Olympia Daily Photo

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-07-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

Friday was Lauren's first birthday. Today, as you might be able to tell, we had the party. Nothing too big or fancy, but it was nice. What a year it's been. She has helped to fill the house with lots of laughs and smiles. She started walking at nine months and it's been go, go, go ever since. This next year she'll be doing more, saying more and keeping us running. We wouldn't trade it for anything though.
Happy first birthday Lauren. We are blessed to have you.

Time for a Baby Update

2011-03-30T19:03:00.001-07:00

Time goes by so fast Don and I can't believe it. Here is our sweet Lauren at 8 months. Today she stood up grabbed her toy with wheels on it and proceeded to walk across the living room. My oh my! The nice weather is coming so are the walks and new pictures. We are ready to shed the winter/baby pounds. Time to get Lauren outside to show her everything!

How Time Flies!

2010-10-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

So I know we have neglected our blog for what feels like a week and a half. :) Only to realize Lauren is about to turn 3 months old. Wow is all we can say. She is a little angel, growing up so fast. We have had many adventures in the last 2 and a half months. All of which have been fantastic! I know you all have been waiting for a new picture. We appreciate your patience with our Blog-vacation. As I am sure you all understand why we remain so distracted. Thank you for all the sincere and beautiful comments. We wish you well! -Don & Krise

She is Here!!!!!

2010-07-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome Lauren!!!

On July 15th, 2010 at 12:52pm we were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Lauren Elisabeth entered the world at 9 lbs 2.5 oz and 20.5 in. With reddish-blonde hair and all her cute little fingers and toes she's everything we've been waiting for.

I know I haven't been posting much lately, but I'll just use the photo above for my excuse. Somehow I think we'll be forgiven. Thank you all for your wishes and understanding. We really do appreciate it.

Hello Kitty

2010-06-27T22:09:00.001-07:00

In last night's post I told you that my wife and I went for a nice afternoon walk down at Capitol Lake. It's trail that goes around the lake is a popular spot for people who either like to walk or walk their dogs. (NOTE: we knew right away this was not a dog!) We were about half way around the lake when I stopped dead in my tracks and told my wife "Honey....LOOK." Yep, there is a local woman that happens to (legally) own a somewhat tame Bobcat. I wish I had backed off and taken a shot of her, the Bobcat and her two dogs. The dogs weren't even on leashes. Evidently they've grown up around the cat and are completely comfortable around it. They acted like it was no big deal. There were other dogs that came by that the cat appeared to eye very closely licking it's chops. The owner kept a pretty tight grip on the leash, but I was surprised how long of a leash she used. It was probably fifteen feet long which seems like a lot of lead for an animal that could do the damage this one could. We stopped and talked to the lady for a while. A group of teenagers stopped and took a ton of cell phone pics. A couple of them actually did get to pet it, but she wouldn't let any small kids close. Definitely a beautiful animal, but it sure caught us off guard.

Last Rays

2010-06-26T22:23:00.001-07:00

This evening seemed like a good night for pizza, so we headed over to Brewery City Pizza and filled our bellies. Well, my belly is not quite as full as Krise's but you get the idea. After dinner we decided it was too nice out to just go home so we drove to Capitol Lake to take a nice relaxing stroll and watch the sunset. Tomorrow I'm going to show you what else we saw there. It's going to surprise you.

For more weekend reflections click the link below.

Shadow Boxes

2010-06-21T21:57:00.001-07:00

One of the interesting buildings at The Evergreen State College here in Olympia. Recently my wife and I took an afternoon stroll around it's campus. Though not something I'd call beautiful, this wall with it's repeating shapes and shadows definitely caught my eye.

Alle Meine Entchen

2010-06-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Which translated means, all my ducklings. Hi everyone. No we haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and no we don't have a new baby yet either. Krise's due date is still July 13th so that calculates to about 23 days to go. We're getting pretty excited, and she's feeling pretty ready. Also, Happy Father's Day to all the dads. I hope you all had a wonderful day. After opening a couple of very nice gifts we went out for breakfast. Evidently a few thousand others had the same idea but that's okay. I wasn't going to let a little wait bum me out. After breakfast we went to a local park to take a walk. No, I'm not trying to wear my wife out, in fact she's happy walking as long as it's at an easy pace. While we were walking around the lake there were lots of ducks. As you can see in this shot, our oldest daughter talked a few of them into a cell phone photo-op.

Again, Happy Father's Day. I'll do my best to post when I can as well as helping the wife prepare the nest.

Bridge of Glass

2010-06-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is another shot from The Bridge of Glass in downtown Tacoma. Take a gander waaaaay down at the far end. See those two light blue objects? The one on the left was yesterday's post.

Rock Candy?

2010-06-06T19:40:00.001-07:00

A beautiful sculpture made even more interesting with the sunlight shining through it. Actually there are two of them and they are call The Crystal Towers. They are the center pieces of The Chihuly Bridge of Glass at The Glass Museum in Tacoma.

