Viadoom

Starting this morning, the Alaska Way Viaduct is closed for at least two weeks as Bertha attempts to pass 15 feet beneath the foundation of the sinking elevated structure.

West Seattle will feel the most pain during the closure, with all of us trying to get to I-5 (a bottleneck on any normal day) or, take the clogged surface streets with 90,000 other drivers who use the Viaduct daily to get downtown.  Those are the only options for leaving our little Peninsula, unless you want to drive far south of here and double back. 

With Bertha's track record, I think a two-week closure is probably optimistic. The engineers are going to monitor for new cracks and there's a good possibility it may never open again, if it isn't safe to drive on. Of course "safe" is kind of a relative term for the already teetering structure.  Pioneer Square is also full of historic brick buildings, ready to fall down in the next earthquake, or Bertha-generated sinkhole.  Another big bill coming due for the city of Seattle.

Oh well, that's the price we pay to live in our Northwest urban paradise. But I'll definitely be thinking hard before getting in the car. May might be a good month for garden work and ukulele practice.

The German Society

I was looking at old family photos of mom yesterday, and ran across this great picture of her parents, Anna and Herman Klingler, dressed in traditional German garb.

Anna is in the front row, 4th from the left, and Herman is 3rd from the right in the back.  They look like the youngest members of the group, so this might have been taken shortly after they arrived in the United States, when they were both in their 20's.

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't have a caption, so it's impossible to know for sure. It might be before they left the Homeland, but this looks too prosperous for Germany between the wars. The mix of ages and formal pose tells me this is an organized club, not a gathering of young friends.

They first lived in Philadelphia, so I did some research on German clubs of the time.   In the 1920's, the German Society of Philadelphia  had over 600 members, with another 800 in the Women's Auxiliary. (You can read their history by clicking that link.)

So I'm guessing they're at an outdoor event with that popular club. My grandmother, Anna, was very social.  The Germans loved their music and dancing, and you can see traditional instruments in the picture.

The club was at its peak then. Not long after, WWII became an extremely difficult time for German-Americans.  But somehow the club managed to hold its own and exists to this day.  It was founded in 1764, so it must be one of oldest cultural clubs in the nation.

Weeds?

A weed is just a flower growing in the wrong place.

Now that's a sorry sight.  A big cartload of " Spanish Bluebells" that I yanked out of the flower beds. I must have planted one bulb once and now there are thousands.  They spread by deep roots and connecting bulbs underground, so they are just about impossible to get rid of without destroying the entire garden.

On the bright side, they're pretty for a little while and then disappear completely.  The problem is the dense leaves choke everything trying to come up around them. They even pop up right in the center of rose bushes.  So I'm not as heartless as it looks, ripping out pretty blue flowers.

But I wish we had a dozen of these blooming in April. I can't remember when I planted it, but this Virburnum Snowball is beautiful.  Woody ornamental shrubs aren't so popular anymore,  probably because they just sit there for 50 weeks of the year. They're tough and live for decades, so you still see them around old houses.

The Spring season is typically slow, wet and chilly in western Washington, but we seem to be headed right into summer.  There will be a little blip of rain on Friday, then back to dry and unseasonably warm weather for the weekend and beyond.  In fact, the long-term forecast is for another hot summer.  Good for growing you-know-what.

Sure sign of Spring

Roger visits the dog groomer for his annual summer haircut.  To Nova and Maya, he looks like a brand new puppy, so he suddenly gets lots of extra attention.   I think he's enjoying this more than it looks. 

I'm fine. Really.

April showers

We had soaking rain on Sunday, and it was welcome after that strange April hot spell. The plants have never looked so good this early in the year. The rose bushes are covered with buds. I can't wait until they bloom. The first peonies are blooming already.

After all the fuss and trouble, I think the yard actually looks better without the messy bamboo thicket.  And it's considerably less work.  This time last year, I was hacking off culms as thick as my wrist, popping up like mushrooms overnight.  It was scary enough to call out the Seattle Bamboo removal company.

Bamboo is full of surprises, most of them bad, so we didn't know what to expect this spring.  But just a few wispy stalks are still sprouting from the buried roots, and those are quickly dispatched by my clippers. The Leyland Cypress trees I planted in February haven't taken off yet but look good, and in a few years I'll probably have to pay Colin to cut them back. 

We have a good-sized home lot, at least by West Seattle standards. Our living room might be cramped, but can I go outside and sit in my plastic chair on a generous private patch of scruffy grass. (Calling it "lawn" is a bit of a stretch.)  I reflect that I'm perched on more luxurious space than the new mini-apartments have. These rabbit-warren buildings are springing up in the neighborhood, and $750+ a month rent gives you just 176 square feet of living space.

(If you don't believe me click HERE.)

Beneath the rampant growth, it's one of those transition times in the garden. Lilies and dahlias are trying to poke up through the mess of flopping spring bulbs. All that yellowing foliage needs to be carefully cut away.  On Saturday, I filled the yard bin with tulip and hyacinth leaves.   The bin will be full just about every week from now until November, as the garden cycles through its stages and I keep after the weeds.

