Elk

One of the best things about living all the way out here, is that we have lots of critters. While, I'm not the biggest fan of the bears and cougars, I do enjoy the elk. There are something like 300 or so elk in the upper valley. There have been times in the last 3 or 4 months that 100 to 115 animals have been grazing in the fields of the Meadowbrook Farm. We have been out to see the elk several times the summer and early fall, enough so our boy has learned the word elk and will point to the Meadowbrook Farm and say elk when we pass. So today, here are some photos of our neighborhood elk.

Enjoy

Dan

Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls, on the Cedar River, is where Seattle City Light's first hydroelectric project began. Back in the early 1900's it lent its' name to a company town for the workers at the dam and the watershed, which also was eventually located here. Prior to World War II, Cedar Falls was actually larger than than North Bend and Snoqualmie. As time marched on, the town began to wain and by the late 1950's very few people were left in town. It was at that time the city removed most of the building in the town. Some survived and until September 11, 2001, the town was still open to the public, even though it was within the city's watershed. Sadly due to the proximity of the town to the dam's powerhouse, it has been locked behind a gate, since that fateful day. Now Cedar Falls, is only accessible once a year by foot, it is a real loss to those of us who live in east county.

Today was the one time a year, the public was allowed on the streets of Cedar Falls, and as I wandered its' streets with my family, I thought of the loses we have occurred since 9-11. Such as, I cannot just take my son to this piece of living history anytime, nor can I take my son on a walk across the Grand Coulee Dam, like I did with my Grandfather. Then I thought about the current presidential race, and wondered if either candidate is the right man to bring America security, so we may have our lost freedoms restored. It is clear that we Americans' have once again settled for our presidential candidates. Neither man is ready to lead us, but these are the choices we allowed ourselves to be left with. One must wonder if we Americans' will ever again demand that the right man or woman make themselves available for run at the White House, or will we continue to just settle for the jerks our two party system, Oprah and cable news choose for us.

I'll shut up now.

Here are few pictures from Cedar Falls, including the falls and the cool old street lights in Cedar Falls itself.

Enjoy

Dan

My Dad

Here a couple photos of my Dad and sister. I have just started the Williams' family slides, so thus far there are very few photos of my dad and myself. Anyway, dear ol' dad had a recent birthday, so happy birthday dad and enjoy the pictures.

Dan

The Origins of the Lonely Hi-way Shot

I've always enjoyed the road, even as a small boy, I enjoyed being on the road. Mostly, I like seeing new places and watching the scenery. It wasn't until much later that I realized that the road itself was scenery worth watching, along with the forgotten and forlorn stuff that sits along side.

Today I came across these photos of the Vantage Highway, circa 1994, basically taken a week or two after moving to Ellensburg. It was here driving down that old highway to Vantage, that the stuff about the road being scenery really struck home. I realized that this road, at the time, was a time capsule, that it really was not much different that day, than it had been on the day traffic was re-directed to I-90. These aren't the greatest photos ever, but they are they genesis of my interest in photographing the road.

Enjoy

Dan

Blogger's Block

Sometimes you just don't feel like doing anything. Sometimes you feel like doing a particular thing and just doesn't happen. This has been the case lately with the ol' blog. It could be that I've been scanning rather boring stuff and spending more time with the family. Or maybe it's the impending collapse of the western world that has me down. Whatever it maybe, I feel compelled to act, much like the White House has forced Barney Frank to work. I'd like to give in to my malaise, but there could be somebody out there, who actually enjoys this diversion. And for that person, who ever you may be, tonight I give you two photos; Al the Climber and Sunset behind the BP. Its the best I can do today, hopefully in the coming days more interesting subject matter, will result in more interesting bloggliness. Or it could be the beginning of a dark period of photos from behind the BP, there's lots of them, so lets hope things get better.

Dan

Ghost Ship

I'm not sure about this ship. But it is likely, the ship my grandfather worked on during the passage back to Seattle.

More Alaska

Nothing clever to say, but it appears that the Great Depression created hard men.

Enjoy

Dan

North to Alaska

Alaska is in the news a lot lately, with Ms. Pallin and all, so I thought I would pull out the photo of Chet Riley. The year is 1934 and Alaska consisted of only snow, mud and mosquitoes. It is in this year my Grandfather heeded Johnny Horton's call went north to do some clamming and some striking and some other stuff. One of the fellas he went north with was none other than Chet Riley. This is amusing to me since I call my sister-in-law Chet, however to the larger blog-reading public, this does not really matter too much. For them I can say that, Chet Riley was an obscure welterweight boxer from Tolt, WA (thanks Google). Ol' Chet was 0-2 in his illustrious career that that spanned nearly two full months. He lost to the like of Curly Lyons and Beecher Holford to name the complete list. Anyway Chet is standing, with riffle, on the side of snowy hill, with Mummy Island behind him. Well, that's the story of Chet Riley. I have included a couple of Alaska photos as well.

Enjoy

Olmstead State Park

Today we look at several photos taken at Olmstead State Park, just east of Ellensburg. Why you ask, is Olmstead the center of an earmarking controversy that will change Presidential politics for ever? Or did Obama state that he wished that Pallin was more like the Olmstead sisters, that is, single and childless? Well fateful readers, no Olmstead is just a quiet park that will not become quieter because Doc Hastings, Patty Murray and John McCain earmarked $3.1 billion build a 5 mile tunnel on I-90 along the route past Olmstead. Nor has Obama ever mentioned the Olmsteads.

