Well June was a good month, both here in the limited world of America's Finest Blog and greater world of Team Williams. If you want to know about Team Williams, check out that blog. Tonight a few photos from month gone by. 
Enjoy
Dan
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Kodachrome
On June 22nd, Kodak announced that it was discontinuing the production of Kodachrome 64, ending a 74 year production run. Kodachrome was the first mass producted color film and probably the finest. Having spend quite a lot of time going through Kodachrome slides this last year. It a sad loss, but I think we all knew that this would happen, as it is becoming more and more likely that the film camera is going the way of the dinosaur and Oldsmobile. Just a fond memory. Anyway I have decided to purchase a couple rolls of this film to shoot for myself, hopefully I will have it soon. So tonight a Kodachrome slide of the Kalakala, a relic preserved on a relic. Note the Kalakala is flying the flag of the Black Ball Line, so the photo is pre-1951. 
Dan
Friday, June 26, 2009
This Old House
Tonight's photos are of the house on Dora Street, in Bremerton. My grandmother designed this home on Dora Street, while recovering from Cancer treatment in the late 1940's. The house was completed in late 1950, the lot had been a given to them when they bought the house next door. They had been offered the lot or an electric range, they took the lot. My grandmother went on to design one more home in the Edgewood area overlooking White River Valley. So tonight three photos; two from 1950 and a Kodachrome photo from 1961 or 1962. Below is a link to see the house as it looks today, thanks to google maps.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
June 25, 2009 The Day of Death
Lots of people dying today, and rumors of even more people kicking the can. All together it made for an interesting birthday. No mention in the media of the crow that died in the tree next to my window. Of the three deaths, Jacko, Farrah and the ol' crow, the ol' crow was by far the bigger event in the workplace today. Several important people wanted to look out my window to check on the crow, and so did just about everyone else. Debates on what to do, and how to get to it, since it was some 30 feet up in the tree. Conversations on whether or not it was even dead, it lingered far longer that the first reports if its demise. PAWS was called, the health department was called and not to mention the internal workplace departments all to gather information on what to do. After couple hours, the crow arched it's head toward the sky opened its bill and fell over backwards, coming to rest in a branch some ten or fifteen feet down, to move never more. 
Hey did I mention is was my birthday?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Will the School Year Ever End?
For those poor children of the Snoqualmie Valley School District, the answer is probably not, be it because of snow, or rain, or flood, or wind, or a combination, the 2008-2009 school year will continue until all days are made up. The latest estimates place that date around Labor Day, 2011. But the district was awfully nice to allow seniors to graduate "on time." So for the downtrodden masses that will spend the next several summers making up days, here's a photo of the Honor Roll of the 7th Grade from Tolt Jr. High (?). Oh I mean the 1926-27 Honor Roll... 
Go Brains!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The New York to Seattle Race of 1909
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the completion of the 1st Transcontinental car race in North America, the so-called Ocean to Ocean Endurance Contest. The winner would get the Guggenheim Trophy and $2,000. There were to be 30 entrants, but for various reasons, mostly concerned with safety, only 6 cars entered, 2 Model-T racers, a Shawmut, an Italia (owned by Guggenheim), an Acme and a Stearns. Acme built bicycles prior to switching to automobiles, and Shawmut was only one of two vehicles that survived burning of the Shawmut factory. 
The race started promptly at noon in New York on June 1st, exactly the same time President Taft opened the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. Five cars left New York at that time, the Stearns needed additional mechanical work, so it left five days later and then broken down again just outside New York City. The cars had to follow the speed limits until they reached St. Louis, from there they could drive as fast as they dared. Of course there were very few passable roads west of St. Louis in 1909, so the race becomes a tale of mud and washed out roads. Then came Snoqualmie Pass, which still had four feet of snow at the summit, one of the Fords became stuck for hours in snow, long enough for Henry Ford to actually take a train to the summit and assist with the digging.
On June 23rd at 12:55 PM, 23 days and 55 minutes after leaving New York, a Model-T Ford arrived at the A-Y-P the winner of the race. Henry Ford then went on a nationwide advertising binge touting his $850 car that won the New York to Seattle Race. The winning Ford, however, in violation of the race rules, changed an engine or axle in a Boise Ford Dealership and was disqualified, handing victory to the Shawmut that arrived 17 hours after the first Model-T. Unfortunately for Shawmut victory did not come until November and by that time nobody really cared about the details.
Ford went on the sell 15 million or so Model-T's and Shawmut never built another car. Who knows, maybe we would be bailing out Shawmut in 2009 if they had been declared the winner on this date 100 years ago.
