Lots of Children Left Behind

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

The current class of graduating high school seniors is the first to face the added requirement of passing the state's standardized achievement test in order to graduate. As in other states, the Washington Assesment of Student Learning, commonly called the WASL (pronounced WA-sul), has been highly controversial. The math section was so flawed that the governor and state legislature eliminated it from the graduation requirement. If students fail the reading and writing portions of the 10th grade test, they may retake the test during 11th and 12th grades. Notices went out this week to 5572 students who will not be graduating with their 2008 class in two weeks, even if they have successfully completed their courses and met all other graduation requirements. These are real individuals' lives. The full repercussion this will have on them and their families remains to be seen. My modest proposal for many years has been that the president of the United States and every member of congress who voted in favor of his "No Child Left Behind" legislation six years ago take and pass all portions of the WASL in order to keep his/her job. I don't think it is necessarily the children who are slow. JMHO, your mileage may vary.

Mural in Sunset Heights Section of Fremont

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I thought you might like an abstract today. Where Phinney Ridge meets the Fremont neighborhood is a micro neighborhood called Sunset Heights. There are wonderful views of the Olympics, the Sound, and the Ballard neighborhood below from this last bit of the ridge. What inspired this mural on the north side of a building there I'm not sure, but I loved the rich reds and blues, and the texture of the colors caught in cracks. Happy Friday everyone!

Northern Flicker

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I have come to love this woodpecker with the splash of orange under its tail and wings, that is as at home on the ground around our house as it is in the trees. I wasn't familiar with the Northern Flicker before I was introduced to them here in Seattle. A pair of them used to regularly drill our chimney cap in the mornings, as if it was their personal gong to summon the neighborhood to life. They also called their own name, "Flicker, flicker!" I was walking down Nob Hill St. when I saw this fellow perched in such a way that I could play around with the Space Needle beyond.

Lighthouse Roasters

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

It's iced coffee drinks and iced tea all around on this beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon at Lighthouse Roasters, a very popular Phinney Ridge neighborhood gathering place. Housed in an older wood frame building on a corner in a predominantly residential area, Lighthouse is as low key an establishment and as fine a quality as you are ever bound to find in Seattle. They roast on premise in very small batches.Their customers appreciate it .

Lake Union Park: Under Development

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

It was fun to get this bird's eye view of the new waterfront park in the South Lake Union/Cascade neighborhood. Being married to a wooden boat lover, I've spent a lot of great family time at the adjacent Center for Wooden Boats. It looks like some of the park's hardscape includes boat shaped planters in the lawn areas (see full plan here). The new Safeco pedestrian bridge in the lower left of the photo leads to meandering park space along the Westlake shoreline. The Seattle Streetcar SLUT line stops at Lake Union Park, and I predict after the park receives its finishing touches in 2010 it will become well utilized for events and much appreciated by Seattlites.

Metropolitan Street Style

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Two scooter riders were waiting for the light. This red and white Metropolitan was halfway through its turn before I noticed the rider's distinctive style choices: red suede ankle strap platform heels, vintage brown barkcloth tiki print dress with inverted pleats, up-to-the-minute spring green knit 3/4 sleeve cardigan, knit striped scarf, black leather gloves with red lace detail, all topped by a black helmet.

Sundae Kiss

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I was standing on the bank of the ship canal near Google's offices and had just taken a shot of the Fremont Ave Ice Cream Cruise boat chugging past the Fremont Bridge when I happened to look up the bike path and saw this couple sitting on a boulder overlooking the water, eating ice cream and smiling at each other. And then . . . Ah, an inspiring sunny, relaxed spring Sunday.

WWII Era B-17 Bomber Just Flew Over My House

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Wow, this "Flying Fortress" rumbled close over my house yesterday at 10:41 AM, and again today at 11:13 AM, starting the Memorial Day weekend off with appropriate thoughts of veterans and their service during WWII. I heard its noisy prop engines coming, grabbed my camera from the desk, ran to the window and just caught sight of this huge vintage B-17 bomber (originally made by Seattle's own Boeing Aircraft and completely restored to period combat readiness by the Experimental Aircraft Association). I found out its name is "Aluminium Overcast." Today I was outside taking photos of flowers when it passed directly above again. It is owned and operated by EAA and is on a yearly educational tour of the US. There are only 14 of these aircraft left flying in the world today. You can tour it and even go for a flight around Seattle in it this weekend. Be sure to wave to me as it flies over our place!

Trophy Cupcakes Taking Off

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

One year old Trophy Cupcakes in the Wallingford neighborhood seems to be all the buzz. I was there to pick up an assortment for a party and learned from the folks behind me in line that they were there for the first time after hearing the owner interviewed on KUOW yesterday. Last month Martha Stewart featured Trophy's S'mores cupcake. The varieties are creative and tasty! Today I'd like to send 2nd Anniversary cupcakes to Helen at Albuquerque Daily Photo, and belated 1st Anniversary cupcakes to Linda at Austin Daily Photo, and to Bergson at Chateaubriant Daily Photo.

