Bouncy Patrol Ride Up Post Alley

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

Some bicycle police officers were heading up Post Alley. In my haste to nab a shot of them in motion, I stumbled a bit on the stone pavers and this was the result. No chance for another shot as they were hustling into the part of the alley that is covered and darker. Still made for a lively image; only the visages were changed to protect the innocent :-). I love the little detail of the rear spokes which, out of everything else in motion and jarred, seemed to turn out in focus for some odd reason.

Curvacious

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

I like the graceful bend of this building's face and it's graphic quality. I'm thinking it's the base of Two Union Square, but I'm not certain as I can't quite recall which direction I was facing.

A Gathering Place

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

At 7 PM tonight, many Seattlites will gather for a candlelight vigil in West Seattle at the foot of Lady Liberty on Alki Beach to honor the lives of those killed in the 9/11 attacks in 2001. This statue, erected on the beach by City Council and local Boy Scouts in 1952, was a spontaneous gathering place for thousands of people to mourn, reflect and leave candles and mementos directly after the attacks (click to see photo) . Lady Liberty was recast in bronze in 2007 and set upon a new pedestal in a thoughtfully designed new plaza on the beach. Many other events of remembrance are planned throughout the city.

Compact Universe

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

With Lake Union and the whole city view from Gas Works Park before them, they only had eyes for each other. Makes me smile to see people in love. Seattle has many romantic spots to enjoy.

Early Morning Catch

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

Fishing is a popular pastime along the West Seattle shore of Elliott Bay. On any given summer morning you will see dozen's of people fishing from this dock in the dawn light.

Will Things Be Looking Up?

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

I was walking by this very 1960's design apartment building in the Westlake neighborhood when I noticed an arrow pointing straight up. At first I wondered if the landlord had scrubbed off graffiti from the stucco surface; but, closer inspection revealed that this was at least partially due to light reflecting from a building across the street. Isn't it interesting the simple and inexpensive mid-century modern design elements used to embellish an otherwise plain rectangular building, like theses angled balconies and roof line?

Mare's Tail Sky

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

Who choreographed these two guys relaxing and watching a ferry make its way across the Sound? :-) The Seattle area is having a week-long warm spell that is not expected to end until next Tuesday. It is a great time to get out on the water. Orcas were spotted recently right in Elliott Bay, visible from piers along the Alaskan Way waterfront. They were just visitors passing through, though. There are 3 pods that live in Puget Sound and they mostly like to hang out up in the San Juan Islands closer to the Canadian border.

Toy Soldier Hydrant

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

As a follow-up to yesterday's shot, I thought you might like to see someone's whimsical idea of dressing up a hydrant. Walking through the Hawthorn Hills neighborhood I came upon this toy soldier. In the background you can see a University of Washington flag waving in the breeze below an American flag. The proud neighbor is no doubt very glad that the Huskies won their first game of the season, sending Eastern Washington University to a narrow defeat.

Hidden Hydrant

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

Fire hydrants in Seattle can be quite colorful. Many neighborhoods sport them with bright unusual hues, and some artistic folks sometimes make characters of them. This was the first I'd seen given its own cave in a living fence. Laurel bushes love the climate here and grow sky high in no time, so are popular choices for dense fences and hedges. This one grew wide as well as tall, and this was the homeowner's solution. I'm sure the fire department is appreciative of the vigilance.

Goodbye To Summer

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

Seattlites are cramming in as much summer light and activity as they can as the long days wind down, children prepare to return to school next week, summer vacations come to a close, and the salmon boats return to port. We will enjoy picnic suppers at the beaches and parks in the next weeks, dinner time being our warmest time of day; but, we sense things fading, receding into the fond distance. This long Labor Day Weekend is being savored, though :-). These folks are heading to weekend destinations via ferry.

Time Has a Way

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 moist climate plus a shady spot tend to be a perfect combination to foster growth of moss and fungi, like on this headstone beneath a sheltering tree in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. I've heard it said that the dash between our birth and death dates represents the period of our lives. When those who knew us are gone too, is the memory of who we were lost? Does time slowly fade all trace of us? Moss and lichen here have chosen to embellish someone's memory with color and texture. Perhaps best to pick a sunny plot to avoid nature's artistry :-).

Theme Day: Perspective

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

"There's roads and there's roads
and they call, don't you hear it?
Roads of the earth
and roads of the spirit.
The best roads of all
are the ones that aren't certain.
One of those is where you'll find me
'til they drop the big curtain."  ~ Bruce Cockburn from "Child of the Wind"

It's CDPBlogger's first of the month theme day, with participants exploring the idea of perspective. This shot is from the perspective of the bluff in the Magnolia neighborhood, looking out over Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island, and the Olympic Mountains. Sometimes I just need to take a big breath and step back in a natural setting to gain perspective of what's real, what's important. I was tempted to feature a photo of a local friendly cat from the ground up to offer some "purr-spective," but we could all use a view like this right about now in our day, couldn't we? :-)  Check out other City Daily Photo blogger's interpretation of this theme. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants