Happy Earthquake Day

Yup the Nisqually quake occurred 8 years ago today, oh where has the time gone. The earthquake ended up being quite a fun event for some, but for others it wasn't as fun, so for them, sorry it wasn't fun. Anyway the best part of earthquake day was that we got to go home early from work. Cicely and I went home after the big shaker and watch a bit of the TV coverage, then decided that since it was a beautiful day we should go downtown and check it out ourselves. We walked from Pioneer Square, to down past the Sears (Starbucks) Building on 1st Ave South, taking pictures and enjoying the sun. Afterward went to Murphy's and drank a couple beers and swapped stories about the not so big one. So today's photos are the aftermath of the Nisqually Quake.

Enjoy

Dan

A Return to Favorites

Enough about manholes and haircuts, I mentioned last week that Cicely asked about my favorite photo. Tonight I give you another favorite. This photo was taken one Sunday morning back in September of 1992, I set out that morning to take photos of the city to hopefully ease my mom's homesickness, after she and my dad moved to Yak-vegas, its the Palm Springs of Washington you know. A small gesture, but it was about all I could do at the time. Anyway this photo was taken from the top of the kite hill at Gas Works Park and due to the steepness of the hill, the dog's owner cannot be scene throwing a stick into Lake Union.

Anyway Enjoy

Dan

Change Has Come

For those expecting the photographic retrospective, "Dan's Hair Through the Ages," please check out Facebook in the next day or two for that. I'm sure you won't want to miss it. Being that this blog has wandered from it original purpose from time to time, I don't feel bad about making you, the readers of America's Finest Blog trod through the great haircut.

So the $64,000 question that I've had to field about 64,000 times in the last few days is, "Why you do it?" It mostly comes down to why not, I wish it was more than that, but reality is 90% of the decision was just that, why not after 15 years cut my hair short and if it's gonna be short, why not real short. The other 10% is really embracing change and getting over standing out.

That may sound odd, but I knew if and when I ever cut off my curly locks it would be a big deal, especially at work, and I really don't like being the center of attention. Somebody today asked if I was tired of the media attention around my haircut, and I said oh yes I am. Shortly thereafter two more people came by to check out my hair, and tell me that they didn't realize it was me, blah blah blah. Flattering on the one hand, embarrassing on the other. In the end though, my big curly hair wasn't important whatsoever, it just was an assigned value, for myself and for others. Now it's a clean canvas and that is kinda cool. Also it is cool to sneak up on people, and I really sort of enjoy the fact that my hair is dry 22 seconds after I get out of the shower, change has come and how.

Here is a picture of the new cut.

Dan

Best Construction Sign Ever

This sign really speaks for itself.

Dan

Because on This Date...

The Kalakala rammed the then brand new Coleman Dock, I give you a picture of the rusty forlorn Kalakala from its' days on Lake Union.
Enjoy
Dan

A Puzzling Moment

Today's photo comes from the road to Billy Clapp Lake south of Coulee City. Billy Clapp Lake is the slack water behind Pinto Dam, it's part of the Grand Coulee Reclamation project. In fact the main irrigation canal flows into Billy Clapp via Summer Falls. There's a State Park there, it's nice. Anyway for various reasons, Summer Falls was someplace that I always wanted to see and for years secretly wished that we drove down to check it out, instead of fishing, especially on windy days. For whatever reason my dad and I decided to check it out on this trip in August or September of 1994. I remember the falls, as nothing spectacular, but nice none the less. However for some reason, lost to time, I did not take a picture of Summer Falls, instead I took pictures of the wheat fields around it. Go figure, so if you ever go to see Summer Falls, please take a photo for me. Anyway, I took the pictures of the wheat fields because I liked the clouds.

Enjoy

Dan

Another Fav

Photos always fall into groupings, people, places or things, mostly, or maybe landscape, portraits and wildlife, whatever, you get it. I will get to some of the grouping later on when reviewing my favorite stuff. Tonight's photo is a recent photo, taken with the new E-520, it could fall into many groups; patterns, birds, wildlife, color, etc. But what I love about the photo is the color. That E-520 loves color and more and more so do I.

