End of the Line

Well this is it for 2010, and good riddance I say. It was a tough year, a lot going on and not enough time to stop and enjoy the good times and too much time wasted on the difficult times. I feel personally that in a great number of the aspects of my live, 2010 was a step backward. The rest seem only to have tread water. I am looking forward to 2011, for all the cliche reasons and also because it won't be 2010. Tonight a look at some of my favorite photos of 2010. Happy New Year and may 2011, be the best ever!

Dan

Best Of Part Two

This portion of the best of will consider Cicely. As you may know Cicely was once a great blogger, but has traded in blogging for cupcakes and cakes. Oh my they are tasty those cupcakes and cakes. Cicely is also a great gal, she's understanding, forgiving and compassionate. She'll tear up watching movies and T.V. shows, I laugh, but I really think it's great. She's fun, and I enjoy my time with her and I love her unconditionally and with my whole heart and mind.

Here are my favorite photos of her from 2010. My favorite being Rosie the Riveter, spot on with the costume and she is being nice and sassy for the camera.

If it is the End of the Year, Then it Must Be Best of Time

Back in the days when this blog aspired to loftier ideals, the idea of a year end best of post, was repugnant. But, then 24 hours later this blog let go of it's lofty ideals and published a best of 2008. In 2009, there was a best of my stuff and a best of dusty stuff. 2010? Well glad you asked, 3 days of year end excitement, starting with the boy. I was going to show my 3 favorite of the year, but there was a tie for third, so I was going to have a honorable mention. Then I decided that was lame and beneath this blog, back to ideals all of a sudden, I know I didn't see it coming either. Meanwhile, back at America's Finest Blog, I was discussing my three favorite pictures of the boy. Third, the kiss, it's just cute, second stocking the elk, and first hamming it up. I chose that one for first as it really shows how confident, unaffected and joyful the kid is.

Dan

The Beginning of a Ghost Town

On this date back in 1980, the thriving ghost town of Monte Cristo became a regular dead ghost town, as a winter rain storm washed out the approaches to the twin bridges over the Sauk River and caused considerable other damage to the road between Barlow Pass and the townsite. This storm affectively closed the road to Monte Cristo forever and ended any hopes of revitalizing the town as tourist destination. This wasn't the first time floods had ruined the future of the town, but in the past somebody always had the money to rebuild the access, this time however Snohomish County decided to cut their loses and close the road at Barlow Pass. To this day it remains gated, however it has created a nice 4 mile walk back to the townsite and its few remaining builings. Tonight's photo is Monte Cristo looking down Dumas Street. The photo was taken in July, 2000.

Christmas Eve

As a kid, tonight was the roughest night of the year, I would barely be able to get to sleep and then I would only sleep for a short time, as I knew Santa or later Mom and Dad, would be putting out the gifts I had been lobbying for since the Sears Catalog had arrived. We may not have had a heck of a lot of money, but my parents did the best they could and we where seldom disappointed. As an adult I find myself doing things that are for the kid to enjoy, even though I don't consult the kid and have sell the idea to him. If I where to think back to my youth, I'd realize that it wasn't so much the experiences as it was the toys. The one experience I did enjoy was going downtown to the Bon Marche to get my mom's gift, with my Dad and my sisters. It really was never quite as much fun to go to Aurora Village or the Alderwood Mall.

Merry Christmas

The Soothsayers of the Oregon Territory

On this date, the Oregon Territorial Legislature created King County in what is now Washington State. Probably most amazingly, it is named for the yet to be born Martin Luther King Jr. Absolutely amazing isn't it? Think about it, this happened in 1852, so the Emancipation Proclamation was still 11 years away. I told you it was amazing. Actually, King County was once named for the Vice President elect, William Rufus DeVane King, one of the largest slave holders in Alabama. It was said that his family owed more than 500 slaves. William Rufus was cast to the side in 2005, partially because he was a slave owner. William was Franklin Pierce's Vice President for 45 days, prior to his death. Pierce County was created that same day in 1852 and is actually still named for Franklin Pierce, even though he was pro slavery. Jefferson County is named for Thomas Jefferson, statesmen and slave owner, of course this state is named for George Washington, father of our nation and slave owner. Isn't it about time we renamed the State for Booker T. or Denzel? Or should history stand on it's own merrits.

