Port Townsend Daily Photo

Winter Dawn

2011-12-15T13:49:00.000-06:00

Mt Rainier at first light,

as seen from uptown Port Townsend.

Sky Watch Friday

Misty Morning

2011-12-09T10:48:00.009-06:00

Reflections in Point Hudson Marina

Contributor to
Weekend Reflections
The Weekend in Black and White

Cruisin'

2011-12-01T21:49:00.004-06:00

Kayaking the Elwha in the Olympic Mountains.
Paddle, paddle...glide...

Slowly, quietly, slipping through God's country.
Today's theme for CDP is action shot.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Weekend Reflections
Sky Watch Friday

Scarlet Serenity

2011-11-22T23:49:00.012-06:00

A November dawn on Port Townsend Bay

Sky Watch Friday
ABC Wednesday

Reflections

2011-11-16T15:49:00.004-06:00

Rowboats

Weekend Reflections
ABC Wednesday

Sunset Silhouette

2011-11-12T19:49:00.010-06:00

Point Wilson Lighthouse

The Weekend in Black and White

Early Departure

2011-11-11T21:48:00.005-06:00

Weekend Reflections

Autumn Ribbons

2011-11-10T21:49:00.005-06:00

Layers of fog, clouds, mountains and sea
catch the new day's dawning light,

as seen from Point Hudson in Port Townsend.

Sky Watch Friday

Sunrise Workout

2011-11-06T20:49:00.004-06:00

A rower heads out for Port Townsend Bay.
Mellow Yellow Monday

Under Sail

2011-11-05T10:51:00.003-05:00

My wife Nancy, captured this fine shot aboard
the schooner Merrie Ellen while under sail.

Contributor to

Weekend in Black and White

On the Coast

2011-10-20T13:49:00.003-05:00

Copalis Beach

A fog bank rolls in on a sunny autumn morning

along the Olympic Peninsula coast.

Sky Watch Friday

September Dawn

2011-10-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

“Every time we walk along a beach
some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves
shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed
and whitened timbers like the homesick
refugees of a long war.” - Loren Eiseley

Sky Watch Friday

Beach Walk

2011-09-22T14:49:00.006-05:00

A view across Admiralty Inlet from the beach at Point Wilson.

Sky Watch Friday

Wooden Boats

2011-09-16T14:49:00.005-05:00

Contributor to James'

Weekend Reflections

Wooden Boat Festival

2011-09-08T14:49:00.037-05:00

Ah, the time has come for lovers of wooden boats to celebrate in Port Townsend. Tomorrow is the opening of the 35th Annual Wooden Boat Festival which runs through the weekend. Hundreds of wooden vessels of all sizes (tall ships and small skiffs), shapes (beamy cruisers and sleek racers) and types (schooners, motor launches, paddle boats) will gather around Port Townsend Bay from places far and near. Check out the schedule and activities here.

Contributor to Sky Watch Friday

Perspective

2011-09-01T15:49:00.026-05:00

A reflective perspective of a wooden skiff image in Point Hudson Marina. Bottom up or bottom down, what appears real is sometimes only a reflection of reality. A reminder also that Port Townsend's annual Wooden Boat Festival is but a week away.

See many different perspectives today
from CDP bloggers around the world.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Contributor also to
Sky Watch Friday

Sea Creatures

2011-08-28T13:49:00.062-05:00

A detailed shot of Haller Fountain in downtown Port Townsend.
I have often featured this little fountain and small city park
over the years and those posts are seen here.

Contributor to

Weekend Reflections

Sky, Sea and Sail

2011-08-25T19:49:00.005-05:00

A fine August day on Port Townsend Bay

Contributor to
The Weekend in Black and White
Sky Watch Friday

F for Fishing Fleet

2011-08-23T16:48:00.026-05:00

Contributor to ABC Wednesday

Twilight on the Bay

2011-08-05T00:49:00.015-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

To Market...

2011-06-10T21:52:00.004-05:00

A visit to Seattle is also a good time to stop by the market if possible. It's truly one of the great marketplaces, in this country at least, to find something special. Whether it's wining, dining, shopping or just a good stroll through the streets and byways, Pike Place Market offers a global sampling of goods, atmosphere and delights.