Enjoy

Dan

An Interesting Question

A couple days ago Cicely asked an interesting question of me, what was my favorite photograph that I have taken. It was not an easy question to answer and it require me to look back upon my body of work, or at least the part that has been digitized and examine things. I can say after a few hours I did come across the photo that I liked the best. But I also came across and bunch of other stuff that I liked and enjoyed as well. I thought that I would examine those photos over the coming days. So tonight's photo, in honor of Cicely's question, is Cicely in the tall grass at Fort Stevens State Park in Oregon, just south and west of Astoria.

Enjoy

Dan

On This Date

I had planned on going a different direction with the blog today, but then I read HistoryLink.org and realized that today is the 6th anniversary of a very large anti-war demonstration in Seattle. Normally I would not mention such a recent event, except for I was there. Cicely and I had decided to go downtown to shop, eat lunch and do whatever one dreary Saturday afternoon, having no clue that this demonstration was scheduled to take place, we were really in tune with the world at that time. Realizing what we had stumbled onto I went to the Bartell's on 4th and Pike purchased a disposable camera and took a few pictures of the event. They aren't the greatest photos in the world, but I thought I'd share them.

On a separate note, it was really amusing to see how many people carried signs saying, "No blood for oil," or "How many will die for your SUV?" While all the while, also carrying plastic water bottles or having had their signed laminated in a protective plastic coat, as if plastics are not an oil product.

Enjoy

Dan

O Saint Valentine

It's the biggest retail holiday between Christmas and Mother's Day and a day of sugary candy and cards, to boot. All in all, not the greatest holiday in my book. I'm pretty good at Christmas, birthday's and Mother's Day, but I've just never really been very good at Valentine's Day. To top it all off, I don't have any Valentines photos to speak of, so instead here are a couple photos of the love of my life.

Enjoy

Dan

If You Believe Bankers are Americans and not Bankers First, Please Hit Yourself with a Stick

Bailouts and Stimuli what a day. So with that in mind, I give you, the readers of America's Finest Blog, more men with bowling trophies. I think all these guys would like Craig's trophy, but Craig would probably like their shoes. Bankers on the other hand will take every ones money please and now, this is a federally funded hold up.

Enjoy

Dan

A Little Craig is Better Than Two Rays

This photo was found at the bottom of a box Cicely was unpacking at work. We have really no idea where the photo came from, or anything about Craig or the two Rays, other than they bowled in a league that really didn't care who finished second. I'd also say that all three guys have really nice shirts.

Dan

More New Camera Photos

The family and I went out to the Market Saturday morning for some doughnuts. I used this as a perfect opportunity to see what the new camera could do. So far, I'm enjoying it.

Dan

Flowers

These photos are from that roll of 20mm film that almost looks like a proof sheet, previously mentioned in the Tennis Anyone post.

Enjoy

Dan

A New Toy

Today I received the new camera that I ordered, I actually had to chase down the UPS driver has he made the rounds through Riverbend, since we got home 5 minutes after he attempted to deliver the camera. It is a Olympus E-520 10 mega pixel camera. I haven't really had a chance to put it through the places yet, and probably won't until the weekend, but in the limited usage that I have had, it seems to be a very nice camera indeed. Tonight I'm showing off some photo's I took after dinner.

Enjoy

Dan

Waterville not Just a Destination but a State of Mind.

My dad once told me he had never seen a person on the streets of Waterville. This was true for me, as well for a few years, then one trip through town I saw a guy mowing his lawn, my dad told me it was a ghost. Still in the couple dozen times I've been through the town, people have always been at a premium. But when it comes to people, Waterville is still not nearly as bad Easton, but that is for another blog entry. Anyway this barn is just to the west of town and right before the decent into Pine Canyon. Oh, but if you would like to see Waterville is its current glory click on the link provided (thanks Karl for sending this link to me). http://www.watervillewashington.org/watervillecam.html

Enjoy

Dan