Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Elegantly Costumed


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This display of gowns in black, orange, and white replaced the familiar witches, pumpkins, and ghosts of other store windows with costumes of an elegant sort. A song by one of my favorite musicians has a lyric about "calloused men in business costume speak computerese." We all wear costumes of some sort most days, whether we're soccer parents in sneakers, artists, medical workers, industrial technicians, skilled tradespeople, teachers, attorneys, beekeepers, or bikers. One might think twice about wearing one of these strapless numbers to a Halloween ball in Seattle where the temperature dropped to below freezing last night and the night before.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Oh, Those Golden Slippers!


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The merchants in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood had a children's costume day over the weekend to celebrate Halloween. Children could come to each of the businesses along the shopping streets to receive treats. Our family was stopped at a stop light while driving through the area when my daughter helpfully grabbed the camera and snapped this shot. A little spot of sunlight illuminated the smallest girl's golden slippers. For a couple other serendipitous shots, click More Seattle Stuff.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Seattle Window Shopping


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is Pete. He's a Brittany (smallest of the pointer/hunting dog breeds). I met him when he planted his paws on the window ledge next to me to see what I was looking at in a shop window. He liked what he saw and was very interested. If you'd like to see what Pete and I were looking at, click on my More Seattle Stuff page.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Cold Comfort


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction and republishing.

We've noticed that Seattlites don't just love coffee. This ice cream shop and several others around town are popular hang outs after a big fall game on a chill autumn evening. This couple has managed to beat the usual crowd. Her gloves ought to help her enjoy a cold treat. Informal survey: if you mix "goodies" into your scoop, what is your favorite combination?

Friday, October 27, 2006

Closed Cafe


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All right reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The chill winds have come, its threatening rain again. Much too cold to brave the outdoor cafe seating. I shot this early before opening time. I wonder if these tables and chairs were made available for the brave and warmly dressed?

Thursday, October 26, 2006

The View From a Light on Denny


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Looking west down Denny toward the Sound. Cornish College's main campus can be seen in the distance, as well as a familiar landmark.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Frank Lloyd Wright Throws Confetti


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The terra cotta and aqua colors of the approach to the Monorail platform at Seattle Center remind me of the design colors in FLW's Marin County Courthouse in California, with added whimsy of confetti-like tile work in the tinted concrete.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

United Nations Day in Seattle


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Greetings from Seattle to the over 100 City Daily Photo Blogs around the globe on this United Nations Day! We have reason to be grateful whenever countries can come to together to discuss the common welfare, goals and needs of all peoples around the planet. A salute to outgoing UN Secretary General and 2001 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kofi Annan of Ghana for his 10 years of distinguished leadership. And wishing the Secretary General elect, Ban Ki-moon of Korea well as he readies to take office in January. United Nations Day also happens to be my birthday. Wishing us all peace as I blow out my candles.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Round Fruit Devoured By Time


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All right reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Most all the fruit from this beautiful little Capitol Hill crabapple? tree was scattered on the grass of the parking strip where the tree grew. At least this lovely green gem was enjoyed by a bird or squirrel. Friends of ours recently shared wonderful apple pie and bags of sweet delectable plums from their yard with us. Yum! In my walks the past couple months, I've noticed some heavily weighted apple trees in front yards with much fruit scattered about on the ground. It surprised me that so many owners of laden trees hadn't time to pick the fruit. Community Fruit Tree Harvest is one organization which seeks community involvement to help homeowners harvest their extra fruit and donate it to kitchens and food banks for many to enjoy.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Tumbling Figure - Five Stages


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

In quilt design, the Tumbling Blocks pattern is achieved through manipulating light, medium, and dark diamond shapes to form stylized "cubes" which tease the eye. While out walking I came upon this huge installation of tumbling white figures imposed on dark diamond shaped segments. They are seemingly ready to collapse like a Jacob's Ladder toy. It was fun to just happen upon this. I wanted to link all the diamonds in my mind's eye to see if the figures might form secondary patterns. I Googled the address, but no info. I Googled my own phrase "tumbling figures building Seattle" and up popped information on Seattle artist Michael Spafford, b. 1935, and this work, which is really named Tumbling Figure - Five Stages! This piece is from 1979 and used to be installed at the old King Dome before its demise. I think it works very nicely on this parking structure at 6th and Jackson, with the uphill elevation showing it to great advantage. Spafford is professor emeritis of art at UW. He, his wife and son (artists Elizabeth Sandvig and Spike Mafford) have been awarded the Mayor's Art Award for 2006.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

A Little Salmon Shall Lead Them. . .


