December 29, 2011 - Squid Jigger

Late on a wet and windy night, at Alki, the southwestern boundary of Seattle's Elliott Bay, a lone man using a rod, squid lures and a light powered by a car battery.

December 23, 2011 - Over the Hills and Across the Sound...

...to grandmother's house we go.

A view south towards Seattle from the ferry Cathlamet on the Mukilteo-Clinton run taking grandchildren (and others) from the mainland across Puget Sound to grandmas' houses on Whidbey Island.

Avian grandchild?

Do weather vanes have grandmothers?

December 21, 2011 - Solstice Eve Parallels

On the eve of the shortest day of the year the morning mist has risen from Seattle's Green Lake, but not quite from the surrounding neighborhoods.  An area of low clouds hide the morning sun, but they and their reflection provide a parallel peek at the blue sky above.

Winter Solstice officially arrives in Seattle at 9:30pm on Wednesday, December 21st (5:30am Greenwich Mean Time, Thursday, December 22nd) and marks the beginning of the shortest day of the year.  After the Winter Solstice the sun technically starts heading north, or moving higher in our skies, making for longer days.

December 4, 2011 - Lights, light, light

Christmas lights, a candle in a lantern and a Waxing Gibbous moon all make for a nice early December evening.

December 2, 2011 - Market After Hours

The hustle and bustle of Pike Place Market has completely vanished by dinnertime in December.  The vendors have all packed up their wares and taken them home leaving the market empty and eerily still.  This in stark contrast to the holiday lights and ever present urban chaos present outside.  While only a handful of people are around the lights and decor provide their own brand of busyness.

December 2, 2011 - Three Women: Girl

One of three figures in Akio Takamori's "Three Women: Girl, Young Woman, Mother and Child" stands outside of a market in the Denny Triangle neighborhood of Seattle.  The seven foot high painted cast aluminum statues are part of a collection belonging to the developer of the South Lake Union area - Paul Allen's Vulcan, Inc.  Many of Mr. Takamori's pieces are reflective of his homeland - Japan.  These figures have the appearance of porcelain and they appear to be dressed as villagers.  He moved to the US in 1974 and received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute.  He moved to Seattle in 1993 and teaches at the University of Washington.

November 25, 2011 - Urban Chum

Chum salmon make their way up Pipers Creek to spawn.  The creek runs through Carkeek park, a 223 acre park in a north Seattle neighborhood.  The creek itself is less than a 1 1/2 mile long and its watershed is just under 3 square miles.  The last pair of original salmon were reported to have spawned here in 1927.  Efforts to resurrect a salmon run here began in 1979.  Currently 100-600 salmon return here each winter.  They are actually hatchery fish raised elsewhere that spend a few days in an imprinting pond of the creek as fingerlings before being released to make their way to Puget Sound where they spend 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years before returning as 7 to 15 pound adults.  

November 25, 2011 - Taft's Washington

On the University of Washington campus, the profile of Lorado Taft's giant sculpture of George Washington, as viewed through a nearby purple scrim, gazes west towards a setting sun.  The sculpture was unveiled on June 14, 1909, just in time for the opening of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon Exposition and represents yet another legacy of this bold fair.  The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution along with school children throughout the state and the state commission of the Alaska-Yukon Exposition paid for Mr. Taft's work.  Lorado Taft grew up in Urbana Illinois and his father taught at what is now the University of Illinois at Champagn-Urbana.  He himself taught at the Chicago Art Institute and many of his sculptures are located in the greater Chicago area.

November 19, 2011 - Leavenworth Lights

The official Christmas Lighting in Leavenworth doesn't begin for another two weeks, but you wouldn't know it by taking a look around town this weekend!

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.

This is what the lights of downtown Leavenworth look like when you go really fast through the center of town.

