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02/19/20 - Seattle Winter

We took a short trip into Seattle for the SIFF Noir City Film Festival. We took our usual trip up to Ballard Locks where the water was running at full force. The fish ladder was closed for repairs as was one of the locks, but the winter and early spring flowers were already in bloom. As a bonus, there was a tree full of nesting herons. We've never seen them there before, but this time there were at least six and possibly more.

Seattle in the evening

Daphnes in bloom

Early crocuses

Water at full flow

A more distant view

Herons in the tree

More herons and their nests

Herons and nests from a distance

Frothing water

An empty lock

The view downstream

Edgeworthia chrysantha with a wonderful scent

Berries

Evening in Seattle

Another evening view

Post Alley at night

Pike Place Market at night

Another market view

Seattle streets

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring, winter

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring, winter

12/25/19 - Back Home Summary - Thanksgiving and Christmas

We went to New York City for a wedding in October, then to Ethiopia in November, but we still had Thanksgiving and Christmas and a trip to Seattle. This is in case you are wondering what we've been up to.

We returned from Ethiopia on Sunday, so we had four full days to Thanksgiving. We were doing Thanksgiving for about a dozen people, so we had to work quickly. Luckily, the turkey we had ordered arrived on time on Tuesday, so the rest of the time was spent shopping, cooking and recovering from jet lag. We had roast turkey, stuffing, kale salad, fennel salad, turnips with vanilla, delicata squash with oysters, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts hash, parmesan potatoes and cranberry chutney. Dessert was pumpkin pie, pecan pie, pecan brittle (just pecan pie filling) and our own dried apples with butter, sugar, and spices. It was a big success.

We chose a tree over the weekend and went into Seattle do some shopping for our Christmas party and to see the lights and sights. As usual, we checked out the gingerbread cookie sculptures on display at the Sheraton and Pike Place Market.

Our trees arrived the day after, and our party was that weekend. We set to with the lights, electric and candle, and started cooking. We soon had both trees under control and a cassoulet in the oven. We lit the candles on the cookie tree, and everyone tried to remember the words to O Christmas Tree. To our credit, no one tried to look them up online while the candles were lit.

We were home. We were out on the street when Santa came by on his illuminated firetruck, and we were all set for the big day.

Thanksgiving

Seattle sunset - Look, no viaduct!

Gingerbread village

Gingerbread city

Pike Place market

Another view of the market

Near the market

Back home in the grove

Our tree as yet unadorned, no Hanukah candles either

Illuminated

Ready to illuminate

Party night

Godzilla, his nuclear fires lit, admires the party spread

The pièce de résistance

Something to wash it down

Candles lit

All lit up

Santa is coming

The Christmas firetruck

Keywords: port angeles, seattle, christmas, thanksgiving

10/16/19 - 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

10/07/19 - 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

09/09/19 - Foster Island and the Arboretum

We were in Seattle for a short trip and took a walk from the UW light rail station to the Japanese Garden. We headed south across The Cut and took a hard left then headed down the steps towards the water. We followed the trail through scrub forest and along causeways to Foster Island and then south, under the highway, to the Arboretum. Usually, we give up around here, but this time we continued south and made our way to the Japanese Garden. The trees were still green, so we'll be back later in the fall for some proper leaf viewing.

Down the steps

Into the woods

There were still some water lilies in bloom.

More of the trail

Following the trail

They could do a great Halloween Haunted Trail here.

More trail

The Arboretum

Some flowers still in bloom

Keywords: seattle

08/10/19 - Sunset in Seattle

Some friends of ours were celebrating their anniversary on the top floor of one of the Insignia Towers. These two 40+ floor towers had been holes in the ground quite recently, but now they were full of homes, offices and amenities. One of the amenities was a roof top dog walk. Another was the party room where we celebrated our friends' anniversary. Yet another was a roof top lounge where we took these pictures of the setting sun.

An iconic Seattle scene

South Lake Union

The Olympic Mountains

The harbor

South a bit to downtown - You can tell it is Seattle because of the crane visible near the left edge.

Keywords: seattle

08/08/19 - Seattle Walks

We were in Seattle recently, and we did what we always like doing when we are in a big city, we walked and walked. One day we walked back from Ballard to Fremont to South Lake Union. This isn't the most photogenic walk, but we did get a close up of a heron perhaps six feet from us on the footpath. The other day, we walked along Alki Beach in West Seattle and soaked up the beach town ambience with big city views. We saw another heron, and we saw a wild tomato plant of all things.

Aurora Bridge

Fremont Bridge too

That heron, unperturbed

Seattle still has a working harbor close to downtown.

Alki Beach

That beach town ambience

More ambience

A bit further east

A wild tomato plant

Another heron

A view of Seattle

Keywords: seattle

06/30/19 - Day Trip to Seattle

We took a quick day trip to Seattle and made it home before dark. Granted, it stays light until ten o'clock this time of year. The Seattle waterfront has really changed. The viaduct is almost gone except for the piece that goes over the Marion Street walkway. Presumably, that section's days are numbered, and there will be all kinds of confusion while the ramp is closed for the demolition.

One last piece of the viaduct

The waterfront is almost unrecognizable.

That last piece of the viaduct

Construction at the ferry terminal

West Seattle

The Seattle skyline - It has been changing too.

Mount Rainier

Keywords: seattle

03/29/19 - Cherry Blossoms at UW

Spring is here or at least in Seattle. We made a quick day trip to Seattle to check out the cherry blossoms at the University of Washington. They were in full bloom, and the quad had the air of a festival with hundreds of people out admiring the flowers, taking pictures and celebrating the arrival of spring. We joined in and took lots of pictures.

