One A Day - Mostly Seattle

Self-Portrait at sunset

2009-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've been busy at the market the last few days, so something simple from a few days ago. This painting on my living room wall is one that I grew up with from childhood. I've no clue who the original artist might have been, but I'd guess it depicts a river and bridge somewhere in Europe. In any case, the low sun angle and golden light streaming its last rays of the day was simply too nice to pass up.

2009-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

So where would you go to find holiday decorations in the shape of fruits and vegetables? Why, the Pike Place Market in December, of course!

Lush Light

2009-12-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

The sunset light yesterday afternoon was gorgeous as I left the annual motorcycle show at the Qwest Field Event Center. Even though the temperature was barely above freezing, the warm suffuse glow from the setting sun made the outdoor world seem much warmer.

More Dirty Socks ... for MrCachet

2009-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today's post has its roots buried along the Canadian highway back in September of this year. It's possible those roots should have remained buried on the road less traveled, but that's not to be the case.

MrCachet, an avid but frequently sardonic and always quite humorous follower of my blog, left a comment with the question "where are your dirty socks?".

I happened to be on a two-week scooter sojourn from Seattle up into Canada and back to Seattle via Montana. Helena, Montana to be specific, the home of "Old Paper Art", was to be an overnight stop for me. MrCachet, artist-creator-proprietor extraordinaire (and my brother-in-law) was to be my host ... if I didn't bring my dirty socks.

We had a lot of fun with that little quip for a few days. If you missed it, or are even mildly interested, check out Scooter Adventure and read the interesting comments.

I was reminded of the sock incident just yesterday when my brother-in-law received our handcrafted Christmas card in the mail. MrCachet wondered, out loud to his wife, if we had used dirty socks hung by the chimney with care for this year's card. No, MrCachet, we didn't. But it might have been an interesting idea -:)

A New Star

2009-12-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've avoided photographing the Seattle Space Needle for most of the many years I've lived in Seattle. It is just too "cliché". Night before last, however, I drove past on my way home after freezing most of my body parts photographing the Sorrento Hotel fountain. As I passed our Seattle icon, I noticed this unique sculpture of lit white balls near the base of the Needle. My mind said yes, but you need your 14mm lens. Tomorrow night. So, last night I went back with the right lens and created this image. The sculpture is erected in the middle of the Howard S. Wright Memorial fountain in the center of the circular drive that allows direct access to the Space Needle, its restaurants and its lofty and unencumbered 360º view from the observation deck 520 feet (160 meters) above Seattle.

Sorrento Hotel Ice Sculpture

2009-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

There is at least one artistic advantage to very cold weather. The fountain in the courtyard of the historic Sorrento Hotel on Seattle's First Hill is solid with ice. Frozen in time, sort of. Catatonic, if you will. I hope the ice hasn't damaged the pump that circulates the water. I pulled the pump from my fountain yesterday for fear of damage, and I shudder to think about the cost for the hotel to repair this fountain should there be ice damage.

For a close-up view of this beautiful fountain sculpture be sure to check out today's Extra Depth.

iPhone Wednesday - a Regal Eagle

2009-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

If your camera-phone, or in my case an iPhone, is all you have at hand it is indeed the best camera for the job. Such was almost the case yesterday at sunset when I spotted this bald eagle sitting in a Pacific Madrone tree along Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound. Fortunate for me I had another camera with me, though certainly not what I wished I'd had. My Canon G-10 was the big-gun at my disposal. You can see that image on my Extra-Depth today. The above image, however, was done for iPhone-Wednesday with my iPhone.

Be sure to stop by and see what my friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are doing with their iphones today.

Clear and Colder

2009-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

December is acting exactly like December is supposed to act. It's like winter ... clear and cold. And, getting colder. Yesterday our high was below freezing, and some 16 degrees below our normal average for the date.

My neighbor braved the cold to put up his holiday lights. I do enjoy seeing these cheerful and colorful decorations and am very appreciative of the annual effort. Year after year I've avoided putting lights up, but maybe this year I'll act a little less like Mr. Grinch. Maybe. I'll let you know .....

Seasonal Colors

2009-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

My wife brought this cone to me yesterday. Another amazing piece of creation, this is from a Magnolia tree. I don't think I've ever seen a Magnolia cone before. Every bit as impressive in December as they are in the spring.

Appreciated Customers

2009-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

A Godfather of sorts, "Big John" Croce sat among his many friends yesterday. Big John started providing the reason for this annual gathering many years ago when he opened his Pacific Food Importers business. Originally selling imported olives and feta cheese to Greek restaurants in the Seattle area, he soon expanded and opened his current food import location just south of Chinatown in Seattle. I've been a fan of PFI shopping there frequently for hard to find bulk foods, the Italian fruitcake known as panforte, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh cheeses and olives direct from Italy, just to name a few of my purchases.

So, yesterday was "Big John's" annual customer appreciation day. John brought an ample supply of his homemade and glorious Zinfandel vino to share. Above you can see John seated behind several empty liter carafes which used to be full of the lovely Zin.

Oh, by the way, they have a fresh crop of chestnuts in the store. I sampled one that had been roasted to perfection. Yum!

Grazie "Big John". Apprezzo ciò che hai compiuto!

For a few more images of the party, see my Extra Depth.

Cookie Family

2009-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

These "visions of sugar plums" were dancing on my kitchen table last night. Gingerbread boys and girls are a family tradition and as you can see my wife puts a lot of love and creativity into each one of them.

And here's a short video from a very happy recipient of last year's Gingerbread kids ...

December Sights & Sounds

2009-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Just a tiny sample of what you can see, hear and experience when you spend a few minutes in downtown Seattle during December.

