Hanging…
Tuesday, 25 February 2020
Hanging out. (The bee.)
Hanging on. (The leaves.)
Musings
Two-movie trip
Sunday, 23 February 2020
Thought the morning was going to be murky. Wrong. Look: buds!
One last look at salt water. Cold wind. Look: unruffled gull!
Special public art: airport version. Look: I think this mix includes at least one duodenum!??
Lights rule here. Look: Earth!
Nice view of the new awning/cover from the train platform. Great trip; good to be home—these feelings can coexist.
The two movies were “The Current War” and “Parasite.” Enjoyed both.
Park notes
Friday, 21 February 2020
Overgrown carriageway, now a footpath. In hilltop park.
Beach framed by the Olympics. Different park.
Oops. Not in a park. Too gorgeous not to include….
Gorgeous day (again 🍀)
Thursday, 20 February 2020
We felt the pull of the countryside, of getting out of the city…which also meant getting close to salt water in various locations. Wanna buy a yacht? These are for sale.
Went in a free museum in La Conner, the Museum of Northwest Art, and found two things of particular interest. This mural, William Cummings’s Skagit Valley Mural, 1941, was lost for decades and believed to have been destroyed. Cummings painted it for the local high school to promote vo-ed subjects that would keep students in the community, like operating a dairy. The canvas ended up rolled up in a farmer’s barn, with it forgotten that it was a painting and not a tarp. Recently, it was rediscovered and saved, and the Museum raised the money to get it restored. They put it on display just two weeks ago. Lucky us!
The second lovely story is that the main exhibit was of the collection of Betty Black, born in Scotland, but long-time area resident who died in 2018. For decades, she lived in a house that artist/sculptor Tony Smith (1912–1980) designed…for his father-in-law, Lawrence Langham Brotherton (1889–1969), aka my grandmother’s brother. I suspect I slept on the deck of that house as a youth (that is, back in the Middle Ages 🤣). Small, small world.
This shot is of one of the peaks of Mount Erie, but not the highest, although within perhaps two meters of the highest. Instead, it is perhaps the roundest of the summits. Interestingly/confusingly, we discovered no other nearby peaks with a HOMES lake name.
Stupendous view from Mount Erie. We’re having excellent weather for our visit this week. Lucky us!
Sea level. This view is to the south-southwest from Libbey Beach Park. Those organic “snakes” are bull kelp remains…very interesting texture…flexible but not soft.
Ferry ride! To the left, that’s the ferry going to opposite direction. Two vehicle decks on our ship, which wasn’t quite full headed toward the mainland. We met quite a lineup of vehicles backed up waiting to get onto Whidbey Island “after work,” or whatever. We had to wait perhaps 10 minutes to drive aboard. Lucky us!
Adventures continue
Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Not frosty cold, but we had frost, one of those temperature magic things. This leaf was in a meadow in deep shade at 10:30am. Whew. Still: pretty out.
Here’s trail maintenance by park visitors.
First stop and, for us, the first time: Dick’s for burgers. Mmm. This local chain dates back to the 50s and you order just what’s on the menu, no extra lettuce or animal style.
Then, off to a computer museum that specializes in artifacts, that is old machines that are kept operational.
The Guru calls this 200 MEGAbyte storage unit a chocolate cake. Cost, hmm was it? thousands? Hideously expensive.
Water day, no clouds
Tuesday, 18 February 2020
One cormorant per post. I think the species swimming about the posts, not visible in this shot, were loons.
Purpliest purple crocuses. Croci?
No clouds = mountains afar! Thanks Droney. [And a seaplane if your eyes are sharp, over the water to the right.]
Different body of water. Different mountains.
Tide’s out, perhaps coming in. The four-car commuter train passed by after Droney returned to the ground. That’s the way it goes.
Walking that same beach, at Carkeek Park.
Wheeling
Monday, 17 February 2020
Catkins?
Roots. Moss. Needles. Duff.
Blue, blue sky. Some puffy clouds.
Another primary color. Additive? Subtractive? TMI regarding color wheels?
Museum dos
Monday, 17 February 2020
Unexpected rather non-standard architecture can mean expensive corporate headquarters (Apple “spaceship”) or or or, in this case: a museum. Down in Tacoma, this one.
A glass museum, and under this cone is a large glassblower workshop. We watched three guys create a wine decanter. This fellow did the most advanced stuff, or most complicated work, the body and the fused whole. Two other guys did important pieces, the neck and the handle, created separately. Fascinating.
Of course, the museum had many gorgeous pieces in the galleries, and fun offerings in the gift shop. This is one of the most compelling, with a mirror behind it, just stunning. So complex.
After, we drove north, making the five mile loop (on Five Mile Road) through Point Defiance Park. Highly recommended, especially near sunset. Much like if you go to Marquette, you should also visit Presque Isle Park.
Grace notes
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Abandoned ceremonial marker.
Teensy root ball for such a tall tree.
I think that iridescent film on this spring pool is natural. Think.
Okay, outta the woods. I rather like this portion of the dogwood statue juxtaposed against the midtown skyline. And the reflections, of course.
Chatty today
Monday, 3 February 2020
I feel compelled to look up when I visit this sculpture. Sorry to say, I’ve never looked for the artist’s name and the name of the piece.
I just checked GooMaps, and it’s not there. Aha, cleverness…new angle of attack. Success! The BeltLine website indicates it’s Tim Frank’s “Angier Spring Monumental Work,” commissioned for this location and installed in 2017.
No Canada geese are nesting this year at this floodwater catchment pond. The turtles are flourishing, however (on sloping rock, and elsewhere in the sun and out of the water).
A couple had brought bread and were throwing chunks at a pair of mallards. I’m guessing the turtles will eat later, after they are thoroughly warmed. I did see bread bits floating elsewhere in the water, with schools of minnows chowing down in radial formation around each piece.
Arrrgh. Lousy exposure. Next time. Nice to have deep shade; temp today reached 76°F.