Auf Wiedersehen

2010-06-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

You'll have to forgive me for being slightly behind on my posting lately. Not only are we getting closer to "baby day", but as you may have seen in the previous post we have had company. My cousin Robert, his wife Karola & their daughter Marion spent two wonderful days with us. They are gone now, continuing down the Pacific coast before they eventually head back home to Schwandorf, Bayern. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute we spent with them and miss them very much. I guess that's all the more reason to go visit them one day. Here's wishing them safe travels.

Willkommen Meine Familie

2010-05-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day we had today. My cousin Robert, his wife Karola & their daughter Marion are here visiting from Bavaria. I had never met Robert or his family before today. After going out for a large breakfast we set out to show them around. We took them shopping at several local places where they picked up some souvenirs, then to the Tacoma waterfront. Earlier in the day it was cold and rainy, but by the afternoon it was sunny and beautiful out. We headed downtown to The Glass Museum. They really enjoyed seeing all the colorful glass on display. Tomorrow is their last day here, then they head south through Oregon and into California. Let's hope the weather stays nice for at least one more day.

Weekend Reflections - Stick in the Mud

2010-05-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Spotted on a walk recently we thought this Weekend Reflection looked like a painting.

For more Weekend Reflections click the link below.

SkyWatch Friday - Familiar Sights?

2010-05-28T21:33:00.001-07:00

For this Skywatch Friday I thought I'd share a photo that has a wide enough view to remind you of some of the places I've shown you on here. The lake is Capitol Lake. Recently I showed you another angle looking right back where this shot was taken near the Legislative Building. In the distance to the left you see the 4th Avenue Bridge. I took this shot from underneath it. See that building in the distance to the right? I told you the story of that right here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. If you'd like to see more Skywatch Friday photos click the link below.

Last Concert of the Year

2010-05-27T22:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm posting this later than I had planned, but tonight was our oldest daughter's last high school concert of this school year. Each concert so far had really been good and tonight was no exception. My favorite was an old Tower of Power hit performed by the jazz band called "What is Hip?" What do you mean you don't remember it?

Orchids Suspended

2010-05-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Another shot taken at The Seymour Conservatory in Tacoma, this area is dedicated to various exotic orchids.

Kiss me Fish Lips!

2010-05-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

As we do about once every couple of months or so, we headed up to The Seymour Conservatory in Tacoma. Currently they have a wonderful display called Hilltop Artists in Residence. Glass, locally blown is set amongst the plants and flowers. The artists' works are also for sale. In fact when we went on Sunday there weren't many pieces left that were not marked "SOLD". This is one that really caught our eye though.

Honey Could You Mow The Roof?

2010-05-23T19:09:00.001-07:00

Today we were up north in Tacoma seeing my Mom, doing some shopping for baby things and just sort of running around. Driving down the road something caught my eye. I had to turn around and look closer. Thankfully we were able to pull into an alley to get this shot.

What the heck??

SkyWatch Friday - Blue on Blue

2010-05-21T22:38:00.001-07:00

As those of you who regularly follow along here know, Capitol Lake is one of our favorite places to go on a nice day. It's a great place to walk the dogs, take in some sun and photograph the goings on. I just couldn't pass up a scene like this.

For more Skywatch Friday beauty click the link below.

Capitol Campus Conservatory

2010-05-20T21:10:00.001-07:00

With all the wonderful and historic things to see at the Capitol Campus here in Olympia one sad spot is the former Capitol Campus Conservatory. Built in the 1930's, what was once the home and birthplace for thousands of flowers is now an empty shell destined to someday be demolished. Why you say? Click here for the story.

Ruby Tuesday - On a Wing

2010-05-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Taken on our recent outing to The McLane Creek Nature Trail, I felt lucky that this beautiful Red Winged Blackbird held still long enough for me to take his portrait.

For more Ruby Tuesday shots click the link below.

The Pole Position

2010-05-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I went for a walk around the State Capitol. I spotted this tree and realized I had seen it many times, even photographed it before but I'd never shared it on here. I'm not sure of the history of this old tree. I looked for some sign or plaque, but there were none. I'm assuming there's something about this old tree that makes it worthy of saving. Check out the series of poles around it. Some have loops at the top with a branch running through them. At least one near the center stretches above the top of the tree and has cables which reach out and support other limbs. Quite the design.

Photo Bench

2010-05-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Those of you that have been kind enough to follow along here for a while already realize that downtown Olympia is a colorful diverse place. So here's just one more thing that makes the downtown area fun. This bench, titled "Match Game" is one of I believe 5 benches with various forms of artwork on them. This was the brainchild of The Olympia PBIA or "Public and Business Improvement Area" who, in 2008 invited local artists to submit designs that would artistically enhance existing benches in downtown Olympia to "generate added artistic interest to our streetscape and to engage the Olympia arts community in a project that would highlight beauty and creativity in the downtown core." The photography on this particular bench came from Bridget Irish. You can read a little more about it here.

Time for a Break

2010-05-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

Another shot taken this past Sunday, (Mother's Day) on our walk around Capitol Lake. How perfect is this? Our youngest daughter and our French Bulldog Otis were ready for a rest at the same time. Why not share a shady spot with your best friend?

