A Fool's Errand

On this date back in 1813 the HMS Racoon entered the Columbia River on its way to Astoria to seize outpost.  The Racoon had sailed from Rio de Janerio in an effort to seize the Columbia River and the Northwest coast for British commerce.  The Raccon left Rio on July 9th, had to sail around Cape Horn.  Meanwhile, a group of Nor'Westerns had reached Astoria with news that a British warship was coming to seize the fort.  So the chief agent Duncan McDougall approached the Northwest Company (British trappers) representatives with a offer to sell Astoria to them, apparently the Nor'Westerns didn't realize that the British warship would seize the fort for free.  The Northwest Company gladly accepted.  This was hardly welcome news to the captain of the Racoon.  Tonight, Astoria 200 years old this year and once sold to the British even though the British were going to take it for free.

The Old Times

First I really have nothing to blog about tonight, so sorry about that.  I am struck by one thing, just what did Americans do prior to the creation of the Hallmark Channel and the Lifetime Network.  Once upon a time, there were just a handful of Christmas or Holiday movies, It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and various versions of A Christmas Carol and a few more.  Now there are hundreds of made for cable Christmas movies, mostly using the same formula, its Christmas and things aren't as nifty as hoped, but after some sadness and tears, everyone realizes that they should be happy with what they got and some cases they get a Christmas miracle and get a bunch more than they could ever dream.  What is the point of all this?  To get you to watch more commericals about buying televisions and Mercedes Benz for your loved ones.  Or it is to assist you to enjoy the season.  Like I said nothing really to blog about. 

The Winter Celebration Zone 2011 Edition

I really don't have much to say about this photo, but it does keep with the tradition of the Winter Celebration Zone.  Nothing to say other than it really encapsulates the holidays.  Oh and as an object leason for why you shouldn't blink when somebody is taking your photo.

Happy Holidays

Dan

Giving Thanks

Like many Americans, I celebrate Thanksgiving and I have all my life.  As a kid it was more about football games and parades than food and family, but as I got older the food and family became at least as important as the football.  Many people I have celebrated the event with in the past are gone, either to the great beyond or to places unknown.  Tonight some photos those that have gone, but are not forgotten.  Why?  Because I am thankful for all moments I had with them.

Where O Where Could I Be

Well America's Finest Blog has taken a bit of a rest, so the members of the Super Committee could concentrate on saving America.  During the rest bit the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address occurred.  The words, "government of the people, by the people, for the people," have never been so out of step in this country.  Maybe the Occupy Movement should take up the line for the cause.  Meanwhile over the weekend the Super Committee, instead of reading the Gettysburg Address went to the weekend talk shows and blamed each other for failure of their committee.  Government of the people, by the people, for the people indeed!  Anyway why this was going on, I was in sunny California with my wife and kid.  It was Cicely's birthday, so deferring to the Super Committee was actually quite handy.  It was a great time for us all, too bad it had to end.  I have learned to enjoy California, thanks to Cicely.  Also Cicely has given me two great gifts, her love and my beautiful son.  I love them both more than words can express.

Dan 

Probably Best Not to Ask Why

Sometimes when you are rummaging through photos in a thrift store or flea market you come photos that leave you for a loss of words.  This is one of them, I will only assume that it is either very warm or somebody didn't dress much.  I prefer the former.  Anyway getting away from the obvious, and the chair, I find the photo montage over the fireplace interesting.  I could do the easy thing and poke fun at this photo, but won't since this photo illustrates the difference between a photo by a greater photographer and the rest of us.  The great photographer, understanding the play between the light and dark, white balance and other tonal qualities could have taken a great photo.  It would be titled, "Ed on a Warm September Day."  It would be seen in great museums and people would stop in front of it and glaze upon it with arms behind their backs.  It would have meaning assigned to it by art historians and upon looking at it we would have an emotional response.  But instead this photo was snapped by somebody that probably loved this guy and upon glazing at it they had some sort of emotional response.  So be kind when coming upon photos such as this in flea markets and antique stores, as you are glazing into the soul of the photographer.

Statehood

On this day, some 122 years ago, Ben Harrison, signed the bill that created Washington State and thus making us the 42nd State in the Union.  Happy birthday Washington State!

