Not Easy to Define

Back in 1956 Eisenhower on this date, Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.  It is also known as the Nation System of Interstate and Defense Highways Act.  Probably the greatest public works project in American history.  Whereas the Interstate is good for getting from point A to point B, it is sterile and mostly lacks the personality of the US Numbered Highways.  I could wax on about this, but there is an upside, the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 has given us vast stretches of old Numbered Highways, many of which are untouched by time.  As awesome as a world without Interstates seems, it would have meant a loss of the old highways. 

Mount Vernon

Today is the 122nd birthday of Mount Vernon.  The town had been around much longer, first settled in 1870, but it took until 1890 to incorporate.  Even then it took three tries to finally win favor with the courts.  The first two attempts were foiled by Judge Cornelius Holgate Hanford, who believed that the laws of incorporation in Washington Territory were unconstitutional.  Inexplicably Mount Vernon tried to persuade Judge Hanford a second time and that failed as well.  It was not until April of 1890 until the town tried again and this time eventually won the right to put incorporation to a vote.  On June 27, 1890, the an overwhelming majority voted to incorporate.  To celebrate this a guy drives a traction through town.

Time To Take Another Turn

Today I am a year older.  I'm ready to leave the last year in the dust.  This coming year promises to be an interesting one, I am looking forward to the possibilities.
 

A Tip Of the Hat to Kenneth Arnold

Tonight we celebrate Kenneth Arnold.  I will agree with anyone who says this would be better if Kenneth Arnold was a family friend and I have photos of him at christenings and backyard barbecues.  I can't say that, because Mr. Arnold was not a family friend.  Moving on, on this day back in 1947, Kenneth Arnold was flying his airplane from Chehalis to Boise when near Mt. Rainier he saw them.  Arnold saw 9 objects "flying like a saucer would."  Kenneth Arnold was first person ever to report a flying saucer or UFO.  Take that Roswell!  While refueling in Pendleton, Oregon, Arnold described his close encounter to the editor of the local paper and within two days the AP had picked it up.  Before Arnold there had been a total of zero reported UFOs, after Arnold, 150,000 and counting.  So, here's to a true trailblazer, Kenneth Arnold.  I will agree with those who will say that an actual photo of a flying saucer would be really cool, heck even pictures of flying saucers would be cool.  Instead the visitor's center and the Grand Coulee Dam , it sort of looks space shippy.  
Enjoy
Dan

Well, It's That Time of Year

My Birthday is coming up and I will be a year older.  For the last couple of years I have been taking road trips to celebrate this event.  I was going to do so again this, but something got in the way.  So we have postponed the road trip until mid July.  I am very much looking forward to that event.  Anyway in honor of the birthday road trip a lonely highway photo.  This is the Sunset Highway (US 10), about 7 or 8 miles east of North Bend, near Weeks Falls.  
Enjoy
Dan

Yippee For Summer

Summer in Seattle can be an elusive beast, like the Yeti or Nessie.  However when the clouds break we are treated to dry weather and sunshine.  It this very reason we live in the part of the world.  So here is to more sun and blue sky. 
Enjoy the summer. 

It's Father's Day, So It's A Post About Father's Day

Alright, this could be a post about my Dad and what it is like not, having him here on Father's Day, but I don't really want to go there tonight.  Instead, I like to express just how thankful I am for my family.  My wife and son make me very happy each and everyday.  I cannot consider what the world would be like for me without them.  So tonight, a photo of the family and a lady stealing our stuff.

Connecting To The Center Of The Known Universe

Today the Fremont bridge turns 95 years young.  For those who many not realize, the bridge connects Queen Anne and Westlake with the center of the known universe.  I was late, or nearly late to work many times because of that bridge, which apparently opens about 35 times daily and when I lived in Fremont that meant every time I needed to go anywhere.  The bridge is Fremont partly because it reflects the quirkiness of the neighborhood and also because it is the most enduring symbol of the neighborhood.  Happy Birthday Fremont Bridge.  

A Long And Winding Road

So today marks the 42nd anniversary of the last Beatles song to reach number one in our hearts and number one on the charts.  The Long and Winding Road, the worst Beatles song ever.  I have long held this song in contempt and Paul McCartney with it.  Come to find out, it's not all Paul McCartney's fault, we also can thank Phil Spector, who would later ruin the Ramones.  Apparently, Spector turned a sappy pop song, into a really awful sappy pop song.  In a bit of irony this song was number one on the charts when I was born.  Anyway what does Phil Spector and a Beatles song have to do with a photography blog, well nothing really. Except as a vehicle to use a completely average photo of a long and winding road.  The photo is of old US 30 in Oregon snaking East toward its final destination of Atlantic City, NJ.  This long and winding road wasn't ruined by Phil Spector but Dwight Eisenhower and the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.

Have You Ever?

I don't know about the readers of America's Finest Blog, but I see things every once in a while that peak my interest.  Things that bring about the what, when, where or why sort of questions.  I've noticed over the years that just east of the Hobart store is a ball field named for Johnny Lazor.   I have thought to myself, who is this Johnny Lazor, did he build the field, own the store or what?  Come to find out Johnny was from Taylor, Washington, about 2 miles north of Hobart and ended up playing ball for the Boston Redsox during the War.  He got his start playing for company teams in the 1930's and was discovered by his manger on Bremerton's Northwest League team.  So Johnny Lazor, an example of the American Dream and namesake for the Hobart ball field. 

No No Man

Tonight, I was going blog about the recent trip to Utah, instead something quite wonderful happened.  The M's threw a combined no hitter.  For those who don't know what that is, I'll explain.  A combined no hitter is a baseball game in which two things happen, first a team is held hit-less for the duration of a nine or more inning game and second it takes more than one pitcher to do it.  This has happened only 10 times, there have been 276 no hitters combined or by a single pitcher.  To give you an idea how rare this is there have been about 400,000 Major League games since the founding of the National League in 1876.  I have watched or listened to significant portions of 4 no hitters including Kevin Millwood's no-hitter when he was with the Phillies, Millwood started tonight's game for M's.  As a kid I watched Nolan Ryan no-hit the Dodgers on the Saturday Game of the Week on NBC, I remember turning on the game in middle innings.  I listened to the last 2 or 3 innings of Chris Bosio's no-hitter for the M's against the Redsox, from my cubical at my accounts payable job with Nordstrom.  Then there was a Millwood's no-hitter with the Phillies, which I watched with Cicely from the box seats down the left field line in Safeco Field one sunny Sunday morning.  We had been woken up very early and were annoyed by the dogs (we were dog-sitting), so we went for a drive and ended up in Georgetown and then we pasted Safeco and I said lets go to a game.  Once inside the big screen were showing Millwood's game.  Then tonight the first time, I have watched a no-hitter for start to finish.  Whereas, I enjoy watch games from my family room, I wish I could have been there.  Oh well, tonight photos from Georgetown on the day Kevin Millwood through a nine inning no-hitter.
Enjoy
Dan

The Utah Cycle

I get to go on a business trip to Utah, Salt Lake City specifically, this week.  It brings to light an interesting coincidence.  Last time I was in Utah it was 1998, and I was in the process of deciding to move from Elllensburg back to Seattle.  So this trip will be similar, as I am in the process of deciding where to hang my hat for the next decade or two.  Funny how life allows for this sort of thing to happen.  Tonight a photo from my last trip to Utah.
Enjoy
Dan