Have a great weekend!

By Request: Proud Mama

2010-05-13T20:17:00.001-07:00

Here you go, Mama and most of her nine babies. Does she look proud or what?

Watery Wednesday - Floating Furballs

2010-05-12T21:02:00.001-07:00

Taken this past Sunday (Mother's Day), these little fellas were just two of nine babies with their mama down at Capitol Lake.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

The Long Road to Ruin

2010-05-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Taken at Capitol Lake this past weekend, Mother's Day to be exact.

Okay, Fun's Over!

2010-05-10T13:57:00.001-07:00

This, being my third and final post on The Olympia Wooden Boat Fair, is what things looked like late in the afternoon. For a day that had been so nice things really got ugly. Right after I took this shot we headed for the car.

The Not So Mad Hatter

2010-05-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Certainly one of the most colorful vendors at The Olympia Wooden Boat Fair this weekend in downtown Olympia.

Wooden Boat Fair

2010-05-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is Mother's Day weekend and time once again for The Olympia Wooden Boat Fair, an annual event. Wooden boats of all types and sizes, some old some new. Besides the boats tents line the boardwalk, vendors selling their goods. Today a local high school band entertained the crowd with some really good music. I'll show you more from the fair over the next couple of days. Oh, and if you look way at the far end, just over the tents you'll see the jets of water from this fountain hanging in mid air.

PS: Everyone from our house wants to send out a big Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms. We hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow.

Lucky Duck

2010-05-06T20:36:00.001-07:00

Finishing up this series from The McLane Creek Nature Trail is Mr Wood Duck. For a little more info on this colorful and popular creature click here. I believe that link is one of Abraham Lincoln's favorite sources for bird and fowl factoids. Here's looking A-choo Abe!

Watery Wednesday - Tree Bridge

2010-05-05T20:52:00.001-07:00

On Watery Wednesday I thought I'd share with you another shot from The McLane Creek Nature Trail. I wonder if this tree is home to any gnomes?

For more Watery Wednesday scenes click the link below.

Cedar Meets Alien?

2010-05-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I introduced you to The McLane Creek Nature Trail. Today I had to share this shot with you. This is the second local trail we've walked where there have been trees with these strange twisted roots. If you've been following along for a while you may remember this previous post.

McLane Creek Nature Trail

2010-05-02T21:54:00.001-07:00

On the weekends, and when the weather permits we like to go exploring right here at home. That's the nice thing about living here. You never run out of great places to go. Last week we drove about fifteen minutes from home and discovered another gem. McLane Creek Nature Trail. As soon as you've parked the car and hit the trail you feel as though you are miles out in the woods. In some areas there are raised wooden paths and in other spots the trails are more natural. You walk past beaver ponds, over skunk cabbage, and through lush green forrest. You hear numerous birds and see turtles sunning themselves. The trails give you options of several different lengths depending on your ability. Most of the time the trail was fairly flat though. I'll share more shots over the next couple of days. If you'd like to read a little more about this wonderful place click here or here.

Theme Day - Statues

2010-05-01T20:50:00.001-07:00

As most know today marks the beginning of another month and a new CDPB theme day. Also many of you know my wife is pregnant and due mid July. This past March 17th, not only was it St Patrick's Day but our anniversary as well. I thought it fitting to give my wife this statue on our anniversary, and what better choice for this month's theme.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Not the Muppets

2010-04-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is the last day for the Arts Walk series. Right now Don is making dinner. So I had to sneak on the Mac to post for him. Surprise! I hope everyone enjoyed the pictures from this week. I am sure you will enjoy his next series. I 'll give you a little hint "green".

-Krise

Art at the Bike Shop

2010-04-28T21:53:00.001-07:00

As part of my continuing series of photos from "Arts Walk" this past weekend, I thought I'd show you that not all art is from us wacky grown ups. These examples of fine art were proudly on display in the front windows of Old Town Bicycle. Great work kids!

PS: If you're just tuning in look back at the past three days posts.

Bo

2010-04-27T19:54:00.001-07:00

Over the past few days I've been sharing with you some of what "Arts Walk" is all about. Celebrating art in all it's forms. Now I don't want to bore you to death staying on the same subject for days on end but I did want to share this with you. Meet "Bo", an acrylic on canvas. One more thing that made us go "Wow".

Okay, This is art...if you say so.

2010-04-26T16:43:00.001-07:00

Now before you say anything, remember I'm trying to give you a little variety of what was on display this past weekend at "Arts Walk" in downtown Olympia. Maybe I should have taken the time to get the names of the artists who's work I am showing you but there was just too much to see and so many people. Many of the shops were so crowded we only viewed that art from outside. When my wife and I walked up to this particular business and took a closer look at these figures we just looked at each other. I could tell she was thinking what I was just about to say. I'll let you guess what that was. More tomorrow.

