September 2019October 2019 November 2019

10/23 - Hurricane Ridge - Early Snow

There has been snow up at Hurricane Ridge for a while, but the road is still usually open. The Switchback Trail to Klahane Ridge is closed while they repair the road which is down to one lane there. The Hurricane Hill Trail is closed, because the twisty little road to Hurricane Hill is covered with snow and ice. The ridge, however, is reachable and navigable, though we recommend good boots for the snow and some icy patches.

The views are spectacular with the Olympic Mountains covered with fresh snow. It isn't very deep, so the richly colored late autumn grasses still cover areas. Call the park, 360 565 3131, before you go to make sure that the road is actually open since they'll close it for snow falls, white outs and heavy fog. Still, if you can make it up there, the ridge is beautiful.


Autumn grasses

Snow and trees and mountains

Scenery

Further away

A bit more snow

The forest

The Olympic Mountains

Klahane Ridge

More of everything

The Olympic Mountains again

More autumn color

More mountains

More snow

Hurricane Hill Road

Mountain light

Keywords: autumn, hurricane hill, hurricane ridge, klahane ridge


10/19 - Machine Hallucinations

We didn't get to any museums on this trip to New York City, but we did get to watch an environmental movie. The old boiler room in the Chelsea Market has been turned into a theater showing us Machine Hallucinations. There's a bar on the mezzanine and lots of wall space for projection. We sat on a bench towards the back, but most of the audience sat on cushions on the floor. The high resolution spatial art was projected on the walls and the floor and on the audience, so it was an immersive experience. The children present loved it. It was a strange feeling having shapes and forms all about us and lapping at our feet like waves on a beach. Click a few of the images for some video to get a better sense of the show.

















This is a fountain, decorated for Halloween, at Chelsea Market. It's not part of the exhibit.
   

Keywords: art, new york city


10/18 - A Journey to the Wilds of Brooklyn

On most of our trips to New York City, we stay in Manhattan, but this time we decided to head out to Brooklyn to see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was surprisingly easy. The Q train, despite rescheduling and rerouting, took us right from our hotel to the entrance of the gardens. En route, we crossed the East River on the Manhattan Bridge with great views of lower Manhattan.

The gardens were still in late summer. We wandered the trails through lakes and forests. There were ripe eggplants for the picking and flowers in bloom. We made our twisty way to the iconic greenhouse and our lenses were totally fogged in the rain forest habitat, then dried crystal clear in the desert. The BBG is justifiably famous, wonderfully maintained and delightfully curated. They even had a giant horsetail planted, so we felt right at home.


The Brooklyn Bridge as seen from our subway car

The Q train in Brooklyn with at least one tree growing and vernacular apartment buildings

The garden path

A beautiful clear day

Water lilies, sort of a theme this trip

The iconic greenhouse

The steamy jungle

Probably a hydrangea - Our lenses were too fogged to read the tag.

Natal plum - It had a delicious sweet scent that makes us long for a way to share aromas.

The temperate forest

Greenhouse

Flowers

The desert

Orchids

Swamplands

More flowers

Another photo from the greenhouse

A bonsai tree from their great collection

Purple berries seen as we made our way back to the subway

Keywords: new york city


10/17 - Another Day of Wandering Around New York City

The fastest way to get around New York City is to take the subway, but that means traveling underground. The next fastest way is by bicycle, but you really wouldn't want to let us ride bicycles as a matter of public safety. Then comes walking. We can walk well enough, so that's what we do to explore the city.

There's always stuff to look at. Zoom in and see if you can identify all of the business just in that one building on the corner.

Greenwich Village, an old part of the city

More Greenwich Village

We're always tempted to explore all the little gardens.

Down by the Hudson River, an old wharf

Building something that resembles a bunch of high heeled shoes

An illuminated rock, probably more dramatic at night

A path to the new World Trade Center

A view of New Jersey

Looking back at Manhattan

Along the waterfront

Keywords: new york city


10/16 - A Rare Sighting

In Seattle, they use any excuse to close the sidewalks, sometimes even for years. It seems impossible to even sweep a sidewalk without closing it down and putting up fencing and jersey barriers to block pedestrians. In New York City, this is a rarity. Builders are expected to maintain sidewalk access by erecting what is legally known as a sidewalk shed but is just a wood and steel construct that keeps the sidewalk open and keeps things falling from the construction site from landing on passersby. Since these usually have a broad open face which can be leased to advertisers, builders will set up their "shed" as soon as they can often keep it up for years after construction is complete. The sidewalk, however, is rarely closed, but, here, in front of the Farley Post Office Building across from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden - which is nowhere near Madison Square - the sidewalk was closed. It was a little touch of Seattle thousands of miles from home.

A touch of Seattle

Keywords: new york city, seattle


10/15 - New York City and Central Park

We were in New York City recently and had our usual wonderful time. One of the nice things about New York City is that one can walk for miles and miles and always see things that are new and interesting. We mainly wandered west of Fifth Avenue. Between the Guatemala Day parade and the Columbus Day parade, getting cross town, even on foot, was a bit of a challenge.

Our hotel wasn't far from Central Park, so we wandered up to the Bethesda Fountain and discovered that it was full of water lilies. Then, we got lost in the maze of trails as we worked our way around the lake. That evening, we walked back from dinner, carefully avoiding Times Square. Still, the big city lights were impressive.


Central Park as seen from our hotel room

When in NYC, keep your eyes open for architectural detail.

Bethesda Fountain, full of water lilies

One of the water lilies

Another water lily

You would hardly know you were in a city here.

Olmstead's design for Central Park was all about hiding the city

Bright lights

Big city

Keywords: new york city


10/07 - The Ballard Locks and Lake Union

We checked out the fish channel at the Ballard Locks, but there were no salmon to be seen. We explored the locks and gardens a bit, then we made our way to Stoneburner for dinner. The fennel sausage pizza was wonderful, and we really enjoyed the pasta dishes. The hit was, as usual, the charcuterie and cheese plate. The we walked back via the Fremont Bridge and along the South Lake Union waterfront.

The Ballard Locks

The big lock - There is also a smaller lock that is used more often.

Another view with a dramatic sky

Ballard in the evening

More Ballard

Waterfront

Toward Fremont

From the Fremont Bridge

Across South Lake Union

Keywords: salmon, seattle


10/06 - Lake Angeles Trail to the Bridge

We've been recovering from colds, so we haven't been getting out as much as we would like. Still, we made it up to the bridge across the stream about 700 feet or so above the parking lot. That's how we measure things. The gray light made the greens more intense, and there were signs of autumn everywhere.

This is where we stopped.

Water not yet under the bridge

A nice view of the bridge we did not cross

Green with dark water

Forest

Changing color, Pacific dogwood

Little mushrooms

The trail

Some red and green

More mushrooms

An early spirit of Halloween

Keywords: autumn, lake angeles


10/02 - Sol Duc Falls and Sol Duc Salmon

We drove out to Sol Duc and stopped at one of the overlooks where the entire Sol Duc River squeezes through a group of narrow rocks. We were looking for salmon heading upstream. We were not disappointed. For a while, all one could see was rushing water. Then, there would be a flicker. A salmon would leap from the water trying to make its way upstream. Then there would be another. Then nothing. Don't expect any pictures of leaping fish.

We also went to look at the falls.

Last of the Pacific dogwood

Forest green

Autumn forest

Almost spooky

Mushrooms on a log

The trail

The salmon cascade

Looking for fish in still water

Another view

More wild water

Keywords: salmon, sol duc


September 2019October 2019 November 2019