it will be housed along with other Seattle icons such as the running Rainier Bottle, the pink Lincoln Towing Toe Truck and the hydroplane Slo Mo Shun IV.

Downtown Seattle will be a little less punny with the pending closure of the Lusty Lady peep show and their always entertaining marquee. (The opposite side reads: Clash of the Tight Buns.) Dwarfed, by new high rise (and high priced!) condos, and located across the street from the Seattle Art Museum, the now out of place Seattle landmark will shutter its doors in June. A victim of a poor economy, and a product readily available on the internet, the 24 hour live dancing, 365 days a year will end after 27 years. What will amuse the Hammering Man, seen in the background, and those many folks who pass by the 1st Avenue landmark each day?

April 20, 2010 - Reverse View

A behind the scenes view of an iconic Seattle view - that of the Public Market Center sign designating that one has indeed arrived at Pike Place Market. Pike Place opened in 1907 and is one of oldest public farmer's market in the US.

The more often photographed view.

April 17, 2010 - Twilight Ferry

The Washington State ferries Puyallup and Spokane pass each other on the Kingston-Edmonds run under a crescent moon.

April 17, 2010 - Sunset Ferry

The Washington State Ferry Puyallup coming from Kingston prepares to dock in Edmonds as the sun prepares to set over the Olympic Mountains.

April 3, 2010 - Twenty Foot Equivalent

A Hapag-Lloyd owned container ship heads north from Seattle (partially obscured by rain on the horizon) on its way out of Puget Sound via Admiralty Inlet.

The Hapag-Lloyd name is an amalgamation of two 19th century shipping companies Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft (Hapag / Hamburg-American Line) and North German Lloyd (NDL) that merged in 1970. They are one of the largest container shipping companies in the world with over 130 freighters in operation carrying over 5.5 million TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) of cargo a year.

April 3, 2010 - Swamp Tulips

The fields surrounding Mount Vernon might contain prettier blooms with their acres and acres of daffodils and tulips, but they can't hold a candle to the smell of rotting meat generated by a swamp full of Skunk Cabbage in bloom like these on Whidbey Island. Truly, a blossom best appreciated by an ogre.