Instead Olmstead is where I spent my Saturday afternoon along with the wife and kid. We went to the annual Threshing Bee which I must say was a bit disappointing, but I think since we went in the afternoon and most the folks there were really, really old, the good stuff must happen in the early morning. Lots of cool tractors though and the boy liked it, so all in all a good time. I've included photos from today's journey with this post so, that's fun huh. Finally we stopped by I and had a nice visit with the Artist (see Artist, Artist Redux, etc.) and his wife. Anyway I'd like to say thanks for the coffee and the hummus.

Hey if you would like to see more of the ol' Threshing Bee check out the Picasa web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/rustedvan

Enjoy

Dan

Give 'em Hell Harry!

Today we examine Harry Truman, the most quoted old President at both recent conventions. These photos are from June 10, 1948, during a speech in Bremerton, in front of the Elks Club. It is at this very gathering the cry, "Give 'em Hell, Harry!," Was reportedly first uttered. Although, newspapers reported that voice said, "Lay it on, Harry!" Presidential notes say, "Pour it on, Harry!" For more see the History Link article on this event. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5466

Most the pictures are of Truman's speech, but one is of the parade through Bremerton. It is unfortunately rather blurry, but still offers insight to a world gone by. Note the car Truman is in, its not a Presidential limo, its a car with Washington plates. Second check out just how close real people are to their President, it's truly remarkable, especially in this day of hyper-security. It's little things such as this, that make you realize just how much has been sacrificed for our modern times.

Enjoy

Dan

The U-Tote-Em

In Ellensburg this is a sign that for years has been greeting the tourist masses on the edge of town. Well at least it use to, town has moved west and bikini-clad baristas now greet the tourist masses. I suppose that's what they call progress. And this weekend when we go to Ellensburg we'll avoid this sign like the modern tourist, not because of the bikini girls pulling double shots, but because we'll make a right turn onto Dollarway.

So anyway back to this wonderful sign that stands in front of Rossow's U-Tote-Em, inviting all the hungry to eat burgers. I always enjoyed this sign with its neon lights flickering on at dusk to invite in the hungry, weary and thirsty. Once this sort of thing was more common than a Target.

Enjoy

Dan

Big Blue

Today's photo is of water and sky, I don't know where one could find this particular version of water and sky. So, instead enjoy the deep blue of photo. A note, this is the unrestored slide (see Early Morning, Yellowstone Park), the restored version has much more tungsten, but isn't as interesting.

Enjoy

Dan

Getting Schmidty

Mmmmm Schmidt's Beer, the brew that grew with the great Northwest. And by Northwest they mean the old Northwest, Wisconsin and Michigan. This photo reminds me of summertime in Ellensburg. Looking back, the first sip of an ice cold Schmidt's is delicious and refreshing, the second sip is a little less refreshing. The third and fourth, nothing to write home about, after that, lets say you should have finished the can already.

Enjoy

Dan

Mission Accomplished

Unlike Mr. Bush, I’m not speaking too soon, in fact I'm saying this because it is true. It only took 4.5 months to do, but this morning at 1 AM, I completed the transferring of my grandparent's photographs. The photograph above is the 1260th and final scan, a forgettable photo, but oh well.
To celebrate this occasion, I have decided on a new and understated title for my blog and to feature several photo's of my grandmother, the primary photographer in the Paar Family. For years she stood in the shadow of my larger than life Grandfather, but as his fire began to wane in his later years, hers shown brightly. It was then that I realized what a remarkable woman she really was. More on that in future blogs, but for now, here are 3 photos of my Grandmother. The first is from Suamico, WI, during a silver thaw in an orchard on a family friend's farm, circa mid 1910's. The girl holding my grandmother is named Lydia Walsh. Second is from roughly the same time frame, and is photo of my grandmother with a doll, on the back she wrote, is this why I disliked dolls? She had been left at a family friend's home, with only the doll to console her, while her mother went shopping. The final photo is from the late 1940's, or more likely the early 1950's, it is my Grandmother dressed for Easter Sunday.
Enjoy
Dan

A Scene from the American West

Don't have much to say about this photo, other than it's from Ellensburg in the 1950's. Oh, and the cows remind me of the painting of the cow in the back of each Dick's Drive-In.

Enjoy

Dan

Feeding the Squirrels, All Part of Growing Up Paar

As I come down the home stretch transferring old Paar media to Digital, I have been struck by the photos of the Paar's feeding the animals. Its been somewhat amusing to say the least.

So on a night that the Republican Party brought out a lady to attack an African American Man, I give you pictures of squirrels being fed, maybe the powerful political statement in a generation. This is especially true amongst squirrels.

Polling data suggests that this blog post will make this the number one blog amongst squirrels that enjoy handouts.

Enjoy and now get to work

Dan

Its Time to Put Away the White Slacks

Well it's Labor Day, so away with the white and time to bring out the fall colors. But before we say goodbye, lets look at some pictures of people enjoying the beach.

Dan