It has been a sad two weeks, so going to the Symphony was a nice diversion. The highlight was one of my favorite pieces, the happy Overture to Mendelssohn's Midsummer Nights Dream.  There was also a Benjamin Britten work called Nocturne OP. 60, with English poems set to songs. It was the first time we've heard it performed, and it was sung very beautifully by Mark Padmore, a famous British tenor.

I missed seeing my world-traveler friend Betsy, but she and Paul are off taking another Middle East cruise. She said this one included a jeep excursion in the desert and "stopping for tea" at a friendly Bedouin camp.  So, we'll have a lot of news to catch up on next time. 

Writer's block

It happens. Have a good weekend, dear friends and family.

What friends are for

I was at loose ends the last day we were at Death Valley, so I wandered down to the corral to watch the horses for a while.  I liked the ingenious way this mare and jenny mule kept the flies off each others faces.

Nova and Maya chill out

Who needs expensive toys? The box is the thing.

Deep down things

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went,

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

From, "God's Grandeur"

Gerald Manley Hopkins

We came home to record-breaking temperatures in Seattle. The lilac burst into bloom outside the front door while we were gone.  Warm lilac must be the most perfect scent of Spring. 

You probably heard on the news that Colorado endured a massive blizzard this weekend. Of course the snow won't last long, it never does this time of year, but Cripple Creek was right in the bull's eye. Mom always liked that crazy, changeable high Rocky Mountain weather, especially exciting storms.  Dad sat it out inside with his typical grace and patience. He is doing OK and taking care of himself as we work out some new plans.

Our sister Marji is on her way, driving trusty "Maurice" (her RV) and taking the safer southern route thru Albuquerque to Colorado Springs.  The rest of the family is making plans to travel back to Colorado the weekend of May 21 for a memorial honoring Mom's life.

Cripple Creek Cemetery

I took this picture on a visit to Cripple Creek in May 2014. The historic cemetery overlooks the town and mountains, and many years ago Mom picked out their final resting place on a hill.

Yes, that is ice on those aspen branches in early May, but I hope a month from now the leaves will be just starting to turn green for Mom.

Beauty and sadness

Margaret Bleam

February 25, 1925 - April 13, 2016

Our family is deeply saddened by the passing of our Mom this week. Her children and grandchildren will cherish many happy memories of her boundless energy, sense of fun and ready laughter.

Dad and Mom were married for almost 69 years.  They were inseparable and loving life partners. During her last difficult months, she had his constant care and support at the Care Center where they lived together. He was with her when she passed away. We are proud of our amazing and strong Dad.  Our family plans to gather for a memorial service in Cripple Creek, Colorado, later in May.

John and I flew back to Seattle today.  It was difficult getting this sad news while on vacation and so far away from home.  However, it was wonderful being close to my sister in Las Vegas.  Thank you Marji, for your lovely hospitality on both ends of our trip.

My parents were in Death Valley Park once, and Dad told me that Mom had loved it.  We spend a final quiet day there on Wednesday before heading back to Las Vegas. The ancient rock formations, beautiful desert landscapes and brilliant night stars were somehow comforting.

Death Valley trail ride

I went on a two hour hour ride yesterday. We left the barn at 8, and it was a beautiful morning in Death Valley, warm and still.

There were only five of us and I had a nice horse. I rode last in line, which is my (second) favorite place to be on a trail ride.

We headed across the flats and toward the hills...

A "wild" coyote followed along. Unfortunately he is unafraid of people from begging in the campground.  I guess some things never change in the national parks.

We climbed some pretty good hills and had a view of Furnace Creek below.

You just can't beat desert scenery from the back of a horse.  I like our Washington forests, but riding in wide open country was a rare treat.

Craters and endangered pupfish

The Ubehebe Crater is located in the northern region of this vast park. You could easily put the Space Needle in it.  It blew up suddenly 2,000 years ago, when water suddenly flashed to steam and shattered the rock for miles. In geological time, this was so recent it doesn't even register in this ancient place of rocks.  

The last time we were here, we walked around the rim trial which is just over a mile.  You can also hike to the bottom and up again if you enjoy grueling exercise. The wind was howling up there yesterday, so we stayed long enough to take a few pictures.

The desert pupfish is a small silvery fish found at Salt Creek, on the valley floor below sea level.  They are thought to be the remainders of a large ecosystem of fish that lived in Lake Manly after the last ice age. The hot, salt water was teeming with them, but by summer only a few will be left, hiding out in the deep pools.

The park constructed a boardwalk trail along the salt marsh. We had a nice day yesterday, driving around in the morning and relaxing in the afternoon. Our room faces west, so our patio gets a good blast of desert sun in the afternoon. What we came for, says John.  The storms are finished and weather is only getting better from here.

