Category: Seattle

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Saturday/ here comes the Norwegian Bliss

The 7-day itinerary for the Norwegian Bliss’s Alaska cruise.

The Norwegian Bliss is brand new, and the biggest cruise ship to visit Seattle yet. (Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas is slightly bigger).

The Bliss’s passenger capacity is 4,004, crew of 1,716, cruise speed 23.2 knots from diesel electric engines, length is 1,094 ft (333.5 m) and maximum beam 136 ft (41.5 m).

She was constructed at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.

Picture posted in February by Helmut Weithauer on Google Maps, of the Norwegian Bliss at the facility at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. Looks like the supertube on the top deck still needs a little work, and the lifeboats still need to be installed into their slots on the lower deck.  Could this vessel squeeze through the Panama Canal? Yes. On May 14, she became the largest passenger ship to date, to transit the Canal on the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Instagram picture of the Norwegian Bliss’s arrival in Seattle on Wednesday for her christening ceremony. (Lifeboats with orange tops are now in place).
This was the ship today, from the top of a staircase at Pier 66. The ship has a total of 16 decks (9 with staterooms). There was a high school prom scheduled for the space in front of me, and I could not get closer. The entertainment at the top deck includes a go-kart track, two water slider supertubes and a giant TV screen for movies.
We could get a front view of the ship from the by leaning out from the bar balcony at the Edgewater Hotel. We had to be patient – the scheduled departure of 4.30 pm was delayed by about an hour. A contingent of 48 passengers from Asia had arrived late into Seattle-Tacoma airport.
Here she comes! The humans on the nose deck waving at us, are little ants. The artwork on the hull is by Robert Wyland (56), an American artist known for his large outdoor murals featuring images of life-size whales.  These are humpback whales, found in oceans and seas around the world, and also off the coast of Alaska.
The view from Pier 70. Norwegian Bliss is going to make her way out of Elliott Bay, out of Puget Sound, through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and then sail due north, for a Monday morning arrival into Ketchikan, Alaska.
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Wednesday/ smart meter installation

My smart meter* showed a reading of 3 kW-h at 8 pm, after starting at 0 at lunch time, 12.30 pm. *I blanked out all the serial numbers and barcodes.

A contractor for Seattle City Light stopped by my house today, to install my ‘smart’ meter (for metering electricity usage).  I see the device is from a Swiss vendor Landis+Gyr.

‘The meter will last you 20 years or more’, said the technician. (OK. But if vastly better technology becomes available, I’m sure it will be replaced).

Why a smart meter? The meter beams its readings to a collector tower nearby, and to the utility from there. So no more driving around by meter readers (that get bitten by the dog, or cannot get to the meter).  The meter will automatically notify Seattle City Light of outages. Finally, once all the back-end systems are in place, customers (me) would be able to monitor their electricity usage remotely and in real time.

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Friday/ a summery May

We have had summery weather this May. It has been drier and hotter than normal all month here in the Pacific Northwest.

The measured 0.12 in of rain for May ties the record low from 1992. (The number will barely budge, with almost no rain expected through the end of the month). Metric Conversion: 56 °F is 13 °C, 61.5 °F is 16.5 °C.  Yes, not very warm, but warmer than normal. (Mr Squirrel on the fence has his home in my backyard fir tree. Eastern grey squirrels are crepuscular, meaning they are active in the early and late hours of the day, so as to avoid the heat in summer.  They do not hibernate the way ground squirrels do, so I see them year-round).
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Tuesday/ mountain lion attack

There was a mountain lion (cougar) attack on two mountain bikers on Saturday morning. Isaac Sederbaum (31) was injured but is OK, but his friend S.J. Brooks (32), tragically, did not survive. Brooks was an avid biker that had moved here from Boston. Before Saturday, 16 cougar attacks, one of which was fatal, had been reported in Washington state during the past century.