Weekend Reflections

and

Sky Watch Friday

Sunrise at Point Hudson

2011-05-06T09:50:00.002-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

Air Mail

2011-05-01T06:50:00.004-05:00

Mailbox is the theme today for City Daily Photo Bloggers around the world and, as always, there is a fascinating variety of images on the subject.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

O for Orcas

2011-04-27T12:50:00.003-05:00

A good way to enjoy a whale watching experience while in Port Townsend is to hop aboard one of the Puget Sound Express vessels at Point Hudson Marina. Skipper Pete Henke and his family do a great job providing wildlife viewing and a ferry service between Port Townsend and Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. The orcas seen here are members of J Pod, one of three distinct groups or families of resident whales found in the waters around the San Juan Islands. More photos of this group can be seen here.

A contributor to Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday community

Nifty Fiftys

2011-04-15T22:50:00.016-05:00

A regular stop for our family, especially when our granddaughters have their say, is the Nifty Fiftys soda fountain downtown on Water Street. They do a superb job of pleasing customers, young and old, with great treats and atmosphere. Our grandaughter, in blue, seen here making a new friend, loves a root beer float with her grilled cheese sandwich and oh yes, like any kid....plugging the juke box. Her favorite tune - Yakety Yak by the Coasters :)

Weekend Reflections

Olympic Sky

2011-04-07T18:50:00.004-05:00

A view of the Olympic Mountains on a blustery spring day as seen from the Dungeness Spit Recreation Area in Sequim.

Sky Watch Friday

Kai Tai Lagoon

2011-04-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

Watery Wednesday

Edge of Dawn

2011-04-01T10:53:00.001-05:00

In the early morning hours of a new day, the silhouettes of a tow-boat pulling a barge are seen here slipping quietly into Port Townsend Bay. On the horizon, a brilliant red dawn sharply defines the serrated edges of the Northern Cascade Mountain peaks. Edges is the April theme for City Daily Photo Bloggers. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

A contributor to Sky Watch Friday

Razor Clamming

2011-03-24T17:31:00.005-05:00

Razor Clam digging at sunset on the Washington coast near North Cove.

Contributor to Sky Watch Friday

Poulsbo

2011-03-11T22:31:00.002-06:00

Just a stone's throw from Port Townsend, Poulsbo is another small town by the water's edge that attracts tourists and shoppers from all around the Sound. Its downtown business section has the charm of a small old-world village with a definite Scandinavian flavor. The storefront window of this nautical business provides reflections of other shops along main street.

A contributor to James' Weekend Reflections community

Point Wilson Lighthouse

2011-03-04T23:31:00.013-06:00

A beautiful winter day for walking and skywatching at North Beach. The waters seen here and behind the lighthouse is Admiralty Inlet which is the main maritime passage into Puget Sound and the port cities of Seattle and Tacoma. The land seen behind the lighthouse is Whidbey Island and connected to Port Townsend by the Washington State ferry system. The mountain peaks in the background are part of the North Cascade Mountain Range.

Sky King

2011-02-25T17:31:00.024-06:00

Lucky shot with a pocket digital

Contributor to the Sky Watch Friday community

Morning Light

2011-02-10T23:34:00.000-06:00

A foggy, frosty February morning at Fort Worden State Park.

Contributor to Sky Watch Friday

North Beach

2011-01-08T07:31:00.001-06:00

A bright, but windy, January day at one of Port townsend's favorite walking beaches makes for rough passage at times of high tides and northerly storms as seen here.

Lunch at Lowell's

2011-01-05T10:33:00.001-06:00

The letter this week for the ABC Wednesday meme is Y.
So I submit for your consideration: Y is for "Yon snow-capped peaks that you can see above the fog are the Olympic Mountains" So might the chap in the hat be saying while sitting and pointing in the direction of the Olympic Peninsula.

