Open Space is for Liberals

As any good American I look at a lovely field of daisies with a deer or two grazing and think the same thing as when I look at forested woodlands, "how many single family homes can be squeezed on the land." Why have forests and meadows when we can have subdivisions with a small park or two. Make the lots small enough and you have reduced tree and grass pollens significantly. In honor and solidarity with our local weekly paper that revelled in the removal of another wooded parcel in east King County, a picture of the pox of land.

Dan

A Changing Valley

I have had the last couple days off of work, the sad remnant of what as to be a spring vacation for the family and I. For various reasons that didn't happen, so today the boy and I went around the valley and checked out the work on the big sewer project. Big fun, I know and yes I do know I am lucky. Well I must say the kid had a blast, watching the heavy machinery at work. I was struck by the shambles that this making of the east end of the valley. The roads are all cut up, its either muddy or dusty depending on the weather, progress I suppose they call it. Progress is a couple new subdivisions and word on the street is that guy who owns the site of the old Tanner Mill wants to go big box there. Personally if I wanted to live in Covington, I would have moved there. We live in a beautiful semi-rural valley, the last flat spot before the Cascades. Rich in history and landmarks. We should be celebrating the history of the upper valley, we should be celebrating Mt. Si, Rattlesnake Mountain, Rattlesnake Lake, Meadowbrook Farm, the Railroad and all the falls, famous or otherwise. What will be the point of climbing Mt. Si, if all you will look down upon is sprawl. Growth is good, if it is the right growth, instead of big box, why not light industry or warehousing. Bring in good paying jobs, not minimum wage jobs, not shelves of cheap plastic crap from China. Growth in housing is good too, if it is right, small lots and cheep houses are not the answer, bigger lots and more expensive homes are, let us draw people with money to spend. We need to choose between being another freeway town, or being something unique. The former is the easy way and what our town's elected officials seem to prefer, which I can understand, but still it disappoints me. One must think that at some point in the 21st century progress will mean not turning your field into a subdivision. Tonight the price of progress, a beautiful field now a subdivision in the making.

Dan

Northgate

Today is the 60th birthday of the Northgate Mall, Seattle's first suburban shopping mall. In 1950, the area around 105th was mostly farms. I'm not much for malls, but Northgate does have some fond memories for me. Since it was just a quick jaunt down 15th, it was someplace my mom would go, besides the Mayfair. Mom didn't drive on the Freeway in those days. I remember there was a Woolworth, that had that Woolworth popcorn smell about it, thanks to the lunch counter, I guess that's one of those age things now. Most younger folk don't know what a Woolworth is or for that matter what they smelled like. I remember they had a great toy selection, and big bags of green plastic army men. I remember my mom purchasing "art" there for our black and white room. In those days there were two toy stores in the mall, one on each end, I can remember spending a great deal of time in each of the two stores, trying to decide how to spend my tooth fairy money. We moved north into SnoCo. and began frequenting the Aurora Village and later the Alderwood Mall, they weren't the same, Northgate was just better. When I was 19, worked in the mall for a bit, I started at Christmas time and can remember the Salvation Army band, that would play by the Bon, they would warm up for 30 or 40 minutes, then belt out two incomplete carols and disappear for a hour. The place has changed a lot over the years and we don't get out that way much at all anymore, but still Northgate will always be the only mall for me.

I don't have pictures of Northgate which is a good thing, I think. So how to throw a photo or two in for tonight, I guess, it will be photos of stuff from 1950, like the house warming for my grandparents. So there in honor of Northgate's 60th year, a picture of a house built 60 years ago and the house warming that followed.

America's finest blog...

Dan

The Warm Sun on a Spring Day

Today was the first real warm day of the year and what a beautiful day it was, however there downside to these sort of days. It creates a real case of wanderlust, right now the idea of putting on a suite and going to work on Monday morning is painful. I want to be out in the sun and on the road. But since I won't be doing that tomorrow, here is a photo of the open road.

Dan

75 Years of Kodachrome

It's Kodachrome's 75th birthday, well actually yesterday was. Too bad the stuff isn't made anymore. I still have a couple rolls to shoot and I recently got good news that Dwayne's of Parsons, KS will continue to process film through the end of the year. So there is no hurry. I don't currently have a plan for the stuff, but I am sure something will come up. At this point I just need to become inspired again. Recently I have just not had it in me to shot just about anything. That shall pass, hopefully with the longer days, but we shall see.

Scientists Think They Are So Smart

I came across a 25 word article on HistoryLink's website today, stating a federal geologist warned that Mt. St. Helens could erupt at any time. Nice call, since this Nostradamus predicted it in 1968! You got to wonder if in April 1980 that geologist ran around the office saying I told you so to anyone that made eye contact with him.

