Seattle Daily Photo

Friday, July 29, 2011

Postcard: Gum Art Detail

A little follow up post on yesterday's visit to San Luis Obispo's Bubble Gum Alley. A newly painted wall end received some artistic attention from the gum faries :-).

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Postcard: SLO's Original Bubble Gum Alley

Many Seattle Daily Photo visitors have mentioned how unusual and gross they find the Market Street Theater Gum Wall started in Post Alley in the 1990's to be. This, however, is the granddaddy of all gum walls. It was started in the 1950s in San Luis Obispo, California. The small central coast college and mission town has a narrow alley off Higuerra Street that attracted a gum collection of amazing thickness and age (I learned it has been cleaned off twice at the request of the camber of commerce and this latest collection is only from the early 90s on). Of course we just had to find it. The under layers are. . .ah, shall we say rather black and grody. Several children came through as we watched and matter of factly plopped wads of gum low on the wall, as if it were daily habit. Ew factor. . .pretty big :-). Instead of pennies, people stick their business cards and gum wrappers to the gum. Lots of spontaneous, ah, art, I think.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Postcard: Pasadena Shout Out

Hey Ben, Laurie, & Petrea! Was thinking of you all while in your area. An iPhone shot won't do that lovely City Hall much justice, but it was fun to lay eyes on what you have shown me so many times in so many wonderful ways. We visited friends who are on sabbatical at Fuller, surprisingly hooked up for lunch with San Pedro, San Diego & Banning friends who happened to be in Pasadena this morning, had to stay in Glendale last night because the bar exam is being given in Pasadena so no rooms in the inns. (Side note: wow, the downtown of Glendale has an AMAZING development, very charming at night). We saw places my daughter helped at a few summers ago, and actually went to South Pasadena City Hall and passed quite a few places I recognized from Glimpses of South Pasadena.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Postcard: Paint Here For Free

Today's postcard from the road is an iPhone street shot from Hollywood Boulevard in the Little Armenia neighborhood of LA. Yes, he was singing a Tom Waits' song as he walked along. The trompe l'oeil street art caught my eye and this gent just ambled into the shot.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Postcard: Oside Pier

Another postcard from the road. This day it's a summer sunset from a sweet old SoCal beach town. We had dinner out on the end of the pier, then watched people fishing, surfing, and playing on the beach. This doesn't at all resemble Golden Gardens, but the sunlight sure was golden.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Postcard: As Bright As the Sun

I was looking at the flowers when a taxi crossed the intersection and all that yellow overtook me :-). As you might guess I am shooting with the iPhone this week and "Instagramming" you these postcards from the road. Yes, I am already sun burned. And, yes, I do realize the sun is out in Seattle, too.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Postcard: Coffee in the Hot Sun

The setting is the farmer's market in the Little Italy section of San Diego, California on a very warm summer morning. So, I was surprised to see the crowds lined up at the gourmet coffee vendor's mobile unit. I guess Seattle and Portland aren't the only cities jonesing for java. :-). But in the hot sun? Well, we all need our fix, I guess.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Postcard From The Road

I'm on a road trip so I'm sending in postcards of scenic adventures a little further afield than Seattle. Or is that farther afield? :-) Grammarians please advise!
This is literally a road shot taken from the backseat of my friend's car while speeding along the freeway. Those bright Corvettes just beckoned me to capture them. Humming the old theme from "Route 66." Welcome along for the ride!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Hanging With Mom @ Work

This girl was winding up a long day of helping her mom arrange and sell flowers at a neighborhood farmers market. Her family grows those gorgious blooms and trucks them to market. Huge bouquets of fresh picked blooms range from $10 to $15. Do you remember yourself at this age, helping your parents?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

What Will the Water Do?

Well, it will keep them cool, bu these children were exploring how water runs down a spiral channel of a giant sea shell at the water works in Ballard Commons Park. It's not been our typical summer yet, but the kids are making the most of the sunny and partly sunny days we have had. Hope you are keeping cool and enjoying summer (northern hemisphere folks :-)).

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Les Seattlennes Summer Style

So equal time today to what some segments of the female population are adopting for summer attire in Seattle. I spied these tres chic fashionistas conversing on NW Market Street.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Utilikilts About Town

Since multiple readers mistook the garment in yesterday's photo to be a skirt, I thought I'd post a few shots I've taken of wearers of Utilikilts, a contemporary take on the traditional tartan kilts of Scottish Highlands origin. These originated here in Seattle and are made to be worn as work clothes and everyday casual dress by folks who enjoy the freedom they offer. :-)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Family Stroll

A Seattle mom and dad with their child in a stroller and their dog make their way down the crowded sidewalk of a neighborhood street festival.Typical Seattle summer vibe.

Update 2:30 PM: Dear readers, several commentors below are asking why the skirt? Sorry not to have clarified for you to begin with that this guy is wearing a Utilikilt, a brand of utilitarian and work kilts designed and manufactured here in Seattle (kilts are a tradition in Scottish Highlands' menswear--think Braveheart and Great Britain's famous Highlands Regiments). Kilts in the United States are mostly worn only for formal occasions by people honoring their family heritage, commonly made of a wool tartan woven in a family pattern. But, here in Seattle there is a company that designs and manufactures kilts for everyday and work wear. In cooler months these are often paired with ankle high Doc Martins for footwear rather than the traditional wing tip Gillie Brogues. I've seen a lot of guys around Seattle wearing Utilikilts, and I've seen some female fashionistas adopt them for their ensembles as well. They aren't cheap! I'll post other images tomorrow to illustrate how this is pretty common attire around these parts :-).