When Great Minds Collide

40 years ago today, one of history's great meetings took place, Elvis met Richard Nixon. Elvis was worried about, "The hippie drug culture," and the most sinister of anti-American forces; The Beatles. Elvis wanted the President to appoint him, "Federal Agent at Large," and to be given a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge. Elvis would then infiltrate "The Hippie Drug Culture," the way only a man such as Elvis could, from a stage in Vegas while wearing a polyester jumpsuit. To win the President's favor he presented Nixon with a Colt .45, exactly how this was to win the President's favor has been lost to history. Also unknown is exactly why anyone would be allowed to carry a gun into the Oval Office of the White House for a private meeting with the President of the United States. Nixon for his part, saw meeting Elvis as a way to get in good with kids of America, as we all know Elvis was a big thing with the kids in 1970. Give ol' Tricky Dick credit though, he took the gun, gave Elvis his badge, the appointment as requested and posed for some of the greatest photos ever.

One could argue that this meeting was a harbinger of doom, a meeting of two men, who really could not have known that they had began to circle the toilet as it where, indeed their best days were behind them. Sure Nixon won re-election, and went to China and Elvis would increase in size if nothing else, becoming something of a fat shiny drug fighting super hero, defender of Vegas lounge acts and the American way. But in the end they both would exit public life in a less than honorable ways, Nixon via a helicopter after resigning and Elvis on a toilet.

Try Try Again...

Well, I screwed up the first go around with the kid and Santa, but I got another chance yesterday at the Cougar Mountain Zoo's Reindeer Festival. Kind of a sad event really, but there are reindeer and there is Santa. Besides a 4 year old doesn't really notice any of the absurdities or shabbiness. So Santa was there, Quin once again asked for a train that makes coffee, this time Santa took it all in stride.
Just an observation on reindeer and the cartoon reindeer we are all use to, they look nothing alike. Cartoon reindeer are regal, long, tall and lean, Reindeer actually are short broad-nosed little animals with antlers. Oh well, so here is Quin with Santa (again).

It Was a Dark and Windy Night...

Just a bit over 4 years ago, we have a terrible wind storm out hear in the east Puget Sound lowlands. The storm had 60 or 70 mile per hour winds, and those winds shook our house something silly. We also were without power for nearly a week. An interesting experience, the winds themselves were frightening, I was sure I would wake up with a tree in our bedroom. Cicely was 9 months pregnant at the time so I worried about that too. Tonight the wind blows again and I am reminded of that night, and when I lit all the candles in the house and tried to take photos during the storm.

This is How I Feel

Enuff said...

A Drawback of the Christmas Season

We went searching for the perfect Christmas gift today, or something like that. Really I am not sure what we were doing. Anyway I watched my boy try to be as good a kid as possible for as long as possible while his mother mostly, looked at this and that. Occasionally he would come across a toy or game or shiny object and ask if we could buy it, showing that he is the ultimate impulse buyer. Every time I would say, "But son, Christmas is coming soon." Thinking about it this evening, I can now remember back to my youth and hearing the same thing over and over. The time between Halloween and Christmas was a arid desert of toy receiving back in the Williams' home. It just didn't exist, my parents would cease buying everything for us. It was a real sad for a small boy, but I suppose it made Christmas more awesome, because you finally got something, besides unconditional love, three meals a day, a warm home and later, cable T.V. Tonight's photo is of me, celebrating getting stuff, in particular a slot car set, that promptly broke minutes after the photo was taken. I know I felt the same way the boy did today. I vaguely remember it, but photo confirms, the dry season tries you like nothing else. Especially when you are very young.

Dan

A Classic What to Blog Post

Here I am sitting in John Wayne airport in Santa Ana, CA, with nothing much to do, but wish Seattle's weather could so pleasent. I am looking forword to coming home tonight and hoping that the fog doesn't roll in until after we are airborne. I really love my family you see, they are fun bunch.

Today's airport experience was bittersweet, I realized upon arrival that I could have got on an earlier flight, had I only known my training would wrap up a hour early. The nice part is that the place is mostly empty. The TSA folks were actually friendly, so that was a nice surprise.

Tonight a picture of Orange County.

Sparkle Town vs. Dishevelledville

As mentioned in the previous blog entry, my family's version of the Christmas Village includes the wrong side of the tracks. Its just a bit of realism for our Christmas decor. In Sparke Town there are ice skaters and sleigh riders and the train is full of presents for the girls and boys.

In Dishevelledville there are broken homes and poor father's trudge through knee deep snow to get home. All the while looking longingly at the Christmas train.

Now be thankful you aren't that broken down man and spread the Christmas cheer to the Dishevelledvilles near you.

The Christmas Village

Back in the olden times Sears sold a lighted Christmas Village for $4.99, my mom picked one sometime around the time when I was born. It would sit on our mantle during the Christmas season and then go back into the box. My mom also created a second Christmas Village, actually Santa's workshop, complete with train to put on top of the piano. Every year this continued right up to about 1998. The location of villages may have changed but they always seemed be there.