These Washington State animal stories made were in the news the last few weeks. 1: The mountain lion attack happened near North Bend. Dept of Fish & Wildlife officials later tracked the mountain lion down and killed it. It tested negative for rabies. 2: A rabid bat bit someone on the finger, at the University of Washington stadium. (If bitten, try to catch the bat & seek medical help immediately). 3: Picture of large crested porcupine on the loose, spotted in Spanaway. No porcupines in North America, so likely a pet no longer wanted & let loose. Still not found. 4: Bald eagle steals rabbit from baby red fox on San Juan Island. Fox was OK after dropping back to the ground. [Picture by Kevin Ebi/ livingwilderness.com]
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Friday/ the new shingles vaccine

I got my first of two shots, of a new shingles vaccine called Shingrix, yesterday.  My left shoulder was sore for a good day or so. I thought o-ouch! every time I lifted up my arm, but I am much better today.

The vaccine is effective, and strongly recommended for everyone over 50. Shingles can be a debilitating affliction with long-term consequences. This new vaccine has an adjuvant (agent) that will boost the body’s response to it, and it does not contain the live virus – just parts of the dead virus.

Canadian poster explaining shingles and its complications. Some resources say an estimated 1 million Americans get shingles every year, although my doctor says that estimate may be somewhat overstated.
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Thursday/ Space Needle ‘spacelift’: almost done

The Space Needle’s $100 million renovation project is coming to a close. Crews have started to remove the covers on the top. The paneling that is obscuring the rotating glass floor will be removed over the next four weeks as well.

The top of the Space Needle on Thursday night at dusk. The new glass panel installation at the top is visible now, but the side scaffolding and bottom panels are still obscuring the rest.

Update Fri 5/18:  All the construction wrap was removed by Friday morning.

All the construction wrap was removed during Thursday night, revealing parts of the remodeled structure. [Picture tweeted by ‘Do206’].
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Tuesday/ lots of daylight

We hit 85°F (29°C) on Sunday – but now we are back to normal May temperatures of around 68°F (20°C).  It’s great to have daylight left after dinner (sunset is at 8.40 pm).  That way I can escape from my house and the relentlessly bad Trump Administration news on cable TV. (Yes, I know: I should just turn it off).

I found this spectacular purple bearded iris a few blocks from my house, on my after-dinner walk today. Irises take their name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.
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Monday/ Seattle’s new ‘head’ tax

The Seattle City Council passed a controversial ‘head’ tax on large businesses in the city today (a tax per employee, instead of a payroll tax).  The tax is about half of the original proposed amount, and will sunset in 2024. It is meant to address homelessness and affordable housing.

The Downtown Seattle Association (business association) does not support it, though*, and Amazon is still not happy about it, either.  However, Amazon will resume construction on a building that it had halted, to protest the much larger head tax that was originally proposed.

*Nor do residents, with only 38% in support of the tax, per a poll by a local TV station.  Critics – and Amazon – point out that the City of Seattle revenues have grown dramatically from $2.8 billion in 2010 to $4.2 billion in 2017, and will be even higher in 2018. Why is this not enough?

Here’s the scene at the Amazon biospheres when I walked by there late on Sunday. On the left is the tower called ‘Block 20’, part of the downtown Amazon headquarters complex. Its construction now up to about 20 floors. It will be 37 floors tall when done. (This is not the building on which construction was stopped because of the head tax).
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Wednesday night beers

We went down to sports bar Rookies in Columbia City for beers tonight. It is one of our regular watering holes.

We drove by Kim’s Tae Kwon Do training studio on Rainier Avenue. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art, with an emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks. Check out the chameleon-and-doggie bike rack in the foreground.  P.S. Good news from North Korea is that three detained Korean Americans have been released by North Korea just as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived there to plan the summit of Kim Jong Un with President Trump.
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Sunday/ construction in South Lake Union

My walkabout today was in South Lake Union, the area next to Seattle’s downtown that is a booming hub for Amazon, Google and the biotech industry.  The new Denny Substation and duct banks under the streets (for power distribution) are scheduled for completion in late summer.