A couple asides; in 1959 Ford staged a 50th anniversary Ocean to Ocean Endurance Contest, and to ensure a Ford won, only Fords where allowed to enter. The cars arrived in Seattle on this date and attended a ground breaking ceremony for the 1962 World's Fair. Finally 55 Model-T's are rambling across America re-acting the race, they will arrive in Seattle on July 12th. You can check out their progress here: http://oceantoocean.ning.com/profiles/blog/list
Below are links to some other articles:
So tonight here are a few pictures of Fords, if you want to see a picture of the Shawmut go here:
Enjoy
Dan
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Remembering a Father's Day
As I watched my two year old son, melt down into a tantrum only the lack of sleep can bring, I tried real hard to remember I was a lucky guy and I thought back to a Father's Day long ago... 
Back on Father's Day 1994, a friend and myself set out on a Sunday afternoon with really nothing to do, so we drove toward the hills, as the weekend before we drove toward the ocean. We ended up at Barrow Pass, where deciding that it would be a grand bit of fun, we walked into Monte Cristo, 4 miles beyond the gate on the road. My friend referred to this little adventure as the death march of nature, as it was about 80 degrees and we did not have any water with us. Ah what a good time.
Anyway before we set out on our walk we stopped for lunch at a cafe in Robe, it was here that my fondest Father's Day memory occurred. The cafe had two parts, a bright diner-like front area with a few booths and a counter and the beyond that a darker dining room area. We were sat in the diner-like area in a booth, the only other people in the front were a young family; a husband, wife and two young boys. They were enjoying a Father's Day lunch. It was all rather uneventful until the young family got up to leave, because at that very moment an ancient man, probably pushing 90 years old walked into the diner area from the dining room on his way to the door. The mother of the two boys, told them to say hello to the old man, so they did and it was then, one of life's indelible moments occurred. Because the old man, in a perfect grumpy old man voice, said to the young boys, "Die before you get old, pray you die before you get old!" And then continued walk toward the door. My friend didn't hear the old man's statement, but I did and so did the young family, who looks as if somebody was beating kittens in front of them. As for me, it took everything to not choke on my Roast Beef sandwich. So in honor of that day and that grumpy ancient human pictures from the death march of nature.
Enjoy & Happy Father's Day
Dan
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Marineland of the Pacific
There are times in your life that you realize a particular detail in a memory has been wrong, all along, tonight I innocently stumbled upon one such detail. For years, about 33 actually, I have assumed or remembered going to SeaWorld in San Diego, back in 1976. That memory was absolutely incorrect, instead we drove to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles, County to see the attractions at Marineland of the Pacific. Marineland of the Pacific operated from 1954 through 1987, and was home to two Killer Whales, Orky and Corky. In 1987, the owners of SeaWorld purchased the park, and although they promised to keep it open, they instead moved the aquatic life to SeaWorld and shut the place down six weeks after the completion of the sale. So much for promises...
My "new" favorite memory of Marineland of the Pacific, is the really big slide they had, ah what fun, even if yesterday I thought SeaWorld had that slide.
Anyway tonight pictures of Marineland of the Pacific
Enjoy
Dan
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Then and Now
Tonight we have a picture from Victoria, B.C. It is of the lighthouse at Fort Rodd Hill, the first photo is from 1975 taken by my dad on our family vacation to Victoria. I remember that I was stung by a hornet while at a gas station on our way to Fort Rodd Hill, it sort of soured the day. Second picture is from 2006 when Cicely and I visited Victoria. Happily this time no hornets... 
Dan
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Pig War
The Pig War is not an all out attack on swine due to the H1N1, but instead the longest armed military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. Today is the sesquicentennial of the beginning of the Pig War. Sesquicentennial is a fancy way of saying 150th anniversary, if you are curious. Anyway on this date back in 1859, Lyman Cutlar, an American settler, fired the first and only shot of the great Pig War, killing a pig that was the property of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Pig War came about due to ambiguities within the Oregon Treaty that set the northern border of the United States, the border was to run down the middle of the channel that separated Vancouver Island from the mainland. Problem being there were two channels, one to each side of the San Juan Islands, naturally both the U.S. and Great Britain assumed that treaty afforded them ownership of the Islands. So for a number of years more and more British and Americans came to San Juan Island to ensure ownership for their flag. Then on June 15th, Cutlar shot a Hudson's Bay pig and when the Brits went to arrest him, the local Americans took up arms and requested military assistance, which sent in the form of one Captain George Pickett (of Pickett's charge fame). The British en turn sent three warships to dislodge Pickett. However cooler heads prevailed and with the help of Mexican-American War Hero Winfred Scott, the Britsh and Americans agreed to a joint occupation, until such time as resolution could be agreed upon. So for 12 years the Americans were stationed on the southern side of the island and the British on the north. Then in 1871 the Kasier ruled that the boundary should be set between the San Juans and Vancouver Island, therefore awarding the Americans a crown jewel.