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Monorail & Needle

In the dark and almost silently, the monorail speeds overhead through downtown and back to Seattle Center under the watchful eye of the Space Needle. Next year the iconic symbol of the Emerald City turns 50! Some of the lights you see are from Sky City, the revolving restaurant, and others above are flashes from people taking photos on the observation deck. If you'd like to see the 360 degree view from the top of the Needle, click here and have some fun manipulating the live webcam to look in any direction over the city that you would like.

Friday, July 15, 2011

End of an Era

No, its not the latest prediction of doomsday. It's the poster outside the Cinerama in downtown Seattle announcing the final film in the Harry Potter series. Our daughter was in 3rd grade when the first Harry Potter book was published in the USA. Our family partner-read through the series as each new book was published. Well, we'd partner-read it after dad, who'd nab the newest edition for himself upon our return from the bookstore, finished reading it cover to cover in one or two sittings, that is :-). We also went to see each of the films together and enjoyed them very much. In a way the books and films have been markers along the stages and ages of childhood and adolescence and pleasant family times spent together. She's grown up right along with the book characters and the actors who portrayed them. So, it is with a mixture of fond anticipation and a bit of sadness that we look forward to seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 while we are on vacation together soon. Seattlites won't be waiting. They cued up for a midnight showing (as they have for most of the Potter films in the past), and this after a week long Harry Potter film marathon.

The Cinerama Theater in downtown Seattle first opened in 1963. It was saved from demolition years later by Seattlite Paul Allen (co-founder of Microsoft and Vulcan real estate developer) who was a patron of the theater when a kid. It has undergone major renovations and restoration in 1999 and again last year and is now outfitted to show Cinerama films, 70mm, and 3D. It has a state of the art sound system and is very popular in this town that loves films. And all things 60s (check out that tile wall!) :-)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Bastille Day in Seattle

Wishing all our friends in France a happy Bastille Day. Seattlites will be staying up late to celebrate with you. Check out my More Seattle Stuff page to see particulars of one such evening of fun.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola @ Jazz Alley

For the last couple years I've been enjoying going to a concert a month. I love live music of all kinds. Seattle has a lot of great local venues and musicians, and we are also lucky so many touring musicians enjoy playing here. Many of the musicians whose work I follow are guitarists from several genres. Tonight I got to see jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter (above) for the first time, playing at Jazz Alley with drummer Scott Amendola (below). Their improvising was really wonderful. I'd heard recordings, but had never seen Hunter play and couldn't believe my eyes when I realized he was in effect playing bass lines over inventive melody lines, chords and harmonics all at the same time on his 7 string guitar. I've seen Bruce Cockburn similarly use his thumb as his own complete rhythm section while playing complex compositions on a 6 string, but Hunter's fluidity and speed while playing inventive jazz/rock/funk/blues and riffing off Amendola's considerable contributions and vice-versa were beyond unreal to behold.Very fun set!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Captain Argh

At least I think that's his name. He was roaming the streets at last weekend's Ballard Seafood Fest. This neighborhood street fair is part of Seattle's city-wide Seafair celebration, and it wouldn't be that Seafair time of year without pirates. Lots of them. They came ashore at Alki on Saturday in the Seafair Pirates 61st annual landing. They will be seen everywhere. I don't know if this plundering devil is part of the Seafair rable, but he was certainly in the spirit of their fun.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

The Usual Suspects From Near & Far

They are camera crazy. Every last one of them! I've had the pleasure of meeting each of these fine folk from the CDPBlogging community when they visited Seattle. Oh, except that one guy who makes two appearances in jaunty caps--he isn't visiting, he's a longtime Seattlite :-). Some of them I've met with multiple times and enjoyed photowalking my city or theirs. Others have had limited time so we met for coffee or during a a pit stop while on a 3 day walk to raise funds for cancer research. They came from Yakima, Greenville, Portland (formerly from Mashhad and now in Chicago), Brattleboro, Bangor (formerly from NYC), Belgrade, Victoria, Versailles, Vancouver, Ferney-Voltaire near Geneva (formerly from Seattle and DC), and Paris. Thanks so much for spending time Chuck, Ciel de Quimper, Michael, Wayne, Chuck again & Bibi, Maya & Janet, Bibi, Conrad, Benjamen, Brattcat & Mr. Brattcat, Denton, Kateney and Meead. CDPB folks drop in on each other all around the globe when they get the chance.

Saturday, July 09, 2011

In Touch With His Inner Viking

It's that time of year for fun in the streets. This weekend you can head over to Ballard and follow the scent of the alder wood smoke to the amazing Salmon dinner and the rest of what the historic maritime neighborhood's 37th Annual Seafood Fest has to offer. It's in full swing from 11AM to 9PM today and tomorrow, inviting folks to come enjoy all kinds of amazing street food, two stages of live music, dancing and entertainment, beer and wine gardens, lots of fun children's activities, artists and vendors booths, and that certain Ballard Nordic vibe. They invite you to come "eat, play, plunder." I got a kick out of The Hi-Life's non-seafood offering to the festivities--the popular local eatery in a refurbished historic fire house started late last night roasting a pig for their 2nd Annual Ballard Back Alley Pork-Fest today. It's all about alternatives, from Vegan eats to Big Easy-style red beans and rice with shrimp, to Lutefisk, Deadliest Catch crab, roasted corn, and gourmet seafood, you won't go away from seafood fest hungry. This gentleman got into the spirit of things at last year's fest and was kind enough to let me nab this close shot.

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