There are some days when I find myself in a "zone" with my little camera. The colors and patterns just jump out at me, even on a gray morning like today.

On one side of the path there were these red branches with raindrops, and on the other side, these deep greens of the grass ricocheted back.




me

Homeland Security Building with it's nice green grass on one side of the road, and a Lawyer's sign across the street.

At first glance it looked like the Immigration Lawyer was working out of a garage, next to the Auto Rebuild and Paint shop.

The photos I've been taking of "winter tree branches" have been almost like black and white photos. I like the dramatic contrasts of blacks and whites, and the colors that those values bring out around them. And the textures and patterns of the different sizes of branches...





This one is actually a foot high twig growing out of a concrete barrier. It reminded me of the larger tree branch shots.

There are also some of those wierd shots that I like.

sidewalk submarine - "no smoking"tar puddle on the side of the road

I couldn't decide where I wanted to go walk this morning, only that I would like to "walk around a lake". It was raining, so I just started driving. I still ended up at the Green River, but further south than any of my usual routes.
It was a damp wet leaves smell kind of morning, with the sounds of raindrops and chirping birds. Just being outside was more desireable than the exercise today. The evergreen trees, the dark shadows and wet paths reminded me of my year living in a small trailer down by Mt Rainer. I liked the patterns of raindrops falling on the moving currents of the river...

I remember writing last year about the colors of the leaves and the wonderful play of light in the early mornings and late afternoons. The low angles of the sun. But this winter has given me a new pleasure in the black and white patterns of trees, and the overlaying lines of branches...

flatbed cars and a lotta locos

chasing the fog

Instead of chasing the sunrise like I did the other day, this morning it was fog. Or, the sun again, burning off the fog. Changing by the minute, and magical.

Explore the World

I saw a billboard for this year's annual "Travel Show" at the Seattle Center this morning. It happened this past weekend, and it's the first one I skipped in many years. One more example of how the recession has changed everything. Everyone, and everything, has cut back.
Up until a few years back, the Sunday paper's Travel section was a good 6 to 8 pages at least. Now, on a good day, it might be 4 pages. And our little family would have at least one special trip somewhere each year. Something to look forward to, a reward for our work-a-day lives. No more. Our last such excursion was our overnighter to Vancouver, BC to see the Charice and David Foster concert last Fall.
That said, we still have to consider ourselves very fortunate. We are grateful for the lives we have...

wheelchairs and walkers

A highway of wheelchairs and walkers, and plastic tubing going to oxygen cylinders. Shuffling along, in the line at the lunchroom buffet, getting lunch for my Mother...








I found these photos online.

tree versus cyclone fence

There are some mornings when I don't really feel like walking. I will go out to pick up the paper and I will notice a hint of color in the dark morning sky. I think "maybe there will be a nice sunrise", I grab my camera and I rush to get dressed. Today was one of those mornings. Maybe "blah" to some, but for me, the way the colors and clouds change so fast, it's a joyous way to begin the day...The first shot was taken near our house, and it was only a 5 or 10 minute walk to a nearby park. The photos were taken over a 15-20 minute span.

I found this on Youtube. It reminded me of our New Years Eve stay at the Club Ultima in '08. The first part of the video shows fireworks going off down in all of the neighborhoods of Cebu, before the Crown Regency's own show. They're everywhere. It's amazing, like a war zone. And there were other major Pyrotechnic shows like the Crown Regency's throughout Cebu City...

morning blue

early morning tree and birds
under the bridge kaleidoscope morning

I know I take a lot of photos, but I would probably take a bunch more if I had a better camera. I just returned from driving Nate to school, and like every morning, I enjoyed looking at the Cascades (mountain range) off to the East, the different cloud formations and colors. There was a long strip of cotton-like clouds lying on top of the Cascades today, and looking up a little higher, there were these subtle pinks coloring the higher clouds. Life's little pleasures...

Remodeling an occupied residence: we decided to expand the wood vinyl flooring into Inday's study. A lot of work, but I think replacing the old tan carpet with dark wood is going to dress it up a lot. I'll take some photos now, showing the chaos of shifting furniture around as I lay the flooring. And if I make the progress I hope to make this morning, I'll take an "after" photo later.




4:30pm and Voila! no more old carpet in the Study...

catnaps

the Tukwila LRT Station this morning

river's edge textures
winter's leafless trees

a cold, foggy, dark morning

5 days. That's the longest I've gone without my morning walk since I started walking the year before last. The kitchen floor project was consuming, but I need to walk. The benefits are mental as much as they are physical.