When I got married, literally one of our first purchases was Sparkle Town, a Shiny Brite brand Christmas Village. You ask did you get married in December? No, but we spend part of our honeymoon in Leavenworth. For eight years now the village has made it's way into the Christmas decor, again locations not always the same, I don't think we have had the thing in the same place twice. We have tweaked the presentation a bit, we run railroad tracks down the middle of town, creating an, "wrong side of the tracks," or Dishevelledville.

A couple of years ago, my sister gave me the reminates of both the Christmas Village (no buildings) and Santa's Workshop, now a train visits Sparkle Town and Dishevelledville each Christmas.

Tonight a couple of photos, one of the Sears Christmas Village and the other Santa's workshop. These are the earliest photos I could find of each, the Village is from 1970 and workshop is from 1971. And note that Santa's workshop started out as a bunch of Fisher Price people in the snow with a Tyco train.

Neon

Today is the 100th anniversary of the neon light as we know it. It is one of those things that we may consider a bit dated. But back in 1910 at the Paris Car Show, which in and of itself probably was an unique event for the time, the crimson glow of a neon light would have been astonishing. Now it's considered "retro." It's like radio or T.V. or the telephone amazing technology but be taken for granted. My son will never know a world without a wireless phone and the phones I have now will be quaint antiques by the time he is in the intermediate grades in elementary school. We can only image what wireless devices will look like when he is my age. The difference between my phone and neon light is, the neon light is still cool 100 years on, my phone won't be.

Christmas Comes But Once A Year

Whereas the statement, "Christmas Comes But Once A Year," is true, it is a bit deceiving since anymore Christmas lasts four months. It is easy to get down on Christmas, especially if you get caught up in all the craziness. With a bit of patience and the right perspective it is the most wonderful time of the year.

The Winter Celebration Zone 2010

It's time to visit bad holiday photography yet again, after all 'tis the season. Tonight's photo was taken by none other than me. I like to consider myself an above average photographer, but you would never know it from this Santa picture, or for that matter the other two I took. The best posed of the three was blurry. In the other two, one or more of the subjects were distracted by Zoe, Santa's helper. Zoe and Santa we perplexed by my son's gift request; a train that makes coffee. So this year's Santa pictures not so great, but perplexing Santa and his staff is almost worth it.

Post Turkey Day Malaise

For the first time in years we did not host Thanksgiving. It was nice not to have to coordinate and clean and then clean up. It was also nice that it was not a big to do, just low key and simple. That said it was different, not like the turkey loaf Thanksgivings from the mid 1980's, but different because it was most of our family together in a foreign place. The people at the Adult Family Home could not have been more gracious and understanding. And my dad seemed to enjoy it and that was important to us. In a weird sort of way it might be nice to do that again, bring in a meal to share with strangers that could possibly not get the chance to celebrate. There is a something altogether warm and fuzzy about that.

First Snow

Sometimes clever just isn't all that clever. Making up clever names for any and all events other than the mundane work/school, eat and sleep routine, isn't clever anymore. It isn't clever because everyone does it for everything. Our first snow of the season occurred on Monday and it was bad. But snow that hits during the evening commute in Seattle is always bad. So, referring to the 3 inches of snow as the snowpocalypse or snowmageddon or snowlocaust is stupid. Clever but stupid, 25 inches of snow yeah, 3 inches...no. And lets face it all of us that got caught in the evening commute were either unlucky or too stupid to bail from work at 2 pm, before it got bad. I was both stupid and unlucky. It was a messy commute, but I've seen more snow and worse commutes so blah. Tonight a first snow picture, actually from Sunday before things went sideways.

Enjoy

Blog Lives!!!

As you may know, I have another often neglicted blog, called Blog. Blog is the companion to my often neglicted Rustedvan Photography website. I have not published on that domain for a long period of time, but tonight like a phoenix from the flame, Blog as returned with two count them two entires. Conbine that with America's Finest Blog post for today, I have blogged as much in one evening as I would normally in a week and I am tired. Really, I am tired but not from blogging, just tired. Anyway, please check out Blog for some wonderful photos from the Japanese Garden. Tonight's photos are but a sample.

Shoe and the Other Foot

As a parent you find yourself doing the same things with your kid that remember doing with your parents. What you didn't realize until the shoe was on a different foot, is just how unenjoyable it can be certain times. Spending time with your kid, doing something you both enjoy and watching the laugh and smile is great and it makes it totally worth while. It does not take away the boredom and exhaustion that is created by watch somebody do something that they are not at all good at or too young to master. You find yourself wishing you could just sneek out and read a book. Terrible but true, at least for me. Today was one of those times, playing Wii golf with the boy, really a lot of fun, but slow and now I understand why my Dad would have rather watched re-runs of Carter Country instead of playing Atari Football.