November 19, 2011 - Something Old, Something New

 


A newlywed couple has a new take on the wedding tradition "something old, something new" as they take turns using their iPad to take pictures of one another in front of a horse drawn carriage in the central Washington tourist town of Leavenworth.

The traditional saying:
Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe


This wedding tradition is believed to date back to the Victorian ages in England.  By carrying each of these a bride is supposed to bring good fortune in her marriage.  "Something old", a bride is leaving her past to start a new beginning and to not forget from where she came.  Optimism and hope in her future, for many, the wedding dress itself is that "something new".  There are many beliefs on why it is important the bride have "something borrowed", but one is that it symbolizes the respect and admiration of another marriage.  The color blue has been connected to symbols of weddings for centuries - loyalty, purity, good luck, etc. - hence the "something blue".  The silver sixpence represents wealth and financial security.  For optimum fortune the "silver sixpence in her shoe" should be in her left shoe!

While taking these pictures I was approached by another couple that had just gotten engaged.  (I may have been the first to congratulate them!)  They asked if I could take their picture as they didn't have a camera.  I'll be connecting to them and e-mailing the pictures I took.  I'll be sure to remind the future bride read this blog post.

November 15, 2011 - Ice, Ice Baby

A view from the International Space Station....or of the roof of a Camry?

November 15, 2011 - Just a Ferry Ride

A ride on a ferry is a perfectly fine thing to do when you are entertaining friends from out-of-town.  It is a perfect touristy thing to do.  An activity filled with the unique sights of the Pacific Northwest.  For many people that live in and around the Puget Sound a ferry ride is just another commute to and from work.  If you are one of those individuals it is probably easy to take for granted some fantastic sights seen on just a  ferry ride.

At the Edmonds ferry dock a trio of cormorants groom and warm themselves in the morning sun.

The Washington State Ferry M/V Hyak, and a bit of the Olympic Mountains, begins to emerge from a fog bank as it heads east towards Edmonds after leaving the Kingston ferry dock.  The Hyak is one of 22 ferries operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation.  A member of the Super Class ferries, third largest class, it is nearly 400 feet long and can carry up to 144 vehicles. 

Above the fog of Puget Sound a waning gibbous moon is visible.

A US Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter on maritime security patrol of the ferry runs makes a pass of the ferry M/V Puyallup.  Since 9/11 the Coast Guard has maintained a much greater presence in maritime security.  The HH-65A Dolphin was first introduced to the Coast Guard in 1985 to replace an aging fleet of HH-52A Sikorsky helicopters.  It is a variant of the French Eurocopter Dauphin.  The Dolphin is made of a corrosion resistant composite material.  The aircraft's autopilot system can bring it to a stable hover 50 feet over a designated spot.  The Coast Guard currently operates about 100 of these short range recovery helicopters primarily from 17 bases around the US.  This copter, 6574, operates out of Port Angeles, Washington.  

Near the Kingston ferry a sailboat sits at anchor in the fog...

...while another motors out to deeper waters.

Just a ferry ride.

November 10, 2011 - Untitled Title

Tomorrow at monuments grand and plain, towns big and small, communities will be celebrating the commitment of all veterans, living and dead.  Tomorrow is Veterans Day.  Here an untitled welded metal sculpture by Bruce West sits in the glow of traffic lights and a nearly full moon at Lynnwood's tiny Veterans Park

The armistice of WWI  began on the eleventh hour of the eleventh month, 1918.  While the fighting ended the Treaty of Versailles was not signed until June 28, 1919.  The eleventh of November was a legal holiday in a number of states following the end of WWI, but it wasn't until 1938 that Congress made it a federal holiday - Armistice Day.  Ironically, only one holiday - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace - was observed before WWII began.  The holiday was originally set aside to honor veterans of WWI, but in 1954 November 11th became a federal holiday to honor American veterans of all wars.

