"My heart in hiding stirred for a bird-
I'm not a big fan of the military-industrial
complex, but I get a catch in my throat when I'm working outside and the Blue Angels jets suddenly go screaming low over the house. The feeling is a mix of aversion (expensive war machines) and thrill (American skill and brute power.)
Most people don't share that conflicted view, and the Blue Angels are adored in Seattle. Seafair is here, and the jets "practice" on Thursday and Friday before the weekend performances over Lake Washington. They literally own the sky (and the I-90 bridge) when they come to Seattle for a week each year. The Navy has always been a part of Seafair, and Elliot Bay is also filled with a fleet of warships.
Seafair began in 1952 as a festival to celebrate Seattle's centennial and attract tourists to the "boating capital of the world." It was a big success, and the following year unlimited hydroplane racing was added on Lake Washington. Stanley Sayers set a record off Lake Washington's Sand Point in his boat Slo-mo-shun IV with a speed of 160.32 MPH. It was 1950, and Seattle's fascination with hydros began.
When I worked in the basement at the Museum of History and Industry, I always walked by the sleek, wooden Slo-mo on my way down to the library. This is a picture of it a few months ago, being carefully moved to the new museum location on Lake Union.
Most people don't share that conflicted view, and the Blue Angels are adored in Seattle. Seafair is here, and the jets "practice" on Thursday and Friday before the weekend performances over Lake Washington. They literally own the sky (and the I-90 bridge) when they come to Seattle for a week each year. The Navy has always been a part of Seafair, and Elliot Bay is also filled with a fleet of warships.
Seafair began in 1952 as a festival to celebrate Seattle's centennial and attract tourists to the "boating capital of the world." It was a big success, and the following year unlimited hydroplane racing was added on Lake Washington. Stanley Sayers set a record off Lake Washington's Sand Point in his boat Slo-mo-shun IV with a speed of 160.32 MPH. It was 1950, and Seattle's fascination with hydros began.
When I worked in the basement at the Museum of History and Industry, I always walked by the sleek, wooden Slo-mo on my way down to the library. This is a picture of it a few months ago, being carefully moved to the new museum location on Lake Union.
Slo-mo was beautifully crafted of laminated varnished wood, and I noticed museum visitors could never resist touching it. I'll bet it will be suspended and protected from fingerprints in the new museum.
Now the hydros are more like plastic compartments with jet engines attached on top. Like everything else these days, they are harsh and fast. With a tendency to go airborne and and do dramatic end-over-end flips, the sport has always been extremely dangerous. Sometimes we can hear the races like an angry beehive, several miles away on Lake Washington. It's a good weekend not to venture far from home, and we have plenty of chores to keep us busy. See you Monday!
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