When in Seattle, I enjoy stopping by Lowell's for breakfast or lunch on the second floor, where I can belly up to to the bar and watch the ferry boats (as seen in the photo) and other marine traffic gliding in and out of Elliott Bay. Sitting there also offers a chance to strike up a conversation with local vendors in the market as they drop by for a quick meal and beverage or perhaps a tourist from Paris, Texas or Chignik, Alaska or who knows where. And photo ops are good there too.

Harbor Sunrise

2010-12-30T02:31:00.003-06:00

A view of Mt Rainier, or as known locally, The Mountain, seen from Pt Hudson Marina in downtown Port Townsend.

A contributor to Sky Watch Friday

Deception Pass Bridge

2010-12-19T12:31:00.002-06:00

This is a view of Deception Pass and bridge from the water level looking westward toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the open sea beyond. The current through this bottleneck of water can be treacherous at certain times for small craft if not carefully considered. Here is more about the bridge history from Wikipedia:
The Deception Pass Bridge is a two-lane bridge connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island in the U.S. state of Washington. The bridge is a commonly-photographed landmark of the Puget Sound region. In the spring of 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery and Captain Vancouver's chief navigator proved that it was not really a small bay as charted by the Spaniards (hence the name "Deception"), but a deep and turbulent channel that connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Saratoga Passage, which separates the mainland from what they believed was a peninsula (actually Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island). Thomas Coupe, a sea captain and founder of Coupeville, was the only man ever to sail a full-rigged ship through the strait discovered by Whidbey.In the early years of the 20th century, travelers of the horse-and-buggy era used an unscheduled ferry to cross from Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island. To call the ferry, they banged a saw with a mallet and then sat back to wait.The bridge, one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest, is actually two spans, one over Canoe Pass to the north, and another over Deception Pass to the south. In 1982, the bridge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In the waters of Deception Pass, just east of the present-day Deception Pass Bridge is a small island known as Ben Ure Island. The island became infamous for its activity of smuggling illegal Chinese immigrants for local labor. Ure and his partner Lawrence "Pirate" Kelly were quite profitable at their smuggling business and played hide-and-seek with the United States Customs Department for years. Ure's own operation at Deception Pass in the late 1880's consisted of Ure and his Native-American wife. Local tradition has it that his wife would camp on the nearby Strawberry Island (which was visible from the open sea) and signal him with a fire on the island's summit to alert him to whether or not it was safe to bring his illegal cargo ashore. For transport, Ure would tie the illegal immigrants up in burlap bags so that if customs agents were to approach then he could easily toss the bags overboard. The tidal currents would carry the discarded immigrant's bodies to San Juan Island to the north and west of the pass and many ended up in what became known as Dead Man's Bay.

Deception Pass is a dramatic seascape where the tidal flow and whirlpools beneath the twin bridges connecting Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island move quickly. During low tides, the swift current can lead to standing waves, large whirlpools, and roiling eddies. This swift current phenomenon can be viewed from the twin bridges' pedestrian walkways or from the trail leading below the larger south bridge from the parking lot on the Whidbey Island side.
Boats can be seen waiting on either side of the pass for the current to stop or change direction before going through. Thrill-seeking kayakers go there during large tide changes to surf the standing waves and brave the class 2 and 3 rapid conditions

Contributor to Louis' Sunday Bridge Series

Curb Appeal

2010-12-16T12:31:00.000-06:00

Sky watching at Seattle's Pike Place Market can include many diversions with all the activities happening around you. This bright cherry-red scooter is an eye-catcher and provides a nice foreground for a picture of that bold, blue Seattle sky above the market. I'm not positive, but I'm guessing the Vespa may be the ride of a favorite professional photographer, who we in the photoblogging community know as Mr. Pefley. If so, here's one for you , Chuck. Your scoot is a beauty!

A contributor to the Sky Watch Friday community

V for Voyager

2010-12-14T11:31:00.001-06:00

At early morning light, a motor vessel slips quietly around Pt Hudson and out of Port Townsend Bay toward Admiralty Inlet and a heavy blanket of fog.

Coontributor to Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday community

Utterly Delightful

2010-12-08T09:31:00.000-06:00

A stroll downtown on Water Street with our granddaughter brought an utterly delightful moment when she stopped suddenly to admire with awe and glee, a lady bug that had hopped aboard her thumb for a ride.

