Friendly Faces of Pike Place Market

On the way to the Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau Annual Meeting I had a chance to detour through the Pike Place Market and enjoy the sights, sounds and best of all, the wonderful smells of just about every type of food you can think of.

Here are just a few of the friendly faces of the Pike Place Market.

Sorry I didn't have more time to wander, take pictures and perhaps pick up dinner.

If you ever have a chance and want a "behind the scenes" tour of the market, check out Savor Seattle Food Tours. Angela and her staff do a wonderful job and even Seattle old timers are likely to learn something new.

Sunset Beach Walk

One nice thing about this time of the year is that you can take a sunset walk on the beach before dinner.

We started our walk just as the sun was about to dip below a hill. The low sun threw a golden glow over everything including Abby.

We pretty much had the beach to ourselves, which means Abby pretty much had all the sticks to herself and with both of us throwing sticks for her she got a good workout even if it was a rather short walk.

The beach is covered with a whole new supply of driftwood for the kids (and adults) who love to build driftwood castles at Point No Point.

A Pileated Woodpecker at our feeder

A Pileated Woodpecker at our feeder.

Hanging upside down, crumbs kept falling on his belly and he would reach under the feeder and pick at the crumbs. He has been hanging around daily at the feeder and in the near by trees.

Lake Crescent Reflections

Just a few more pictures of the reflections on Lake Crescent on our trip to Cape Flattery.

Journey to the far Northwest Corner of the Continental United States

The destination was Cape Flattery, the most Northwest point in the Continental United States. The plan was to take the Scenic Byway - Hwy 112 along the Straights of Juan de Fuca and then hike the Cape Flattery Trail.

This is a trip I've made a few times before but I've been wanting to go again for a while now and I wanted to take Jim on the hike. I knew he would grumble a bit about the hike, not long, but a little tough on knees, but I also knew he would love the destination and agree the walk was worth it.

This trip can be done in a day from Seattle but much better to plan an overnight stay somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula.

First stop for us is usually Sunny Farms Country Store along HWY 101 in Sequim. Along with a wonderful grocery and nursery they have a great deli and we pick up custom sandwiches, beverages and snacks for the drive.

After turning off HWY 101 onto HWY 112 we stopped at Salt Creek Recreation Area where you'll find camping, picnic areas, playgrounds and several paths to the rocky and sandy beaches.

Above: Oystercatchers

A photographer from Seattle heading out to try and get photos of the Oystercatchers.

Deer roam the park.

Normally we would continue on along HWY 112 to Neah Bay and on the the Cape Flattery Trail, but the winter storms have closed HWY at milepost 37 so we take the Joyce Piedmont Road to reconnect with with HWY 101 and head west again along the shore of Lake Crescent.

The fog was still lifting but the drive was beautiful and the reflections perfect.

We eventually took HWY 113 to cut back up to HWY 112 beyond the landslide that caused the closure.

Once in Neah Bay stop to pick up a recreational permit at the Makah Museum and do take time to tour this amazing museum.

Drive on through town following signs to Cape Flattery. The road is paved all the way and there is a nice parking lot with rest rooms at the trail head.

The 3/4 mile trail is a moderate hike, part dirt path, part boardwalk and while not a great elevation change, the steps can be hard for some.

At the final destination you'll look out into the Pacific Ocean and see Tatoosh Island with the Cape Flattery Lighthouse.

Views in every direction, including "down" are spectacular.

This couple sat on very edge of the cliff looking into the sunset and below at the waves breaking on the rocky shore.

Abby along the trail - this part made of tree roots.

The sunset reflects on the trees above as the boardwalk stairs are already in the shade of evening.

A final look back toward the Pacific Ocean after sunset.

We headed home, a long drive, but to make a perfect ending, and break up the drive we stopped in Port Angeles at a favorite restaurant, Bella Italia.

I just Googled to get a link for Bella Italia and noticed this statement on their site: "TWILIGHT FANS" : Bella and Edward had their very first date at Bella Italia and had a delicious dinner of mushroom ravoli.

That's what I had last night and it was WONDERFUL!