Arts Walk - Day One

2010-04-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

Yep, "Arts Walk", that's what they call it. A two day celebration of art in all it's forms followed up by "The Procession of the Species. I'll do my best to show you a few different forms over the next few days. Tonight, "The Human Easel." Had I backed up a few steps and showed you the entire front of this building you would have seen another girl seated and displaying another painting. Both were doing a pretty good job of not changing their expression, even as I was snapping photos. As you saw in last night's post there were several streets that were closed to cars. All along the streets shops were open past their normal hours displaying various forms of artwork. Believe me, it ranged from the beautiful to the very strange too. Just wait, I'll show you in a day or two.

A Downtown Event

2010-04-24T18:50:00.001-07:00

This sign wasn't the only one of it's kind yesterday and today in downtown Olympia. Last night my wife and I headed downtown, camera in hand, and went to a yearly happening. What was it? I'll tell you tomorrow.

Sepia Scenes - The Tacoma Narrows Bridge

2010-04-22T19:01:00.001-07:00

This will be the last in my series of shots from the town of Steilacoom. It seems as though when you are down at the water here it doesn't really matter which way you turn. There's a beautiful view in all directions. This particular one is looking north to The Tacoma Narrows Bridge. (Or bridges to be more precise.)

To view other Sepia Scenes click the link below.

Darrell & Darrell

2010-04-21T21:18:00.001-07:00

The past couple of days I've shown you a couple of views of the town of Steilacoom, which is about half an hour north of Olympia. While we were there this past Monday I spotted these two characters just takin' it easy. I'm guessing they're paid lookouts for the seagulls. Notice the train tracks running along the water and the young fellow sitting on the rocks relaxing. This is a popular spot to do just that and our contribution to Watery Wednesday.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

Shift Change

2010-04-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post my wife, my mother and I visited the town of Steilacoom on Monday. After stopping by an old style ice cream shop we headed down the hill to the ferry dock. There's a nice foot traffic dock that stretches out over the water. That is where I took this shot. There's also a nice paved walking path that runs along the water. The shot I chose today is of The Neil Henley, a ferry that runs between McNeil Island Corrections Center (seen in the distance) and Steilacoom. By the looks of it there were both employees and visitors aboard. There were an equal amount of people waiting to get on the ferry to head back to McNeil.

I would been happier if this shot was a little more clear, but it was grey and overcast.

Steilacoom Waterfront

2010-04-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

Today my wife and I picked up my Mom as we do most Mondays. After going out to breakfast and taking care of some running around we took a drive to the nearby town of Steilacoom. It's an older town situated on a hill above Puget Sound. There are some quaint old shops, numerous historic homes, and down at the water a ferry terminal. One of the ferries runs from Steilacoom to McNeil Island Penitentiary. These railroad tracks run along the waterfront and carry both freight trains and Amtrak passenger trains. I'll post more shots from Steilacoom over the next couple of days.

Doggie Focal Point

2010-04-17T20:41:00.001-07:00

A slightly different view of a downtown Olympia street corner through our dog's eye.

SkyWatch Friday - At the Mall

2010-04-16T22:19:00.001-07:00

We took our oldest daughter to the mall tonight. She had a fifty dollar gift card to one of her favorite clothing stores, American Eagle. Needless to say fifty dollars does not go far in there, but she is very happy with the dress and shorts she managed to pick out. The weather was beautiful today, and it looks as if it's going to be a pretty pleasant weekend too. At the time this shot was taken it was still a comfortable temperature. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Click the link below to enjoy Skywatch Friday photos from around the world.

Donation Station

2010-04-15T20:59:00.001-07:00

Sitting in a local grocery store parking lot waiting for all kind of items to be donated.

Watery Wednesday - Going, Going,

2010-04-14T21:48:00.001-07:00

A quick stop at Capitol Lake on the way home. My wife and I stepped out onto the dock and thought this view was worth capturing.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

Ruby Tuesday - Turbo or not Turbo...

2010-04-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

That is the question. Okay, I know that yesterday was supposed to be the last VW post, but then I remembered today was Ruby Tuesday. My wife suggested I post this hot red bug taking it's turn on the dyno. Even though this car didn't win "King of the Hill" in the horsepower wars it was a pretty impressive vehicle. Besides the beautiful red paint, the Porsche wheels and fat tires all tucked under the fenders you really should have heard the engine. For those of you that aren't familiar with turbochargers that's what you see at the upper end of that pipe in the engine compartment. Turbochargers, when installed on a properly built engine can really "boost" the horsepower. This car definitely sounded as nice as it looked.

For more Ruby Tuesday shots click the link below.

Short Bus

2010-04-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Again, as promised here's one last shot from this weekend's Capital City Spring Fling, and all VW car show/swap meet. If you're just tuning in check out the past two day's posts for a couple of other shots from this event. Today's shot was hand picked by my wife. This one really caught her eye. I'm sure some of you (now come on....let's go back a few years) remember when it was pretty popular to build these "shorty" vans, busses and other classic cars. This one though has got to be one of the shortest wheelbases I've ever seen. It looks to me like about the time you turn a corner your rear end is trying to pass you! Cool daddy-o!

P.S. Flower power frame picked by our youngest daughter. Fitting, I'd say.

