January 31, 2011 - Vessel

“Vessel”, a four story aluminum, steel and glass sculpture by Ed Carpenter sits outside of the the Robert M. Arnold building on the campus of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.  The use of light, the size and the delicate nature of the structure are said to represent the optomistic spirit of the institution, whose mission is “the elimination of cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death.”

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is a nonprofit, independent research instititution located in Seattle.  It has three Nobel prize recipients scientists on staff.  Some of the Center’s scientists are also medical doctors who treat patients through the neighboring facility of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in collaboration with the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

The Center was founded in 1956 by Dr. William Hutchinson whose brother, Fred, had been a professional baseball player and manager.  Fred’s major league pitching record was  95-71 with Detroit over the span of 11 seasons, including parts of two seasons in which he served as player manager.  Nearly four seasons were lost due to WWII.  Fred’s career record as a major league manager, in all or parts of 12 seasons, was 830-827 (.501) with nine tie games.  In January 1964 his cancer diagnosis was made public.  He made it most of the way through the season, but had to turn the reins of the Cincinnati club over to his first base coach in August of that season.  He died November 12, 1964 at the age of 45.

The Hutch Award, create in 1965, is given annually to an active Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson.  Previous winners have included Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Tommy John, Paul Molitor, Jamie Moyer and in 2010 Tim Hudson.

January 29, 2011 - Tet

A girl in an ao dai, performs a traditional Vietnamese dance during festivities leading up to Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year.  The Vietnamese consider 2011 to be the year of the Cat, symbolized by sensitivity, gentleness and kindness.

Young children receive from elders, money in red envelopes called Li Xi. The red of the envelopes is considered good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

January 29, 2011 - Three Octave Mother-of-Pearl

A story is told in the pictures made by inlaying abalone shell into the hardwood edge of a 16 string Vietnamese Dan tranh.  The 16 strings of the nearly four foot long instrument are made of wire.  Like other zithers, the instrument lays horizontal on a lap, a table or the ground when played.  The musician plucks the strings with one hand while the second hand adds ornamentation over a range of three octaves.

January 27, 2011 - Pike Benches

A pair of benches bear the name of the Pike Brewing Company in an art deco style inspired by the nearby Pike Place Market. The brewery was opened in 1989 in the former La Salle Hotel underneath Pike Place Market. In 1996 the Pike Place Brewing Company changed to the current name and moved to a location on 1st Ave, just south of Pike Place Market.

January 22, 2011 - Vegemite Anyone?

A Vegemite sample was included with children's goodie bags at a recent Aussie Day event at Seattle Center. Most Americans are probably familiar with the spread from down under from Colin Hay and Men At Work singing about a Vegemite Sandwich in their chart topping song "Down Under", originally released in 1981.

Vegemite was invented in 1922 in Australia and was based on a similar spread, Marmite, that originated in Britain in 1902. Vegemite is made by extracting liquid vitamin from the yeast left over from breweries and combining it with salt and celery and onion to form a sticky black paste. It took several years of significant marketing efforts for the product to 'stick', but by the 1940s was used in a vast majority of Australian homes. Vegemite is one of the richest known sources of Vitamin B. A Vegemite sandwich is typically made with the spread sandwiched between two pieces of buttered bread, lettuce and cheese.

Australia Day, or Anniversary Day, is January 26th and is a national holiday in Australia. It celebrates the proclamation of British sovereignty over what is now New South Wales in 1787. The need for this initial penal colony established by the British government was as a direct result of the loss of some colonies in North America.

January 19, 2011 - Moon Ring

A halo around a waning gibbous moon illuminates the clubhouse of the Seattle Yacht Club on Portage Bay. The halo is created by the refraction of moonlight from ice crystals in the upper atmosphere. The club was originally started in 1892 at Duwamish Head, the northern most part of West Seattle. It relocated to the present site on Portage Bay in 1920. The clubhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Ship Canal Bridge of Interstate 5 can be seen from the edge of the Montlake Cut near the Seattle Yacht Club, looking West across Portage Bay.

January 14, 2011 - Urban Clutter: Flags, Dishes, Saucers, Plazas

A 12th Man Flag flies atop the Space Needle above Fisher Plaza. Fisher Plaza, whose owner is fighting off a hostile takeover, consists of nearly 300,000 rentable square feet of Class A office, data center and retail space. Current tenants include Internap, Time Warner Telecom, Qwest and KOMO TV and Radio.

January 14, 2011 - Chief Seattle Is the 12th Man

This statue, honoring the city's namesake Chief Si'ahl, appears to be another supporter of the local football franchise; another 12th Man. It was created by James Wehn and unveiled in November 12, 1913 at stands at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Denny Way. Included at the base is a copy of the inscription that Arthur Denny and other Seattle city pioneers placed at Chief Seattle's gravesite in 1890. It reads: "Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish a firm friend of the whites for him the city of Seattle was named by its founders." Chief Si'ahl lived from 1780-1866.

January 8, 2011 - Clouds on Water

Winter clouds are reflected in the waters of Scriber Lake. Scriber Lake is a small non-recreational lake in the center of Lynnwood, a suburb north of Seattle. The 22 acre park has been preserved as a nature conservation area.

January 1, 2011 - Rhododendron Winter Decor

Mini icicles accessorize a rhododendron. It will be several months before this plant shows off its more colorful accessories.