Seattle Daily Photo: April 2011

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Consider the Tulips of the Field

Kate Middleton in all her happy wedding glory will not be arrayed like one of these next weekend :-).
The tulip farms north of Seattle in the Skagit Valley provide acre upon acre of lovely spring colors in abundance. The Tulip Festival is in full swing now. Here are rows of double pinks, just one of dozens upon dozens of varieties to get lost in. Wishing all who are celebrating it today a very happy Easter!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Papel Picado @ Beacon Hill Station

These bright flag sculptures against a very gray sky mark the new Link Light Rail station in Beacon Hill. They were designed by artist Carl Smool who also created the dozens of "carpet" pavers on the plaza, Common Threads, decorated with patterns from cultures around the world, including from the Duwamish first peoples of Seattle. The patterned cut metal flags he created, in the tradition of Mexican papel picado banners, move with the direction of the wind. Last month a stormy wind brought down one of the giant flag poles at 5:30 pm (video here). The bus stop where these people are waiting in front of the light rail station features sculpture by Steven Gardner. His designs will be featured on 19 of the light rail stations' connecting bus stops along the route through Seattle.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Pink Elephant Sighting

One of Seattle's most beloved vintage lighted signs is that of Elephant Carwash. It has been spinning on Denny Way since the 1950s. I've shown you this landmark here before, but not from a distance, like this shot I took from Bhy Kracke Park on Queen Anne Hill.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Back In Parking

I took this shot on Ferdinand Street in the Columbia City neighborhood in the south of Seattle, although it could have been taken in nearly any commercial district in Seattle. The city has replaced parallel parking areas with back in angled parking spaces all over town. I admit I am slowly getting better at judging the angle correctly as I back in, but it can be a challenge :-). Does your city have this sort of parking?
These detailed wood-frame homes look to be from before the turn of the 20th century.and the color choices of their current owners add to their charm and that of this very fun neighborhood to explore.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Laurelhurst Neighborhood

Wouldn't you love to shove off from one of those waterfront home docks for a day of boating in the sun? Or even dappled sunlight from passing clouds :-). This is a part of the Laurelhursthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurelhurst,_Seattle neighborhood, a hilly peninsula that juts out dividing Union Bay from Lake Washington. This is the neighborhood where Bill Gates grew up. I viewed it through a long lens from the Interlaken area on Capitol Hill.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Seattle's Bubbleman On The Go

Garry Golightly, Seattle's "Bubbleman" delights people at public and private gatherings all over Seattle. I found myself behind his vehicle at a light in the Greenwood neighborhood and enjoyed seeing his purple custom color and the bowls he had affixed to the hatch. Check out his license plate, too. A pretty fun guy, don't you think? I was reminded of the times I had found myself behind Wavy Gravy's car when I lived in Berkeley. . .I'm just always following clowns around town, apparently. Garry drives faster than pokey ol' Wavy, though :-).

Monday, April 18, 2011

Spring Sail

A sail boat glides past Gas Works Park on its way from Portage Bay onto Lake Union on a late weekend afternoon.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Almost 40 Years in Business

The Columbia City's neighborhood storefronts boast a lot of charm, color, and sometimes a certain trendiness. Big John's Barber Shop is not a trendy multi-station affair, say like a "Rudy's" or a "Lucky 7", but an authentic 2 chair throwback to this historic business district's mid-century days. Big John is a Seattlite who has been in business for many years in one location, through the bad and good economic times the neighborhood has seen.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Brompton Rider on Campus

While out photographing the cherry blossoms at UW I noticed this gentleman doing likewise with his digital Leica camera. Then I noticed he was riding a folding Brompton bike just like my friend Norman in Oceanside, CA also rides everywhere he goes. We struck up a conversation and I found that this Leica shooter was visiting Seattle for a conference and had come by train with his Brompton folded and stowed neatly with his travel bag on board. How cool and easy is that? :-) He was kind enough to pose with it for me.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Up To Its Knees

I think even the Flamingos at Woodland Park Zoo are hoping our current pattern of sunshine and showers will turn to mostly sunshine. Another storm front moved in overnight, announced by hail, but we'd rather be swimming in sunshine.
The zoo's Chilean Flamingo colony has produced several hatchlings each year since their exhibit opened in May of 2008.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

They're Everywhere!

Photographers, that is :-). Okay, everyone in your best voice on the count of four, 1 2 3 4 hit it. . ."I always feel like. . .somebody's watching me." Wherever I go in Seattle I usually see at least one other person with camera in hand roaming around like me. This day I sort of hit the jackpot at Sunset Hill Park.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Quad in Spring

Cherry blossoms abloom in the Liberal Arts Quadrangle. On either side of this staircase to my left and right are the doors to the the School of Music and the School of Art buildings.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Springtime Rituals

Students and visitors enjoy the spring bloom of the Yoshino Cherry trees that grace the UW Quad. Pink Snow lines the pathways across campus and friends pause to enjoy the magical canopy of pale blossoms.

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Spring Streetscape

Walk nearly any neighborhood in Seattle this week and you will pass under pink and white blossoming arches and over fallen petals. I took this on a street in the Hawthorne Hills neighborhood. Cherry trees are at their peak, while plums are finished blooming and leaves have replaced blossoms.

Friday, April 08, 2011

Bird on a Wire

Every city has its own collection of sticker artists, and Seattle has some really cool ones. I liked this negative/positive sticker of a crow on a wire. This is by graphic artist Antiuser. I admire his crow series. The reflections on the back of the sign made things interesting.

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Blue Moon

Rumor has it that ~~the owner of~~ a former bartender at the popular Blue Moon Tavern on NE 45th Street posed for this logo on the neon sign outside the establishment.

Update: Anonymous readers report the following:
"The woman featured in the Blue Moon sign owns the Streamline Tavern in Lower Queen Ann." and, "The model was a bartender there, not the owner, and she was a Rat City Roller Girl...she is in the documentary - see on Netflix."

Sunday, April 03, 2011

Sunday Bridges #20: Washington Ship Canal Bridge

This lengthy steel truss bridge was completed in 1961 to carry Interstate 5 traffic over the Lake Washington Ship Canal where it curves around from Lake Union into Portage Bay. I took this at sunset looking south from the University District toward the shores of the Eastlake neighborhood.
Be sure to visit Louis la Vache's Sunday Bridge Series which features bridge photos from bloggers all over the world. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 02, 2011

Forsythia

The pleasures of early spring in Seattle include bright Forsythia, always a joy to see against a blue or a gray sky. I spied these blossoms on a walk through the Hawthorn Hills neighborhood, which is between the University District and Sand Point.

Friday, April 01, 2011

Theme Day: Edges

It's City Daily Photo Blogs first of the month theme day again, and this month we are challenging ourselves to look at Edges. The composition of this image is unusual for me in that the subjects are all out at the edges of the shot. To tell you the truth, it was all I could do to get the camera settings right before the float plane and ferry both roamed right out of the picture! Whew! To see how others interpreted the theme, click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

A float plane in a cloudy blue sky and a ferry skimming across Puget Sound may be as ubiquitous an image to scream Seattle as the Space Needle. These modes of transportation are a way of life around the Sound. If you are planning a trip to Seattle this summer you can do more than see these historic vessels coming and going at all hours of the day, you can get on board a Kenmore Air flight or a Washington State Ferry. Be sure to visit Skywatch Friday here to see dramatic skies all over the globe.

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