Mr. & Mrs. Smith Go to Washington

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

This couple kind of reminded me of some celebs, but there is something more east coast about them. . .maybe the outerwear and the resemblance of the woman to the late wife of JFK Jr. They were walking along 2nd Ave. in the Belltown neighborhood after work on a Friday. Perhaps she's inquiring if the new iphones were going on sale at 6 PM? There are about a thousand of those visible around town tonight! Have you seen one in your city yet?

Thanks to the many readers who contacted me about the formatting problem of the past couple months and for your patience through it. I gave up trying to resolve the disappearing background wrapper with the web host and had to just scrap the old template altogether, a big undertaking I couldn't get to until recently. I think we'll use the new face lift to help to celebrate SDP's upcoming one year anniversary on July 8th. Not only will that day mark the 365th daily post, but I expect to have on or about that day my 40,000 th visitor to SDP (currently 38,698 visitors from 113 countries!). Hope you will drop by to help celebrate on the 8th! Meanwhile, tomorrow is "Theme Day" for the City Daily Photo Bloggers, always a fun event. Our July theme is "Red." Lots of great possibilities for that here in Seattle. . .hope you'll come enjoy a trip around the world in Red.

All The Diamonds

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

. . .in this world that mean anything to me, are conjured up by wind and sunlight sparkling on the sea. ~ B. Cockburn

Summer here in Seattle is filled with festivals and fun outdoor events every weekend, but nothing beats just walking by the water on a workday and enjoying the balmy breezes and the beautiful views. I took this shot while at the Olympic Sculpture Park, a great place for people watching.

Ready For Most Anything

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

I took this shot of a table top parade of condiments in a popular Seattle restaurant that prides itself in it regional American cooking. The 5 Spot on Queen Anne Hill features dishes from five areas in the USA, four of which remain constant and one of which rotates and is featured for a number of weeks. Currently they are visiting Hawaii. Book 'em, Danno! They decorate the interior for the theme (including a number of commissioned poster-sized paintings), put out special placements and table settings, and go all out to cook up really yummy offerings. This is a place you can get breakfast all day. Comfort food in a comfortable setting. Always a crowd, a pro wait staff, and attention to the fun factor by the kitchen crew.

Applied Urban Geometry

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

Not quite your Paris rooftop scene, eh? Here are four Seattle buildings which are actually far apart, but my zoom compressed the feel to make them seem as if they were next to each other. I shot this from the 17th floor of a building on First Hill, looking west toward downtown. In the foreground are the mechanical structures on the roof of an old apartment building, just past those are the reflective windows and pink stone face of a high rise, a Louvre-like pyramid roof cap is beyond that, and furthest away the concrete and window bands of an office building. I liked all the geometric shapes that compose the pieces.

'Rasin'

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

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's sculpture Typewriter Eraser, Scale X is a popular work at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Whenever I see it on the hillside, it makes me smile to think of it careening down at breakneck speed, smudging out anything in its path. It would be fun to animate this. The grasses and wildflowers have grown in now to create a lush and colorful carpet.

Day Labor Pick Up Zone

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

I shot this while driving by Casa Latina's pick up point for immigrant day laborers. The sidewalk is lined for a block with people available for hire. Contractors or homeowners who need extra help with projects can phone or drop by the charitable organization's site to arrange for workers who can then be driven by the organization to the job site or picked up in this zone in the Belltown neighborhood. Workers can receive support services and training and make casual work agreements with potential employers in relative safety and with a collectively agreed upon minimum wage and work scale. Way different than the day laborer zones I used to see in Marin City and Berkeley, CA where guys represented themselves, stood at the curb outside lumber yards and such and negotiated with potential employers themselves. I'm curious to know how day laborers make themselves available for employment in other communities and countries. What have you seen where you live? How are they received or looked on in your community?

Corner Scooter

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

Hope you are enjoying a relaxing Sunday. Belltown neighborhood condo dwellers can take an early morning scooter ride to pick up some pastries or Top Pot donuts and the Sunday paper, then head back home to enjoy them with coffee on their balconies overlooking Seattle Center, Downtown, Elliot Bay and the Sound. Vespas and other scooters are very popular here.