Dubs on the Dyno

2010-04-11T21:09:00.001-07:00

As I promised in yesterday's post, here's another shot from the Capital City Spring Fling, an all VW car show/swap meet held this past Saturday at the Thurston County Fairgrounds. One of the local performance shops brought a portable dyno. You could put your car on it and see what kind of horsepower you were stretching out of your engine. There were all kinds going for it from turbocharged to bone stock 36 horse busses. There were prizes for highest and lowest horsepowers too. This clean Karmann Ghia was just one of the cars that went for it.

V-Dubs Galore

2010-04-10T20:59:00.003-07:00

In a recent post here I showed you the Volkswagen Squareback that my wife and I are restoring. Being somewhat new to the VW world we know we need to suck up as much info as we can as we move through this project. Today we went to the 2nd annual Capital City Spring Fling, a local VW car show and swap meet. It was held at The Thurston County Fairgrounds. The weather cooperated pretty well. Lots of sun and no rain whatsoever, but it was pretty windy most of the day. There were all models on display, bugs, busses, double cabs, Karmen Ghias squarebacks, fastbacks & more. Air cooled and water cooled were both welcome. I'll show you a couple more shots from the show over the next day or two. We had a great time and just going keeps us excited about our project.

180 Degrees

2010-04-08T20:19:00.001-07:00

If you were standing where yesterday's photo was taken, turned around and walked to the other side of the overpass, this would be your view. Note the fish ladder on the left which was featured in a previous post here. See the walking trail on the right? You can walk from the bridge in yesterday's post down this way, then cross over at the lower falls and walk back up the other side.

Watery Wednesday - The Falls

2010-04-07T21:01:00.000-07:00

You might remember these past photos of Tumwater Falls here and here. Tonight my wife thought I should show you a different view of the falls.

To see even more views of Watery Wednesday click the link below.

Step Right Up

2010-04-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

On the heels of yesterday's post, I thought I'd show you one more shot from a local carnival. Due to the rain there wasn't much going on but we thought it still provided a pretty good photo op.

Training Day

2010-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my wife and I were on our way home when we spotted a carnival at one of the local malls. In half a second my pregnant wife connected the dots. Carnival equals elephant ears. Yep, the craving had kicked in. I took the next exit off the freeway and circled around, then found a place to park. We really felt sorry for the workers. It was raining pretty good and besides us there were probably only around three or four other people there. I guess some were taking advantage of slow times. It appeared in this shot as if one worker was training the other on how to operate this particular ride. After walking around the whole place we figured out there were no elephant ears, (which equals unhappy pregnant wife) so off we went.

Remember Whensday - Another Photo Flashback

2010-03-31T21:36:00.001-07:00

After looking at this a little closer maybe I should have called this one Beauty and the Beast. The year must have been 1974 or 1975. I would have been a senior in high school, and since I was taking photography at the time I don't think I left the house without my trusty Yashica TL Electro X. What was my other hand holding onto? Why my absolutely adorable niece, that's who. I can tell you that this shot was taken in Olympia at the Legislative Building. Why walk down the steps when you can be a kid and go down the ramp instead? It would have been my Mom or Dad taking this shot. We were on the way to see my niece's daddy who at the time worked for The Department of Transportation in Olympia. Oh, and my niece.....she's married and has kids of her own now.

For more chances to "Remember Whensday" click the link below.

When Tonka Toys Grow Up

2010-03-30T20:52:00.001-07:00

With spring already here (wet as it is), and summer on the way this is one place that is going to be seeing some business. They keep a pretty good supply of bark and other yard improvement supplies. When the wind is blowing you can get a whiff of this place from quite a ways away. Boy I'd like to climb in that thing and play for an hour or so.

Truckin' Like the Doo-Dah Man

2010-03-29T21:17:00.000-07:00

Always keeping our eye peeled for classic VW's, this baby caught our eye about half a block after meeting up with these fellows. I figured the sepia would help take us all back in time.

P.S. I wish I would have taken a shot of the inside. There was just enough room for the driver to sit and that was it. The rest of the van was piled to the roof with stuff.

Rif-Raf of Olympia

2010-03-28T18:56:00.001-07:00

Now before anybody takes offense over the title, let me tell you what led up to this photo. My wife, our oldest daughter and I went out to dinner Saturday evening. We headed downtown to McMenamin's Spar Cafe, an Olympia landmark. The atmosphere is comfortable, the food just as comfortable and delicious. After dinner we decided to walk off our full stomachs. We headed down one of the main drags for a few blocks, then crossed the street and started coming back toward our car. As we walked past this group one of them asked us if we had any spare change. I told them I didn't have any and asked if they could take a debit card. We all had a pretty good chuckle, then the fellow with the brown and white dog noticed the camera I was carrying. He said "Hey, do you want to take our picture?" I said sure, everybody get together and grab the dogs too. They all bunched up, struck a pose and this is the result. The same guy I mentioned earlier looked at the photo in the camera then said "You can call this The Rif-Raf of Olympia." A couple of handshakes and laughs later we were on our way. Thanks guys, today's post is all yours.

