Retrospect

After Friday's post I began to think, why was that photo of me taken at the computer?  Four reasons come to mind, first it was neat that I was working a fancy computer.  It was neat that we had a fancy computer.  There is some sort of artist merit to the phone or lastly I didn't ever do homework, so this was picture worthy.  I did my homework, so that can't be it, the photo has no artistic merit and that leaves option one or two.  I think about mother, who I presume took the photo, it must have been something to have this computer, having grown up in the 1940's and 50's.  It was a different time so it had to be somewhat sci-fi for her.  Then again, she may have shot the photo for a completely different reason, the march of time and technology may not have crossed her mind.  I know when I see my son playing Angry Birds on my phone, I don't think in awe to my youth and think that my grandparents had a rotary dial phone and now my kid is playing Angry Birds.  If I did, I might think back to something my Dad said, when I got my first Legos back when I was about 4 years old, he told me that I was lucky because there weren't toys like that when he was a kid.  Anyway, a picture of the boy playing Angry Birds, not because of the technology, but because of the lighting. 

Progress

So, the old computer is getting a bit slow and is in need of some serious cleaning up.  I am annoyed by it's pace sometimes, but then I consider our first family computer, my sister had a TI-99, a marvel once upon a time.  But the first family computer was a Sanyo, that wasn't that much better.  I did use Word Perfect to write my 9th grade papers though.  It was big and had no speed or memory and the games were amazingly lame, it did however have an awesome monochrome screen, amber if memory serves me right.  That was 1984 (ish), when I started at my current job in 1999, the billing system was monochrome and looked as if it was designed for that Sanyo.  What's the point, I dunno, maybe the Sanyo is a comparison to the speed in which the debt celling is being raised.

Dan  

Tick Tock

As America waits for fiscal Armageddon, I have been struck by three things, first just how childlike everyone in both parties has acted.  Now to be fair there are probably men and women that have attempted or are acting as a voice of reason, problem is their words are being drown out by a few hundred adult 3 year olds.  I have also been struck by the number of people that are upset with the other party and has stated that my party is just cleaning up so and so's mess.  Who cares how the mess got here, it doesn't matter if it is Reagan's or either Bush's, Clinton's or LBJ's fault.  Placing blame now does not fix anything, it just wastes time and energy.  Third thing that has struck me, is the financial lack of concern.  The markets are down this week, but mostly due to economic data not the debt crisis.  It is likely, come August 2nd nothing will happen, the debt will still be paid and the country will still go on spending.  There are several options to kept the status quo going and there is the matter of the 14th amendment, which states that the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned.  Our credit rating may be slashed but that isn't likely to stop investment in the largest economy on earth.  In the end it is the lack of actual crisis that allows both sides, and especially the House Republicans, to not be willing to take what they have won and make a deal.  Instead knowing that nothing is really going to change, this is an opportunity to win votes in November of 2012 and to fill up the war chests.  

Now and Then

So Cicely and I went to Leaveworth this last weekend and explored the Wenatchee Valley.  As we did on our honeymoon, 9 years ago.  It was an interesting experience, one could not help but think about what was different or what was the same.  What struck me as interesting was that I have soften up enough or gotten old, one of the two and actually really enjoyed myself this time.  Not that I didn't enjoy myself the first time, this time it was better and an enjoyment on a different level.  My love for Cicely has changed, it is more complex and deeper now than back in 2002.  Leavenworth, on the other hand really hasn't changed too much, it has changed, a few stores have left and a few more have come.  Overall though the theme remains.  It isn't like we haven't been to Leavenworth in the last 9 years, we have been there several times, just not over night.  All this has got me to spent much time thinking about how other things in my life have evolved and changed through the ebbs and flows of time.  It is a reminder that everything is always moving, you can't always tell but today is not just like yesterday. 

A Good Day To Read

Tonight we look at a found photo from who knows when, and who knows where.  It does however show more people enjoying the outdoors.   It seems so luxurious to be able to lay back a just read.  No cares in the world just words.  I remember summers during my college years I would just sit back in the summer heat and read, not a care in the world.  I miss those days of being so carefree and penniless.  I also miss summer heat, but that is for other posts past and future.

Dan 

The Happiest Place On Earth

Today is Disneyland's birthday, so why not show some photos of the place.  Even though it is expensive and crowded and something of a pain, it is a bunch of fun.  When I first went to Disneyland, I was 5 and it was a blast, I enjoyed every minute of it.  The second time I went, it was expensive and crowded, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I look forward to seeing it again and seeing it through the eyes and expressions of my boy. 

Couldn't Stand The Weather

Being from Seattle we are given to complaining about the lack of Mariner hitting and the rain.  Unlike Mariner hitting we are not the worst place when it comes to rain.  A lot of places get more rain than us, however it is years like this that lead to our misery.  After three days of normal summer weather, it has turned gray and damp again, I believe we are on place for 475 days of rain this year.  So to remind you of what we are missing, people enjoying a warm summer's day.