Pick a waterfall - Seattle Waterfall Garden Park

Seattle's Waterfall Park is a wonderful little pocket park hidden away near Pioneer Square. It's a great place to stop, relax, eat your brown bag lunch and listen to the waterfalls.

I had a little time before a lunch meeting and started playing with my camera; same shot, different settings to see which results I liked best and to get to know my camera better.

I have tended to take pictures of moving water rather fast, to capture the moment but all the books and articles talk about taking water pictures at a slower speed to get that smooth look.

Here I moved from very fast 1/800 second (top) to 1/5 second (below).

Which do you prefer?

More on Waterfall Garden Park and other Pioneer Square attractions.

Two Crows In A Tree

Three Bald Eagles, lots of seagulls, a few shore birds and crows - lots of crows.

These two were enjoying the sun, soaking it up with their dark bodies.

Tomorrow promises to be another one of those days that lift our spirits and make us quickly forget the gray days. There is something about the contrast that makes the clear days all the more special when compared to the gray, and the gray not so bad because we remember the good days.

Tomorrow calls for a drive - just need to decide which direction to go.

The Sun Came Out and so did the people!

The sun came out and so did the people and the dogs!

A beautiful day at Point No Point with lots of people taking advantage of the long lost sun. It not only came out but took over without a cloud in the sky.

Just what we all needed after the long, cold, dark spell.

A Road Into an Alder Woods

A road into the woods.


Alders. not our most exciting trees, but strangely beautiful in the winter with moss on them as they begin to show the first signs of buds that will soon take over and slowly turn to leaves.

Foggy, misty beach walk

Jim taking a break along our walk.

Another foggy day but there is a beauty on the beach when the fog rolls in. A high tide at Point No Point so the walk is shorter than normal.

Abby is always happy with a stick.

The lighhouse in January looks rather remote surrounded by fog.

Some of the other walkers and their dog on the beach.

This is the first real test of my new camera (Canon 5D Mark II) and I found that I really can't leave the ISO on "auto". With the higher range the camera takes advantage of it in the foggy conditions so I ended up with photos that are a bit noisy when blown up.

Colin McDonald Kayaks the Texas Coast

My nephew Colin McDonald is off on another adventure. He is currently a reporter for the San Antonio Express News and they are paying him to take three weeks and kayak the Texas coast and write stories.

He has a degree in Environmental Journalism from Western Washington University and has worked at a few different papers and did a two year stint on a Hearst fellowship landing in San Antonio a little over a year ago.

Prior to heading to Texas Colin kayaked from Ketchikan, Alaska to Seattle, partly as a solo trip. Here is his story after that trip: http://blog.kitsapimages.com/2008/04/colin-mcdonald-ketchikan-to-suquamish.html

I followed that trip closely on my blog at the Seattle PI (http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/search.asp?blogID=175&userquery=Colin+McDonald&x=13&y=12) but this trip will be a little different since the newspaper will carry his blog as he goes.

I'm hoping you'll all check out this new adventure and follow Colin's progress!

Here is the link to follow: http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/the_uncharted_coast/

The Boyle Boys + Natasha

The Boyle boys: Kyle, Jim holding Jax, Joey and Roger - four generations. I picked this picture to post because it is "so Joey".
Again, Joey is the standout. Kyle holding Jax, Roger, Joey and Natasha. Our uniquely blended family.

You "Otter" Attend

Is this cute or what? One of my pictures being used in the promotion of the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau Annual Meeting. Actually, all the photos in the promotion are mine, but I do like my otters!

By the way, if you're at all interested in tourism on the Kitsap Peninsula, you might want to attend the Annual Meeting. It's a nice lunch, great location and hopefully some good information. It's open to the public and all are welcome. Click on the title for more information and a link to online registrations.

Really, you "Otter" Attend!

Cold and wind at Point No Point

Never a bad day to walk the beach. Perhaps some are better than others, and on days like today the cold and wind can shorten the walk, but still, an amazing feeling to see the mountains, waterfowl, other walkers and dogs.

I must have hundreds of photos of Point No Point and yet, I can't help taking more every time we go.