If you have never been to the San Juans you really should go, they are almost like heaven.
If your brain has lots of extra space or if you would like to know more about the Pig War, check out the HistoryLink page on the conflict: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5037 , or read Michael Vouri's book, The Pig War.
Tonight, in honor of the sesquicentennial, there's that fancy word again, pictures of both the American and British camps on San Juan Island. Sorry no Pickett's fence jokes this year...
Enjoy
Dan
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Pictures of My Lovely Wife
Cicely is the best, if you don't know her, too bad, you really should. 
Here is a photo of Cicely and Matilda.
Dan
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Hot Dog
Since my son loves hot dogs so very much, I thought I would provide a picture of me enjoying a hot dog. I don't remember ever enjoying a hot dog, but in this photo it appears that I'm under the impression that a hot dog is a taste sensation. I do not enjoy hot dogs at all, and that includes brats too. I have had a few in my day, YMCA summer camp, friend's BBQs but I really don't like them much. But I will admit to enjoying making sandwiches using hot dog buns, I do like hot dog buns. 
Dan
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Visiting Prague
Visiting Prague again has been high on my list of things to do for a long time, so it is with no joy that I say that it is tops on my bucket list. I am very happy that my brother-in-law gets to go, as it is a wonderful city to visit and I will find out if there are still Jaggermeister stickers on the police cars and ambulances. If you haven't been there you should probably go. So tonight pictures of from Prague.
Enjoy
Dan
Sunday, June 7, 2009
As Summer Nears, the Weekends Become Busier Than the Weekdays
I'm not usually one to blog about what the family did for the weekend, because that is what the family blog is meant to do. However, as the title implies we were busy over the weekend. So tonight some photos from the weekend. First the Meadowbrook Farm, then my niece's vaulting show and lastly, the Wild Horse Wind Farm. To check out more vaulting photos go to my Flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10073772@N07/ 
Enjoy
Saturday, June 6, 2009
June 6th
June 6th, is D-Day and without those brave men, our world would likely be much different, and probably not in a good way. The other great event on this date is the Great Seattle Fire. The Great Fire is an object lesson to the dangers of hot bubbling glue, dry wood and a need for a municipal water system. The results? 64 arces of downtown Seattle gone before sunset. In the coming years two of the three elements that created the Great Fire were addressed, the Cedar River watershed was created and the city was rebuilt using brick and stone, at the urging of Mayor Robert Moran. Mayor Moran's new stone and brick city can still be seen, as it is Pioneer Square. Anyway a great day, I don't have any photos from Utah or Omaha Beach, nor do I have any Great Fire photos, but instead I have a couple of photos of G-I's I found in an antique store and a couple pics from the Cedar River watershed. 
Enjoy
Dan
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Mercer Island Floating Bridge
All apologies to the Big Unit, Randy Johnson (the Big Eunuch as my mom thought he was called), I don't have any photos him, so we must go in another direction.
But before we do, congrats on 300 Wins. Now in a new direction, speaking of new directions, on this day in 1940, drivers on the Sunset Highway could cross Lake Washington on the Mercer Island Floating Bridge and then on to Issaquah, instead of heading down Rainier Ave to Empire Way to Sunset once in Renton and from there on to Issaquah. The completion of this bridge is probably one of the most important accomplishments in the history of Western Washington and King County. It created the east side suburbs and opened the region to serious economic development. Without Homer Hadley's bridge design who knows what the east side of Lake Washington would look like today. So tonight our I-90 floating bridges, the Homer Hadley on the left and the Lacey V. Murrow on the right.
Note: The original Mercer Island Bridge, did sink during a miserable late fall storm in 1990. Tonight's picture features the new bridge. The old bridge had wonderful street lamps.
Dan
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
250
A couple of nights ago, former Mariner pitcher Jamie Moyer won his 250th game of his career. Jamie is 46 years old and has been pitching since I was a high school junior. The great thing is that Jamie wasn't really that good a pitcher for a long time, but made himself into a very fine pitcher and guy that was fun to watch. But the best part is, he did it without 'roids or suspected drug use and no trips to Capitol Hill to answer Senator's questions. Instead he did it with hard work and determination, that all American stuff we are all suppose to aspire toward and teach our kids. Jamie will never make it to the Hall of Fame, but that does not deter America's Finest Blog's fondness for ol' Mr. Moyer, a great person and great Mariner. Tonight's photo's are of Moyer and another fellow that probably will not make the Hall of Fame, Barry Bonds. Bonds of course will be left out because of the suspected 'roid use and drug controversy. The photos are of Moyer striking out Bonds, maybe symbolizing the victory of truth over evil. Or maybe its because Bonds, being geared to hit fastballs, couldn't wait long enough to hit Moyer's Buggs Bunny slow balls. 
Enjoy
Dan
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