Shopping?

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Need gift ideas? Everyone seems to love specialty items from right here in the Pacific Northwest. May I suggest an edible gift? You can't go wrong with a treat of lovely Seattle chocolates, coffees, cheeses or salmon treats. Here is a window which I enjoyed seeing at the new downtown branch of Fran's Chocolates. What gift items is you city known for?

Star & Carousel Light Up the Night

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Lights, camera, action! Everything is up and running for the holidays in Seattle's bright downtown shopping district. Children especially enjoy a ride on the carousel which donates all proceeds to charity. To see all the different lightings that took place on a beautiful night in Seattle last night, check out this video of all the festivities.  And if you would like to see a bit of the morning Macy's Holiday Parade, click here.

On the Waterfront

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I thought you might like to see this view of Seattle's waterfront from above. A Washington State Ferry makes its way to the terminal, and you can see cars queued up to board the next departure. The top deck of the Alaskan Way Viaduct has very little traffic heading north. Just past Pier 54 you can see some of the Argosy Cruise's fleet. They will be busy on Puget Sound, Lake Union and Lake Washington from tomorrow night, November 28th through December 23rd when their nightly Christmas Ship featuring a different choir each night leads a lighted boat parade that visits different areas to give concerts just off shore where crowds on shore wait for the ship by bonfire light, enjoy the music of the choir broadcast from the ship, watch the decorated community boat parade and sing along. This holiday tradition goes back 60 years. Click here for costs and a schedule of where the the Christmas Ship will depart on different nights, which choir will be on board, where on shore the free bonfires will be held, and how to follow along in your own boat.

Happy Thanksgiving

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Wishing those in the USA a very happy Thanksgiving holiday, and everyone around the world, may your forks be full, your health terrific, and your loved ones close to you. This holiday weekend kicks off huge events in Seattle, starting with the Macy's Holiday Parade downtown tomorrow morning, and in the evening the lighting of the giant star on the old Bon Marche building (now Macy's) for the 52nd year, the lighting of the city Christmas tree and fireworks display across the street at Westlake Center, and festive downtown streets decked in lights and Christmas display windows, with the carousel twirling at Westlake Park and people lined up to take photos with Santa across the street. Winterfest also kicks off Friday at Seattle Center with ice skating, the Winter Train and Village, the lighted tree atop the Space Needle and Santa on the Observation Deck. The month long festival will continue through New Year and feature Solstice celebrations and many seasonal events and performances. Saturday the Huskies face the Cougars in the Apple Cup footbal game, which divides in-state loyalties between University of Washington grads/fans and Washington State University grads/fans. Sunday brings the Seattle Marathon and half marathon with thousands running through the scenic streets, and the Seahawks face the Rams in a home game in which the Hawks are favored to win. Seattle's jam-packed weekend is capped off with the first Sunday of Advent tradition at St. Mark's Cathedral of the Cathedral Choir joining with the Compline Choir at 7 PM for the beautiful O Antiphons service and processional.

Rat Dog

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

A woman pauses on a walk around Green Lake with her tiny dog. You can just see the Space Needle in the distance through those trees. Lots of people have been out and about the past couple days, walking, running, riding bikes, taking advantage of the break in the weather and perhaps making room for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday :-). Inspiration for the title of this post comes from the Rob Wasserman/Bob Weir band of the same name.

iPhone Wednesday #20:  Not Rat Dog

I forgot it was Wednesday when I posted the photo above, so today will be a bonus photo day. This gorgeous dog was small and compact, maybe a quarter the size of a Husky, but a great deal more substantial than the tiny handful in the shot above. It was sitting outside a Queen Anne cafe waiting for its humans. It's my iPhone Wednesday shot for you, where I take the photo and edit it with apps in the iPhone. Be sure to check out Chuck's scooter on a roof iPhone shot today, and if you find Ming of Bangor Daily Photo, let me know. . .he's gone missing since last Wednesday's iPhone shot.

More Than Hot Coffee

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Drive through espresso stands featuring young baristas clad in lingerie or swim wear isn't a new business angle in Seattle, but this stand is fairly new to the Ballard neighborhood. I had not come across one with quite so bold a logo as this. Apparently its counterpart which just opened last weekend over in Bellevue, a well-to-do suburb on the Eastside of Lake Washington, is not going over well with some of the neighbors there. Ballard already has two strip clubs on the same street, so likely has taken Knotty Bodies in stride. The customers might think it steamy, while I'm thinking the barista might not: the temperature outside when I shot this was 11C/52F, but at least it wasn't raining :-).