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This skipper and his crew have just come through the locks in the Lake Washington Ship Canal between the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Union and further on Lake Washington. If you look closely or click on this photo to enlarge it you will see a salmon jumping just ahead of the bow. Perhaps it has been cavorting with dolphins and wants to imitate them. This beautiful 1922 wooden boat might be heading for the Center for Wooden Boats at the south end of Lake Union (a great place to rent a sailboat, BTW). For a detailed history of this classic vessle, its incredible features and more complete view of her from the starboard side while on the low end of the locks click on More Seattle Stuff.

Friday, October 20, 2006

The Jolly Postman


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

How rare handwritten letters are to most of us. But when they come, this is the fellow who brings that little packet of happiness to this part of Seattle's Central District neighborhood. I noticed by the copy of the Pottery Barn catalog he's delivering that the heavy season for mail order shopping has arrived. I'm pleading $implicity and recycling catalogs unread if any come my way. If there is a young child in your life that you would like to delight with a lovely book, you might like to take a look at "The Jolly Postman, or Other People's Letters" by Janet & Allan Ahlberg (from whence I pinched today's title). It's one our family very much enjoyed for many years, and there are at least two other Jolly Postman books among our well-worn collection. And if you love children's illustrated books as I do, check out a new real charmer, "One Smart Cookie" by prizewinning Seattle illustrator and author, John Nez.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

For Eric in Paris


Photo & Text copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I peeked at Eric's Paris Daily Photo site today and noted his photo from a Bastille area cafe window where he'd caught a bite to eat could have been shot right here in rainy Seattle today. Later on, while choosing my own photo to post for today, I noticed the tobasco sitting there on the table in this shot. Friends came up from Portland this week and we ate at a cafe on the ship canal. Our friends tried some local brews, and they looked so cheerful on this gloomy day, I snapped this photo. Eric, I know you don't usually imbibe, but from the US west coast, here's a "salud!" on a rainy day, both here and there.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Autumn Sky Traffic


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



The heavy air traffic was being routed southward following the ridge of Capital Hill and the Central District towards SeaTac Airport. This propeller plane was among the smaller craft that was flying low in the cloudy blue autumnal sky.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Salmon Waves


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Pictured here is a detail of Paul Sorey's Salmon Waves sculpture installation at the Ballard (Hiram Chittenden) Locks above the fish ladder viewing area. There are seven stainless steel "waves" and they contain special LED lights that at night display migrating salmon in blue light swimming in the air around the waves (to see this amazing effect, click on the link above). To see photos I took of this work, click More Seattle Stuff.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Seattle Construction Zones


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Seattle is a veritable hive of construction at present. The coming rains have home owners scrambling to finish summer projects. There are about a zillion cranes hoisting materials aloft at new highrise and condo projects downtown. There is road repair going on seemingly everywhere, and large orange signs urge motorcyclists to use extreme caution where gigantic metal plates have been placed over open pits. This torn-up bit of California Avenue SW is in front of Easy Street Records' West Seattle store and cafe, a lively place late at night to find a huge variety of new and used CDs and vinyl. Seattle has an incredible music scene, and this independent music store is a fantastic place to catch wind of new work from new talent and established artists from near and far. The adjoining cafe is quite popular, and I'm told local musicians like Eddie Vedder can eat there undisturbed amongst the neighborhood regulars.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Seattle Shopping


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All right reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Now in its 105th year in business in Seattle, Nordstrom's roots are deep in Pacific Northwest history. Founder John W. Nordstrom, a Swedish immigrant, made $13,000 in the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska. Along with a friend who owned a shoe business in Seattle, he invested his earnings in opening a shoe store. When they both retired many years later they sold their interests to Nordstrom's three sons. There are many Nordstrom stores throughout the USA now. This Nordstrom at 500 Pine Street in Seattle is their flagship store, and is across the street from the store's original location.


