Small Batch o' Booze

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

The light and the colors were really nice as I passed an antique shop window display, so I took this shot of a small collection of items. I was mainly playing with depth of field and not paying much attention to the articles themselves. But when I got home and saw the shot on the large screen, I got to wondering what those bottles were all about. Turns out to be quite an expensive display of "small batch" Bourbons, each aged 6 to 9 years and costing about $30 to $45 apiece. Not antiques by any stretch, so it's a mystery why they were there. There are whole worlds of things to be a connoisseur of that I've never known. Sometimes looking through a lens helps expose you to new and interesting parts of culture. Are you a fan of small batch bourbons?

Ghost Riders On the Sound

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Ferry travel is a way of life in the Pacific Northwest and attracts work commuters as well as recreation travelers. I looked down from the top deck of the ferry to see these 10 riderless cycles parked on the bow for the ride from Kingston to Edmonds. Then I noticed one of the riders on deck. Which bike would you pair him with?

Hood Canal

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

I went camping with friends along the Hood Canal on the Kitsap Peninsula over the weekend. Kayakers were out in abundance enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the close views of Olympic peaks, like The Brothers peeking at us on the right.

Fading in the Light

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Just down Ballard Avenue from yesterday's photo is the food studio of Kathy Casey, owner of the Dish D'lish quick restaurants at the Seattle Airport. I noticed the color in the sign lettering has faded a bit in the strong western light. The food studio hosts special events and classes in cooking and mixology. For the foodies out there, this is a mecca for fun.

Happy Hour Sundown

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Happy hour was in full swing, patrons were seated in the outdoor terrace enjoying the evening, and I was looking at the metalwork and horned skull sculpture that adorns the entrance to The Matador, a restaurant and tequila bar in the Ballard neighborhood. I saw the reflection of the ironwork in the door and was setting up another shot, when all of the sudden a woman stepped into a beam of light inside, framed by the reflection and shadows.

Hidden Tiger, Crouching Photographer

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Summer is in full bloom and Seattlites have shed their layers to embrace it. Even so, this tiger is a bit shy to show its face, but the chrysanthemum doesn't mind. :-) I was having brunch with friends at Le Rêve bakery café when this couple came in and I just had to shoot that beautifully done tatt. It reminds me of this tricky picture (click to enjoy).

Veggie Vendor

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Summer produce at Pike Place Market is plentiful, beautiful, and soooo tasty. It's always a pleasure to peruse and a good value. An added pleasure is getting to "meet the producer," too. As appealing as these veggies are, my purchases there have been limited to just fruit lately. Some friends and I recently started receiving weekly deliveries of a variety of organic veggies from New Earth Farm in the Skagit Valley (north of Seattle). We have helped out on the farm a couple times and have gotten to know the folks who grow and pick the food. I have so enjoyed the fresh offerings produced locally and am very thankful to have wholesome food in such variety available. Hope you are enjoying the tastes of summer, too! Maybe from your own kitchen garden? I will so regret when the peaches at the Market are done. . .they've been especially good this year. But fall's coming on soon, and my three little espaliered apple trees are full of nearly ripe fruit to enjoy next month.

Children's Room of the Central Library

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Never shy on any of its 10 floors when it comes to the use of bold color, Seattle's amazing downtown  Central Library features a raspberry sherbert color treatment in this media and play area of its huge children's room on the ground floor. It's a good place to hang out until a brief August storm clears outdoors. This shot goes out to dear Brattcat :-).

Seattle Street Fight

Street Fight a video by Seattle Daily Photo on Flickr.

While out walking I glanced these two women with swords practicing some martial arts skills out on the street.

Recycled Playhouse

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

If you peeked through yesterday's gate you would see this cute children's playhouse the talented homeowner has built in the back garden using salvaged materials. It will make a great cottage, studio or office when the kids are grown, but for now it looks like swashbuckling adventures are being fully enjoyed by some lucky kiddos. There's even a tin can telephone below the ladder. . .haven't seen one of those in a while :-). Seattle loosened up it's zoning regulations a few years ago to allow more density of structures and second houses on one lot (footprint of second dwelling can be no more than 800 sq ft, and height no more than 16 ft, and owner must occupy one of the dwellings). Quite a "cottage industry" going on in Seattle :-).

Mitered Corners, Butted Ends

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

This framed peek-through grill in a Seattle garden gate caught my attention as I walked by. I think the square of metal work might be a salvaged/reused find. Sometimes it is the small details like this that draw my attention. Once I noticed this, then the gate handle made from a found branch caught my eye (see my More Seattle Stuff page for a shot of the whole gate). The use of salvaged materials in an artful way reminded me of the hippie woodbutcher style cabins of the 70s "back to the land" movement, where whimsy, poverty, creativity and available materials dictated design possibilities. (Here's a photo of one of those charming dwellings that I've actually stayed in on the Mendocino coast. It was made entirely from one old growth log, using no power tools, nails, or hinges, and has built-in furniture like loft beds and desks.)

Le Weekend: Time to Kick Back

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Ah, the pleasures of weekend downtime and enjoying a bit of summer reading outdoors and a nice cuppa joe. Seattlites tend to make the most of summer, and that usually means high activity. So, it was good to see someone savoring a bit of time to herself and slowing down the pace.

Entrance to Jazz Alley

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

Seattle's premier jazz club and home of the Pacific Jazz Institute, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley really has its entrance located in a Belltown alley. The popular club has featured a who's who of the jazz world since its beginnings in the U-District in 1979. It is an intimate supper club and there is not a bad seat in the house. I love hearing music there, and their photography policy allows me to practice shooting in the dark at close range. As it happens, I'll be seeing Pat Methney there next month.
I took this shot after a recent show. Someone had parked their cute two tone Metropolitan Scooter nearby. The building you see reflected above the pedestrian skyway is a recent addition to Seattle's skyline, the 30 story Escala condominium complex.

It's Hollyhock Time

Photo & Text © 2011 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved. No use, reproduction, alteration, "pinning" on visual collections websites or republishing in any media.

An urban front garden in the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood boasts these 7 to 9 foot towering lovelies. My mother in law once showed me how she made "Hollyhock dolls" from these blossoms with the petals forming a delicate skirt around the pretend figure. One of childhood's summer pleasures. The homeowner was not at play in the flowers, but working quite hard at weeding when I walked by. Her raspberries were also tall but not yet ripe, and the whole front garden was very beautiful.