This afternoon we headed north to Lakewood to take our two dogs to the off-leash dog park. Afterward at one of the stops we made, we spotted what I believe are wild roses. (correct me if I am wrong.) I am used to seeing the pink ones along the freeway, but I don't see too many white ones. It was in the 80's today and it looks like it's going to hit 90 in a few days.

So, this is our friend's daughter Chloe. She didn't have to go to work today. She doesn't ever worry about bills or appointments or the latest fashion. Right now there's only one thing on her mind. Don't you wish your life was this simple?

This sunset & Mt Rainier brought to you by the crazy family that raced half way across Thurston County through winding roads to get to " just the right spot". With the fantastic weather we're having right now the sky has really been colorful.

The Port of Olympia at sundown.

Driving past Olympia Regional Airport I spotted this odd looking giant. What a perfect opportunity to try out the new Nikon 55-200 VR lens that came today. (My wife spoils me) I quickly made a U-turn and headed for the parking lot. Just as we pulled up the engines started to wind up. A minute later the sound was near-deafening. We stayed there for about fifteen minutes or so while they ran the engines up and back down, played with the pitch of the main rotor, etc. What an impressive machine. We had to get going, so we didn't get the chance to watch it take off. It did pass over our home shortly after we got there. You do not sneak up on anyone in that rig! Here is a link to Erickson Air-Crane. To really be impressed with the shear size and horsepower click on "Design weights and Performance. It was the model S-64F.

As I wrote before, we spent this past weekend up north in Lynnwood with family. While in their back yard I happened to look up. I guess I had never really taken a close look at how large this Contorted Filbert was. It stretches up higher than their two story house. Definitely the largest I have ever seen.

Sunday evening on our way home from Lynnwood. I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, as we did. As sometimes happens I will be driving along and my wife will pick up the camera and start shooting something she thinks is interesting or worth a second look later. After we made it home and looked through the photos we noticed this one. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised at the number of cranes in a city the size of Seattle, but when you get eight of them in one random shot it seems like a lot.

Well, we loaded up the family and headed to Lynnwood to visit Grandparents. Lots of visiting, lots of good food, lots of laughs. While taking a stroll in the back yard, we looked at the poppies, hosta, ajuga, rhodies and this bleeding heart. It was a nice holiday weekend. We hope yours was too.

So, out for an afternoon bicycle ride. It was nice and warm out and the fountains at the Washington State Department of Health were looking very inviting. No, I didn't. I headed back home to post this photo. We are heading north to Lynnwood this afternoon to visit family for a couple of days. I'll do my best not to miss a day. Have a wonderful sun filled weekend everyone.
Oh, and stay healthy. ;)

I know, the title sounds pretty dramatic doesn't it? I wish it was. Actually, the weather was so nice today that my wife and I decided to go on a bike ride after dinner. This walking/bicycling bridge crosses over Interstate 5. We managed to time it with the sunset.

One of the "Twin Barns" located on the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Built in 1934, these barns will not be affected by the estuary restoration which I wrote about here. For some reason I didn't even mind posting this one even with the lens flare.

My wife spotted this one. A sculpture of three Canadian Geese in flight. This was (believe it or not) at the Washington State Department of Revenue in Tumwater.

Recently I posted a photo of Tumwater Falls. Looking back in the archives I found this shot from the lower falls looking back up. Kind of the same view the salmon get each year when they return without all the work.

Today I had to go up to Tacoma to take my Mom to the eye doctor. Knowing I had a couple of hours to kill, I headed for downtown. There are so many historic buildings there you could spend hours walking around photographing them. Looking at this picture one might actually believe this was taken years ago if not for one item.

Well, little did my wife know at the beginning of the day that she was going to end up with a new bike. She picked out this sexy machine made by Giant. Nice for crusin'. Being such a beautiful day we loaded it up along with mine and headed for the Chehalis Western Trail. We managed to put on about ten miles. A nice way to finish off the weekend.
Oh and ladies, be sure to check out the ultra cool pink water bottle holder. ;)

After a dinner with friends, we decided what better way to spend a beautiful evening than going for a walk around Capitol Lake. When we parked at Marathon Park this fellow was there with his sharp 64 Riviera just relaxing and takin' it in. Nice ride.

This is the statue that graces the entrance to Providence St Peter Hospital in Olympia.

Our youngest daughter, our Boston Terrorist and I went for a drive tonight. Black Lake seemed peaceful as we were going by so we decided to stop and snap a few.

In 1933 after the repeal of prohibition, Peter Schmidt was ready to go back into the brewing business. There was a problem though. He could re-purchase the brewhouse, but that would cost him a fortune to refurbish it. He still owned the land, so he decided to build a new brewery just up the hill from the original. Another issue he faced was the new legislation that did not allow brewers to own any kind of a business that sold beer. They decided to sell the hotels and concentrate on a single brewery in Tumwater. The plant was completed in 1934 and once again they were brewing Olympia Beer. The company began to enjoy success. In 1965 the Schmidt family purchased the original brewhouse & related buildings. They used them for storage. Jump forward to 2003. The current owner SABMiller closes the operation & sells to a company that intends to bottle the artesian water. That deal never went through, and the bottled water company ended up going bankrupt. Since then there have been law suits, court battles and still no buyer. Until recently you would have seen a large for sale banner in this picture. I believe it in on the other side of the building now. Who knows what the future holds for this building and the others associated with it.

