Seattle Daily Photo: November 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

Another Gift Idea

While I was out last night I noticed a lot of Seattlites took advantage of the mild dry days we had over the weekend to put up lights and decorate their yards. Last year I had driven by this house which had a huge sign made from lights that said "Yes We Can" at election time and through the holidays. The resident that creates these home displays on wire fencing material is creative and thoughtful. This year they have written a gift idea in lights and hung it in the tree branches at curbside. When I think about the future I'd like to create for children, one gift I'd like to provide is a landmine-free world. I'd like to suggest starting with the USA signing the Ottawa Treaty on Landmines. It's a no-brainer, and frankly, I think the president has no valid argument for deciding not to do so last week and that the USA seems to have lost its will to find its moral compass and passed up the opportunity to take an influential position, despite a change in administrations.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Shopping?

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?

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Star & Carousel Light Up the Night

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.

Friday, November 27, 2009

On the Waterfront

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.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

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.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Rat Dog

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.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

More Than Hot Coffee

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 :-).

Monday, November 23, 2009

SPU Campanile

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.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rick Steves

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.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Good Place to Spend a Rainy Afternoon

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.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Skywatch Friday: Sunrise Through My Window

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.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Northern Entrance Seattle Center

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.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

iPhone Wednesday #19: Outdoor Seating

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!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

In Front of a Seniors Residence

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.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Arrested Development

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.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Alki From 1st Ave

Storm clouds on the move reveal Alki in the distance across Elliott Bay, as seen from the traffic light at 1st Avenue.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Moon Mask

The moon last night was a waning crescent, but there was no way to see that with the cloudy skies and winds. The waters of the Sound were so rough the Clipper had to cancel its trip from Victoria, BC on Vancouver Island to Seattle and reroute all of us passengers. We went up island via motor coach to Swartz Bay where we drove onto the BC Ferry to Tsawwassen, enjoyed the huge ferry's amenities, then drove off and down to the boarder, got off, collected our luggage, went through customs, packed everything back on and continued on to Seattle, getting in at midnight instead of 7PM. I arrived home to see my car had snow on the roof. Cloudy and some showers today also, but I'm enjoying some moon gazing of sorts at this mask that captured me at the Royal BC Museum. I attempted some handheld lowlight interior shots and was glad upon reviewing them today to see most turned out sharp.

Carved masks like this were used in potlatches by first nations coastal people. Many made their way into museum collections after being confiscated along with other art works in the Canadian government's campaign to force assimilation that lasted through to the 1950s. Some tribes have sought return of their works and are gaining cooperation from museums. Great wrongs seem to always cry out through history for amends. In Australia they have a saying in their attempts at reparations, "We Say Sorry." This moon mask reminds me that there is light still shining out there in the darkness of human relations.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Skywatch: Seattle Morning Sky

The pre-sunrise view of Seattle's waterfront skyline from a ferry earlier this week. It is Skywatch Friday, and skies around the globe can be seen by visiting Skywatch here, or add a shot of your own skies. Happy Friday the 13th, and best of luck to everyone!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Poppies for Remembrance

I'm visiting Victoria, BC right now. Yesterday, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, at eleven eleven, I witnessed the very touching and well attended Remembrance Day Ceremonies held at the veterans memorial in front of the Parliament Buildings facing the Inner Harbour. A parade brought units from every branch of the Canadian armed forces to stand at attention in the street. An orchestra and choir led the large crowd in singing Oh Canada!, God Save the Queen, Oh God Our Help in Ages Past, and several other selections. After dozens of formal wreaths had been laid by dignitaries and the ceremonies came to a close, hundreds of people also left their own lapel poppies and other flowers on the steps of the memorial. For a photo which helps to put this one in context, please click on my More Seattle Stuff page.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

iPhone Wednesday #18: We Remember

This iPhone Wednesday shot comes from Victoria, BC, where I am visiting. I caught sight of these poppies in a shop window last night. Today I attended the colorful and touching Canadian Remembrance Day ceremonies in the bright sunlight. With thoughts of my mom, dad, two brothers, and four uncles, all of whom served in the armed forces during various conflicts, and honoring the memories of all those who gave their lives in service to their countries.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Lights Are On But Nobody's Home

An abandoned bank on First Hill. What might that dog be thinking?

