Final Scene: Happy Landings

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

What goes up comes down more or less okay. These two guys repeated many slides down the rail, but none with landings quite like this. If that had been me coming down on my shoulder and hand, I don't think I'd be getting up to do it again. To see what happens next and to view more skateboarding shots, click my More Seattle Stuff page. skateboarding Seattle+skateboardrail+slide skateboard+landing Ballard+skate+park Seattle+skate+park skateboarders

Scene Two: The Great Seattle Rail Slide-Off

Here goes buddy number two in quick succession to yesterday's skateboarder. These guys moves are like airborn ballet most of the time. Sometimes it's like they sent in the clowns, though. Tomorrow's photo will complete the triptich and show you how these two jumps turned out. Till then, enjoy this beautiful Indian Summer day (or spring if you're down under)! Seattle+skateboard rail+slide skateboarding+Seattle Seattle+skate+park Ballard+skate+park Ballard+skateboard thrasher skateboard+stairs skateboard+rail

Sliding the Rail in Seattle

I remember when I lived in beach territory that friends who surfed would have photographer friends sit on a board out in the waves and take shots of them inside the curl or take videos from shore of them dropping down a wave and riding it out. So, it didn't surprise me when I visited this Seattle skateboarding park that I wasn't the only one recording what I saw. This guy and his buddy had a videographer shooting them as they went down this 7-stair rail. Tomorrow I'll post what I saw next. . . Seattle+skateboarding Seattle+skate+park Seattle+rail+slide Ballard+skateboard+park Seattle+skateboard+photo 7-stair+rail+skateboard+photo skateboarder

The Bon Marche

Here is the facade of the landmark Seattle department store lovingly called "The Bon." (click on the photo for a larger image) When I was in college the animated holiday windows were a big draw for downtown shopping. Of course in the post-merger/takeover/everything-is-owned-by-the same-six-big-businesses-anyway era of ownership, The Bon hasn't been The Bon for quite some time: founded in 1890 and named by it's owners for a Paris store whose customer service they admired, it is now a Macy's. For a peek at The Bon Marche and Macy's signs on a different facade, click my More Seattle Stuff page. The+Bon+Marche Bon+Marche The+Bon Bon+Macy's Seattle+department+store Seattle+Bon+Marche Seattle+Bon Macy's+Seattle

Hey Mr. DJ

Photo & Text Copyright 206 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was passing this storefront and noticed a private party going on inside. It was a grand opening celebration for a new shop that features useful and decorative items which have been handmade by local Seattle artists and craftspeople. This DJ had his electronics and turntables set up right in the shop window and was bopping and dancing around to the music, twisting dials, moving platters, keeping things hopping for the guests inside. I think he may have been doing dnb oriented stuff, but not sure. Seattle+DJ dnb+dj dj dnb store+opening+SeattleQueen+Anne+art+crafts Hey+Mr.+DJ

A Little Too Much Fun

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

With her parents permission, I took this photo of a toddler who fell asleep in her stroller at the fair midway through a corndog. Apparently the excitement of the day was just too much! Me, I'm freaking out that this beautiful kid is going to aspirate part of her lunch when she comes to. . . Seattle+fair corndog child+sleeping Seattle+county+fair food+aspiration

County Fair In The Country Sun: I WON!

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

All summer long the city of Seattle seems to be one big festival town. But, when September rolls around, city folks head for the country, and the Puyallup Fair (a Native American word that most people pronounce as Pew-al-up). This young gent seemed pleased to have won his fair lady a huge prize through some feat of skill or blind luck in some game on the midway. PuyallupPuyallup+Fair county+fair+Seattle Seattle+fair county+fair+prize I+won

Seattle's Traffic Circles

If you drive anywhere in Seattle, you will find a scene similar to this at nearly every residential street intersection. Seattle's traffic circles, it has been said, are "as common as Starbuck's and rain." They were created to slow traffic at blind intersections to 15 mph. Since their widespread use here, traffic accidents at blind intersections have been reduced by over 70%. Neighbors keep up the landscaping (or not. . .). See more pics at More Seattle Stuff. Seattle+traffic+circles trafic+calming round+about blind+intersection slow+traffic no+stop+signs Seattle+circles circles traffic+circles

Kerry Hall, Cornish College of the Arts

If you wish to become an accomplished musician or dancer, this doorway might be the one to step through right into your dreams. Cornish College of the Arts is a highly respected school for performing and visual arts. This doorway into Kerry Hall of Cornish is located on Roy Street on Capitol Hill. (The visual and theater arts departments are in another location near Seattle Center.) The tile work on this (I think) 1915-1930 era doorway is beautiful and interesting. For a full look and more detailed photos click the link to my More Seattle Stuff page. Cornish Cornish+Seattle Cornish+College+of+the+Arts Kerry+Hall Cornish+Capitol+Hill tile+doorway Seattle+arts+college

Broadway Dance Steps

This is what you glimpsed near the top of yesterday's photo. For 4 blocks along Broadway on Capitol Hill you can follow the lovely tile trails on either side of the street to find 8 wonderful bronze sculptures embedded in the walkways. These eight different dance steps (pictured here is the Lindy Hop) are the work of artist Jack Mackie. In 1989 the city tore up the sidewalks on Broadway to put overhead wires underground. Mackie created these very popular, whimsical pieces to be included in the neighborhood "redux." Read more about the Rumba, Mombo, and other Broadway Dance Steps by clicking the link. Broadway+Seattle Broadway+Dance+Steps Jack+Mackie Mackie+Dance+Steps Seattle+Sidewalk+Art Seattle+Public+Art Dance+Steps Seattle+Dance+Steps Broadway+tile

Not Quite the Yellow Brick Road. . .

