First

This is the first official sunset taken of the summer. Yay. This picture was taken from downtown. tonight around 7:30. This is the old, gritty, industrial heart of Bellingham that brought livelihoods to ten of thousands over the decade: the Georgia-Pacific plant. Nestled around the plant were boat yards and myriad other businesses that serve those that earn their living from the sea.

The plans, however far out - some say too far out to even matter, are to build condos, some parks and a marina for forty-plus foot yachts. Great. Another vacation playground like Lake Tahoe that remains barren and deserted for seven months of the year. But this will certainly evolve into a huge debacle that I am sure will cause opinions to be voiced.

But I least I took some cool pics today that I am sure you will see for days to come. Back to work.

Garden

Today I had a vision of what my garden will look like some day. And I think I have enough materials to build a chicken coop (and my neighbors too are looking into some hens). Bellingham, I've been told has a law allowing three hens (no roosters) in the city limits. They were out planting all morning in the drizzle, while I was still in my visionary stages. But we did bike to the library and over to look at apple trees at a local nursery for plants. Actually, I was looking for trees, and they didn't have many. I will return there for a wide array of native fruit bearing plants, as a friend gave me a gift certificate for it. But more importantly, I need to get the fruit trees in the ground, as we are getting towards the end of the spring planting season.

But a give fell from the sky this past week, sent from the god of blue shirts. Actually the package came via the USPS from my bother back east, and it was his castoff blue button downs of Jos. Banks and Brooks Bros ilk. Ever since the dot-com days, I've been enamoured by the functionality of good quality 100%-cotton blue button downs. The others that have diligently served me for years are getting quite worn and begging to be retired. Living in a town with neither of the aforementioned purveyors of decent shirts, this was always a challenge. Well that, and the fact that Brooks Brothers shirt quality has gone to shit. And in general, I find shopping to be quite a bore.

Ending the evening with a Grateful Dead 1989 Alpine Valley Wisconsin show. I am waxing nostalgic this evening, but they were some incredibly fun times.

Another

And yet another infrared picture taken of the side of the house towards the street. This is where the bikes get wheeled from the back gate to the street.

Today was a crazy day of rain followed by a few inches of snow followed by more rain followed by sunsets. IT is nice to see the arboretum from the front window, but today it was fogged in most of the day. I've been told that arboretum is a good weather indicator in Bellingham. If you cannot see it, that means it is raining; if you can see it, that means it is going to rain. Makes sense.

It is pushing ten and I am supposed to go to a party tonight. I would rather stay in, but I might try to get motivated to go. It is good to get out, and the extent of it was taking Maggie for a walk to go down to get a movie. And some chocolate, of course.

Wake of the Flood

Line up a long shot, maybe try it two times, maybe more
Good to know you got shoes to wear, when you find the floor
Why hold out for more?
- Garcia/Hunter

So today I woke up to freezing weather, flurries, rain, clouds, but at least no wind. The title up top is of a Grateful Dead album. And the quote above is from a song on the album named "Here Comes Sunshine."

I sit here at a coffee shop working, seeing some friends, winding down the weekend. Still a bit of work to do, and it looks like skiing will be on Monday and a work-filled weekend with tomorrow night being a going-away party later for a friend and his partner riding motorbikes to, and then across, Mexico.

Another infrared picture - this one of Maggie in the back yard. You guessed it. There's not too much going on ill Bellingham. I heard the daffodils are blooming in Lynden, but not the tulips. Too cold I think.

Infrared

Here is a picture my housemate took downtown using infrared film. I think it was taken last last week looking down Railroad.

Today was quite cold, and snow is predicted for the higher elevations. I might go cross country skiing this weekend up to the mountains, so I will need to dust of the ski equipment. I preferred living five minutes from the mountain versus two hours, but it will still be nice to get out in the snow. I prefer to look at the snow in the mountains versus being in it. And I am getting the itch to get the road bike back out too. Tonight I put my new tires on the KHS, and realized how horribly aged the ones were that came on it. Too much to do with too little time.

And then there's hiking, camping, the motorbike, sailing, and, oh, work too. Looking forward to spring. But spring is usually rainy for the most part in Bellingham, so I guess I am looking forward to summer; but spring usually offers a few nice days too, just not consistently. Long time residents here say the winters get no easier to withstand. Some leave for warmer climes, but I think the summer is so much more enjoyable after the cloudy and drizzly fall, winter and spring.

Seafire

Here is the 42' trimaran S/V Seafire that sailed Mexico and the South Pacific for five years. A beautiful, solid boat. But this was taken a few days back on the friggin' cold and windy day. (If you click on the picture, you can see the details of this vessel.) It's located about twenty miles from the house in Sandy Point.

"Will you still be singing it on that cold and windy day?"

Some day I will sail the Pacific. And this seems like the perfect, fast boat. I look at its sleekness with awe.

But D.B. Cooper was all over the news, both locally and nationally, and I've been told it is the world's only unsolved skyjacking. And another link.

Now that spring is in the not-too-distant future, camping gear selection is in the works. I think I can get gear for very little (not to mention my housemate having a super cool WWII backpack she said she'd let me use). The mantra off many of my otherwise pricey outdoor activities: Go cheap, go now.

D.B Cooper Revisited

A few months back, I posted an article on D.B. Cooper, a hijacker that jumped from a plane and escaped, never to be found, after parachuting out somewhere over the Cascades near the Oregon border. Well a friend from Philly sent a link of some kids finding his possible parachute. Hopefully, they will never find his remains and the bulk of the missing $200,000. Let the legend live on.

But to the right is a picture of the third yard we toured on Saturday. This was a smaller city lot that was quite a little urban wonderland complete with doves and chickens. I think I might get some chickens, as I have a perfect spot for them in the yard. And a friend that said she'd help me build a hen house. By some accounts you can have three hens (no roosters) in Bellingham, by other accounts there is no limit. Three hens should suffice.

Back from Seattle today and it looks like next week may be more traveling to the dry side of the state.