Contributor to Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday community

Sky Watch

2010-11-19T18:31:00.004-06:00

"...And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again..."

John Masefield

Contributor to the Sky Watch Friday community

New Day on the Bay

2010-11-16T06:31:00.002-06:00

Sun breaks over the peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range on a summer day.

After the Storm

2010-11-12T14:31:00.002-06:00

This shot from the wheelhouse, pulled from my old files of fishing the Bering Sea, was taken during a light icing day on approach to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. After weathering a stormy night, this morning image was a pleasure to take while running with a settling sea. The slight blur is from the film of sea water running down the wheelhouse windows.

Contributor to Dragonstar's The Weekend in Black and White

and

Sky Watch Friday

Twilight Sky

2010-11-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

End of a pretty summer day at the marina.

Contributor to the Sky Watch Friday community

On the Beach

2010-10-29T07:27:00.005-05:00

Bringing in a new day on the trails around Point Wilson Lighthouse.

C0ntributor to the Sky Watch Friday blogging community

N for Nautical

2010-10-19T17:09:00.005-05:00

Summer Squalls over Port Townsend Bay

Contributor to the ABC Wednesday community

Up Close with the Orcas

2010-10-16T23:42:00.010-05:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, here are the orcas we followed some forty minutes or so while enroute to Friday Harbor for a weekend getaway in the spring. Glistening in the sun, these magnificent creatures follow feeding patterns all through the Puget Sound waters. This particular group of whales is called JPod. More about the pods that make up the Southern Resident Community of orca whales can be found here. More photos here.

Contributor to James' Weekend Reflections community

The Mystical Mermaid

2010-10-14T19:31:00.008-05:00

Found this artistic sign hung above a gift shop in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. There is something about a great hanging sign that will pull my camera lens around everytime. Some of them can be seen here.

A visit to the islands on a beautiful spring day, after closely following the orca whales along the San Juan Island shoreline, does indeed a happy visitor make. Tomorrow, the orcas.

Contributor to the Skywatch community

Sunrise reflections...

2010-10-10T12:31:00.005-05:00

...in the antique store window.

Port Townsend Antique Mall

802 Washington Street

Port Townsend, Wa

360 579-8069

Contributor to the Weekend Reflections community

Sky High

2010-10-08T23:20:00.006-05:00

With the crew hanging by the yardarms and unfurling sails, the tall ship Hawaiian Chieftain prepares for an evening sail during Wooden Boat Festival events in Port Townsend.

A contributor to the Sky Watch Friday community

L is for the Link that Bonds

2010-10-07T03:31:00.011-05:00

Link, a word with so many meanings and uses. The link seen here is a small bronze marine quick snap that connects, holds and keeps two or more parts together, such as the light rigging lines aboard a sailboat. It was given to me by a family member as an expression of support during the rough pasages I've had with health issues this year. I carry it in my pocket now, because things like this quietly symbolize the many ways that our connections, our ties, keep and enrich our lives.
And thanks to you, Dear Readers who have continued to stop by for visits during my frequent absent periods on the web. I very much appreciate the friendly photoblogging ties we've shared in recent years and have missed the active involvement.
Things are looking up now and I look forward to getting back on course.

A contributor to the ABC Wednesday community

Quiet Waters

2010-09-26T00:31:00.006-05:00

Contributor to the Weekend Reflections community

Sky Watch

2010-09-11T05:02:00.001-05:00

Remains of a summer's day along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Hurrah! Hooray! The Woodies are coming!

2010-09-09T00:31:00.005-05:00

This weekend, Port Townsend will host one of the foremost gathering of wooden boats in the country for a three day festival that draws thousands of visitors each year. The 34th Annual Wooden Boat Festival - September 10th thru 12th, 2010

A contributor to the ABC Wednesday community

Theme Day - Reflections

2010-07-01T13:31:00.004-05:00

Slipping quietly out of the harbor, an early morning rower enjoys a beautiful sunrise on Port Townsend Bay

Today is Theme Day for CDP bloggers

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Morning Sky at Point Wilson

2010-06-11T11:31:00.004-05:00

The lighthouse at Point Wilson is one of Fort Worden State Park's best places for sky watching in Port Townsend. It also offers great views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Admiralty Inlet, Whidbey Island and the Cascade Mountains.