This morning at 8 I'm taking a two-hour trail ride through the desert. There isn't a cloud in the sky now, and it should be about 90 later.  John is not mounting up, but said he would take the evening mule carriage ride around the oasis.  We're going to do that on Wednesday with the other old people who are staying here.

The Internet service here is dicey to say the least, and it takes forever to load pictures. Not really how I want to spend my vacation.  So don't worry if you don't hear from me for a few days.  We head back to Las Vegas on Thursday, but are settling now with the other desert rats and having a good time. 

Room with a view

We're at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley National Park and have room in easy walking distance of the pool. This is an oasis in the middle of the desert. In terms of weather, there was a bit of everything today, from torrential rain to warm sunlight as we drove over from Las Vegas.

The temperature ranged wildly from the 40's crossing the mountains to the high 80's here.  Now we're kicking back and settling in, surrounded by French and German families on vacation, seeing the West.  Somehow, it's relaxing hearing people nattering on next door in a language I can't understand. They are eating strawberries and drinking wine, and the kids are having Pringles, the universal food.

We stopped at China Ranch Date Farm this morning, bought some goodies and had a nice walk along the Amargosa River.  To say it's off the beaten track is an understatement. Thanks, Marji, we would never have found this place without your insider tip.

The desert is lovely from all the moisture of this enduring El Nino winter. A true gift to California.  It rained shortly before we walked here this morning, and you could feel the life and heat coming up from the warm mud.

r u kidding?

Pouring rain and flash floods in Las Vegas?  Below normal temperatures in the desert? Well, who cares. Our flight was on time, the wine is pouring and Marji is making a delicious dinner.  Tomorrow we're off to Death Valley -- where it only rains 2 inches in a lucky year.

A change of scene

It's been so beautiful in Seattle this week, it seems strange to leave now for a spring desert vacation.   But of course this trip was planned way back in the dark cold months of winter.  So off we go to the airport tomorrow morning at 3:30.  Yes, you read that right. Ugh.

But then, relaxing in style and comfort on the flight to Las Vegas. Ha!  From there, we're driving our rental car to Death Valley National Park in California for a few days of sightseeing.   If the WiFi gods are favorable, I'll post some pictures of two pale people out in the desert sun.

Hodgepodge, indeed

"Product of Mexico, USA, Guatemala, Canada, Vietnam"

Geez, you really have to read labels, and this is something I don't like about Trader Joe's.  They source food from the four corners of the Earth, then package it under their brand name.  Even T.J. doesn't know where these cheap "Harvest Hodgepodge" vegetables were grown.  You see these multiple country labels on other products, like their shrink-wrapped "fresh" hamburger, which is even more of a turn-off. 

I'll just stick with Kroger's frozen vegetables.  I always have them on hand, and when I'm home I often make a quick vegetable stir-fry for lunch with a couple tablespoons of this sauce from Kikkoman. 

For convenience sake, this is a pretty good bottled sauce and not too sweet. It helps to add a bit of hot chili paste to the mix.  We often eat stir fry for dinner, but I usually make my own sauce concoction (never the same twice) thickened with cornstarch.

I was lazy the other night and used the bottled sauce on some tofu and fresh bok choy. It was good, but then we both like tofu. Many folks would rather eat a piece of styrofoam. I don't think there is a food in existence that people feel so passionately about, one way or the other.

But it isn't all vegetables and soy protein around here.  I like a cooking challenge now and then, and last night I made a small beef rib roast on the gas grill.

Who is that know-it-all guy, with the fancy grills and his own barbecue TV show in the desert? Even he would be impressed with the result.

I got so excited I cut myself on my razor sharp knife.  But thanks to John's extreme knife sharpening skill, at least it was a clean, surgical wound.

Oh,

My...

Goodness!

Nice vacation

Amanda, Tom and the kids just got home from a mini-vacation with their friends near Nelson, British Columbia.  They managed to get in spring skiing and a day at Ainsworth Hot Springs. Life doesn't get any better than that!

Crab's revenge

Yesterday afternoon a semi truck overturned and dumped thousands of pounds of crab on the Alaska Way Viaduct.  We're not talking about "Krab Meat" here, but big King crab legs that retail for over $20 a pound. An expensive mess.  Some of the frozen legs even fell to the street below.  No one was injured.

I wonder...if a box of frozen crab legs fell off a truck in front of me would I be too proud? Well, I wasn't in the vicinity to be tempted.

The road was closed for four hours, and it took five dump trucks to haul the crustaceans to the dump.

This made for an impressive traffic jam, even by Seattle standards.  Speaking of the Viaduct, what's our Bertha doing these days?

According to WASHDOT she traveled 1400 feet of 9300 and is "resting" now in Zone 2.  Soon she attempts to pass just 15 feet beneath the teetering old Viaduct, which will be closed down for safety reasons during that time.

The 100,000+ cars that use the highway daily will need another route for several weeks. Or perhaps, forever, if the Viaduct is seriously damaged in the process.  This will stink much worse than any load of crab.