Main picture: An artistic rendition of the completed Denny Substation. (The glass panels and facets on the perimeter will make it look like a museum – or a Frank Gehry creation – from the outside). Inset: I took this picture of main entrance gate at the back, today.
The colorful Chroma SLU apartments on Harrison St are brand new. A small one bedroom goes for $1,700 a month, and the two bedrooms for $3,300. Yes, the real estate is expensive, and the developer wants his money back – and then some.
Here is one of two new Google office blocks taking shape, on Mercer St. The six floors of seagreen will be the offices, and the additional eight floors on top will be apartments. (Live there and work downstairs at Google? Hmm -no. Definitely too close for comfort/ why not just sleep under your Google desk, then?). That’s Lake Union in the background.
The Saint Spiridon church building on Yale Ave is holding its own among all the construction. It was built in 1941 in the traditional Russian Church style, and resembles churches in northern Russia.
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Friday/ back to the city

We made our way back to the city on Friday morning.  It was cooler and cloudy again today (64°F/ 18°C), but there is no rain in the forecast for the weekend.

Here is a beautiful pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) that made a stop on a dead tree right by Paul’s house in Hansville. These are among the largest woodpeckers in North America – about as large as a crow – with black and white stripes on the face, and bright red, pointy crests.  We did not spot this one’s mate (they are usually found in pairs).
Looking back, after we had left Bainbridge Island about 10 minutes earlier. The other ferry for the Seattle-Bainbridge Island crossing is already well on its way there (in the background).
And here is the downtown Seattle skyline, coming into view as we approach it. Amazon has stopped construction on one of its new downtown towers – protesting a new business tax (a ‘head tax’) that the Seattle City Council has proposed.
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Thursday/ Fort Flagler State Park

We drove out to  Fort Flagler State Park today. We walked from the lighthouse at Marrowstone Point a mile or two all along the beach, and made our way back on a trail through the woods.

It’s about an hour’s drive from Hansville to Marrowstone Point. The picture shows the lighthouse buildings and beach.
These are  one of several remnants of World War I bunkers dotted around Fort Flagler. The round pads used to have air defense cannons when it was an Coast Artillery Fort. The started operating in 1899, and was closed in 1953.  It is a 750-acre park today.
This is a Great Blue Heron that we spotted in the water, the largest of the North American herons. It has long legs, a sinuous neck, and a thick, dagger-like bill.
Back at Hansville, there was a ballistic missile submarine with its escort ships (with cannons on) making its way into the Naval Base Kitsap at Bremerton. I don’t know which one of the dozen or so submarines at the Base, this one is. Those sailors on the sub must be happy to be out in the fresh air and sun!
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Wednesday/ tracking the North Star

Bryan and I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island today, to visit our friend Paul on the Kitsap Peninsula to the north.  The ferry passed by a container ship called the North Star, from the TOTE Maritime Alaska company.  The ship provides twice weekly shipments to Alaska, from the Port of Tacoma.

Here is the view as we approached Bainbridge Island, with the big container ship North Star passing in front of us. The containers are just visible, and are not stacked on top of each other. They are on trucks that were then driven onto the ship.
We spotted the North Star just across from the bubble on the map that says ‘Seattle’. The details and route of the North Star are from marinetraffic.com. It showed that the vessel arrived in Tacoma at 1.24 pm today. She was built in 2003 can do a maximum of 24 knots.
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Sunday/ ‘Clipper Round the World’ bids Seattle good-bye

Cruise ship season is starting up here in Seattle. We saw the Norwegian Pearl from Norwegian Cruise Lines at the pier today.  She was scheduled to leave at 4 pm.

Also departing Seattle, were a line-up of yachts taking part in the Clipper Round the World race.  The yachts are heading out to Panama, and will make their way up the East Coast to New York.  It will take an estimated 26 days to reach Panama, and another 12 to get to New York City from there. Bon voyage!

The Clipper Round the World route: Leg 1 (33 days)– Liverpool, UK > Punta Del Este, Uruguay | Leg 2 (18 days) Punta Del Este> Cape Town, South Africa | Leg 3 (23 days) Cape Town > Fremantle, Australia | Leg 4 (28 Days) Fremantle > Hobart > Sydney > Whitsundays (Australia) | Leg 5 (37 days) Whitsundays > Sanya, China > Qingdao, China | Leg 6 (33 days) Qingdao > Seattle, USA | Leg 7 (38 days) Seattle > Panama Canal > New York City
Here are the yachts in the ‘Parade of Sail’, leaving the Port of Seattle’s Bell Harbor Marina. After a week in its home city, the Visit Seattle team had the honor of leading the Parade, with the boats showing off their team colours. This farewell celebration included a water cannon guard of honour by the Seattle Fire Department, just visible in the distance on the left with its water cannons spraying water.
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Monday/ it’s warming up

It was a beautiful Monday here in Seattle, and there is more sunshine ahead in the next few days, say the meteorologists.

