October 3, 2014 - Sunset Fit for a Queen

On Queen Anne Hill, just west of the southern facing home to the iconic view of the Seattle skyline, Kerry Park, is a great place to quietly catch the sunset on a street whose surface has never tasted blacktop.  One can only imagine how wonderful the daily view from that balcony must be!

September 16, 2014 - Chambers Bay

In June of 2015, the world of golf will turn its attention to University Place, Washington as it hosts the 2015 US Open.  Site of a former sand and gravel quarry on the shores of Puget Sound, the unique links style course will look more like a British Open course than a US Course.  Open less than ten years, Chambers Bay will be just the third municipal course to ever host the US Open. 

The Chambers Creek properties have miles of walking paths, a huge meadow and a pedestrian bridge that allows access to the water.  The reclamation project allows for ospreys to nest, golfers to hack, joggers and walkers to burn calories and even a place for sweethearts to symbolize their love.  Commuter and freight trains roar past them all.

A Pierce County ferry leaves nearby Steilacoom on its run to Anderson Island.

An osprey nest.

Love locks on the pedestrian bridge.  

The history of love locks goes back at least a hundred years, but the widespread practice is a pretty recent development.  Affixing a lock to a bridge or gate and throwing away the key as a symbol of a couple's love became more common in the 2000s.

A view from the tee box towards the final hole.

August 6, 2014 - Moon Struck

The winds brought the smoke, presumably from the nearby Dalton fire, part of the Chiwaukum Creek wildfire, to Lake Chelan.  The morning dawned with a vision that brought Deep Purple to mind: there was smoke on the water.  By late afternoon much of the smoke in the valley had cleared up but there was still enough higher up to turn the moon an orange-red.  It made for a particularly interesting orange moonset as it disappeared over the hills.

August 3, 2014 - Moon and Red Clouds

A waxing gibbous moon emerges from fiery, sunset lit clouds.