State Street

I literally stumbled over this inlaid tile street sign a few days ago while walking in nearby Ballard. The "State Street" sign came as a big surprise to me as I had no idea the streets of the Ballard neighborhood had ever been renamed. But, apparently so.

The community of Ballard, now on the north side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, began life as a separate little town. According to the History Link, Ballard incorporated as a city in 1890 and its citizens voted to annex to Seattle in the year 1906.

Although I can find no official record of this re-naming of streets, I was able to discover that a current Ballard resident has been busy walking the neighborhood and documenting several more of these tile markers. Apparently the tiles were laid in the late 1980's as part of a scouting project. So, what is now 56th Street was at one time "State Street".

Breakthrough

Sunday was the complete opposite of Saturday in terms of weather. Grey overcast, low light level, mild thermometer reading but chilly nonetheless. The sun finally made a very brief appearance through a thin spot in the clouds over Puget Sound near day's end.

This view is from Seattle's Myrtle Edwards Waterfront Park looking west across Puget Sound toward Bainbridge Island. In the distance you can see two ferry boats, one coming from Bremerton, WA, and the other from Bainbridge Island, making their way toward downtown Seattle.

Tour di Panificio Uno **

My apologies to all of you who live on the east coast ... I'm sorry you have snow and cold while we in Seattle are basking in beautiful sunshine. Rest assured, however, that the Westender Scooter Club is up to the difficult task of coping with mid-50 degree temperatures and blinding light from the sky.

Earlier this week I decided it was time to get our scooter club together for a much needed group ride ... the first of 2010. In order to make the adventure more enticing I decided to lead a ride to a few of my favorite (and some I wanted to experience) bakeries. What's not to like about that proposition? Apparently nothing, because when I arrived at the Saturday morning gathering place, The Alki Bakery, there were 20 scooters already there. Woo-Hoo! Espresso drinks and breakfast pastries were enjoyed by all. After 30 minutes or so, it was time to move on …

Our next bakery stop was Bakery Nouveau, also in West Seattle. Our club is fortunate to count the day manager of this bakery as one of our members, and when we arrived Chris graciously provided each of us with a warm baguette, as well as generous samples of their almond croissants. (Thank you, Chris! I've posted a few Bakery Nouveau photos on my Extra Depth.)

Next on my agenda was the group photo you see above. West Seattle has a number of historic murals gracing several of its buildings depicting history of bygone eras. This particular mural shows the streetcar line that ran down California Avenue back in the year 1918, painted by Eric Grohe.

Leaving West Seattle, I led the scooters across town to the western shore of Lake Washington and the Madison Park area where the Essential Baking Company's Madison Cafe is located.

From Madison Park, we wound our way through the Washington Arboretum and along curvy East Interlaken Boulevard and over Capitol Hill to swing past the houseboat community on the eastern shore of Lake Union. Our fourth bakery of the day was the Grand Central Bakery - Eastlake. Fortunately for us, they weren't busy and we had all of the outdoor tables to ourselves to sit and chat while some ate rustic sandwiches and others indulged in yet more sweet treats. To sit at outdoor tables in early February was a real treat! There is something very special about the warmth of winter sun … and it was difficult to tear my friends away from this comfortable place, but we still had a few miles to go as well as one more bakery to sample.

Heading north on Eastlake we passed over the University drawbridge, then down to the north shore of Lake Union, past Gasworks Park and underneath Fremont Avenue before finally circling around to pass over the Fremont drawbridge and up to the top of Queen Anne Hill to find the Macrina Bakery. Another macchiato for me, and still more sumptuous pastries for others. By now it was close to 3 pm, and time to say goodbye.

One of the repeated comments I heard voiced was that my "bakery ride" should become an annual event for the Westenders. Well, I suppose I can do this again next year. After-all, I've got a whole year to recover from yesterday's over-indulgences.

**"Tour di Panificio Uno" translated from Italian means "Bakery tour - one"

Vintage Green

Still appealing after all these years is this 1949 Oldsmobile that was parked in the driveway at the 34th Street Garage in Magnolia Village yesterday. There were a few imperfections like part of the "Olds"-mobile logo on the trunk being absent, and a rust spot on a corner of the rear bumper. But, at 61 years old and almost qualified for social security, this vintage auto would make most of us green with envy. Come to think of it, General Motors (and Ford, Chrysler and Toyota) would be very happy if they were doing as well as this old Olds!

She's still a real head turner, and this little guy thinks so, too.

34th Street Garage, by the way, has been in business in the same location in Magnolia Village since 1973. I've had work done here in years past, and know people who have had their cars repaired here more recently. The online reviews are good and it is nice to find solid, honest repair shops close to home. Most patrons are very pleased with the work done here.

