March 8, 2014 - Splashing, Soaking, Misting

Heavy rain, wind and the 6800 cubic feet per second volume of water at Snoqualmie Falls create a  heavy mist, at times nearly completely obscuring the 268 foot falls.  While the volume of water may seem high, the water flow was 17000 cubic feet per second less than 48 hours before.

The two power plant located at Snoqualmie Falls generates enough electricity to power 16,000 houses.  The first power plant was completed in 1899 and is located 270 feet below the surface of the river.  It was the world's first completely underground power plant.  The second power plant is located down river from the falls and became operational in 1910.

March 8, 2014 - Trumpeter Swans

 

A group of Trumpeter Swans is watched over by a pair of a Bald Eagles in a sodden field on the banks of the Snoqualmie River outside of Carnation in east King County.

March 4, 2014 - Vicariously Voodoo

It's Fat Tuesday!  I'm not going to any Mardi Gras events, but a coworker returning from chilly Lousiana (39 degrees!) brought a little Mardi Gras to me!  The festive beads came from the oldest Carnival club in Houma, LA - Krewe of Terreanians.  It included one necklace with a real Voodoo doll......complete with instructions!

"step 1. Lie down the voodoo doll on table or hang on the wall
step 2. Close your eyes and concentrate deeply on your victim or enemies at (office, school, exwife, etc) or friend (any person you intend to help)
step 3. White pin is for good luck. Black pin is for evil!
step 4. FOR EXTRA POWER CALL THE VOODOO KING IN NEW ORLEANS TO ORDER YOUR DOUBLE PINS FOR DOUBLE POWER"
In case you were wondering, no contact information for the Voodoo king is provided.

March 1, 2014 - Sign to Go

This restaurant in a Seattle suburb closed last fall.  Apparently the owners retired after 35 years in business.  I was surprised that the restaurant remained a viable concern as long as it did. The old sign and dilapidated building certainly didn't convey any sense of tasty food prepared in a clean kitchen.  I could never bring myself to patronize such a run down looking establishment.  One might look at the sign and find the pre-prefix phone number, the rustic style and the slant-eyed caricature wielding chopsticks as quaint.  Not I.  I've always been bothered by the caricature.  The building is being torn down to make way for something else.  The sign couldn't come down soon enough for me.