My Jetson's Lifestyle

As a kid, I lived in the olden times of American cars with acres of American steel, chrome and vinyl tops. And as kid in those times we were sold on an idea of a future of clean living and space travel. Large cars replaced by flying cars and Jetson-like high rises. Well that didn't happen, instead we drive smaller cars that are mostly plastic and there is no Jetson-like high rises or clean air. And we have given up space travel.

Those olden days were during the cold war and maybe we were sold this idea as a way to look forward to the future and to say the best is yet to come. For years now, since the end of the cold war, we have been told basically this is as good as it gets and in fact its only going to get worse. Sometimes I wonder if it is harder to grow up living with a threat and dreaming of a better place or growing up without threats and being told that this is probably as good as it going to get.

I really don't know the answer, but I do know that in life, as you grow, you probably more grown up than you realize. I heard a couple comments today made me stop that consider something. You do and say things throughout life that you will do as a, "Grown up," that in fact you are acting grown up at a much earlier age than you probably remember. Not important things, but mundane things, the stuff that 99.9% of the time isn't even considered. But yet, once they appear in your person makeup, they will always be there one way or another. Even if you have forgotten about it from time to time. No I have really no idea what I am talking about.

Speaking though of forgetting. I submitted a photo to a local paper back in February for a photo contest and didn't win, but got the photo published in the paper, which was kinda neat. Well, a couple day's ago while waiting for a meatloaf sandwich, I noticed the Fall/Winter visitor's guide for the valley and started thumbing through it and much to my surprise was my photo, representing Snoqualmie. Apparently not good enough to win a contest, but iconic enough to represent a town. I suppose if I was leading a Jeston's lifestyle, I would not have landed to take that photo, nor would I have stopped to get a meatloaf sandwich, as my robot maid would have cooked the family dinner.

A couple words on the photo, tonight is an alternate version, to see the version in the visitor's guide, check out the Feb 17th post entitled, "It's in Print."

Dan

November Have May Spawned a Monster, But it Spawned Cicely Too

I am happy to announce it is my lovely wife's birthday and what a gal she is. Really she is wonderful, just about everyone she comes into contact with thinks the same. I appreciate her smile, her creativity and baking skills. She is my rock and I love her. And for lucky for me, she loves me.

Happy Birthday!

Still Peddling

Today marks the 139th anniversary of the arrival of the first bicycle in Washington Territory. Shortly thereafter scenes such as today's began to occur. Sometime after that they began to be photographed. The rite of passage from four wheeled toys to tricycles to bicycle with training wheels and finally without is a very important time in a kid's life, although it is hard to understand the significance when you are child. As an adult it is a real and important series of steps. For both you and your child.

Bring Me Those Yearning for Free Coffee and Sandwiches

I found myself downtown today right about the start of the Niehaus memorial at Safeco Field. So, we decided to attend, it was a nice tribute to a great announcer. I was struck by something, I realized as we stood there at the homeplate gate, that I likely listened to Niehaus more than I listened to my own father. I also realized just how hard the Mariner's have been hit by Niehaus' death, when I saw the free coffee and sandwiches. I am not sure, but I don't think food and drink has been given away inside a ballpark since the Civil War. We have been the among the luckiest fans on earth, we may not have won a Pennant, but we heard Dave 5000 some odd times and that ain't bad.

So long Dave...

The Consequences of Unforeseen Events

I was going to spend my entire time waxing on about the City of Dayton and what a great place it is to visit and maybe even live. Then Dave Niehaus left us, bringing an exclamation point to terrible year in sport and in some cases life. 34 years Niehaus was the voice of the Mariners, his voice seemed to always be there, throughout all the challenges and changes in my life there was his voice. As child when I didn't know the game, other than on baseball cards there was Niehaus. I didn't really get him in those days either truth be told. Then through my teens and twenties before the strike. And then after the strike, when his voice and that team brought me back to the game and created an unending love for it, and in the last few years, listening knowing that time would one day take him away, listening taking it in just in case. When I heard the news today, it ruined my day, like having a semi-distance uncle or other relative die. He was not a plastic Fox Sports announcer, he was genuine and the game will never be the same without him. Somewhere the children are laughing and the sun shines bright, but there is no joy in Mudville tonight.

So waxing about Dayton is more difficult when an event such as this occurs, Dayton seems to be a wonderful place, mostly because it is genuine, it doesn't seem to be anything more than a small town in a small unpopulated county. But there is good food, nice people, nice hotels and the people are really are proud of their town. Probably since they work in the town and they know each other. And instead of keeping to themselves them seem very willing to allow you into fold (probably because they know you are leaving). I find myself missing that place, oddly enough. I was there in June, thanks to my wife, and have be dreaming up ways to get back there ever since. And if I do I'll drink in all in, just in case.

Dan