Saturday, October 14, 2006

Seattle Nightlife: 9 PM at The Co-op


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

It's 9 PM, and where can you find Seattle folks? Down at the co-op buying groceries. This shot is of the Fremont PCC. I mentioned in this July post that Seattle has a long and strong history of many types of cooperatives. The PCC Natural Markets began as a food buying club between 15 families in 1953. The PCC (Puget Consumer Cooperative) now has 8 store locations, continues to be a democratically operated membership organization, has a unionized work force, and is now the largest natural food cooperative in the USA.

Celebrate with me: this is Seattle Daily Photo's 100th post!


Friday, October 13, 2006

Autumn Night, West Seattle Corner


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republication.




This popular West Seattle coffee house offers free Wi-Fi and a variety of house-made cupcakes, complete with frosting and toppings. It's across the street from Easy Street Records, which makes this a nice not-so-cheap date night destination if you are a music, coffee, or cupcake fan.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Seattle On a Crisp Autumn Day


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Autumn light and foliage sparkle against the backdrop of the Seattle Central Library. Did you know that the Central Library as well as 15 other branches offers free Wi-Fi? But hey, there's no java joint inside. . .

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Skyward


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



A skyward view of the reflected lights caught on an odd angled steel overhang, a glimpse of a plane full of sky travelers, and the reflected tendrils of a garden in the air. All from street level, 5th Street, near the county jail, with the glow of the sun above and a nip in the blue fall air. (Click the photo for a larger view.)

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

I Liked Her Pleated Flares


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

This is the entrance that greets workers and visitors to the Seattle Municipal Tower. A freeway onramp to the I-5 express lanes runs through this building and is located just to the right of here around the corner. Just inside the vaulted lobby there is a Starbucks. While in line there I had a pleasant conversation with someone who had traveled internationally and is a photographer. It was fun to relay that there are over 100 of us around the globe who are transported to each other's cities everyday without ever having to go to the airport. The friendly people behind the City Daily Photo sites can take you almost anywhere.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Catching the Day's Last Slow Goodbye


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Sunset at Boylston Avenue E. and E. Aloha. The light reflecting from the side of the apartment building caught my eye. It wasn't until I'd walked a block closer to check out the glowing building that I noticed a familiar form peek out from the background.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Greys & Yellows


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Color, pattern, line all caught my eye as I was decending some north facing stairs at Seattle Center. To see another view, click More Seattle Stuff. Have a great Sunday!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Drop


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



A drop from an oar hits the surface of the water. For a complete view of the rowers I was photographing in this shot, click More Seattle Stuff. One of the joys of shots like this is that I don't see them while I'm shooting. They are surprises waiting to be found. It is when I take a closer look at some small detail that a whole new world suddenly fills the screen. There is a way of seeing through a lens that affects the way one starts to see everything. Even then, we don't really see until we have a chance to reflect upon what is there.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Dogtown


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved including reproduction or republishing.



Seattle is definitely a huge dogtown! I used to live in what I thought was a dogtown, but Seattlites are so over the top in their dedication to dogs I can only compare them with Parisians. Any day, all over town, morning and evening, you will see a dog parade as humans and pets go for their constitutionals. The humans seem well trained, carrying their plastic bags to mind the scoop law. Dogs accompany their human companions everywhere, even on the bus, down the road with their heads poking out of cars windows, walking beside baby strollers, swimming in the Sound, and running ahead of bicycles. On every neighborhood shopping street merchants put water bowls outside their shops and bowls of dog treats on their counters. I've been in some small cafes, java huts, and large grocery stores that have allowed even non-working dogs inside (something I'd never seen before living here). Dogs can be seen in every neighborhood, en masse, from all kinds of pampered purebreds to popular odd mixed breeds. One morning I spied six purebred dogs tied outside the Tully's in Madison Park: a Standard Poodle, an English Bulldog, a Basset Hound, a Boxer, a Golden Retriever, and a Scotty. There is a whole strata of Seattle's economy built around this big dog population: walking services, doggie daycares, vacation pet sitters, groomers, dog bath facilities, upscale pet supply stores, pet photographers, pet portrait artists, special dog parks, and many veterinary clinics. I passed these two adoptable dogs out for a morning walk with volunteers from the Seattle Animal Shelter. October is Adopt A Shelter Dog Month, so check out the link to see other dogs looking for a good home.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

