I'll be watching you

When you get to London, you really must make time to go to the Tower of London. The building is magnificent, the history is fascinating, and the views are great. A Beefeater leads the tour from the entry gate to the concluding chapel. The chapel is bittersweet as the bodies of the victims of the Tower are often buried beneath your feet. Depending on your station in life and your gender, you may have been executed just steps outside the chapel (Henry VIII was a particularly vigorous user of the chopping block outside the chapel).

It is not until you get home that you have the time to inspect the photos and notice that it is not a lamp that you have photographed with the Gherkin, it is a security camera.

Hi, officer!

Looking up!

In 1887, this was a muddy spot, busy with workers assembling a giant Erector set. Welcome to the heart of the Eiffel Tower. We were standing in line to buy tickets for the stairway and the line snaked around underneath the landmark. We had plenty of time to look around and look up. A few hundred steps later, we were looking back down at this very spot. We've never taken the elevator to the first level, we've always taken the stairs.

The Restaurant Jules Verne is spectacular, I'm sure, but above our budget, so to speak. There's a restaurant on the Tower, Altitude 95, that we really enjoyed.

What is this quintessence of dust?

As we were riding along the Iron Horse rail-trail, we passed farms and open range. One of the farmers near Cle Elum seemed to be a bit of an artist. You can see two of his creations in this photo.

Iron Horse Trail

We just completed a little bike ride.

We started in Thorp, WA, on Saturday morning. The day was sunny and clear with temperatures into the low 70's or so. We were riding the Iron Horse Trail (State Park), the old right-of-way for the Milwaukee Road rail service across Washington. Unfortunately for us, someone had been dumping new gravel on the trail and the headwinds were always against us. This made for quite a challenge across almost 40 miles of trail through Cle Elum and into Easton. This photo features one of the tunnels that we rode through on the first day.

Don't get me wrong: it's a great trip and a lovely trail as it winds along the river and through the farming country. But the sheer labor of the trip is daunting - going westward is a hard ride.

After the noble struggle, we had a wonderful dinner and evening in Easton State Park. I recommend getting a camp site closer to the lake and away from the highway.

The next morning, we got up early and had a hearty breakfast. The overcast had come in overnight and the sky was gray. The cooler temperatures made riding a bit easier, the trail was much improved, and even the headwind seemed to give us a break. Well, a little break. We blazed through the first part of the trip up into Snoqualmie Pass and took a rest at Hyak. We were just at the mouth of the Snoqualmie RR Tunnel: 2.3 miles of darkness and cold. A pretty cool ride on a bike, but that 50 degree air just takes it out of you! We came out the western end into more overcast and a trace of rain. The rain mounted as we descended and soon we were wearing those brown stripes and spitting the grit out of our teeth. It's rare that I've wanted fenders on my bike.

I'm afraid my behind got the worst of the trip and I was pretty glad to see the end of the trail. I got out of my sodden clothes and headed home.

Maybe next year we'll do it all again.

Here's to St. Pancras

In honor of the opening of the new high-speed rail service between London and Paris, here's a view of St. Pancras station, the London terminus of the service. We were staying at a nearby hotel and caught this fantastic building on a sunny day. Too bad they don't build them like this anymore. Once I might have complained about how ugly the building was, but now I am so tired of glass boxes and mindless rectangular grids that my eye has learned to appreciate the detail and fine craftsmanship of the older buildings. Just down the block is the British Library, but other parts of the neighborhood are in disrepair. I'm sure that will change dramatically as the impact of the renovations and the new rail service kick in. Isn't this the one from which Harry Potter and Ron Weasley fly off in the stolen car? King's Cross Station (with Platform 9-3/4) is around the corner.

Logan's Run and Splash

On a recent return flight from Boston, I had a window seat on the airplane. For some odd reason (explained shortly), we seemed to be taking the scenic tour of the airport. We taxied all over the place and finally ended up by the water on the northeast side of the airport.