Monday, November 09, 2009

Gettin' Outta Dodge

I was photographing a street scene of a pedestrian on a sidewalk when Bambi here suddenly pulled out of the alley between me and my subject and turned into the street. I hadn't ever noticed contemporary Airstream trailers before and it was sort of cool to have this shiny curved surface suddenly appear from nowhere in the midst of the dark rain stormy scene with fall colors. Hope the folks towing it have a good trip. I'm wondering if they are snowbirds making their escape to the desert. Where would you be heading?

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Pho Bac

I've been craving warm soups and stews since the time change plunged us into early darkness and the chill winds of fall have started in earnest to take the leaves from the trees. This colorful shop front of Pho Bac Restaurant in the International District called out from the dark. It is one of four sites of this economic and tasty Vietnamese eatery. It probably will raise a few eyebrows aesthetically. The scaffolding has been up since forever and there are noticeable unfinished interior repairs going on; however really good eats are the reward for braving it. Seattle chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas listed the Beacon Hill/Little Saigon neighborhood Pho Bac as one of his four favorite Seattle restaurants, besides his own Palace Kitchen, Dahlia Lounge, Serious Pie, Etta's, and Lola restaurants (and a new, as yet unnamed, restaurant opening in April next to Etta's). What are your favorite soups and stews for this time of year? (Recipes and restaurant tips welcome!)

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Shorts in a Rain Storm?

Shorts in a rain storm? Typical Seattle? You bet. Seattle folks can seem pretty casual about rain sometimes, like this guy on Capitol Hill. This storm hasn't been really cold, just blustery with a lot of thunder and lightning and hail. Toward the end of the month we'll be putting our winter tires on our vehicles and pulling out the wooly jumpers, Northface jackets, scarves, hats, gloves, and thick jeans. But right now, it is more beautiful than bleak. The lovely fallen leaves are beginning to pile up now, and if you'd care to see the hail piled up in my garden yesterday, just click More Seattle Stuff.

Friday, November 06, 2009

Skywatch: November Storm

I took this shot of Seattle's skyline and I-5 in the rain yesterday evening, looking out from Capitol Hill. We had our first good storm last night with lightning, hail, wind, downpour and thunder claps so big they shook the house and sent the kitties scrambling for cover. It's Skywatch Friday and you can see skies from all over or contribute a photo of your own by clicking here.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Lines & Reflecton

Several SDP visitors have mentioned living here for years and not yet visiting the Central Library. It is an amazing space inside and out, and you will enjoy going just to do a self tour of the place. I was trying to get a shot that contained strong graphic elements and reflections when this trio walked past me into the scene and peered down from this third floor overlook down to the first floor. If you'd like to see what they saw, click my More Seattle Stuff page.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

iPhone Wednesday #17: Museum Steps

These steps are on the south side of the Seattle Art Museum and help pedestrians start an ascent up the steep street. The design elements running along this elevation catch a glint of late afternoon sunlight. Hammering Man is visible at the corner, and pedestrians cast long shadows as they walk up the street.
Ming the Merciless has an iPhone Wednesday shot to share with you, too.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Angled Tunnel

As promised, another entryway. This one is on the east side of the Central Library. The steel diamond grid that forms the exterior shell of the building descends as an open work past the glass wall on the first floor which angles back. The shapes are reflected in the glass. I liked looking down the tunnel it forms leading to the east library entrance and to Chocolati, the on site coffee and chocolate source that makes hanging at the library on a rainy day an even more splendid experience.

Monday, November 02, 2009

Garfield Community Center Doorway

Here is a runner up shot I considered for yesterday's theme day, and I'll have another doorway for you tomorrow. I was walking in the Central District and thought this was such an interesting entrance. It caught my eye from a block away. The steps leading up to it have many thought provoking sayings written in bronze letters on the stair kicks. The doors themselves are conventional glass doors you might find anywhere, but the cast aluminum sculpture suspended above them defining the space is far from common. It is the Kuba Textile Grill based on traditional textile patterns of the Kuba people of Zaire, Africa, and is the work of Beliz Brother & Mark Calderon, 1994. I also like the cheery element of the colored tiles spaced randomly in the brickwork facade.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Theme Day: Doorways

It's a beautiful fall day here with blue sky, puffy clouds, autumn colored leaves all around, and it's November 1, and our CDPB monthly theme day: Doorways. I saw this guy framed against the light in a 3rd floor doorway of the central library. The entire 3rd floor (walls, ceilings, floors, doors, hallways, access panels) is entirely red and high gloss. His reflection echos on the curving walls and the shiny floor. You can see doorways all around the world today. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

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