Bee Right Back!

This cheerful sign caught my fancy when I was at the Pike Place Market this week. What better way for a honey stall worker to let customers know she won't be gone forever. She'll be back "quick as a bee" in this case.

Moon Valley Honey opened their stall at the market a couple of years ago. Besides honey, they offer a number of other products in which "honey" is a significant ingredient. Moon Valley also has products in a number of natural food type stores in the Seattle area. You can also order directly from their web site at Moon Valley.com.

It's About Light

Late afternoon winter sun is always a treat. This was special though, streaming through the front window of Collins Pub, bathing this couple with golden light. Collins Pub is on 2nd Avenue at the eastern edge of Pioneer Square and just a few doors north of the Smith Tower Building. Their web site boasts over 20 microbrew beers on tap and apparently you need to be a "left-handed" drinker to enjoy a few particular offerings. Not a problem for me as I'm quite ambidextrous when it comes to beer, or wine for that matter.

No, I didn't go in as I was just passing by. I do promise to visit and report at some point in the not too distant future, however. A couple beers on their current list sound intriguing: Ninkasi Total Domination, Russian River Damnation and Fort Brewing Wipeout IPA are catchy names.

Green River Reflections

Uh, yes, I know the water is blue and not green. But trust me. This is the Green River, flowing out of the Cascade Mountain foothills on its way to Puget Sound. And yes, a moody departure from my normal realism ... Cézanne like, I think. In fact, this is an image made out of boredom. Perhaps you recall my post of the Central Link Light Rail train recently? I was bored waiting for another train to come across the bridge above. Boredom can sometimes be a good thing.

All the News ...

If there is a published periodical you are longing to find, odds are pretty good that you can sate your desire by stopping by Bulldog News on University Avenue in Seattle. This newsstand claims about 2500 titles spanning the local community and across the globe. They are open everyday from 8 AM to 9 PM. Careful as you walk through the doorway, though, as the pet bulldog holding the door open for you might just nip at your heels as you pass through.

Monthly Theme Day - Wood

This cellist was providing sonorous sounds with his bow on the cello strings as I walked out of the University Bookstore on University Avenue yesterday. While I already had several CDP theme day images in mind, including one I'd taken at the Nordic Heritage Museum the day before, I decided this was the "wood" image I had to post. I'm sorry you can't hear this chap play as he was really quite proficient and it was a treat for me, a former cellist, to pause, watch and enjoy his music.

If you are familiar with the City Daily Photo blog community, then you'll remember that the first of each new month is our community theme day. "Wood" is today's theme, and to see what kind of wood is being knocked upon around the rest of the world, click here to view thumbnails for all participants .

Nordic Heritage Museum

I went to the Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard yesterday to attend a memorial gathering held for one of my neighbors. The large hall was packed with people who knew Dick Lundgren as co-worker, friend, neighbor, community leader, and as husband and father. Dick passed before his time and is missed by many. I did a post featuring Dick just after I began this blog.

Being a photographer, I of course took a camera with me. The image above is of the wheelhouse of the halibut schooner Vansee which is near the front door of the museum. I also took the opportunity to see the first floor museum exhibits which depict the path from Scandinavia to the USA. A few photos of this display can be found on my Extra Depth, here.

Finally, a reminder that tomorrow will be the first day of a new month. On the first of each month, City Daily Photo Bloggers around the world participate in a monthly theme day. The February 1st theme is wood. Come back tomorrow check out the unique post I will have for our wooden theme.

Dandelion Botanical Company

I took a walk down memory lane in Ballard a couple of days ago. This shop now houses the Dandelion Botanical Company, a Natural Apothecary since 1996, according to their web site. Back in the late 1980's I knew this same shop space as Ballard Computer and in fact bought my first PC there in 1987. Paid a lot of money for a black & white monitor and a computer that had a 20 megabyte hard drive. My, how times have changed!

For a glimpse inside this cozy apothecary shop, see my Extra Depth for today.

MiMi Gelato - a Taste of Italy in Ballard

Having made several trips to Italy over the last few years, I can say I am a fan of Gelato!

To discover a source very close to home is indeed a wonderful thing. Let me introduce you to a very new business in Ballard. Ballard, by the way, is a historically Scandinavian community, populated by lots of Norwegian, Swedish, and a few Danish descendants.

MiMi Gelato company opened their door for business only 4 short weeks ago. I'm here to tell you the gelato inside this Gelato & Espresso shop is delicious! Please, if you're in the Seattle area, or even visiting, make it a point to drop by and support this very new business!!

I've posted a couple more photos on my Extra-Depth, if the photo above doesn't convince you to try this wonderful Italian treasure for yourself!