November 4, 2011 - Last Game Eve

On the shores of Lake Washington, the north stands of the University of Washington's Husky Stadium stand eerily silent on the eve of the last football game to be played under the stadium's current configuration.  Some 72,000 college football fans will fill the stadium the next day.  A $250 million renovation will begin almost immediately following this last game.  The renovation will be financed by naming rights, private donations and premium seating costs and will be completed in time for the 2013 season.  

While the stadium configuration will change the location and Husky Stadium's unique cantilevered roofs will remain.  The lower bowl, part of the original stadium, will be gutted, the track removed and the seats will be brought closer to the field.  The north stands were part of the most recent significant expansion which occurred in 1987.  The stadium opened in 1920 and had a capacity of 30,000.    

October 29, 2011 - Fall is Purple

For many folks in Seattle, fall is purple.  Young and young at heart share their passion for the University of Washington football team at parties big and small in parking lots, living rooms, bars and back yards on a gorgeous October Saturday afternoon, evening...and Sunday morning!  In this case the party is a just north of the Montlake cut, within easy walking distance of Husky Stadium, and the photo is destined to be someone's holiday photo greeting card.  This weekend was Homecoming Week at the University of Washington and pictured are alumni from the greater Seattle area, but from both Vancouvers, North Carolina and eastern Washington.

The University of Washington has been celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.  It officially opened on November 4, 1861.  The University of Washington was originally situated in a 10 acre campus in downtown Seattle in an area bordered by 4th and 6th Avenues and Union and Seneca Streets.  The University was relocated to its current location in 1895.  The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition utilized unused portions of campus, the development of which was incorporated into the overall campus master plan and site layout at its conclusion.   The University still owns the property downtown the leases of which generate millions of dollars in rent each year.

The current mascot - the Husky, was adopted by a student committee in 1922 and replaced the weather referencing 'Sun Dodger'.

October 25, 2011 - Profile Pic

Looking for a profile picture to set your facebook page apart?  Why not try this on for size?  "Guardians" are gilded bronze and pearl statues dating to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that once stood on a Buddhist altar.  This, and his partner, stand in a wing of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

October 25, 2011 - Black Sun at Night

"Black Sun" by Isamu Noguchi stands on edge at Seattle's Volunteer Park.  The nine foot diameter sculpture is made of Brazilian black granite.  According to the Seattle Public Art information, Noguchi "envisioned creating a fluid and timeless work that would appear to move as the sun does, creating a dialogue between the real sun and the artwork itself."  The sculpture was installed in 1969.  Soundgarden's 1994 number one hit "Black Hole Sun" may have been named for this sculpture.

Mr. Noguchi was born in Los Angeles, but lived in Japan until he was 13.  While studying pre-medicine at Columbia he was taking sculpting lessons in the evening.  He soon left the university and began working as an academic sculptor.  Mr. Noguchi's first major work to be recognized in the US was dedicated to the freedom of the press and commissioned by the Associated Press and installed at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1938.

At the time WWII broke out Mr. Noguchi had been living in New York for a number of years.  On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066.  This provided the Secretary of War with the authority to exclude Japanese Americans from nearly a third of the country, mostly the west coast.  This resulted in the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans.  As a  Japanese-American living outside of the west coast exclusion zone he was not put in an internment camp.  Mr. Noguchi became a political activist and tried to raise awareness of the patriotism of Japanese-Americans.  He was later placed, at his request, in an internment camp in Arizona.

October 25, 2011 - Black Orange Yellow Sun

Fall is black and orange and yellow.  What might look like fancy jack o'lantern is actually a girl sitting in the hole of Isamu Noguchi's "Black Sun", watching the sun go down at Seattle's Volunteer Park.

Originally City Park, Volunteer Park was renamed in 1901 in recognition for those who had volunteered in the Spanish-American War.  In addition to the meadows, picnic areas and wading pools it is home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum, a water tower with an observation deck and a conservatory.

October 23, 2011 - Fall & Fallen

Fall is yellow.

