seattle pics

Friday, November 7, 2008

Ready for the Pineapple Express

It's raining cats and dogs and will be for the next couple days.The "Pineapple Express," a common moist weather system that comes in from Hawaii, is chugging through. I got a flat tire and had to hobble to the tire center to get a fix. It was about time to get new tires on the back , anyway. The lines were very long with people having their storm and snow tires installed before those Thanksgiving road trips through snowy passes to be with kith and kin. I wasn't wearing shoes I could walk home in the rain in, so I waited for the work to be completed. I wasn't prepared like this fellow. He could go out in whatever hits the street and be just fine :-). Happy Friday everyone. Tonight I will be meeting our CDPBlogging friend Meead who is in Seattle with a group from his university attending a conference at UW.

SDP on CNN: CNN International interviewed me a few weeks back for the "Local View" feature of their webpage for their program "My City-My Life" featuring Seattle native Quincy Jones. They chose eight photos for a linked gallery and really put together a wonderful site to find out about all things Seattle. (Thanks to Chuck of Almost One a Day who punted to me because he was out of town and knew I love music). The program is airing several times over the next few days. It was fun to learn of Scott, a neighborhood news blogger in the Central District where "Q" grew up, who was also interviewed for the feature.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Seattle's Beloved Tuba Man Silenced

I took this photo I called "Tuba Dude" as a candid on August 17, 2007 while out photowalking along the Magnolia bluffs, so if it looks familiar, it's because you saw it here (original post). I saw this lone figure playing his tuba. After a time I walked around to his other side to see if I might get a shot from the front, and he noticed me at a distance and acknowledged my presence with a very warm smile and a nod "Hi!" and resumed playing to the Puget Sound. I had no idea who he was, but on hearing his very able chops thought he was possibly a local orchestra musician. Seemed a very normal and charming thing to play one's horn to the Puget Sound. My husband often took his sax to the marina near our house in Berkeley after work and played to the bay and the sunset in the open air like this. Maybe its just a musician thing. I didn't want to disturb him further, so didn't take that second shot. A photo friend seeing this shot shortly after I took it commented that wasn't this Seattle's "Tuba Man" that he often saw busking outside of sporting events? Ah, yes, that's him, someone else confirmed. A beloved Seattle character familiar to thousands (except me). Several months later I was at my mom's when she was watching a television program in which his story was featured. His name is Ed McMichael. I learned that he's sort of a Seattle legend: everyone knows and loves him. After just one beautiful smile and "Hi!" from him, I could see why. Yesterday I learned that this gentle, sweet musician had been beaten and robbed by 5 youths on Mercer Street on October 25. He was treated at Harborview Hospital and released two days later to go home under the care of his brother. He passed away in his sleep early November 4th due to his injuries. He is remembered fondly by a city to which he gave so many happy moments and years of musical joy and friendliness.

There will be an informal gathering outside of McCaw Hall this Saturday morning at 11 AM at which all musicians who would like to play in memory of Ed may join in the playing of Taps, Tequila and the University of Washington Fight Song. I have a feeling it will be quite a tribute orchestra.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

An American Family Moment

We were having a late supper when the President Elect of the United States and his family took the stage in Chicago and we looked on from the TV screen at the 5 Spot restaurant on Queen Anne. The restaurant went to a hush and patrons left far tables to draw closer and listen to the memorable and inspiring speech. There was spontaneous applause at several points and moist eyes at others, and a feeling in the air of sharing a special moment. I had heard Senator McCain's gracious concession speech earlier on the radio while in transit. Before that, just after 8:00 PM when the polls here closed and the announcement went out, the streets I drove were nearly empty. There were fire crackers and whoops here and there, but hardly a soul on the street. I heard from a classmate that the streets in parts of Capitol Hill were filled with celebrants and nearly impassable. For the most part, versions of this scene were taking place indoors all over the city in private homes and neighborhood gathering places. We were part of the larger American family gathered around TVs and radios, sharing this moment, in victory or defeat, as one people.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Election Day Cookies

We came across these cool presidential candidate likenesses on stenciled iced cookies while at the market last night. Who could resist the urge to celebrate the culmination of two long years of campaigning after laying eyes on these spangled shortbread cookies! Little Rae's Bakery in south Seattle creates and markets some of the most fun and really tasty holiday cookies imaginable (and I think they ship to anywhere). In this "Patriot Pack" complete with a label that urges us to VOT E were red, white, and blue stars and the airbrushed icing portraits of Barack Obama and John McCain in appropriate colors and on the appropriate sides of the box. When I set the box down on the kitchen table where our map of Paris is under glass, McCain was residing on the Right Bank and Obama on the Left ;^). Here is a shot I took while we were sampling them with some milk after dinner. We voted YES, they ARE that good. Happy Election Day to those in the USA!

Thank you to US Elaine, Jilly, and Chuck for feedback on the difficulty with the new embedded comment form not functioning properly. Blogger reports that it sometimes won't work if one has added code to customized the template. I've switched back to the pop up comment dialog box and anticipate no further problems.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Sleepy In Seattle

That houseboat on the left seems lit up like a cheerful lantern next to all those darkened liveaboards near it. These floating abodes are on the northernmost edge of the Westlake area of Lake Union. The cozy lamplight made me want to curl up on its deck in my jammies and slippers with a warm cup of Theo sipping chocolate and absorb the late night autumn reflections in the water. I was stopped on the Burke-Gilman Trail, just under the Aurora Bridge in Fremont gazing across the water when I took this. Full view of the scene here.

One frequent reader reports trouble posting via the new comments format. If you are also having your comments not show up, please let me know at seattledailyphoto@earthlink.net .

Sunday, November 2, 2008

9:30 PM Weekend Night

This was the relatively deserted late evening scene in downtown Ballard where we were heading to see a film at the Majestic Bay Theater, a purposefully small venue completely rebuilt about ten years ago on the site of the old Bay Theater which operated from 1915 to the 1990s. It is a popular draw for the nearby coffee houses and restaurants, but even those open looked three quarters empty. Still some folks out on a mild night, but not in the numbers we have usually seen there on a weekend night. We thought there would be more folks in the theater, too. Maybe a sign of the economic pinch?

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Theme Day: Books

My friend Dan is a voracious reader. He often mentions what he is currently enjoying and how it is affecting him. I love it when he's so into it he just starts reading aloud. It's kind of infectious and more than once I've noted something he's mentioned and picked up a copy and dived in myself. Well, I was photowalking in the neighborhood where his office is and as I passed by, I looked up at the window where I know his desk is. I had to laugh wondering if those are his stacks to read or the ones he's already finished! Seattle is noted as being America's most literate city, at least it was until last year when Minneapolis deposed us after two years at the top of the heap. Apparently someone has done the math and given us the distinction of actually reading the books we check out of the library and purchase. Well, I think Dan's keeping up HIS end of it! Here's a shot of my current stack ;^).

Want to see what's a good read around the rest of the globe? It's City Daily Photo Bloggers first of the month theme day today, and you can start your book tour by clicking here to view thumbnails for all participants.