This picture is from Sunday afternoon (quiet in downtown). New bike lanes are still getting added; this one runs along 7th Ave. The new white building that is reflected off the glass of the US District Court Building, is the new Hyatt Regency Seattle. It will have 45 floors and 1,260 rooms, making it the city’s largest hotel.
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It’s Friday 4/20

Today marked the annual, unofficial international pot smoking day. (April 20 is written as 4/20 here in the States. 420 in all its forms, is code for smoking pot).

And where did the use of 420 (say ‘four-twenty’) come from? The term was coined in 1971 by a group of five San Rafael High School friends known as the Waldos, by virtue of their meeting time of 4:20 pm to smoke pot.  Not long after that, 420 became a general code word for smoking pot.

Recreational pot is legal on the West Coast and a handful of other states (9 total).  In 30 more states, it is only legal for medical use, and in 16 more states only the marijuana-derived compound cannabidiol (CBD) is legal. CBD appears to be helpful for many health conditions, including epilepsy, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. [Source: CNN Money]
This is the Uncle Ike’s (cannabis store) here on Capitol Hill, just two blocks from my house. ‘Score at the front door’ says the sign at the top left. They do a good job of keeping it tidy around the store, nice bike racks and all. (No, I have not been in there to sample their products!).

 

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Tuesday/ blue sky and .. ‘U SUCK’

An electronic signboard here on highway I-5 showed displayed a cheeky (rude?) ‘U SUCK’ message for some time today. Was it real? Yes, because Washington State DOT later tweeted ‘This was an inappropriate message and we apologize if anyone was offended. This was due to a training error and clearly a mistake. We are taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again’.

People did not seem too offended. Here are some snarky comments posted on Reddit –

  • It’s part of WSDOT’s new initiative to reduce traffic. The idea is to insult people who drive so they are more likely to take other forms of transportation.
  • It’s kind of like congestion pricing, but with emotions instead of money.
  • No, you are right WSDOT, I do suck and I am sorry for that.
  • Amateur hour. You have to try harder to insult me .. no really, try harder. Please.
A Reddit user called BruceInc posted this dashcam picture of the electronic signboard by the Sea-Tac Airport exit today. (And yes: there was that much blue sky today, after many days of clouds and rain).
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Sunday/ this mall is not dead

It was the last day of spring break for public schools here, and the Westfield Southcenter mall here in the Seattle area was packed with visitors today.  It’s a great mall, and I’m sure it will survive the mall armageddon that all the experts predict, with Amazon and all.
I bought some clothes, and while I was there I checked in on the Toys-R-Us store, to see if their Lego blocks were on sale.  Not really: the stock was still only marked down 5%. So they are trying hard to get as much as they can from liquidating the inventory.

Look! I made a friend at the Toys-R-Us store. (Watch out for those teeth, though. He goes by T. Rex and his live ancestors roamed on Earth some 80 million – 66 million years ago).
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Sunday/ cherry blossoms

Spring is in full bloom here in the Northern Hemisphere, and the cherry blossoms are all out – here in the United States, and also in Japan and China.

Here is the University of Washington campus today, with some of its cherry trees and their blossoms ..
.. and I picked up this Camellia flower (I think it’s a Camellia) with its pink tints and flecks, on the sidewalk today. It still amazes me, the detail that smartphone cameras can capture these days.
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Rainy Saturday

It rained steadily this morning, but cleared up enough later so that I could make my way down to the Capitol Hill public library.  At the corner of Broadway and Thomas, I spotted this guy: big 3-0 balloons in one hand, and a cake box in the other. He was surely on his way to the party for the birthday boy or gal that was turning 30.  I remember how I had thought my life was over, when I turned 30. Well, live and learn. I now say: it’s not over until it is over.