Back by Popular Demand - Here's Looking at You Kid

2010-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

Here's one more shot of the "fountain froggies" at the Washington State Department of Health. You'd better watch out ladies......this one's blowing a kiss your way. He may be a prince in disguise you know.

Watery Wednesday - The Thinker

2010-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

My wife spotted this cute as heck fountain quite some time back, but I just today managed to photograph it. It's sort of tucked in between a couple of buildings in a small courtyard at the Washington State Department of Health. There are three of these handsome fellows hanging around the pool.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

The Evergreen State College-Don't Lecture Me

2010-03-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

One last post from The Evergreen State College in Olympia. This round building houses several lecture rooms and doesn't seem to have any windows. I guess that's one way to keep your attention.

Art at Evergreen

2010-03-21T22:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, part two of our visit to The Evergreen State College in Olympia. While checking out the campus Saturday I came across this area just outside an art building. Evidently this is where they have been doing some metal work. If you look through the mesh above the concrete wall, you might be able to see a bit of a large winged creature that must have been made there.

Tomorrow I'll show you another area on campus.

The Evergreen State College

2010-03-20T21:48:00.001-07:00

After work today I took the short drive to The Evergreen State College, a public liberal arts and sciences college. Since it opened in 1971 it has worked extremely hard at being as self-sufficient and energy conscious as possible. The EPA recognized TESC as the top green power purchaser for 2008-2009 purchasing more green power than any other college in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. I'll be showing you more over the next couple of days but if you'd like to read more about this college you can visit their website here.

Can anyone help identify these interesting trees?

Guess What We Found?

2010-03-17T21:09:00.001-07:00

Flowers weren't all we found last weekend at the conservatory in Tacoma. We never did see the little fellow that was supposed to be guarding the pot o' gold. He left in such a hurry that he lost his hat.

A big Happy St Patrick's Day to you all. I have an even better reason to celebrate. My wife and I were married two years ago today. I love you Krise!

Chihuli at Seymour

2010-03-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

I realized that even though I've shown you other photos of both the Seymour Conservatory and Dale Chihuly's amazing glass art I realized I hadn't posted one of our favorites. I'm going to show you one more amazing find from the conservatory in tomorrow's post that I'm sure you'll find very appropriate for the day.

When Life Hands You Lemons

2010-03-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Squeeze it in their eye and run like heck! No, no, no.......That's not what I meant. I meant to say grab your camera and photograph it. This sourpuss of a fruit hangs in the Seymour Conservatory in Wright Park in Tacoma. A little factoid. This tree is 65 years old. I'd say it's not looking too bad for it's age.

Scenic Sunday - Restoration in Progress

2010-03-14T21:42:00.001-07:00

A view of a portion of the Nisqually Delta. What you see is part of a major reclamation project. Every one of those white pipes you see is a hand planting of some indigenous form of vegetation. I first told you about this project back in April 2009. In the distance you can see the Olympic Mountain Range.

Monochrome Weekend - Water Trails

2010-03-13T22:53:00.000-08:00

This taken from atop the 4th Avenue Bridge in downtown Olympia.

Click the link below to see more monochrome beauty.

Dinner and a Song

2010-03-11T22:17:00.001-08:00

One of those hectic evenings tonight. It's what happens when you have kids. Running around to do after work, then our oldest daughter had another concert at her high school. By the time it was over we didn't feel like cooking so off we headed to Plaza Jalisco for some of their delicious Mexican food. This painting is on one of the walls there.

Ruby Tuesday - Some Days You're The Dog,

2010-03-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Intended to at least bring a little chuckle to your day.

For more Ruby Tuesday photos click on the link below.

Monochrome Weekend - Stuck in the Mud

2010-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

One of the many things that turned up when they drained Capitol Lake recently.

See the world in a different light over at The Monochrome Weekend.

Scenic Sunday - Take a Stroll

2010-03-07T21:37:00.000-08:00

Another one of the trails we enjoy walking. This paved trail connects Tumwater Historical Park with the loop around Capitol Lake. A nice peaceful place to walk.

For more Scenic Sunday shots click the link below.

Combination Plate

2010-03-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

How handy can you get? Stop in, have something pierced, have a smoke, then stroll next door for a burrito. What a way to spend the day.

Seen in downtown Olympia (as if this surprises you.)

SkyWatch Friday - Black & Blue

2010-03-05T21:58:00.001-08:00

The nice days have been sort of hit and miss around here lately. While taking a drive around Capitol Lake the other day this scene caught my eye. I hope everyone has a simply wonderful weekend.

For more SkyWatch Friday photos click the link below.