A member of the Sky Watch Friday community

Sky Watch

2010-06-03T22:31:00.004-05:00

A view of Mt. Baker from the beach at Point Hudson.

A member of the Sky Watch Friday community

Roman Sky Watch

2010-04-15T21:31:00.001-05:00

We're on holiday in Italy for a few weeks. While peering into a shop window in Rome today, captured this reflection of the sky above the Pantheon.

A member of the Sky Watch Friday community

Red Sky in the Morning

2010-04-01T09:31:00.005-05:00

Watching the sun break over the Cascade Mountains

from the beach at Point Hudson.

Today is Theme Day for CDP bloggers.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

A member of the Sky Watch Friday community

Bread Bread Bread

2010-03-27T19:31:00.007-05:00

Morning reflections and shadows in Pane d'Amore.

A member of James' Weekend Reflections

Red Sail at Sunrise

2010-03-20T00:29:00.003-05:00

A member of James' Weekend Reflections

I is for Imagining...

2010-03-17T09:29:00.004-05:00

...the return to Spring's full glory.

A member of the ABC Wednesday community

Teamwork

2010-03-14T17:30:00.002-05:00

A member of Aileni's Monochrome Weekend

Harbor Sunrise

2010-03-13T12:31:00.002-06:00

A member of James' Weekend Reflections

Here's to you, Eric!

2010-03-11T23:31:00.005-06:00

Many thanks to you, Eric Tenin, for initiating this wonderful blogging community of folks from around the globe wishing to share a personal glimpse of their cities with all the world. Your five years at the helm without missing a post is truly remarkable! Love your style, images and posts and looking forward to many more years of same. Although I've had the pleasure of visiting your fabulous city, it is your PDP that has given me the most insight of all. Thank you!
Even though there is someone with a beret in the picture, it was not taken in Paris, but in Seattle's Public Market and used here because Pike Place has to me, a little of the feel that Eric captures so often. Oh, and the gentleman with beret does happen to be someone many of us in the CDP blogging community also know!

View all the tributes today to Eric Tenin!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Hands in the Sand

2010-03-10T16:31:00.002-06:00

A child's playground can be just about anywhere,

but a trip to the beach and a chance to dig in the sand

is high on the list.

H is the letter of the day

for the ABC Wednesday blogging community.

Pier with a View

2010-03-08T15:30:00.003-06:00

View all the contirbutors to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend

Reflector Man

2010-03-06T18:31:00.005-06:00

This clever use of recyled bicycle reflectors sits atop a roadside sign for artist Scott Jaster's Williwaw Bicycle Shop.

A member of James' Weekend Reflections

Day's End at Friday Harbor

2010-03-05T00:31:00.004-06:00

A member of the Skywatch community

Glassy, Glossy...

2010-03-02T22:31:00.009-06:00

...reflections on an early winter's morn.

Member of the ABC Wednesday community

Winter Shadows

2010-03-01T12:39:00.000-06:00

A member of Aileni's Monochrome Weekend

Dawn Passage

2010-02-26T00:31:00.007-06:00

Before sunrise, the ferry Steilacoom II departs Port Townsend Bay and prepares to sail through a fog bank to make its first crossing of the day to Keystone on Whidbey Island.

Member of the Sky Watch Friday community

Four for February

2010-02-23T21:30:00.006-06:00

Frosty

Fetcher

Ferry

Fiddler

A member of the ABC Wednesday community

The Rose Theatre

2010-02-20T17:31:00.002-06:00

This reflection shot was taken looking into the theatre lobby from the sidewalk outside the entrance. Any city, large or small, would be pleased to have a venue for quality movies and special programs like the Rose Theatre provides for this small peninsula community. It is truly something unique as owner, Rocky Friedman attempts to explain here. I've especially enjoyed the generous amount of world cinema, documentary and independent films included in his broad selection of pictures for the Rose. The School of Athens lecture series is another favorite program there. To better appreciate what this little theatre offers, take a moment to glance through the Rose Theatre website pages.