We had dutifully boarded the airplane, backed from the gate at the appointed time, then gone on our merry little tour. It became ominous when we stopped on a taxiway instead of near the end of a runway. It became downright bad when the pilot shut off the engines. After a few minutes of delay, The Dreaded Announcement came: there had been fog in New York City all day, all NY-bound flights were delayed, and we had been given a ground-hold for forty minutes.

Stop me if you disagree, but don't you think They Knew About This when we were still somewhat comfortable in the gate area at the terminal? Is there some reason that we had to get on this little aluminum tube, taxi about the scenic parts of Boston, and then wait out on the tarmac before taking some sort of action? I'm not the claustrophobic type, but I'm not stupid either. Don't answer that.

While on the exciting tour - at no additional cost to the public, I hasten to add - we went past an area of houses that overlooked the water separating the airport from the towns of Revere and Winthrop. There were some nice little marinas there with boats bobbing on their leashes.

And then there was this party barge.

It must be really bizarre to spend any time sitting under that little umbrella... as the landing airplanes come roaring a hundred feet over your head. It must surely cause the conversation to waver every 60-90 seconds on a busy day when every landing slot is taken. And the TSA really lets these people sit there? I don't care - I can't see them as a credible threat - but if I can't take more than three ounces of toothpaste on an airplane, why would they allow this?

I suppose I have ruined someone's day by even mentioning this in an obscure corner of the Internet, but I just had to ask. Sorry.

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As to the title? Look here.

You lookin' at me?

I have occasion to go motoring on the waters of Howe Sound, British Columbia, Canada. I was recently puttering along, minding my own business, when I saw this seal. Now that used to be a common thing, then the pollution started killing the ecosystem, but enlightened regulation has restored water quality, so the wildlife is coming back. So seeing a seal is no longer quite the thrill it used to be - they're getting quite common. However, one usually sees only the head gliding through the waves. At first, a seal looks like a dog who has gone seriously astray. "Whoa! What are you doing out here, little puppy?" Then the seal will spot you, the head dips down, and the curving back slips under the waves. Oh, that was a seal!

Well, this fellow was unusual because he was floating so high. He's clear out of the water, so I slowly headed closer to find out what was causing this. Sure enough, he's found a bit of flotsam, a deadhead, to sun on. He kept those curious eyes on me the whole time and never moved a muscle but in his neck. He kept a close watch on this odd thing sharing the seas with him, but it never became threatening. I puttered away, leaving him to bask on a sunny day at the end of August, 2007.

Not in Kansas anymore

We had a fantastic weekend for backpacking into the Cascades. We started from a trail head near Skykomish, WA, and climbed the trail into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. After hiking up through the woods, a lake came into view and the trail followed along the western shore. We took a camping spot next to a large rockslide and set up tents along the beach. The trail is very short - not over two miles - so we finished the day with a hike toward Bear Lake and Deer Lake. The weather was cooperative - the stars that night were fantastic and the Milky Way was clear.

Dorothy Lake, September, 2007.

Worst camping trip EVAH?

We left home on Friday evening and drove north toward Mt. Baker and our campground reservation. The further north we got, the worse the weather got. It started out as gentle little spots on the windshield, strengthening as darkness fell. We turned off the highway to follow smaller and narrower and bumpier roads as the rain became solid.

Arriving in the campground, the rain was pelting the car. No one wanted to get out, least of all the fellow who was supposed to put up the tent. That would be me. It was dreadful, so dreadful that we didn't walk to the bathrooms, we drove. We dashed in to brush teeth and dashed back to the safety of the car. Without a tent, we decided to sleep in the car.

Sleeping in an odd place - the driver's seat - I slept fitfully and kept waking up. The car would be full of fog and a bit stuffy, so I would lower the window slightly. No matter how slightly I opened the window, rain would get in to splatter me, so I kept closing the window. The rain kept up all night, feeding the glaciers at altitude but drowning our spirits in the campground.