All Kinds of Wheels

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Rollerblading is a fun and leisurely way a lot of Seattlites enjoy exploring Seattle's more level areas while getting some exercise. It is especially popular on shared bike trails along the shores of Puget Sound, Elliott Bay, Greenlake, the Ship Canal, and Lake Washington. Here a father on blades gives a little assist to his son learning to ride a bike along the beach on the Alki trail.

Seattle Sights Bus Shelter

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Another way to get around Seattle and see its interesting features close up is to take the Metro buses and explore their extensive routes. Most bus shelters feature artwork by adults or children in the neighborhood and are treats to see in themselves. This shelter on Queen Anne Hill gives a somewhat complete Seattle tour in one viewing!

Kenmore Close

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

One beautiful and exciting way to get a visual grasp of Seattle and its many interesting features is to go aloft for one of Kenmore Air's floatplane flightseeing excursions. They take off from the waters on the northwest shore of Lake Union and give first time visitors and Seattlites alike a great perspective on the Emerald City. Check out someone's video of a KA landing here on YouTube . In my photo a pilot is taking his passengers for a close look at the Needle as part of the air tour. I wonder if the folks in the elevator can see the folks in the plane?

Cheese, Glorious Pacific Northwest Cheese

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

If I happen to be at Pike Place Market mid-day, I'll often grab lunch at Beecher's Cheese. Their sandwiches and mac 'n cheese are favorites of mine, and so is perusing their artisan cheese selections like this couple (below is what they see). I missed the 4th annual Seattle Cheese Festival held over the weekend, but heard from foodie friends how much they enjoyed it and how it has grown. There were over 50 exhibitors providing heavenly samples this year. There were demonstrations by local chefs (including the guys from current mobile Seattle street eats fave, Skillet) and seminars with US cheese artisans as well as one with France's Laurent Mons. If you missed it, too, there is still a chance to taste great cheeses: 38 Seattle restaurants are featuring special cheese-inspired menu items this week.

Ballard Syttende Mai Parade Sea Serpent

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Seattle's 2008 Syttende Mai Parade wended its way through the Ballard neighborhood in 87 F degree heat yesterday evening. This sea serpent appears to have devoured poor Leif, but delighted the warm children along the route with mist from its nostrils and squirts of water from it's pal, the Norwegian Spitting Fish. For lots more photos, see my Flickr page.

Lilacs So Fragrant

Photo & Text Copyright 2007 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Most of the spring flowers are spent now but these are still going strong. The lilacs in our garden have put on quite a show and wonderfully perfumed the air. They always remind me of my older brother who first introduced me to their joys.

Surrealistic View

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

We have lovely sunshine and balmy breezes at last. Everyone's out and about, including walkers, runners, cyclists, and even tour buses. This tour bus with a photo cling advertisement of the view from Kerry Park Overlook was actually parked at Kerry Park Overlook. Its reflective windows mirrored a distorted view of the same scene. For those of you feeling clever, I invite you to name this photo.

Celebrations in Seattle

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

On any given day you will find not one, but six nation's flags displayed in several locations around the Ballard neighborhood where Nordic pride runs deep. This ship's mast flag pole at the Viking Bank next to the Sons of Norway Hall flies the colors of the USA, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. This Saturday Norway's flag will dominate the mix as Seattle hosts the largest Syttende Mai parade and celebration outside of Norway. It is just one of several events this weekend, like the Seattle Cheese Festival at Pike Place Market and the International Children's Festival at Seattle Center, that will kick off Seattle's sunny non-stop summer festival season in grand style.

Backtracking

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

I see the most interesting people on the streets of Seattle. This couple missed the entrance to the restaurant they were looking for, then backtracked when it registered. I'm thinking these were visitors rather than Seattlites. Perhaps from your city?. . .Your guess?

Fin Project

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Magnuson Park in Seattle is situated on a mile long stretch of beautiful Lake Washington. The popular waterfront park is part of a former US Navy facility. I took this shot of The Fin Project: Swords Into Plowshares art installation from atop Kite Hill. John Young, a professor of sculpture at UW, used fins from decommissioned Cold War era nuclear submarines donated by the Navy and arranged them to resemble a pod of Orca whales. Each fin has a brass plaque near the base with the name of the submarine and contributors to the art project. There is a sister installation in Florida (only gray, like dolphin fins) and the artist hopes to make this an international project. (Yes, the man out for a walk does have "Ballard" tattooed on his left leg. Perhaps in alum of BHS?)

Serious Salmon

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Food figures big in Seattle, especially any variation of seafood. Fresh salmon is a huge inspiration for Seattle's creative culinary scene. These chefs from Campagne were preparing salmon in a kitchen faced by huge windows. Culinary theater viewable on the streets of Seattle! Campagne is one of the most celebrated French-style restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.