A few close ups of the red tree from yesterday:



I foresee something besides picture taking interfering with my morning walks - blackberries. They're going to be ready for picking soon.


Open and closed

From Yahoo News today: "Antarctica Experiment Discovers Puzzling Space Ray Pattern"


I didn't really understand a lot of the article, but the image is fascinating!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20100730/sc_livescience/antarcticaexperimentdiscoverspuzzlingspaceraypattern

A sad little trick-or-treater from many years ago.
She turned 25 yesterday.

a foggy morning walk along Lake Union

Andrea and I walked along Lake Union this morning, going north towards the University from her new apartment off Eastlake. So many nice little parks and delis and cafes in that area, and this little tree on her corner...


Some of the University rowers were out practicing.

I stopped and went for my walk right after dropping off Inday early this morning. Overcast and cool. The river level was high, very calm, and smooth. The sandbar photos I posted on 7 Jul (http://crlazlo2.blogspot.com/2010/07/river-level-was-low-today-uncovering.html) are under water now. This photo is from the other side of the river.

I think sometimes that these photos might be boring and repetitious, but for me, every single day is different and special. The lighting, the weather, the colors, the smells...


I'm not sure what's going on with this tree and it's bright red colors. An "individual" challenging all the green in July, or just a sneak preview of Fall?


like a mirror

a gray, cool morning

A gray, cool morning for my walk today. I've changed my routine a little, and I'm getting out earlier. I like it. I also picked up my pace, and took less photos (no keepers).
Yesterday I wrote "thinking gets in the way"... As I was huffing and puffing along this morning, the Thinker was back in force: the economy and how it's more difficult to access one's equity these days, can't see the river as much for the leaves and trees, the LRT going by reminding me of our dwindling travels, Nathan being up in the middle of the night "gaming" with people in Japan... I'm more or less monitoring Nate's online activities, and he's good by the way. We've had a routine lately where I make breakfast for him around 6:20am, as soon as I get back from taking Inday into work. And then I go for my morning walk, which brings me back to --
a gray, cool morning for my walk today...

I bought these two little cacti over a year ago, and they were both around the same round size. The one hasn't changed much at all, while the other little guy has exploded tentacles everywhere. I understand why. It's root-bound, and it's begging for a bigger pot. Even though it's been fun watching the changes, I guess I'll give in.



I've got my eye on you.

Mole hills near, but not on, the Starfire Soccer fields.

Looking out our bedroom French door, when I was changing my shoes after my walk this morning. I like the sound of the creek's water.

thinking gets in the way...

morning sunlight through green leaves...


I liked the little star shaped shadow in this one

I liked the blue color of the sky, and the wood texture with a touch of green moss...

looking at the reflections in the river water, with the ripples, reminded me of Claude Monet

I knew it was going to be a good walk today when I looked out the window. We were enjoying the sunlight in the front yard this morning, Neo and me.


on the way over to the Green River trail


I liked everything this morning. The lighting and colors and shadows...






I'll take care of you

Two photos from Steve's Facebook just now:

Rattlesnake Ridge

We hiked the Rattlesnake Ridge trail this morning. With John and Teresa, Brenda and Steve, and Nate.

Some of the views on the way up were nice,
but the view from the top, looking down on Rattlesnake Lake, was even better. The climb in elevation was 1175 feet, and it took about an hour.

I got to see Andrea's new apt this morning, in the Eastlake area.
Made me a little nostalgic. Some of my old stomping grounds. And, amazingly, the apartment where we lived when Andrea was born 25 years ago is right across the street. The apartment's very nice. There's a small deck on the top of their building, with a panoramic view of Lake Union, from the Space Needle over to the Gas Works Park. I should try the panorama photo-stitching feature of my editing program.


After the tour, we walked down to a little park on the lake, only 1 1/2 blocks away, and then up to Louisa's Cafe on Eastlake.


There were some wonderful metal insect sculptures I saw at a house near the little park.

Soos Creek

My 20 minute ride to the Soos Creek trail in Kent this morning was worth it. A lot much more peaceful and a lot more green. It seems like a lot of these trails go along power line corridors. The fog and mist was nice walking weather, and the trail in these photos meandered through forrested areas as well. Nice smells in the marshy parts today, and there were salmon berries too.

There were several trees where defiant roots just grew up around and on top of their decapitated tree stumps, large trees that were cut down many years ago. Sort of cool.

walking versus going somewhere

I drove a little further this morning, and walked the Interurban Trail south from 180th. A nice change from my regular winding walks along the Green River. Also, a lot more bicyclists. It's listed as a bicycle path on the King County maps, but it's wide and paved, and I'm careful. Most of these bicyclists were cooking. They were going somewhere! Me, I was walking.
I usually prefer a "loop" kind of hike, where I don't walk the same route twice, but this was nice. It was a lot quieter than I expected. A lot of bird sounds. And I was surprised by the number of train tracks out there, and trains. I saw the Tacoma-Seattle "Sounder" go by when I started out, several freight trains, and later I saw the Amtrak "Cascades" go by. It was travelling in the opposite direction, one track further East.
Bird sounds and train whistles.
35-40 minutes is my ideal time for a brisk morning walk, so I walked 20 minutes or so, and then doubled back. I'll get more exercise when I choose a walk like this because there are less photo ops, but I did like the power lines.
Tomorrow morning I might drive farther and try the Soos Creek trail in Kent.
Walk on...
I liked the color of those saucer like discs on some of the wires.

I've been getting bored by my regular walking routes lately, so I took a 7 minute drive to the Ft Dent Park this morning and walked part of the Interurban Trail heading south. It more or parallels the Green River Trail, but on the West side of E. Valley Highway, and it goes along the train tracks in a few places. I look forward to driving a little further tomorrow, and picking up the trail further south.
One big difference between the two trails is that there isn't a black plastic covered barrier like the one on the GR trail now (from Southcenter going south).
I used to be bothered by the sound of the traffic, not not so much anymore. Just like I've come to appreciate the man made concrete column shapes, etc, intermingling with the trees and water visually, I can now accept traffic sounds along with the bird sounds...
A good walk.
Some days I take photos went I don't know I'm taking photos.


Seafood City Marketplace, a new Filipino grocery store, has opened in the old Mervyns at Southcenter. Very cool. The grilled milkfish we brought home yesterday is some of the best fish I have ever eaten!
By the middle of next month, more things besides the grocery store will be up and running. "Chowking", a fast food outlet in Cebu that we liked, will be open before the end of July.
I had the feeling last Thursday when I went down for the first day, that every Filipino in Washington State was there. It was fun! The photo is from a few days before it opened.