Watery Wednesday - Fish & Flowers

2010-03-03T21:54:00.001-08:00

As you can tell from various previous posts such as here and here, The Seymour Conservatory in Tacoma is one of our favorite places to go every couple of months or so. The theme and flowers change about that often and it is always a great place to photograph. One area that doesn't change is the fish pond. It's been there for many years. It's just one more thing that makes the Conservatory such a relaxing place.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

The Project

2010-03-02T22:27:00.000-08:00

It all started so simple. My wife calls and says "Hey I spotted a neat old Volkswagen Squareback for sale. I think it'd be a great first car for our oldest daughter." So I went with her to go look it over. The more I looked, the more I liked it. We came home and talked to our daughter about it for a while. Once we determined that it didn't seem like a car she was really interested in I latched on. Yesterday afternoon we bought it and today they delivered it. It's a 1970 Volkswagen 1600 Type III. It's a solid old car with minimal rust. It's not running right now but that doesn't matter to me at all. The car is coming apart anyway. It'll be going through a fairly complete restoration in the coming months. I'll probably post a shot every once in a while to show the progress. This is going to be fun!

I believe this should look pretty familiar to Chuck and Kim in Seattle. Chuck posted a photo of a car like this just the other day and it happened to belong to a friend of Kim's.

Theme Day - Passageway

2010-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the start of a new month, which means another CDPB Theme Day. For this month's theme "passageway" we're revisiting a place I've already taken you a couple of times. This is the entry to the Hotel Olympian, a grand old building in downtown Olympia. Not only did I show you the outside here, we even took you to dinner at The Urban Onion here, and showed you what they do with you if you complain about the food here. Besides those things if you look straight ahead at the signs you'll see there's a Christian Science Reading Room downstairs to the right, and there's a small bookstore immediately to the left. Now, if you look upstairs at the far end you'll see several sets of doors. Those doors lead you to a good sized dance floor where they not only hold dances on a regular basis, you can also take lessons up there. I believe my wife is going to take me up there one of these days.

Please click on the link below to view other passageways.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Sepia Scenes - There's Always Room for Cello.

2010-02-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

Taken from right down in the front row at our oldest daughter's high school concert Friday evening. We loved it. Man those kids are good. Last time they impressed us with an all string version of Led Zepelin's Kashmir. This time it was The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby. Very cool.

Click the link below to see more Sepia Scenes shots.

Who Pulled the Plug? - An Update

2010-02-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

Recently in these previous posts here and here I showed you a very similar view of Capitol Lake here in Olympia. I showed you a news clip explaining the "invasion" of the New Zealand Mud Snails and the fact that they are not that easy to eradicate. Well as my wife was driving to work this morning she noticed the lake was a bit lower than usual. Quite a bit. That meant that they were draining the lake, then hoping the backfill of saltwater would help kill the little monsters. After work we took a drive to this familiar vantage point so we could show you the difference between today and your last view of the lake. For a better explanation of what is taking place click here.

SkyWatch Friday - Evening Comes

2010-02-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

This shot taken just as my wife was getting off work a few days ago. Take Mother Nature, add a little Orton-ish treatment and there you have it, my SkyWatch Friday contribution.

For more SkyWatch shots click the link below.

Remember Whensday - Feeding Bambi

2010-02-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went thumbing through the old snapshots. I ended up (translation: my wife chose) this shot. Taken in 1966 I would have been 9 or 10 at the time. Living in Tacoma we had headed over to eastern Washington, Spokane to be exact to visit family. On our way home we stopped off at a relative's ranch. While there I had the chance to ride one of the horses as well as feed Bambi, a small deer that they were taking care of at the time. Later it was to be released. As you can see by the smile on my face this was one more good memory in the making.

Click on the link below to see more Remember Whensday shots

Ruby Tuesday - Spring at the Conservatory

2010-02-23T22:41:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we made another trip north to Tacoma. Every couple of months or so we visit the Seymour Conservatory at Wright Park. This time when we walked in it was more fragrant than I ever remember it being before. There were tulips, hyacinth, daffodils and much much more.

I thought this shot would make a nice contribution to Ruby Tuesday.

Click the link below to see other Ruby Tuesday shots.

Amazon Mannequins on the Moon?

2010-02-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Recently I've seen a few posts with some pretty interesting mannequins as the subject. There was this one by Jacob at Ocala (Florida) Daily Photo. He was right too. They qualify for hideous. Then, not to be outdone Frank over at Tampa Daily Photo found this example. She looked slightly familiar but I couldn't quite put a face with it. So when we were downtown the other night enjoying our evening walk and happened upon this rather large tough looking gal I just had to share. I'm not quite sure what that is on her left foot or what happened to her other sock or shoe or whatever, but there was something about the look in her eyes that was beginning to creep me out. I stood there, took the shot, then got the family and walked on. She did not look like the type of lady that I wanted to make mad.