Clear across town from yesterday's photo, up on Capitol Hill I found this block-long mosaic tile pathway on Broadway. This shop's number can be read correctly forward or backward. Up ahead is a surprise embedded in the sidewalk. More on that tomorrow! Capitol+Hill+Seattle Broadway+Seattle Seattle+storefront Seattle+tile+work Seattle+dance+steps Broadway+dance+steps tile+mosaic Broadway+tile Seattle+sidewalk sidewalk+art

Artistic Touches in Seattle Storefronts

Despite their faded glory, these two colors of terrazo and their checkerboard borders of cheddar and black, black and white, and terra cotta and white tile patterns still delights. I found this in an old shop front doorway. Inlaid in black handcut letters in the terrazo was the name "Frank's." What pride that first proprietor must have taken in this entryway treatment. For a full view click my More Seattle Stuff page. doorway tile+work terrazo+entryway storefront+entry store+entry+tile+work tile+storefront Seattle+tile work Seattle+terrazo Frank's+Ballard Frank's+storefront

Surrealistic Fellow

Today the quarter begins at most colleges and universities in Seattle. A student newly back in town donned a woolly brimmed hat and hoody to stroll, seemingly invisibly, to the market. The clear light, nip in the air, and swell in the population of 18-25 year olds all seem to shout, "Autumn is nearly here." Metropolitan+Market+Queen+Anne Metropolitan+Market+Seattle shadows silhouette surrealistic Seattle+autumn

Cafe Decisions

As I was walking by a cafe doorway I glimpsed these two young women by chance. The way the late afternoon light outlined the young mother seemed so beautiful to me. I think they were considering food in a display case. Seattle+cafe Queen+Anne+cafe late+afternoon+light+photo Seattle+photo

Miro Paints Seattle Sunset

The wires, trolly lines, poles, street lamp, blobs of transformers and signal towers against the sunset gave me the feeling I was looking at Miro's take on the Seattle skyline. Miro wires trolly+lines tansformers Seattle Seattle+sunset Miro+Seattle

Truck in the Window

The last sunny Seattle summer day, the older children are back in school, the metal chairs outside the greengrocer sit empty at lunchtime in a busy week when no one has time to sit and chat. Summers of my childhood recall riding joyously in the back of my father's old 52 Chevy pickup truck. Ramp up life to warp speed, Mr. Sulu. Here we go barreling into fall. (Click this link for a full view of this cheerful store front tableau at my More Seattle Stuff page). Sunset+Hill+Greemarket Greenmarket greengrocer metal+chairs sidewalk+cafe wine+cheese+Seattle Seattle+neighborhood+market Seattle+street+scene Seattle+truck truck+reflection Seattle+photo

Farewell to Summer

It's the last hurrah in the gardens around Seattle. The light is dwindling earlier, yesterday the midday sun was bright, the air crisp, tree leaves beginning to turn red and amber, and the last blue-sky blooms were saying goodbye. Today gloom and drizzle, tomorrow rain. Farewell high summer. You were glorious!

Men's Back to School Fashion--Seattle Style

What the well dressed Frosh will be wearing on campus this year. . . Yes, Seattle's own Utilikilts are just the thing for frat parties or comfortable late night studies. Well, maybe mainly guys in art school or industrial education and technology classes--but I think they are gaining popularity with liberal arts types, as well. Prior to moving to Seattle, I'd only seen men in the US wear kilts to formal functions, such as black tie dinners and weddings. Here I've seen students, tradesmen, hikers, runners, and all kinds and ages of guys around Seattle wearing these casual kilts. They come in everything from goretex to leather. I even noticed a petite fashionista incorporating a black one of these into her very chic designer ensemble. See my More Seattle Stuff page for shots I took of the Interbay neighborhood store, which just closed and moved to the Pioneer Square neighborhood). Click this for a live model (a Seattle blogger who wears them). Remember, you saw them here first, folks. . . Utilikilts Seattle+Utilikilts Seattle+kilt kilt work+clothes men's+fashion Seattle+menswear Seattle+fashion kilts Seattle+clothing fall+fashion

Split Rectangle

Just beyond Frank Gehry's electric-guitar-red aluminium shingles and clear blue raised panels on the roof of the free flowing Experience Music Project, you can spy the Space Needle's revolving restaurant in the sky (46 minutes per full rotation) and 360 degree observation deck. Gehry expects the red paint of these shingles to fade with age, just as music changes over time. I liked the way the colors in this shot split the frame diagonally like a quilt block. Seattle+Center EMP Experience+Music+Project Frank+Gehry Gehry+design Space+Needle Observation+Deck O-Deck Rotating+Restaurant Split+Rectangle

Native Son

Jimi Hendrix grew up in Seattle's Central District (click the link to read about it). The house where he lived was moved last fall to the city of Renton, where Hendrix's memorial is located. I photographed this bronze statue of Hendrix where it currently sits on Broadway near the corner of Pine Street. It has been given to the city of Seattle by its owner and will soon be moved to the new Jimi Hendrix Park which was just developed. Click here for more shots I took.
Jimi+Hendrix Jimi+Hendrix+statue Jimi+Hendrix+Seattle Jimi+Hendrix+birthplace Jimi+Hendrix+Park Jimi+Hendrix+Broadway Jimi Hendrix Hendrix+statue Hendrix+Seattle