Seattle Daily Photo

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Small Batch o' Booze

The light and the colors were really nice as I passed an antique shop window display, so I took this shot of a small collection of items. I was mainly playing with depth of field and not paying much attention to the articles themselves. But when I got home and saw the shot on the large screen, I got to wondering what those bottles were all about. Turns out to be quite an expensive display of "small batch" Bourbons, each aged 6 to 9 years and costing about $30 to $45 apiece. Not antiques by any stretch, so it's a mystery why they were there. There are whole worlds of things to be a connoisseur of that I've never known. Sometimes looking through a lens helps expose you to new and interesting parts of culture. Are you a fan of small batch bourbons?

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Ghost Riders On the Sound

Ferry travel is a way of life in the Pacific Northwest and attracts work commuters as well as recreation travelers. I looked down from the top deck of the ferry to see these 10 riderless cycles parked on the bow for the ride from Kingston to Edmonds. Then I noticed one of the riders on deck. Which bike would you pair him with?

Monday, August 29, 2011

Hood Canal

I went camping with friends along the Hood Canal on the Kitsap Peninsula over the weekend. Kayakers were out in abundance enjoying the beautiful sunshine and the close views of Olympic peaks, like The Brothers peeking at us on the right.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fading in the Light

Just down Ballard Avenue from yesterday's photo is the food studio of Kathy Casey, owner of the Dish D'lish quick restaurants at the Seattle Airport. I noticed the color in the sign lettering has faded a bit in the strong western light. The food studio hosts special events and classes in cooking and mixology. For the foodies out there, this is a mecca for fun.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Happy Hour Sundown

Happy hour was in full swing, patrons were seated in the outdoor terrace enjoying the evening, and I was looking at the metalwork and horned skull sculpture that adorns the entrance to The Matador, a restaurant and tequila bar in the Ballard neighborhood. I saw the reflection of the ironwork in the door and was setting up another shot, when all of the sudden a woman stepped into a beam of light inside, framed by the reflection and shadows.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hidden Tiger, Crouching Photographer

Summer is in full bloom and Seattlites have shed their layers to embrace it. Even so, this tiger is a bit shy to show its face, but the chrysanthemum doesn't mind. :-) I was having brunch with friends at Le Rêve bakery café when this couple came in and I just had to shoot that beautifully done tatt. It reminds me of this tricky picture (click to enjoy).

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Veggie Vendor

Summer produce at Pike Place Market is plentiful, beautiful, and soooo tasty. It's always a pleasure to peruse and a good value. An added pleasure is getting to "meet the producer," too. As appealing as these veggies are, my purchases there have been limited to just fruit lately. Some friends and I recently started receiving weekly deliveries of a variety of organic veggies from New Earth Farm in the Skagit Valley (north of Seattle). We have helped out on the farm a couple times and have gotten to know the folks who grow and pick the food. I have so enjoyed the fresh offerings produced locally and am very thankful to have wholesome food in such variety available. Hope you are enjoying the tastes of summer, too! Maybe from your own kitchen garden? I will so regret when the peaches at the Market are done. . .they've been especially good this year. But fall's coming on soon, and my three little espaliered apple trees are full of nearly ripe fruit to enjoy next month.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Children's Room of the Central Library

Never shy on any of its 10 floors when it comes to the use of bold color, Seattle's amazing downtown Central Library features a raspberry sherbert color treatment in this media and play area of its huge children's room on the ground floor. It's a good place to hang out until a brief August storm clears outdoors. This shot goes out to dear Brattcat :-).

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Seattle Street Fight

Street Fight a video by Seattle Daily Photo on Flickr.

While out walking I glanced these two women with swords practicing some martial arts skills out on the street.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Recycled Playhouse

If you peeked through yesterday's gate you would see this cute children's playhouse the talented homeowner has built in the back garden using salvaged materials. It will make a great cottage, studio or office when the kids are grown, but for now it looks like swashbuckling adventures are being fully enjoyed by some lucky kiddos. There's even a tin can telephone below the ladder. . .haven't seen one of those in a while :-). Seattle loosened up it's zoning regulations a few years ago to allow more density of structures and second houses on one lot (footprint of second dwelling can be no more than 800 sq ft, and height no more than 16 ft, and owner must occupy one of the dwellings). Quite a "cottage industry" going on in Seattle :-).

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Mitered Corners, Butted Ends

This framed peek-through grill in a Seattle garden gate caught my attention as I walked by. I think the square of metal work might be a salvaged/reused find. Sometimes it is the small details like this that draw my attention. Once I noticed this, then the gate handle made from a found branch caught my eye (see my More Seattle Stuff page for a shot of the whole gate). The use of salvaged materials in an artful way reminded me of the hippie woodbutcher style cabins of the 70s "back to the land" movement, where whimsy, poverty, creativity and available materials dictated design possibilities. (Here's a photo of one of those charming dwellings that I've actually stayed in on the Mendocino coast. It was made entirely from one old growth log, using no power tools, nails, or hinges, and has built-in furniture like loft beds and desks.)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Le Weekend: Time to Kick Back

Ah, the pleasures of weekend downtime and enjoying a bit of summer reading outdoors and a nice cuppa joe. Seattlites tend to make the most of summer, and that usually means high activity. So, it was good to see someone savoring a bit of time to herself and slowing down the pace.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Entrance to Jazz Alley

Seattle's premier jazz club and home of the Pacific Jazz Institute, Dimitriou's Jazz Alley really has its entrance located in a Belltown alley. The popular club has featured a who's who of the jazz world since its beginnings in the U-District in 1979. It is an intimate supper club and there is not a bad seat in the house. I love hearing music there, and their photography policy allows me to practice shooting in the dark at close range. As it happens, I'll be seeing Pat Methney there next month.
I took this shot after a recent show. Someone had parked their cute two tone Metropolitan Scooter nearby. The building you see reflected above the pedestrian skyway is a recent addition to Seattle's skyline, the 30 story Escala condominium complex.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

It's Hollyhock Time

An urban front garden in the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood boasts these 7 to 9 foot towering lovelies. My mother in law once showed me how she made "Hollyhock dolls" from these blossoms with the petals forming a delicate skirt around the pretend figure. One of childhood's summer pleasures. The homeowner was not at play in the flowers, but working quite hard at weeding when I walked by. Her raspberries were also tall but not yet ripe, and the whole front garden was very beautiful.

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.

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