December 21, 2013 - Dragon Pole

A fierce dragon protects the streets above Seattle's International District or Chinatown.  The term "International District" was coined by Seattle's mayor William Devin in 1951 to promote the hub of the city's Asian community.  While it does reflect the changed nature of the community it doesn't sit well with some in the community. 

  

December 20, 2013 - Christmas Cranes

The lights of the season take shape hundreds of feet above the streets in seasonal displays on construction cranes in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood and the Space Needle.

December 5, 2013 - Waxing Crescent Venus Needle

Today's overcast skies cleared at sunset just in time to allow a viewing of the moon and Venus lined up with the Space Needle. 

December 1, 2013 - Waiting to be Hung

A collection of ornaments awaits their turn to be hung while a shrinky dink made in Ms. Jacobson's class in 1976 has already found a home on the tree.

November 28, 2013 - Possession Point

It was an unusually warm and clear Thanksgiving Day at Possession Point on the Southeast end of Whidbey Island.  The horns of the ferries could be heard across the water as they felt their way through the fog covering the waters of Puget Sound's Saratoga Passage on this holiday afternoon. However, on the hill above the water and fog the snow covered Cascades could be seen.

November 3, 2013 - Salmon Waves

The salmon runs are mostly over for the year, but one can still see a Coho or two making their way from Puget Sound up the fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittanden locks and into the fresh water that leads to Lake Washington and the spawning grounds beyond.  Above the fish ladder they will pass Salmon Waves, an aluminum sculpture by Paul Sorrey.  The description provided for the sculpture says the waves evoke elements found in nature while their construction "reflects the nuts-and-bolts functionality and engineering precision of the Locks structure."

October 23, 2013 - The Fog Needle at Dusk

As viewed from Kerry Park at dusk, the fog moves back into Seattle, engulfing the Space Needle and much of the Seattle skyline.

October 23, 2013 - The Fog Needle

 

 

The Space Needle took advantage of the fog brought by a low pressure system to be a little playful, mysterious and modest.  Most of the day it has remain hidden in the fog and even when the sun finally broke through and most of the fog peeled away, the city's iconic image continued playing a game of  peek-a-boo.

(Please forgive my horribly dirty mirror!)

September 12, 2013 - Accidents Happen

Last night's waxing gibbous moon appears to outshine a stealthy Space Needle.

September 8, 2013 - Moon and the Great Wheel

As seen from Seattle's Bell Harbor Marina, a waxing crescent moon and Venus settle over the Olympics while the 175 foot tall Seattle Great Wheel and its 42 gondolas, Century Link Field and Harbor Island illuminate the waterfront.

August 22, 2013 - A Sunset on Elliott Bay Means...

A sunset on Elliott Bay means...

...the ninth trip for the M/V Wenatchee from Bainbridge Island this day.

...one more recreational vessel tying up at the Bell Harbor Marina.

...it's nearly bed time for a heron and gull.

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...a pleasant sendoff for a container ship heading for far off ports.



























...a warm good night kiss to the Seattle waterfront.

August 21, 2013 - International Fountain

Seattle Center's International Fountain is a great place to cool off on a warm August afternoon.  The fountain seems to draw out the inner kid in parents, chaperones and other responsible adults as everyone that ventures into the fountain's bowl ends up getting at least a little wet and for most, a lot wet! 

Kids in street clothes start out flirting with the fountains spray, but end up just as wet as those in swimsuits.  And kids in swimsuits with umbrellas....they get soaked through!

The fountain was built in 1961 for the 1962 World's Fair and was rebuilt into the current configuration in 1995.  The original rocky mound replaced with a smooth silver dome.  The Seattle Center claims that the 9,000 gallons of recycled water pumped through the 137 nozzles is some of the cleanest in the city going through 3 separate treatments.  Not that anyone seems to notice!

August 17, 2013 - Fair Winners

At the Whidbey Island Area Fair winners abound!  They can come in the form of premium compost in a jar, 4-H horse showmanship, snoring bacon, a shit kicker birdhouse or, for the admission paying public, a wet ping pong ball.  For just $5 a bucket of balls you can spend try your luck at turning a 19 cent goldfish into a $20 pet.

July 28, 2013 - Speed Kills

Here's one pua'a that won't be making it to an imu!  The wild boar was on the side of Hawaii's Queen Kaahumanu highway on the Kohala coast.  No luau for us this week!  (Although, if you're going to eat roadkill you could do worse....)

Overpopulation of wild pigs on the Big Island is an issue with land management agencies because of the damage that they do to the fragile natural environment.  They trample and disrupt the indigenous plants and disrupt the ecosystem.  Pigs were originally introduced to the Hawaiian islands when they were first settled by the ancient Polynesians that discovered the islands.  Without any natural predators pigs thrived in the wild.  In the 1700's the European settlers introduced even larger pigs.  These 150 pound boars, as this roadkill can attest, still roam the countryside.

July 25, 2013 - All Clear!

Mount Baker proved to be the perfect opportunity to check to see how the camera's sensor cleaning fared. At 10,781 feet the third highest and second most glaciated peak in Washington is 80 miles away and typically not seen from this viewpoint on the north side of Seattle's Queen Anne Hill.  The skies, air and were clear enough today, though!  And more importantly, the sensor appears to be clear!

The ski resort on Mount Baker once recorded a world record snowfall of 1,140 inches of snow in one season!

(Thanks to my colleague that brought this to my attention and got me out of the office!)

July 13, 2013 - Suspended Mountain

Mount Rainier appears to hover on a layer of clouds above the Seattle skyline.  The Space Needle and buildings of downtown Seattle are across Puget Sound, 15 miles away from the ferry dock in Kingston where this picture was taken.  The 14,410 foot high active volcano is another 50 miles beyond that, with its base firmly planted in the ground.  The mountain is an icon in the western Washington landscape.  On a clear day, it can be seen from Canada to Oregon.

July 3, 2013 - Sophie's View

On the lap of her mom, a 9 year old girl takes in the July 3rd firework show put on by the Whidbey Island community of Sandy Hook.

July 2, 2013 - Duck Dodge: Red, White and Blue Night

What a difference a week makes!  Last Tuesday's Duck Dodge was 'damp'; over an inch of rain damp!  There wasn't cloud in the sky for this Tuesday night's sailboat race - themed red, white and blue.  On this night you could actually see the background to the race - the I-5 bridge over the ship canal, Gas Works park, the floating homes and Saint Mark's Cathedral.  All manner of vessels were on Seattle's Lake Union tonight: sailboats, tour boats, paddle boards, paddle boats, float planes, yachts and even Hot Tub Boats.  Hot Tub Boats?  Yes.  They are hot tubs.  Yes.  They are boats.  Yes.  They float.  Yes. They are for rent.

From the "August 17, 2010 - Duck Dodge Time" post
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.