This week’s Photohunt is ripples. There were several different ways to approach this theme, rippling muscles, ripple ice cream, rippling fabric but I decided to go with the obvious – rippling water.
This theme was fun. I looked over several albums of photos that I had not reviewed in a while and came across this picture of a color of the sunset reflecting off the ripples of a wave along with the shadow of a seagull. I took this picture just about a year ago on our yurt camping trip to Cape Disappointment State Park near the mouth of the Columbia River. We went down to the beach after dinner and watched the sun set into the ocean.
The hot weather has given us a bumbercrop of tomatoes. I decided it was time to can some tomatoes. I had a dozen pint jars and we had way enough tomatoes to fill them.G said he wanted to help and I gladly took him up on his offer.
This is my second time canning tomatoes. I used the instructions on PickYourOwn. I like PickYourOwn site because it has a lot of pictures and helpful tips. I also had a copy of Preserving Tomatoes from Clemson Extension which I used last time. I use a water bath which is pretty easy to do.
I’ve also been following Canning Across America and the Canvolution. There are a lot of events coming up the last weekend in August. Our tomatoes were ripe so I couldn’t wait to join in Canvolution weekend. The forecast is for hot weather this week so we’ll probably have another harvest ready in two weeks and I can do another batch.
It did not take too long. I prepared the jar and lids and then we set up an assembly line to peel and pack the tomatoes. The second batch took half the time. They are cooling tonight on the counter and we’ll put them away after we check the seals tomorrow. This winter we’ll have a nice reminder of the warm summer.
This week’s photohunt is artificial. This one was very tough. I didn’t want to go out and take a picture of some artificial item in my kitchen cabinet. But I remembered one of the Australian ‘Big’ things we saw on our trip to Western Australia. “Big thing?” you say…
The “Big Things” are a group of large structures in Australia – huge artificial statues located around the country. They are somewhat cult phenomenon. Nothing like going out of the way to see a large roadside attraction. Here’s a bit on the Big Things from wikipedia.
Here is another shot – yep… he is definitely a ram. 🙂
This week’s photohunt theme is low. I couldn’t come up with anything so I went with a photo of the ‘low’ temperatures we had last winter. It was down below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a nice contrast to the past few warm weeks. The temps are back to normal here in Seattle – highs in the low ’70s. Here are a couple other photos from the week of low temperature and snow we had last December.
This week’s Photohunt theme is Entertainment. Seattle has a great summer lunch time concert series called Out to Lunch. We saw that the California Guitar Trio was playing and decided to spend the day downtown. I was playing with my camera and tried the Color Accent setting. It takes a black and white photo and accents just the selected color. I liked how the photo of the concert turned out with just a hint of cool blue.
I wish the day had been a cool as the photo looks. It wasn’t. It was the hottest day in Seattle’s history at 103 degrees. Fortunately, it was shady and not too hot in the square. And it was great entertainment. The California Guitar Trio was excellent.
Seattle has needed light rail for a long time. It has an excellent bus system but it is hampered by the traffic even with HOV lanes. In 1993, the state legislature authorized a single transportation agency to cover the Puget Sound counties of Pierce, King and Snohomish. In 1996, voters approved the addition to the sales tax to cover the costs. Over the years, many improvements have been made to bus service between the area and train service (Sounder) between Tacoma and Seattle and Everett and Seattle. Ground was finally broken for light rail construction in 2003. Fast forward to July 2009 – passengers boarded the trails for the first time on Saturday July 18th.
G wanted to go downtown to the Out to Lunch concert to see California Guitar Trio. Yes, it was the hottest day in Seattle’s history but we decided to brave it. It was also a public transportation day for us. We took the bus downtown from Shoreline. Only 1/3 of the Seattle Metro buses are air conditioned and we didn’t get one. We made certain we sat on the side opposite of the sun. The windows were already open but since it wasn’t an express – the bus never got going enough to create a breeze with the frequent stops.
The concert was great. Best of all, it was cool and shady at 2 Union Square but you couldn’t avoid the occasional gust of hot air blowing down from between the buildings. After lunch, we walked down to Pike Place Market and had lunch at El Puerco Lloron – excellent Mexican food just below the market. G loves their Chile Rellenos and I love their Taquitos Machaca (soft shreaded beef tacos) with a scope of guacamole. Next a climb back up and out of the market to Gelatiamo, hands down, our favorite gelato in Seattle. I had a scoop of mango and blackberry. The blackberry is excellent and perfect for an over 100 degree day.