Little Drummer Boy

2009-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

I found this fellow playing his unique drum set on the corner of 5th and Pine just outside of Nordstrom's flagship store in downtown Seattle. What an interesting recycling plan he has.

Iphone Wednesday - Mini Donuts

2009-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

A sweet treat for iPhone Wednesday. This temporary kiosk can be found next to the Holiday Carousel in Westlake Park. Westlake Park is Seattle's public piazza and is at the heart of the retail center of downtown.

Be sure to stop by and see what my friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are doing with their iphones today.

Monthly Theme Day - Waiting

2009-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Waiting is commonplace when driving north or south through Seattle. This is the Fremont Bridge, a drawbridge and also known as a bascule bridge. Boating and ship traffic is commonplace in Seattle, which is a port city, with two fresh water inner-city lakes linked to Puget Sound by the Lake Washington Ship Canal. According to the Seattle.GOV web site, the Seattle Department of Transportation operates and maintains over 149 bridges throughout Seattle.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants for this monthly theme day of the City Daily Photo Bloggers from around the world.

Tiny details

2009-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

How often we walk past the most amazing things as we go about our daily lives. I'm certainly guilty of scurrying about, running errands, hurrying to be somewhere, being pre-occuppied, looking where I'm going but not really seeing what is around me. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. The image above is one I made while passing my neighbor's brick wall ... thinking about the tenacity and resilience of a perhaps annoying growth of moss. Yet, when really examining this patch of green attaching itself firmly to the carefully placed mortar between the even rows of bricks, I have to marvel. Amazing. Miraculous. Awe-inspiring, really. Mother Nature in her glory.

Tomorrow is another City Daily Photo Blog theme day as it is the first of the month, once again. You'll have to wait until tomorrow, though, as this months theme is "waiting". Should be an interesting group of pictures around the world as CDP bloggers elucidate this concept. Do come back. I promise it will be worth the "waiting".

Tallman Avenue

2009-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I see street signs that make me curious ... how did that name come about? I did a search for information about Tallman Avenue in Ballard, but came up empty. Still, I have to wonder ... was there a really tall man who lived on this street? A Norwegian or perhaps a strapping tall Viking ... Ballard is known for it's Scandinavian heritage. Tallman Avenue is a pretty short street of only about three city blocks. If you're curious, like I am, here's a link to the location of Google Maps.

Seattle Sunshine

2009-11-28T00:29:00.000-08:00

When a relatively warm and very sunny day comes along in Seattle at the end of a dark and damp November, what do you think about doing? Here's an idea ... why not buy and fly a kite? This shop, The Gasworks Park Kite Shop, is on Stoneway just a few blocks from Gasworks Park on the edge of Lake Union. Now that's an absolutely wonderful place to fly a kite, get some sun, and enjoy the Seattle skyline. How about it? Shall we go fly a kite?

West Point Light House - another view

2009-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Same place as yesterday but a different time. Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving celebration yesterday!

West Point Light House

2009-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

West Point Light House is at the western tip of what is now Discovery Park and situated at the northwestern tip of Magnolia Bluff. This light house began operation on November 15, 1881. I can't say I've been visiting this light house since the beginning, but I have walked here many times since the mid 1970's.

I'm thankful today for where, how and with whom I live. My hope is that you, too, can say the same. Happy Thanksgiving!

iphone Wednesday - Big People Scooters

2009-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

I took this with my iPhone a couple months ago. Back when the sky was blue and the sunshine seemed to be perpetually smiling. This sassy lass, sitting on a barely visible Vespa in a piazza near her local town duomo, graces the weathered side of Big People Scooters in the Georgetown neighborhood. This mural strikes me as one that probably qualifies as one of the "Ghost Signs" that Mr. Cachet told me about in his comment on yesterday's post.

And if you happen to need service for your vintage scooter, or new scooter for that matter, this is the place to go in Seattle. Stop by and say hi to Jeff, Brandon and Joe. They'll take good care of you.

Since this is iPhone Wednesday, be sure to stop by and see what my friends Kim at Seattle Daily Photo and Ming at Bangor Daily Photo are doing with their iphones today.

Corkstone Plastic Flooring

2009-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

Corkstone Flooring Company sign painted on old brick wall of building at 2116 Western Ave. in the Belltown neighborhood at Western Avenue and Lenora Street. This painted sign is probably 60 - 65 years old. Here is a Corkstone Plastic Flooring advertisement from the December, 1945 issue of Popular Mechanics.

Night Lights

2009-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Colorful lights at night are some of my favorite things. As dark falls earlier each evening the possibility of interesting photos increases every day. These oversize letters are above one of the entrances to the City Centre Building located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and Pike and Union Streets.

Under the Aurora Bridge

2009-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Besides rainy weather, Seattle is also known for it boating community. The Lake Washington Ship Canal flows beneath the Aurora Bridge from Lake Union toward Puget Sound. Nestled on both the north and south shores near the bridge are houseboat communities.

Ever wondered what it might be like to live aboard a houseboat?

Ballard Library

2009-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month I had occasion to stop in at the Ballard Library. This branch of the Seattle Public Library system was the 15th project to be completed under the "Libraries for All" building program approved by Seattle voters over 10 years ago. The planning for construction process began in October 1999. The branch re-opened in it's new location in May of 2005. A long process, to be sure.

I've passed this new building numerous times and been intrigued by its shape, as well as the fact that it has a "green" roof. I'll go back at some point and photograph the exterior. On this visit, however, I was more curious about how the interior looked. The photo above is a sample of the unique design and materials used in this public building. If you read some of the book titles you'll realize that this is part of the children's section. I was particularly intrigued by the metal covering used on the wall.

More information about this branch is here and the environmental features are here. A very unique and forward thinking project.