Cherry blossoms - We're not going to have a lot of captions here.


Califlory - flowers growing out of the tree trunk















A sign of thanks

A magnolia tree joining the fun.

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring

03/09/19 - Another March Day in Seattle

We spent a second day in Seattle and walked from the UW subway station to Foster Island and on the Arboretum. We are desperate for signs of spring.

The waterway

A long shadow

To Marsh Island by causeway

Coots - There were lots of coots.

On Marsh Island

A sign of spring!

To Foster Island

Another causeway

Back east these would be pyracantha

Witch hazel in bloom

More witch hazel

Keywords: seattle, spring

03/08/19 - A March Day in Seattle

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Mount Rainier as seen from the Bainbridge ferry

Winter blooms at the Ballard Locks

A big flock of docks at the locks

Hellebores

One of the sea ducks

Winter berries

Early, hardy pansies

Mahonia

Crockett and Tubbs - 1980s Miami VIce retro

An honest accountant

Bateau's frankfurter, but the steaks are better.

Keywords: ducks, seattle, winter

12/07/18 - Seattle Christmas Sidewalks

Every Christmas season we head into Seattle for an urban Christmas experience. We dropped by the JDRF Christmas Gingerbread Village which was back in the Sheraton lobby this year. The theme this year was How The Grinch Stole Christmas with scenes from the Dr. Suess book rendered in gingerbread and a variety of candies. Then we stepped outside to enjoy the downtown Christmas lights.

Towards sunset in Seattle

A scene from How The Grinch

Another scene

Christmas lights and Christmas goodies

A scene from Whoville

Meanwhile, back in Seattle

More city lights

Street crossing

The carousel

The Christmas tree and Macy's star

The tree and the star again

Keywords: christmas, seattle

10/10/18 - Japanese Garden in Seattle

The fall is our favorite time to visit the Japanese Garden in the Seattle Arboretum. The trees have been chosen for their autumn color, and the landscaping sets off the color beautifully. There was plenty of brilliant leaf color when we were there, though we were before the peak.

View from a stone bridge

Some color

More color

Across the pond

Another pond view

One of many turtles

Even more color

Colors and pods

Another view with stepping stones

The pond again

Even more color

Keywords: autumn, seattle

09/15/18 - Anchorage to Seattle

We had great seats on the flight from Anchorage to Seattle. Here are some photos, including some of the glaciers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, some mountains and coastline and then our approach to Seattle.

Far north

Glaciers below

Another great glacier

Another view

Coastline

Mountains

More of the same, yawn

More mountains, closer to home

Much closer to home

Seattle

Mount Rainier

Keywords: alaska, seattle

03/21/18 - Cherry Blossom Special

We had been following the action on the webcam. The buds were starting to open. It was too much to resist. We Kalebergs just had to be in the quad where it happens, so we headed into Seattle, up to the University of Washington and onto the quad where the cherry trees were at peak blossom. These were big old trees, gnarly and dark with a cloud of pale pink flowers about them. The quad was full of people there to enjoy the blossoms and the late start of spring.

Cherry blossoms

More cherry blossoms and admirers

Admirers and cherry blossoms

An old gnarled branch

More CBs

CBs

Dark bark

Another branch

More CBs

Did we mention cherry blossoms?

I guess we did mention cherry blossoms.

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring

03/20/18 - Foster Island

After admiring the cherry trees in the University of Washington quad, we headed south across the Montlake Cut. We descended to the waterfront and headed east towards Foster Island. First, we took a foot bridge to Marsh Island which true to its name was marshy and muddy. Then, we crossed another, longer foot bridge and then followed a causeway with wonderful views of the university, the Cascades and Lake Washington. We followed the trail across Foster Island, then headed south towards the Arboretum and back to civilization.

The Montlake Cut and crew

Marsh Island, true to its name

On Marsh Island

More of the marsh, hardly in Seattle at all

The causeway

Across to Foster Island

Some great bird watching

That's 520 overhead; there were ducks below.

On to the Arboretum

Keywords: seattle, trails

02/26/18 - Winter Garden at the Seattle Arboretum

We've been having a bit of winter weather. Even in Seattle, there was snow on the ground, and the temperature seemed to be stuck on much too cold. So, we dropped by the Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden in the Arboretum. Here, there was snow on the ground, but there were also flowers in bloom. There were all sorts of witch hazel, some scentless, some spicy, some sweet, and there were hellebores and a few hardy cherry blossoms. We're sure that spring is out lurking somewhere, but until winter ends, we'll make the best of it.

Cherry blossoms

A rhododendron

A snowy scene



WItch hazel

Another witch hazel

Brightly colored grasses

Cyclamen in the snow

Azaleas

At least the pond wasn't frozen.

Keywords: flowers, seattle, spring, weather, winter

12/09/17 - Cookie City Seattle

Every Christmas we look forward to the Christmas gingerbread village displays in Seattle. Usually, they are at the Sheraton downtown, but this year they were across the street. As usual, the display was for the benefit of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and some serious design and baking talent was involved.

This year the theme was Seattle and Seattle history, so we recognized a lot of the landmarks. There were the Ballard Locks, the ferris wheel down at the waterfront and a Jetsons' vision that included the Space Needle and Rosie, the Jetsons' robot maid. There was also a bigfoot riding a girder. We'll have to check some of those construction cranes that have taken residence in town.


The waterfront

Seattle at night

Bertha makes an appearance.

Some details

The Ballard Locks

Jetsons' Seattle with Rosie up near the Space Bus

Under the sea

More of Seattle

Seattle's future skyline, except edible

Pioneer Square

Bigfoot on the move

Keywords: christmas, seattle

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