a weblog of whereabouts & interests, since 2010
We need a little bit of the rain (and the cold) that is about to hit Cape Town this weekend, up here in the Pacific Northwest.
There was a little rain today— the first in 33 days.
The gardens and fields are parched this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, and we will take what we can get.
It was another 36°C (97°F) here in Tokyo, and we ducked into a department store every block or two as we walked around the streets of Ginza— Tokyo’s famous up-market shopping, dining and entertainment district.
Pictures:
Ginza subway station’s fancy decor gives a hint of what’s to come above-ground;
Stylish dressers and parasols, at the Koban (police box) station in Ginza;
Architecture along Matsuya-dori (street);
A misting station offering a little respite from the heat;
Cupid looking to make mischief, at the Vacheron Constantin watch store;
Fancy window display.
We had 36°C (97 °F) here in Tokyo today.
I put urban survival gear in my backpack (water bottle, towel, wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses) and made a run out to Shinjuku on the famous Yamanote Line after the morning rush hour on the subway trains was over.
We continue to count our blessings here in the Pacific Northwest with mild, sunny days and clear skies.
It was 78°F/ 26°C today.
We are blessed with goldilocks weather here in Seattle at the start of summer— mild and sunny, with a high of 72 °F (22 °C) today.
Sunrise was at 5.11 am and sunset at 9.10 pm, so we had just a touch under 16 hours of sunlight.
Mauritania’s endless sea of sand dunes hides an open secret: An estimated 10% to 20% of the population lives in slavery. But as one woman’s journey shows, the first step toward freedom is realizing you’re enslaved.
– John D. Sutter writing for CNN Interactive (In 1981, Mauritania became the last country in the world to abolish slavery. Activists are arrested for fighting the practice. The government denies it exists).
Happy Juneteenth.
It is the third time around for the newest federal holiday in the US, Juneteenth National Independence Day, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
There is still a lot of differences in the way states treat the day, though: some commemorate it as an official holiday, some just a day of observance, and others something in between. (In Washington State it was made a permanent state holiday in 2022).
It’s a cool and rainy weekend here in the Emerald City (64°F / 18°C)— a good day to go for a Starbucks coffee, or for a beer.
There was a slight drizzle on and off today outside, which was very welcome.
Very little rain fell in May.
It was warm here in the city today (85 °F/ 30 °C).
Most of the Pacific Northwest has— so far— been spared the smoke from Canada that is plaguing New York City and the Northeast.
I made it down to Madison Park beach this afternoon.
A smattering of heliophiles were sunning themselves on the lawn.
There was plenty of sunlight today, but only mild temperatures (70 °F/ 21 °C).
We’re coming out of a few warm days— the warmest 89 °F (32 °C), on Monday.
Today the sunlight was a little more brown/orange than usual.
The reason: wildfire smoke from Alberta, Canada, has been drifting down into the skies over Washington State.
[Text & picture posted by Andrew McIntyre @andrewmcintyre on Twitter]
[Text & picture posted by PS Clean Air Agency @pscleanair on Twitter]
Happy Friday, the first one in May.
It was a very wet day for May, but maybe Mother Nature is just getting us caught up with the rain.
Sea-Tac Airport had recorded slightly less than 12 in. of rain in the first four months of 2023, which is about 5 inches below average.
It was a lovely day with blue skies all around and 78 °F (26 °C)— a high temperature for late April.
We drop back into the normal range by Sunday, some 10 degrees cooler.
Happy Friday.
Here’s another Nineteenth Avenue Tree Canopy report: looking fine, with the green of the budding leaves on the tree limbs just starting to show.
The blossoms are out here on Capitol Hill’s 16th Avenue— but the weather is still on the chilly side. We only had 52 °F (11 °C) here in the city today.
(We’re on track to experience the first recorded April without a single 60-degree day, according to forecasters, reports the Seattle Times).
Here’s 6 o’clock tonight here on Capitol Hill.
Sunset is now at 7.13 pm.
One hour of sun from the morning is now showing up at the end of the day.
The New York Times posted pictures shared by their readers in California, of the snow there. I like this one.
There was an inch or so of snow on the ground this morning, but most of it had melted by the afternoon (42 °F /6 °C).
I ventured out of the house to get a little sun today, even though the high was barely above freezing (34°F/ 1°C).
These pictures are from Volunteer Park.