From the Outside Looking In


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Friends of mine were in town to play the Tractor Tavern on Ballard Avenue. Walking to my car after the show I spied this scene inside a bar. I hadn't noticed this place before so perhaps it is new. It is called DiVino. Am I the only one who has noticed that within the last couple years a serving of wine by the glass has grown noticeably smaller no matter what establishment one might be in? It's like everybody suddenly got uniformly stingy. Perhaps the restaurant industry has generally adopted exact portioning. Such a practice certainly might increase the profit per bottle, or keep patrons from imbibing too much before driving. Certainly less calories and encouragement to really savor the wine!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Unbeknownst To Me


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Whilst waiting for a downtown concert venue to open its doors, I thought I would shoot a few pictures of things that caught my interest and see if they would be of any use for SDP. I was concentrating here on the two tall buildings and the play of light, color, and clouds upon them. I shot about three of this view, and the tiebreaker ended up being the interesting grouping and proximity of people in this shot. I enlarged the area around the women in the foreground to see if I had the photo in focus. It was then I realized, unbeknownst to me, that I had inadvertently photographed one of the artists I would be hearing later that evening, Sarah Harmer, of Canada. It's SDP's first celebrity photo, and I didn't even know it!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Not a Laptop in Sight


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Books are surprisingly the only things being looked at by the sidewalk cafe patrons of Joe Bar on East Roy Street at Harvard on Capitol Hill. I found out after I took this shot that they limit their wifi hours, and that's why this scene differs so radically from other coffee houses in Seattle. If you visit this neighborhood, this is the place to come for crepes and and other menu items with a decidedly European bent. This year they added wine and beer to the offerings. It is across from a popular theater and is a wonderful place to people watch, rain or shine. There is also an art display within.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Back Wall of the "Cafe Nervosa"


Photo and Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



I've been told, but never seen it substantiated in print, that this underground cafe served as the set model for the fictional Cafe Nervosa frequented by the Drs. Frasier and Niles Crane of the long running "Frasier" television program. It is actually known as The Elliot Bay Cafe, and sits beneath the Elliot Bay Book Company at the corner of 1st and Main Streets in the Pioneer Square district. The fictional Cafe Nervosa was supposedly at the corner of 3rd and Pike, quite a distance away, but quite near the Seattle Symphony's home, Benoroya Hall, and a short walk from the famous Public Market.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Taxi!


Photo & Text Copyright 2006 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.



Taxi! Here in Seattle or around the globe, today you can hail a taxi in over 43 cities by clicking on these City Daily Photo sites. (Remember these are in many time zones, so photos will be posted on Sunday, October 1, 2006 starting with Australia/New Zealand and then around through Asia, Europe/Africa, South America/North America, Hawaii).

See More Seattle Stuff for my other taxi shots and to check local fares.

Your taxi ride around the globe starts here: 1 (Porto ) 2 (Albuquerque ) -3 (London ) -4 (Seattle, WA (USA) [Kim] ) -5 (Edinburgh ) -6 (Stayton, OR ) -7 (Greenville, SC ) -8 (Budapest ) -9 (Antigua Guatemala ) -10 (Alexandria, VA ) -11 (Manila ) -12 (Twin Cities ) -13 (Szentes ) -14 (Paris ) -15 (Portsmouth ) -16 (Ryde ) -17 (Sydney ) -18 (Oulu ) -19 (Singapore [keropok] ) -20 (Santiago ) -21 (Melbourne, Aust ) -22 (Dubai UAE ) -23 (Bandung (Indonesia) ) -24 (Copenhagen ) -25 (Sequim ) -26 (Singapore ) -27 (Tenerife ) -28 (Sharon, CT ) -29 (Tuzla, B&H ) -30 (Jakarta (Indonesia) ) -31 (Rotterdam ) -32 (Brussels ) -33 (Stavanger (Norway) ) -34 (Aliso Viejo, CA ) -35 (Oshawa, ON, Canada ) -36 (Vantaa, Finland ) -37 (Trier (Germany)) -38 (ewcastle upon Tyne ) -39 (Hong Kong ) -40 (Shang Hai ) -41 (Brussels ) -42 (San Diego, CA (USA) ) -43 (Sydney (Nathalie) - Also be sure to click St. Paul MN in the links for City Daily Photo sites (in column to the right and down) and others who may have been a bit late getting their links in.