Mud Bay (or Mud Day)

2010-02-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturdays I get off work at 3:00 and my wife is off at 5:00. Sometimes I take that couple of hours and go look for more places to photograph. That is what I did yesterday. My wife told me that the tide was out and Mud Bay would be a good place to go, so off I drove. When I got there I pulled the Cube over at a wide spot on the shoulder. I grabbed my camera, locked the car and started over the embankment at the end of the bridge. The area just off the road was nice and dry as the water doesn't really ever make it up that high, but as you walk down the slight incline you encounter slick, slimy, muddy, soft dirt and rocks. The spot where this shot was taken is about 5 or 6 feet below the spot where, while standing perfectly still, my feet first slid a few inches then suddenly flew out from under me. It's really pretty amazing how in a split second our reflexes kick in. My first reflex that kicked in was my right hand (the one holding the expensive camera) gripping the camera a little tighter and holding it straight up above me. Then my left hand went behind me to try to catch my fall. Nope, didn't work. Mud on my sweatshirt, pants, buried in my watch band, you name it. I managed to stand up a few seconds later and brushed as much off as I could. I continued on down and took a number of shots, meanwhile letting the mud dry before I got back into the car with the nice cloth interior.

Olympia Hotdog Co.

2010-02-20T20:08:00.001-08:00

Today after work we stopped off at home, picked up the kids and dogs, then headed for downtown. I've told you before, downtown Olympia is an interesting colorful place full of activity and people, all hours of the day and evening. As we were walking along my wife suggested we stop at the Olympia Hotdog Company and see how the food is. Actually it was pretty good, especially the size. Big ol' footlong dogs, pretzels, orders of fries or nachos big enough for 2 or 3 people. If you look close you can see the ladle of cheese being poured over the mountain of chips that was my wife's nachos. If you look in the lower right corner of the photo you'll see they have a table and four chairs set up. We sat there and enjoyed our meals while we watched the characters of the night go by.

SkyWatch Friday - Upside-down Rain?

2010-02-19T19:13:00.000-08:00

So that is what this appears to be as I drive by this interesting fountain. Please enjoy your weekend!

Submitted By Guest Blogger (Krise)

P.S. Don has a flu bug so I gave him a break tonight. He should continue your regular scheduled programming tomorrow. Thank you for your advanced cooperation.

Torture Device?

2010-02-18T21:27:00.001-08:00

Spotted in the lobby of the Hotel Olympian. Ask your grandma if this would make the terrorists talk!

Watery Wednesday - Sunset at Capital Lake

2010-02-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

Taken Sunday evening. The path around Capital Lake is one of our favorite places to walk.

To see more contributions to Watery Wednesday click the link below and enjoy!

First Ultrasound

2010-02-16T16:05:00.001-08:00

This morning was Krise's first ultrasound. Everything looked just fine and pretty much confirmed the due date of July 13th that we already had. As far as determining the sex, no outdoor plumbing was spotted so they say it is a 75% chance that we're going to have a little girl. There'll be at least one more ultrasound down the road a couple of months, so we'll know for sure then. For right now the only thing that matters is Mom and baby are both healthy and doing fine.

Monochrome Weekly - See No, Hear No, Speak No

2010-02-15T21:39:00.001-08:00

Remember back in December when I posted these three little balls of feathers? Several people commented on the fact that they should have been monkeys, not birds. Well, as we were walking through downtown the other evening we spotted these three fellows sitting in a store window. Now, that looks a little more traditional doesn't it?

Click the link below to see more Monochrome Weekend photos

Dinner at the Urban Onion

2010-02-14T20:31:00.001-08:00

Last night I told you I took my wife out to dinner for Valentine's Day. Well, here's a so-so shot of the inside. It's a great little place called the Urban Onion. It's located inside the old Hotel Olympia/Olympian Apartment building which I showed you in a previous post here. It's a real cozy, comfortable place to eat. The menu has everything from burgers to pasta to fish. They also have something I haven't tried yet, sweet potato fries. I hear they're good. Maybe next visit I'll give 'em a try as well as getting a better shot of the inside.

Weekend Reflections - Saturday Night Sidewalk

2010-02-13T20:19:00.001-08:00

This evening I took my wife out to dinner for Valentine's Day. Tomorrow I'll show you where we went. After we had eaten and were heading back to the car we couldn't help but enjoy this sight. The street lights and traffic lights reflecting off the wet sidewalk really caught our eye. Looking down the street on the right you may recognize the lighted awning of The Performing Arts Center which I showed you back in August.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and a wonderful weekend.

For more Weekend Reflection shots click the link below.

Invasion

2010-02-11T21:06:00.001-08:00

On the heels of last yesterday's post I thought I should bring you all up to speed on what has happened to our beautiful Capitol Lake. It seems that the New Zealand Mud Snail has managed to not only set up home there, but multiply like you wouldn't believe. That has closed the lake for an indefinite period. For a more in-depth explanation click here to watch a short news clip.

Watery Wednesday - Capital Lake Morning Reflections

2010-02-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

Taken on the way to work this morning. This dock is located at the Capitol Lake Interpretive Center.

For more Watery Wednesday shots click the link below.

School Daze

2010-02-09T20:31:00.001-08:00

Shot of the stadium at Tumwater High School. Go T-Birds!!

Put a Cork in it!

2010-02-08T20:09:00.001-08:00

This collection of corks is on display in the front windows of Ramblin Jack's restaurant in downtown Olympia. And no, not a one of them have my name on them.

For more Monochrome Weekly shots from around the world click the link below.

Habitrail

2010-02-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Plumbing (and related hardware) upstairs inside this building.