The rain finally broke around sunrise, so we got out and made a quick breakfast. A tour of the campsite revealed that it was settled nicely on the lake, but the overcast held low and solid. On a sunny day, the lake was reputed to reflect a gorgeous view of Mt. Baker, but all we saw were three shades of grey. We decided to skip the planned hike and head out on a scenic drive to the east, hoping to catch a bit of sun on the dry side of the Cascades.

Everybody in Seattle knows that it is wet on the west side of the Cascades while dry and sunny on the east side. On this day, it was. As we crossed the pass, the clouds thinned and the sky turned blue. The weather was so fantastic that we abandoned our campsite at Mt. Baker and set up at Early Winters Campground in a dry, piney forest. Lovely.

Make your plan but stay flexible.

Victoria and Harry?

On 22 April, 2000, our family began to read Harry Potter. Our young son had started reading but had settled himself into relatively lightweight stuff. He would read the youth editions of Pokemon and Star Wars novels, but refused to touch anything in hardback or that might "look hard". We had planned a visit to Victoria, BC, a ferry ride from Seattle, so we took along the newly released Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. On the boat ride to Victoria, we read chapters from Harry Potter. When the (adult) voices wore out, we stopped reading. Our young non-reader was so incensed that he grabbed the book and finished reading it himself, although we had to continue reading aloud for his younger brother. Thanks, Harry!

The is a view of the Empress Hotel on the Victoria Inner Harbor shortly after we arrived.

Vancouver from on high

Welcome to beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. This is not the 51st state nor is it part of Britain. It is a lovely city in the southwestern corner of our northern neighbor. Among the many visual delights of Vancouver is the Lion's Gate Bridge and you are standing on it. As you look eastward, you see the Burrard Inlet, an arm of the sea - a fjord. Vancouver city lies to your right, while North Van is to your left; West Van is behind you, on the left. The Lion's Gate Bridge connects the Vancouvers. You can see the orange of the cranes on the loading dock, and a set of white peaks that form the port building used by the cruise ships that go up to Alaska.

Update: Added a title. Oops.

1000000 Lawyers

I used to think that Temple Bar was a British tribute to the greatest institutions of the Empire, but then I found out the Brits call them "pubs". Color me more deflated than the US dollar.

More to the point, Ham has featured the Temple Bar on his brilliant photo-blog, London Daily Photo. I had no idea the Temple Bar was a gate to London. An ignorant tourist, I just wondered why they had this odd monument in the middle of the road. The Temple Bar is surrounded by spots that will sound familiar to anyone reading Neal Stephenson recently - Fleet Street, the Strand, High Holborn, and Ludgate all feature in his recent writings (The Baroque Cycle) - and it was fun to visit the places that feature in the novels.

Nearby was a poetic example of that The Greatest British Institution.We were not able to dine at this particular establishment, it being too early in the morning, but we did enjoy peeking in. We ate later in the day at - I think - The Prince of Wales.

And all those lawyers in the title? You can thank Tom Paxton.

Keep on truckin'

This is the top of Mt. Adams, the second tallest mountain in Washington (after Mt. Rainier). This little bit of rock is part of the Cascade range, a string of volcanoes that run up the coast of North America from California (Mt. Shasta), extending into British Columbia, through Alaska and out to Kamchatka; the northern part of the Ring of Fire that circles the Pacific Ocean. My son was in a group that climbed Mt. Adams this weekend (2 July 2007) and I was the Base Camp team. I kept the home fires burning (literally - my job was to have hot water ready for soup and cocoa when they came back). Lovely day, great views, heavy work-out.

Cry Me a River

This used to be a campground.

A heavy rainstorm hit Mt. Rainier National Park in late 2006 (November). Eighteen inches of rain (half a meter) fell in 24 hours. The flooding was selective but intense. The Nisqually entrance is at the southwest corner of the park and is the main entrance to access Cougar Rock and Paradise. A small campground and picnic area is a few miles into the park from the Nisqually entrance. Or rather, used to be there. The Nisqually River decided to expand, ripping away half of the campground. In the photo you see here, there is river where there used to be camp sites.