I got the crazy idea of riding the light rail to Columbia City to go to the Wednesday Farmer’s Market. It is a small but vibrant market with a strong neighborhood feel. The Columbia City Station is just two blocks away from the market.
The University station was just a block from Gelatiamo. The tickets are super easy to purchase using the touch screen ticket machine. They take debit cards. We got two round trip tickets and went down to the transit tunnel. How exciting! We love riding metros and light rails on our trips and now we had one in Seattle!
The train goes under downtown using the shared bus and train transit tunnel and stopping at Pioneer Square and Stadium next to Quest and Safeco fields. Then on to Sodo station near Starbucks headquarters before turning east and entering the tunnel below Beacon Hill. Gorgeous views over Sodo to the skyline of Seattle. The ride to Columbia City was smooth and quick.
I did not expect the rush of heat when we exited the train. Of course there is no shade around the open stations and the heat was pounding up from the new white concrete. The market was two blocks from the station along Edmunds Street. It was surprisingly busy at the market given the heat. But everyone was quickly making their purchases and leaving. The vendors were busy spraying and icing their produce. We got a mixture of eggplant, peppers and corn for BBQ and an icy lemonade.
We just missed the train on the way back. While we were waiting to cross over to the platform, we were able to check the artwork on the Edmunds (south) side of the station. I really liked the stone lion carved by Norie Sato and Mara Smith. We were too hot to walk to the North and see the artwork along Alaska Street. I want to go back to see the shovel.
It was our luck that the Mariner’s baseball game had just let out when we returned. We decided to catch the Express bus back to Shoreline and got off at Pioneer Square station. This was a smart move since the bus was empty and there were enough seats for the crowd from the game. It was also smart because the Express bus was air conditioned. Just what we needed after walking around on the record setting 103 degree day in Seattle. We also found out that the Sound Transit ticket works as a 1 zone transfer on Metro so we saved some money on the bus ride home.
Ticket Machine
We’ve got a ticket to ride!
Train arriving at University Station in Transit Tunnel
Lots of room during the afternoon
Seattle Skyline before the Beacon Hill Tunnel
View of MLK Way from above on light rail
Hot summer day at Columbia City Farmers’ Market
“Garden Windows” by Juan Alonso at Columbia City Light Rail Station
Hand carved brick lion by Norie Sato and Mara Smith at Columbia City Light Rail Station
And here is California Guitar Trio doing one of our favorites – Walk Don’t Run originally by the Tacoma band – The Ventures. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Hot summers are rare in Seattle. Located near the water, there is always a cool marine influence. This year it has been hot and dry! It happens. If it is going to get hot in Seattle – it will the last two weeks of July and beginning of August. I remember this happening more in the ’70s and ’80s. Hot sweaty nights where there is barely a breeze. It has been years since we have had a week of temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s. For once, I’m actually loving it.
It was very different growing up in the central valley of California. The heat can start as early as March although it usually really gets hot June – September. It can be long stretches of over 100 degree weather. I remember my mother standing over the stove wiping sweat as she cooked dinner. We did not have central heat but we did have tall ceilings to help disperse the heat. We installed three window air conditioners that we would turn on about 11am and we would ‘close up the house’ – basically close off several rooms to keep it cool in the main living areas. In the evenings – if we were lucky – a marine breeze would flow off the delta and bring a breeze. We would open the window and let it cool off the house.
But it was also the time of bounty. We would take drives in the early evening into the country to buy the best peaches in the world. Sometimes a farmer would drive around and sell watermelons out of the back of his pick up. They were so sweet and juicy – just out of the hot fields. I definitely miss the great fruit.
The one good thing about the heat is our tomatoes are ripening. Yeah! We had our first tonight. We had a couple Stupice and a few Sungolds.
This week’s Photohunt theme is utensils. This is another easy one. I was able to find a couple more photos of different utensils used for baking and cooking. Have a great weekend!