SPU Campanile

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is Demaray Hall, built in the 1960s on the campus of Seattle Pacific University. Its campanile features relief panels designed by UW trained art professor Ernst Schwidder who was on SPU's faculty from 1964-1968. Schwidder was also on faculty at Valparaiso University, Luther College and Pacific Lutheran University during his career. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 66. The distinctive reliefs he created symbolize the Trinity and three areas of knowledge: fine arts, science and history. The clock at the top is a constant reminder to students of the time they have remaining to work on assignments and projects before they can leave for the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday and Friday. A lotta java is being consumed here and on many other campuses all over town.

Rick Steves

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I attended a lecture last night called Travel as a Political Act given by Rick Steves, the popular travel author and host of PBS television's Rick Steves' Europe and public radio's Travel With Rick Steves. Rick is based locally, just north of Seattle in Edmonds, WA. His guidebooks were key in making a special anniversary and birthday trip we made to Paris in 2004 delightful, memorable and carefree. My husband had been to England and Honduras, but I had never traveled outside of North America.

It was after that trip that I developed a habit of checking a live Paris web cam everyday to get a sense of the weather and a glimpse of the beautiful City of Light I had fallen head over heals for. I abandoned that practice when I discovered by chance Eric Tenin's Paris Daily Photo blog in 2005. Through Eric's beautiful daily photos and his journalist's knack of presenting interesting and informative commentary, I grew to understand more and more about Paris in particular and France and the French in general. It was his influence and the encouragement of others following his lead that got me photoblogging about Seattle in 2006. That has led me to discover first hand my own city's history, culture, people, and places through the lens of a camera and share it with others. I continue to visit others' City Daily Photo blogs from every continent except Antarctica. The number of current CDPBlogs has grown from that first handful of cities to over 450. I have made many friends among them and become better informed and aware of the heritage, culture and day to day happenings in cities around the globe. Our thoughtful discussions and the multitude of helpful perspectives have shaped my understanding of the world and informed my own citizenship. This has led me to be more curious about international news, and has resulted in my regularly listening to several countries' and regions' daily news programs. This proves to be a helpful mirror of how my own country is perceived and the effects it has upon the rest of the world. So, even though I'm mostly an armchair traveler through my friend's' blogs at present :-), Rick's insights on how foreign travel and interacting with people from other cultures shapes us politically certainly resonated with my experiences with you all. If you'd like to check out his new book on the subject, his recent visit to Iran, or any of his travel materials and programs, click here.

A Good Place to Spend a Rainy Afternoon

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

In a week of mainly rainy days with few sun breaks, Seattlites with children have their favorite indoor haunts for stimulating family activities. One of them is the children's section of their local branch library or the colorful huge children's room at the downtown Central Library. Here a puppeteer interacts with a young patron. Lots more photos of it at More Seattle Stuff.

Skywatch Friday: Sunrise Through My Window

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This was the view out my window here in Seattle the other morning before our current storm turned all our skies to gray. I was surprised it turned out sharp despite being viewed through the window and screen. The view has been solid clouds for several days as we continue to get our first real soaking of fall rain. To see skies in other cities all over the globe, click here to visit the Skywatch Friday portal.

Northern Entrance Seattle Center

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This was once the main north gate where thousands entered the Century 21 Exposition, Seattle's 1962 World's Fair. The rolling portico roof of this exterior walkway is original. The newer touch of echoing waves of bright neon color under the breezeway eves really brightens up this night scene. The rock-like spheres are used in several places on Seattle Center's campus to prevent motor vehicle access and define spaces. Night or day, Seattle Center is a welcoming place.

iPhone Wednesday #19: Outdoor Seating

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Cafes may still offer sidewalk seating, but right now in Seattle you'll probably want to dine indoors. ;^) It's my 19th in the iPhone Wednesday series where the photo and editing are done with the iPhone camera and apps. My iPhone Wednesday buddies Ming the Merciless and Chuck are also sharing iPhone shots, and I note from his post today that Chuck and I now have twin computers! How random is THAT!

In Front of a Seniors Residence

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

As I walked by I noticed three separate ambulances waiting in the rain outside a multistory senior assisted living facility on Capitol Hill (the others were private and less colorful ambulances on the opposite side of the building out of view to my right). Seems like it was an unusually busy day for patient transports. With nearly all the leaves now on the ground instead of in the trees, I was thinking about the seasons of life and how my youngest little friends thrill at the sight of these emergency vehicles and can't get enough of them, while my oldest friends dread them and have seen far too many. Hope you and yours are in good health and enjoying autumn.

Arrested Development

Photo & Text Copyright 2009 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Long slated for a redo into affordable family housing by the Uwajimaja Company (which bought it in 2003 causing the eviction of its 75 low income residents), the Publix Hotel in the International District sits vacant still while people live on the street around its periphery.