Millions of dollars have been spent to rebuild roads and facilities so that the Park could be reopened to visitors just this month. The Park Service is doing an outstanding job. If you're in the area, they could sure use your help to repair and rebuild. If you are unable to help in person, you can still contribute.

Rock'n'roll

I find petroglyphs fascinating.
The oft ambiguous message comes across time to tell the puzzled observers an important message that has lost context. Many are timeless, but this one seems to speak of a square-rigged ship seen sometime in the last two centuries. The message is an obscure one for modern day viewers as it lies miles from the center of civilization and on the far edge of a rainforest, but the tale was important enough for the maker to invest hours of effort to create. Did it express wonder at the enormous ship? Pleasure at the cargo it brought? Or horror at the loss of a civilization?

Wedding Rocks near Lake Ozette, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA. April, 2007.

Seattle Warming

It has been a gradual change, but it has recently become clear that Seattle and the Puget Sound are warmer than they have been historically. As a result, our sailing habits have changed. As the polar bears have moved north, we have been able to shed much of the equipment that burdened us in the past. No longer do we require the tooth-resistant chain mail that makes swimming so difficult and is so awfully hard to maintain shiny in the salty air. Our tans develop better and a number of the local tanning salons have had to close up shop. The rumor is that Starbucks will stop selling hot coffee drinks to focus on iced rum drinks with little umbrellas. And I'll finally get to grow real tomatoes in my garden.

I love Paris in the Springtime

Paris is such a fabulous city to visit. In spite of the old saying, I suspect one or two people even like living there! We had the pleasure of Paris over the 2006/2007 holiday season. This photo was taken from the top of the Centre Pompidou (I think) on a blustery, rainy night.

We stayed in an apartment off Rue Rambuteau for a week, frequently passing the Centre. Finally, we visited the Herge exhibit and then went up to the top. (Sorry - I don't know how to inject the proper accent on the second e.) I will say that I spent more time appreciating the Herge exhibit and the view from the top than I spent appreciating the art collection that was open that evening - if you catch my drift.

I love Paris in the Springtime. And in the Fall, Winter, and Summer, too!

(Note: the old saying to which I refer is: "It's a lovely place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." I think I would gladly live in Paris.)

Bright Eye

Over at London Daily Photo, Ham has challenged us all to add our photos of the London Eye in celebration of the approaching 25,000,000th visitor. There's a photo contest, and I've posted my photos. This is the one I posted under the title "Bright Eye" (sounds like a great song title - oh, silly me! - it's a band).

If you visit London, take the time to visit the Eye - highly recommended.

Only the Lonely

It has been an unusual winter in metropolitan Seattle.We're having a lot of snow. Yesterday (28 Feb 2007), we had about six inches fall overnight. It was only just about freezing, so the lower part is pretty sodden. The differences among locales is amazing. Nearby Bellevue got almost nothing - just a decorative dusting, while my backyard in Redmond got over six inches. We live on top of a hill in this hilly area, and the 100 feet of elevation (or so) was enough to turn rain and a little snow into snow and a little rain.

These folks must live up top on the hill, or over on the east side. They evidently ran into just a slight hitch last night as they tried to climb the hill in their cars and were forced to abandon them overnight. All but two of the cars had been claimed by this afternoon (about 20 hours of abandonment). I sure hope someone offered these folks rides.

It's a dog's life

Today is men-at-work day on the Daily Photo blog sites (such as London Daily Photo and Paris Daily Photo). Inspired by Ham's work in London, I offer a small contribution: the Horse Guards Under Stress. These poor guys have a job to do, and they have to do it with a straight face even as they're being undermined by swarms of motivated tourists. This poor guy is working on Christmas day. Or was it Boxing Day? It was a long flight and I'm rather confused on the point. It's a cold, rainy holiday night, and he's got to keep that stiff upper lip. I think they had even retired the horses for the night. Wouldn't want to send a horse out on a knight like this, eh?