• Avian,  Family,  flowers,  leaves,  Plants,  Travel,  trees

    The Seattle Trip

    July 13, 2020
    View of Lake Washington from the deck of the VRBO
    Marcee and John going down The Hill
    We just don’t have ferns like this in Colorado
    Have no idea what these flowers are and can’t seem to find anything on them
    Fire pit on the patio because it did get cool at night
    These were in the garden at the apartment
    A Bald Eagle perched above us on one of our walks

    Here’s a little bit about the trip to Seattle. First off, the weather was wonderful, highs reached about 70 degrees and lows at night down to 55 degrees. No rain the whole time we were there. I ate too much.

    The Vacation Rental By Owner apartment Marcee and John were renting was sweet. It sat up on a hill with a great view of Lake Washington. We walked each day on a flat trail around the lake but the walk included climbing up “The Hill” on the way back. I walked about 12,000 steps each day. The Hill was steep and long enough that this older man had to stop and catch his breath three times to get home. You will see in the photo two orange cones marking holes in the road. I used them as rest stops on the way up.

    The walks along the lake were breathtaking for me. The area has such different and diverse plants than we have here in Colorado. The plants and density of them always amaze me. I experienced that when living in Ohio. I was always way behind everyone else because I had to stop so many times. 

    They had a small propane fire pit on the patio which did provide some warmth if the wind was not blowing. I actually thought it would be nice on my patio but  we cannot have grills due to insurance issues.

    I decided to only take the Fujifilm X-T3 and the XF35mm f2.0 lens. I was going for family time and did not want the extra weight and bother. It would also have distracted me from family time. So, this image is a major crop. Still not bad. I began to get more comfortable with the camera, its responsiveness and handling. The 30% increase in size and weight are no longer an issue.

    I really enjoyed the time with Marcee and John and Sheree. I was also able to see a nephew and niece I’d not seen in about 16 years. It was so. good to see them and their families. The trip was worth. Have a few more days of self-quarantine to where I will feel comfortable around others. But, it is good to be home, even though it’s hot.

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  • Candid Portraits,  lifestyles,  People/Portraits

    It’s different now…

    March 18, 2020
    A young lady lost in thought

    With all this free time  at home I’ve been reflecting on memories of my youth, those years from five into my mid-teens. Life seemed simple back then. As a family we always ate our evening meal at home and always together. That was because we did not have much money and second there were not that many restaurants available. It’s different now.

    Television was still in its’ younger days. Channels shutdown by midnight with the black test screen. Many of us still had black and white televisions with rabbit ears and at most, 3-5 channels. The evening news would come on at 5:00 for about an hour while a second at 10:00 pm. There was no 24/7 news from multiple sources with differing viewpoints. It’s different now.

    We had one phone for the entire family to use and it hung on the wall. It was a party line so we needed to pickup the phone and make sure no one was using it before dialing. It had a rotary dial. It’s different now.

    Thanks for listening. 

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  • Candid Portraits,  Canon Powershot G12,  Cityscapes/Urban,  Travel

    Musician and the Dancer

    November 26, 2012
    Musician and the Dancer

    “Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”

    George Carlin

    A couple years ago I had a long overnight in Seattle with a fellow flight attendant named Tracey. As it was Memorial Weekend we took the train down to the Stadium to watch about five innings of the Mariners game then headed to Pikes Market. We walked the streets, ate a nice salmon dinner and just enjoyed ourselves. It is overnights like this we consider one of the perks of our work.

    These two young men we entertaining to watch. The one was playing drums with the glass bottles and plastic buckets while the other danced up a storm. Even though they were in a major part of town they stayed in their own world of music and on the same page.

    Want to pass along this link to a pretty good read on difference between a photographer and an artist by Mike Johnson.

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  • Candid Portraits,  Documentary/Street,  People/Portraits

    Leaning on Him

    November 1, 2011
    Leaning on Him

    I discovered this couple leaning against each other and watching the sun set while I was hanging around Pikes Market in Seattle a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday I was enjoying the sunshine and 87 degree temperatures while visiting my parents. I flew back to Colorado this morning where it is cloudy and 34 degrees with the possibility of 3-5 inches of snow by morning.

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  • Canon Powershot G12,  Documentary/Street

    I ♥ Coffee Shops

    October 26, 2011
    Mocha Latte
    Sleeping and Knitting

    Starbucks had its start in Seattle with its original store located in Pikes Market. And, it’s true, they have stores everywhere. Yet, just below my hostel was a little coffee shop called Seattle Coffee Cafe. I tried it out the morning I left and enjoyed my mocha latte but was intrigued by all that I saw around me. Two young men worked the shop, one on the register, connecting with customers and taking orders. The second man was behind the bar, hand grinding the beans, damping the coffee by hand and pouring the shots through his manual machine.  The whole process was a work of art. The little heart added to my mocha does not improve the taste but adds a special touch. Makes you feel like your not just someone to quickly get out the door.

    The ambiance was welcoming. There were plenty of chairs and tables. A couple of comfy chairs and soft warm lights. It was inviting and had that feeling of comfort. As you can see in the above image, felt like they were at home. The young girl must of had a long night, either too much party time or  too much study time. She’s down and out. The man in the military fatigues hardly moved except for his hands. He intently read his book, seldom looking at his hands. And, those fingers were almost a blur. The only time he changed position was the trip to the bathroom and make room for another coffee. That’s when the girl moved, so I knew she was alive. I enjoy experiencing coffee shops. And, of course being Seattle, it rained.

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  • Candid Portraits,  Canon Powershot G12,  Documentary/Street,  Food,  People/Portraits

    The Colors

    October 24, 2011

    Last week I spent a couple of days in Seattle, flying up on Wednesday and coming back on Friday afternoon. I took one small backpack with spare shirt, shorts, socks, toothbrush and just the G12. I stayed at the Green Tortoise Hostel which is located at the corner of Pike and First Street. It is literally across the street from Pikes Market Place. First of all the hostel was great. I stayed in a room with four beds with only three of them occupied. Andrew was from England and Bosco was from Miami. The hostel provided breakfast each morning: eggs, pancakes and toast. The only stipulation required you to make your own breakfast and then cleanup after yourself. On Tuesdays from 1:00-5:00 pm they offered the Dead Guy tour where they load you up in the hostel van for a tour of Seattle. Along the way they take you to the graves of Jimmy Hendrix, Bruce Lee, and Brandon Lee. I passed on that. They offered free dinner on Tuesday and Thursday. So, I did indulge in the taco dinner on Thursday.

    Pikes Place is always a colorful place. Here you will meet the farmer who grows the food, the butcher who knows where the meat came from and the seafood purveyor who picked up the catch of the day just this morning. The farmers did a wonderful job of presenting their fruits and vegetables, the colors were overwhelming.

    Some of the color included the people. It seemed there were a lot homeless, many of them were begging. One man asked me for two dollars. When I said no, he mumbled profanity and walked away. Not sure this guy really needs anymore than weed. He was out there each day and on the same corner. As a photographer the options for images was endless.

     

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