Measuring cup and spoons
Potato Ricer
Edited to Add: A couple of people of wondered about the final products. Here they are
South of Spokane is an area of broad rolling hills and prairies called the Palouse. The area was settled in the 1880 when experiments in dryland farming were successful. By the beginning of the 1900’s, all of the land was converted into wheat fields. Today wheat is the major crop along with barley, peas and lentils.
Much of the area remains the same as it was in the early 1900’s. Highway 27 curves and rolls through the hills and ravines. It is the main street of many of the small historic towns located about 12 miles about – the distance between rail stops.
It is also a photographer’s dream. The hills curve and roll with interesting lines and patterns. In June, the fields are green with new growth and brown from newly plowed fields. In August, huge combines machines cut across the rolling fields as the farmers rush to harvest their crops. In July, the hills are brilliant emerald green as they ripen in the summer sun.
We headed south out of Spokane and turned towards Waverly. Sugar beet was the major crop early in the 1900’s but today it is known more for its busy grain elevators. Next town was Latah with its lovely old homes. Tekoa was my favorite. It felt like the quintessential small town with its restored Empire theater, 1909 city hall and mural-faced library. It also has a great train trestle evidence of the influence of the railroad.
Steptoe Butte was our destination. This ancient rock butte rises 1,600ft above the green, tan and brown fields. The road to the top curls around the butte to the top where you have a 360 degree vista. It feels like you are eye level with the clouds.
A quick stop at the local farmers truck stop for a cold drink and a salty snack and then we were on our way back to Spokane. We did a quick detour to one more small town, Rosalia. You pass a multiple arch concrete railroad trestle on the way into town – looking similar to a roman aqueduct. The town is sleepy in the warm afternoon sun. It is also the site of the Steptoe Memorial commemorating the 1858 battle between the U.S. Army and local Indian warriors. The Army lost the battle and retreated.
Rocky shores, volcanoes, inland marine waterways, desert, rain forests and a mighty river – Washington state has it all. I am still amazed at the different diverse regions. The spine of the volcanic Cascade range separates the state into two very distinct sections.
Crossing the Cascade passes and dropping into Eastern Washington, you enter a different world. This is the land of distant horizons and long lonely stretches of road. The Columbia Basin is dry but fertile desert surrounds the mighty Columbia River – the 4th largest river in North America. The Snake from Idaho and Kootaney from British Columbia Canada feed into the Columbia and are included in this basin.
This is also the area of deep canyons, long coulees, volcanic basalt and rocky dry falls. This is the result of an ice age flood. An ice dam near the Idaho/Montana border near Missoula during the ice age created a large glacial lake from the Clark River coming off the Rockies. The dam held back over 500 cubic miles of water – as much as both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario combined. It is theorized that the dam broke and the water poured in a matter of 2-3 days over what is now Eastern Washington carving coulees and leaving behind fertile but arid soil. It is awe inspiring to cross the bottom of one of the hot dry coulees and realize the power of water.
The climate is also very different. The Cascades form a rain barrier creating dry barren scrub land east of the mountains similar to the Great Basin area of Nevada. But unlike Nevada, there is a major source of water – the Columbia River. The Columbia Basin Project irrigates the Basin farms with water. Potatoes are the major crop along with corn, alfalfa, and peas.
I love taking a road trip east through this classic western land. My favorite road is Highway 2. It parallels the Great Northern Railway I wrote about earlier, traveling east from Everett to Spokane and beyond. The road passes through small towns along the western foothills before climbing up to Stevens Pass at 4,000ft. At the crest of the pass, the clouds and mist disappear as you drop down into Tumwater canyon and the kitchey Bavarian themed town of Leavenworth. The evergreen trees disappear and sun burnt hills scrubby hills appear and are shortly to replaced by lush apple orchards around Wenatchee and the Columbia River. Green fingers of orchards climb up the microclimate valleys along the Columbia.
The highway crosses the river and travels along the riverbank for a couple of miles before turning east again to climb to the plateau covered with golden fields of wheat and a sky filled with fluffy clouds. The road seems to stretch forever before it suddenly drops into Moses Coulee and the Dry Falls region. Grand Coulee is just around the bend. The road continues east through farm land and small towns. The terrain changes and you start to see solitary pines and rocky crops – the distant foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Spokane is not far away.
Here are a few pictures of region and drive – More tomorrow.