A Moon

So for lack of a better thing to right about, tonight I will write about the full moon, or the almost full moon, whatever it is.  As I drove home tonight the moon hung low in the sky.  The pale blue light easily showing through a thin cover of clouds.  All the way home I saw this light, through the trees, over the mountains and glow from behind the hills.  It was stunning, I was happy I saw it, and it made you realize that we much closer to winter than we are summer.  Tonight's photo is from a spring evening, in Ellensburg, I had to do a photography assignment (for the only photography class, I have ever completed), and I decided to photography Ellensburg by night after the bars had closed and before the work a day men drove slowly to the daily grind.  It was a good night.  The picture on the other hand pretty below average.

But Progress Has Been Made

101 years ago today, a mine explosion occurred in one of the Mines in Black Diamond, WA.  16 miners died in the explosion, five bodies have never been recovered.  The men who went into the mines were not particularly well looked after.  After all most were immigrants or African Americans and none really had much of a voice outside their union (if there was one).  Add to that, places like Franklin, Selleck, Ravensdale, Cumberland and Black Diamond were fair from places of affluence and not easily reached 100 years ago.  So even though mines in 1910, were more dangerous and unforgiving than ever, the state Inspector of Mines could, after the Black Diamond mine explosion, note that improvements had been made, such as raising the minimum age to work in the mines from 14 to 16 and an eight hour work day.  Miners were really just cogs in the machine, the magnates and mine owners lived in cities of influence and had access to the politicians, whereas the miner was a replaceable.  After all another boat load had probably just arrived at Ellis Island.

The Great Loss

The early days of the month of November usually have historical significance because it is when we hold our national elections.  Coolidge, Reagan and Obama were elected on this date.  Also today is the 150th birthday of the University of Washington.  However the event I will speak of tonight occurred in 1890, when Ellensburg officially lost it's chance at being the state capital.  Olympia retained it right to call itself the state capital rather easily in the election.  Back up a year and Olympia was sweating it, there was a real movement to move the capital to a more central location.  North Yakima (Yakima) and Ellensburg seemed to be logical choices, with Ellensburg being the front runner.  After all, it had running water, or soon would and electric lights on most the streets and in all the hotels.  It was a fancy town.  Then came the wind and Independence Day and after the wind blown fireworks had their say, most the town lay ruined.  With it went most the chances to be the capital.  By the time of the election, Ellensburg had gone from front runner to 3rd in the vote.  Since Olympia could not get 50% of the vote the first time, they voted again one year later in a run off between the top 3, Olympia won with Ellensburg finishing a distance second and North Yakima bring up the rear.  As an aside, my Mom thought it annoying that the people of Yakima were so stubborn as to try to be the capital, when if they supported Ellensburg the capital would be in Eastern Washington.  I guess that that is the difference between Western and Eastern Washington.  Eastern Washington is a vast area without a unifying feature, other than the dislike of 206ers.  Western Washington has that unifying thing, whether it is the weather, the Sound or something else.  Maybe the State would have been different, or maybe not.  I can remember discussing the idea amonst friends while drinking cold beer on warm nights, we decided three things, first it would have been cool to have the capital in Ellensburg, second that the Evergreen State College would have been a more ironic name if located in Ellensburg and lastly we were all happy that Olympia won, because otherwise we probably would have never met.
Tonight's photo is the Davidson Building on 4th and Pearl in downtown Ellensburg. 

Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett

Well today is Daniel Boone's 277th birthday.  Boone was a frontiersman, statesman and national treasure.  He said that he was never lost but was bewildered once for three days.  He lived most of his life in the western frontier, so life wasn't particularly easy.  But thanks to several books, Boone went from just a frontiersman to symbol of the natural man.  And of course the television show, which basically portrayed Boone as Davy Crockett, mostly because Fess Parker played both Boone and Crockett.  Crockett of course was a frontiersman, statesman and national treasure.  Although, nothing alike, they are easily confused and misrepresented.  Tonight a kid in a coonskin cap like Fess Parker would wear, and possibly Davy Crockett but not Daniel Boone, who was said to wear a coonskin cap and be the the "rippin'est, roarin'est, fightin'est man the frontier ever knew."  If you believe television.  I suspect that in a few generations that Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett will morph into Davy Boone or Daniel Crockett and will look like Fess Parker.