October 22, 2011 - Red Rain

Fall is red.  Rain drops on an ornamental maple tree's leaves.

October 22, 2011 - Gourd Hoard

Fall is orange.  Pumpkins upon pumpkins await their fate outside of a Mill Creek Market.  In the 1800s the potato famine in Ireland drove hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants to America.  They brought with them the custom of hollowing out turnips for use as lanterns to remember the souls trapped in purgatory.  The pumpkin, native to North America, was larger and easier to carve out.  While generally associated with harvest time, it wasn't until the mid-to-late 1800s that jack o'lanterns became associated specifically with the holiday we now know as Halloween.  In medieval times the poor would go door-to-door begging for food on Hallowmas, November 1st.  In return for food, one would receive prayers for the dead on All Souls' Day, November 2nd.

October 11, 2011 - Nothing Fancy

In a brief break from rain and gray skies Seattle's Space Needle lights up at sunset.  The rather sudden change in light made this picture, taken through the dirty window of my office, hard to resist.  It is nothing fancy; just the Space Needle.

October 9, 2011 - Gull Able

As the sun goes down on Whidbey Island, one seagull settles in to sleep on a piling at the Clinton ferry dock while another, appearing most menacing here, follows a ferry across Saratoga Passage to Mukilteo and the mainland.  Seagulls sleep with their bills tucked into their feathers and will occasionally open their eyes to look around to ensure they are safe.  Studies of sleep patterns in seagull colonies have found that the frequency of opening their eyes is directly related to how often the birds near them open their eyes.

October 8, 2011 - Little Gatherer Boots

The boots of a little gatherer at the pumpkin patch of Carleton Farms.  The 60 acre family farm near the Ebey Slough east of Everett, Washington has been in the Carleton family for over 40 years.  Each fall thousands come to enjoy their corn maze, pick out a pumpkin, go through a haunted corn maze, take hay rides, gather some fresh flowers, enjoy the farm animals and buy all manner of gourmet sauces, canned and jarred products with the Carleton Farms label from their store.  Oh, and they have a pair of air cannons that launch 10 pound pumpkins hundreds of yards!

October 8, 2011 - Daily Dahlias

 You pick 'em Dahlias at Carleton Farms east of Everett.  (I prefer to take them home digitally.  I couldn't  bring myself to cutting them down!)  The 60 acre family farm near the Ebey Slough east of Everett, Washington has been in the Carleton family for over 40 years.  Each fall thousands come to enjoy their corn maze, pick out a pumpkin, go through a haunted corn maze, take hay rides, gather some fresh flowers, enjoy the farm animals and buy all manner of gourmet sauces, canned and jarred products with the Carleton Farms label at their store.  Oh, and they have a pair of air cannons that launch 10 pound pumpkins hundreds of yards!

October 8, 2011 - Gatherers

At Carleton Farms, a honeybee and a family take advantage of a nice fall day to do some gathering.  The family, with a wheelbarrow are picking out just the right pumpkins.  The bee, isn't as picky and is just moving on to the next sunflower.

The 60 acre family farm near the Ebey Slough east of Everett, Washington has been in the Carleton family for over 40 years.  Each fall thousands come to enjoy their corn maze, pick out a pumpkin, go through a haunted corn maze, take hay rides, gather some fresh flowers, enjoy the farm animals and buy all manner of gourmet sauces, canned and jarred products with the Carleton Farms label at their store.  Oh, and they have a pair of air cannons that launch 10 pound pumpkins hundreds of yards!

August 27, 2011 - Sunset Seawall Seagulls

Seagulls at sunset at the Edmonds Marina.  Beyond is the outline of Whidbey Island and then the Olympic mountains.

August 25, 2011 - Fifty Cent Priceless View

At Kerry Park one can spend fifty cents for a view through this telescope, but I don't know that I have ever seen anyone use it!

The Seattle skyline at dusk as viewed from Queen Anne's Kerry Park.