Another Great Fire

Today is the anniversary of the fire that burnt Quincy nearly to the ground.  The year was 1917 and six buildings were destroyed, so that gives you an idea of the size of Quincy in 1917.  Like so many fires that destroyed towns and cities, fire was cause.  This time it was the fire that was used to render lard at Warran Platt's butcher shop, the resulting hot grease caught fire and with the aid of a strong northwest wind the wooden town burnt quickly.  Burnt where Platt's butcher shop, Johnny Dormaier's general store, Axel Jonson's law office, Fred Renz's novelty shop (a rather odd idea in Quincy), a vacant restaurant and the Post Office.  Of those affected only the Post Office choose to stay.  Everyone else left town, one can presume that this was prior to the city putting up the "Quincy - Opportunities Unlimited" signs.  It seems that opportunities were rather limited after the fire.  Really you could say the opportunities were limited in Quincy up until the last few years when the cheap electricity actually made Quincy a desirable place. 

Nothing To Say

I don't really have anything to talk about today, so I am going talk about the boy.  He enjoys baseball, well, pretty much any sport, but baseball mostly.  Since he was two we have been pitching balls to him and he has with varying success hit some back.  I have many pictures of these moments, from various times and locations.  That has gotten me to thinking, something in the family photos we just don't see is anyone playing sports.  That is partially because we aren't the most athletic of families, but we all played something as a kid, whether it was on team or in a backyard.  Even my mom golfed for a while.  Very few photos, so few you can say no photos of these events.  It could be that everyone was too involved in the activity to take a photo, or maybe it just was never considered photo worthy.  The boy, lucky for his kids and grand kids, has plenty of these sorts of photos.  That's great but it doesn't make up for the general lack photos of myself, my parents and grandparents enjoying games.

Our House

Just about six years ago we moved into our North Bend home.  Tonight our North Bend home the Shoreline house we left behind.

Posts, Projects and Photos

So even after 575 or so posts, I still have not gotten around to showing some photos and blogging about some photo projects.  At this point it is almost a challenge not to blog about those items.  One of those items is from Fisherman's Terminal in Ballard, it is a photo that I hold near and dear. I am not sure why exactly it has never made it's way into America's Finest Blog, it just never has.  One October day back in 1999, I had a day off and decided to go into the city from my old Shoreline home.  It was a grey and misty day I recall and got off the freeway at 85th and decided to drive along Green Lake, as I drove along I noticed that there was a rowing event taking place.  It looked real cool so I stopped and snapped a couple photos, from there I went to Fisherman's Terminal.  Now Green Lake had been a place a spent a good deal of time walking around prior to moving to Ellensburg, upon my return I did not go there nearly as much, mostly because I did not live near it any longer.  Anyway tonight photos from my stop by Green Lake.

The Duwamish

Today is the 102nd birthday of the The Duwamish, Seattle's greatest fire boat.  Constructed and launched from a shipyard near Richmond Beach, the Duwamish was the most powerful fire boat in the nation, if not the world.  A distinction it held until 2003, when a Los Angeles fire boat wrestled the title away.  She originally had a ramming bow, to sink burning ships if necessary.  That was replaced, as were her original steam engines.  The boat served the city until 1986, since then she has been moored in Lake Union and has become a National Historic Landmark.  

The Duwamish is remembered most for two fires, the first was the Grand Trunk Pacific Dock fire of 1914, which started when a cigar was tossed into a pile of sawdust. Five people died and the dock was completely destroyed.  The Duwamish helped save Coleman Dock from being consumed by the fire.  The second fire occurred in 2003, when a fire at the foot of Corliss Ave on Lake Union destroyed 3 dozen pleasure boats.  The Duwamish anchored across the lake could have been to the fire in a matter of minutes to engage the flames with its power water cannons.  Instead the City of Seattle had earlier decided that the Duwamish should stay retired.  The current owners of the boat suggested to the city that she could be used to help fight fires on Lake Union.  The city saw no reason to do that, after all they had a fire boat in Elliot Bay.  That boat was summoned to fight the Lake Union blaze, but took over a hour to go from Elliot Bay, through the locks to the fire.

Tonight a photo of the Duwamish in action, noted this photo is from 2001, so this was the world's most powerful water cannons at work.   

Paradise

Today is the 94th birthday of the Paradise Inn in Mt. Rainier National Park.  The original two and half story lodge was built mostly of local materials found within the park.  For the opening sleighs took visitors from Longmire to Paradise, as the deep snow made the roads impassable by car.  Today what I remember most about Paradise is the amazing parking lot and large lobby.  Well mostly its the parking lot.  I prefer Longmire over Paradise, a bit slower pace and not quite as many people.