This beautiful old building which sits across from Tumwater Historical Park has quite a history. In the summer of 1895 Leopold Schmidt came to the Pacific Northwest in search of a location to build another brewery. He already owned the largest and most successful brewery in Montana, but wished to be closer to the Pacific coast. The original wooden buildings of the Capital Brewery were constructed in 1896. The Capital Brewing Company became The Olympia Brewing Company in 1902 and branded the slogan "It's the Water", making reference to the pure artesian water that brought them to that location. In 1906 the wooden brewery was replaced with a six story Italianate design building. It was built using local materials. Leopold Schmidt died in 1914, shortly before prohibition came to Washington. His oldest son Peter then took over. During prohibition, brewing companies did what was necessary to stay alive. The Schmidt family continued doing business by producing a near beer called German Brew, another product called Olympia Malt Extract and Olympia Artesian Water. They also produced a product called Appleju. When national prohibition hit in 1920 the Schmidt family invested their money in hotels. Many brewers purchased hotels and/or saloons to have an outlet for their product. In the early 1920's they decided to sell their inactive breweries including this one. They concentrated their efforts on their hotel chain that would eventually become the present day Westin Hotel chain. They also started a bus transport business that became the Greyhound Bus Lines.
The rest of the story tomorrow.........

Here's another shot from the Yashiro Japanese Garden in downtown Olympia. A nice place to sit, relax and watch the koi.

In downtown Olympia, tucked in between the police station and a gas station is a little slice of relaxation. The Yashiro Japanese Garden. It took seven years of planning and work before it was dedicated in May of 1990. It symbolizes a joint effort between the sister cities of Olympia Washington and Yashiro Japan. A path takes you through a variety of specifically placed plants, a pond complete with waterfall and koi and a picnic area. It definitely is an oasis in the city.

Well here we are, day seven. One full week of signs. I hope everyone has enjoyed the selection of local signage we have tried to display. We've had fun running around town searching out some of the more unique or ornate signs. For the final day we picked Olympic Food Equipment, a small family owned business in the Tumwater area. They specialize in restaurant equipment, supplies & furnishings. The tower which holds this clock and sign are easily visible from the freeway.
Thanks to everyone for your nice comments this past week.

Radio station KXXO Mixx 96.1 makes it's home in the Rockway-Leland Building. Built in 1941, it was and still is considered an important contribution to the Art Deco style in the downtown area. Prior to this station it was home to KGY Radio, one of the oldest stations in the United States. There was also an air raid siren mounted on the roof which alerted the Olympia area residents of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

How about a little nostalgia for today's photo? This Greyhound Bus Station in Olympia opened in 1937 and now sits on the list of the top ten endangered buildings in the state by The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation. The Art Deco Society of the Northwest also would love to save the building for obvious reasons. After doing a little research it appears there is a good chance the bus lines will move about a mile away adjacent to Intercity Transit's transfer station. That way people getting off the Greyhound buses can easily switch over to the local bus system without having to walk 5 or 6 blocks. Not a bad idea. Now let's hope they make good use of the old building pictured above.

Day four takes us back into downtown Olympia to The Capitol Theater. It was built in 1924 during the time of vaudeville and silent film. It is currently run by The Olympia Film Society, a non-profit, community-based , volunteer-run arts organization. It holds 772 seated, 1100 standing room, and has a smaller performance area called The Backstage which holds up to 150 people standing room. As you can imagine, you can see this sign several blocks away.

This little piggy hangs outside one of the best smelling restaurants in downtown Olympia. It's Southbay Dickerson's BBQ. We personally haven't tried it yet, but one of these days. Maybe this summer as I believe you can dine alfresco.

Day two takes us just a few blocks from yesterday's photo. Ralph's Thriftway is one of those stores that seems like it's always been there. Actually it opened in November of 1956. It replaced Ralph Storman's first store which was built in 1944 in downtown Olympia called Ralph's Food Center.

I thought it would be fun to do a week of signs. Some old, some new, colorful & hopefully interesting.
Day one is from Lew Rents in Olympia. They are a tool & equipment rental company that has been in business for over 50 years. The sign is simple, but eye catching.

This statue stands in downtown Olympia. It was presented to the state of Washington by the Freemasons in 1987 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States Constitution. It is a recreation of the original located in Valley Forge Pennsylvania.

Better late than never I always say. Tonight after a late dinner we decided to take a walk around Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. Hoping to get a good shot we brought the good camera along. One problem........no memory card. So, this entry had to be taken with my phone. I guess it could have been worse. Looking through the other entries there are some really good shadow photos this month. Nice work everyone!
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