Operation Mother Goose and Mom

So today is Mom's birthday, I wasn't going to say anything about it, let slip on by. But I decided I should say something about it and I will, but later. Actually when I say that I wasn't going to say anything about it, that's probably not true as it makes for a quick and easy blog entry. That was before I realized today is a black day, a day of infamy. On this date in 1968, men from the Washington State Department of Game and U.S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife gathered 1200 Canadian Goose eggs to reintroduce the birds to former habitats and to introduce them to new habitats. This yet another example of the government trying to run the earth and we suffer the unforeseen consequences of a bad idea. You see geese were not common or native to the Puget Sound prior to the 1960's, its Operation Mother Goose that probably brought these foul fowls to our neck of the woods. Actually woods should be lack of woods, Canadian Geese like open spaces like Eastern Washington. The greater Puget Sound area for most it's history has been a big old forest. But thanks to Operation Mother Goose and urbanization, the Puget Sound area is now perfect for geese. We the people are of course the losers here, the goose dump fouls our water, so no swimming at the beaches come summer time. And of course any green grass at a park should avoided at all cost, due to the goose mines.

In honor of Operation Mother Goose a picture of my mother and a goose. speaking of my mother, today is the tenth anniversary of her last birthday. I remember calling her in the hospital to wish her a happy birthday. It wasn't exactly a happy moment, in fact there was a certain absurdity about it, wishing a happy birthday to somebody who would be dead soon, it was almost a formality. Although, I remember not thinking anything of, until the words came from my mouth. Ten years though, it is really hard to believe, it seems like it shouldn't have been that long ago. We always are living in the past or future, my do we ever waste so much time.

Dan

April Days

April is dragging along, much like the last part of March. I don't have much energy or motivation and whereas, my son is a ceaseless source of joy and humor, there just isn't much else out there to float my boat. There really is no good reason for this malaise, work isn't all that taxing or difficult, life isn't that taxing or difficult but in general is seems like winter. I have noticed that there is a lack of good news these days, gas is expensive, the state is out of money and this recovery isn't suppose to be all that great. The family was at Bellevue Square today and I can say I don't remember a time so many stores were empty. But in a time blah, one should look for silver linings, so I'm joining the glass half full set, so empty stores at Bellevue Square and abandoned building in downtown Bellevue, economic opportunities that wouldn't be there if the economy was more robust. The tragedy that has befallen the Polish government, are new opportunities for new faces and new ideas to take up the lead in the country.

One of the things that I was wondering, does Poland have a cable news media like ours? And if so, is it spendings these first hours after their tragedy spinning blame toward opposition. And do they have conspiracy theorists waxing on about a renewed Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact? Regardless it is sad day for Poland, so tonight a picture of the Polish embassy in Prague, it was that or a picture of this Polish guy I knew. This photo is like a Polish joke, a celebration of stupidity. I remember taking this photo and then thinking why did I take that photo and remember seeing these photo for the first time, and asking why did I take that photo?

Sorry Poland...But wait the glass is half full, at least the photo is in focus.

Dan

Now a Beautiful Photo of Snoqualmie Falls

Here is it and what a beautiful photo of the falls it is, except for lady standing in front of the camera. Some folks just don't get photography you might think, but I'm a glass half full, type of guy, so I think the picture taker (not photographer) is so captivated by beauty of the lady with the timeless hairdo, that the falls are not important.

Easter

Well, we had friends over and enjoyed a nice Easter day, with lots of ham! Anyway it was a good time for all and also a chance to remember why we keep the boy away from refined and processed sugars. In honor of making it thru the day, look back at the last four Easters with the boy.

Go M's

The Return of New February

The calendar may say April, but that won't stop 50 MPH per hour wind gusts and snow in North Bend, oh no, the calendar cannot stop February. Weather not withstanding it is Easter time once again, and now it's the home stretch for those observing and participating in lent, Sunday a nice cup of coffee and ham dinner is waiting for you. Now I understand lent from a practical medieval purpose, but the ham dinner is a loss to me. If it's got to be pork why not BLT's or spicy ground sausage meatballs, ham is so, well ham, is like a Chrysler K - car, nothing exciting or challenging. I take that back, ham is challenging, because it is not very tasty or interesting or any I'd ever go out of my way to eat. Which leads to Easter Dinner, which growing up always occurred far too early in the day like 2:30 or 3 PM and also was a feast of ham and fruit salad, mostly grapes and candied cherries in whip cream. As I've gotten older, I've realized that Easter is a tough holiday for those who don't eat pork or specifically ham. I'm convinced that I'd like the holiday more if it was tradition to eat steak or double cheeseburgers and onion rings. Anyway tonight a photo of Easter dinner.