A member of James' Weekend Reflections

A Marvelous Morning

2010-02-18T13:31:00.002-06:00

A view across Port Townsend Bay

as the sun begins to break over

the Cascade Mountains

Visit all the contributions

to Sky Watch Friday

Sea of Gold

2010-02-15T23:31:00.001-06:00

A pair of early morning rowers pause and take it all in.

Taylor Street

2010-02-14T14:30:00.008-06:00

A favorite Valentine image from last year.

Sent today with the same best wishes

to lovers around the world.

Water Street

2010-02-13T23:31:00.006-06:00

View all the contributions

to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend

A Sparrow Sky

2010-02-11T16:29:00.005-06:00

See an array of skies from around the world

at Sky Watch Friday

Details and Deadeyes

2010-02-09T21:31:00.007-06:00

One of the many details in the rigging of a vessel, especially a sailing vessel, is a round wooden disc with holes in it called a deadeye, as seen here aboard the schooner Merrie Ellen.

A concise explanation of how it is used is given here by Wikipedia.

A deadeye is an item used in the standing and running rigging of traditional sailing ships. It is a smallish round thick wooden disc with one or more holes through it, perpendicular to the plane of the disc. Single and triple-hole deadeyes are most commonly seen.
Triple deadeyes are used in pairs; a line called a lanyard is run back and forth between them, through the holes, so that they function again much as a block and tackle would. This provides a mechanical advantage, pulling harder on whatever the deadeyes are attached to. Pairs of deadeyes are placed in the shrouds (the lines that hold up the mast), where they are used to create greater tension in the shrouds.
In recent decades, as steel wire became the prevalent material for sailboat rigging, deadeyes and lanyards gave way to metal turnbuckles for tensioning the wires. More recently, however, with the advent of high-strength and low-stretch synthetic fibres, some sailboats are using synthetic rope for standing rigging, and deadeyes and lanyards are coming back into use as tensioning devices.

View many different uses for the letter D today by particpants in Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday.

Sunrise Silhouettes

2010-02-07T00:31:00.004-06:00

...on Port Townsend Bay.

Click here for more participants of the monochrome meme Monochrome Weekend.

For the reflection meme Weekend Reflections click here.

New Day at Fort Worden

2010-02-05T02:30:00.004-06:00

View all participants at Sky Watch Friday

Cafe & Patisserie

2010-02-03T22:26:00.006-06:00

An early winter morning reflection at Sweet Laurette's popular cafe and bistro in the uptown neighborhood of Port Townsend.

View more applications for the letter C at ABC Wednesday.

Western Flyer

2010-02-01T23:30:00.001-06:00

View all the contributions to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend

Theme Day - Wood

2010-01-31T22:30:00.003-06:00

The first of the month is theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers and Wood has been selected as February's subject. The Wooden Boat Foundation in Port Townsend has been responsible for many years of promoting educational and recreational programs and events for a large wooden boat community in the area. The foundation is also a sponsor for the annual Wooden Boat Festival, which is a summer event in the Puget Sound for boaters and landlubbers alike.

This year, I've also begun a new site, just for the fun of posting a new sign every day. You can have a look at my Hang Ups here.

View many creative takes on the theme of wood today by City Daily Photo bloggers around the world. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Kayak Rentals

2010-01-28T23:27:00.006-06:00

View skies from cities around the world today at Sky Watch Friday.

Orcas

2010-01-23T23:29:00.001-06:00

View all the contributors to Aileni's Monochrome Weekend here.

New Day

2010-01-22T01:28:00.026-06:00

Dawning of a beautiful fall day along the downtown waterfront.

See more Sky Watch Friday here.

Aloft

2010-01-19T23:31:00.006-06:00

Ahoy, all hands! Aboard a sailing vessel the term aloft refers to the overhead rigging. The rigging seen aloft here is aboard the brig, Lady Washington.

View all the interpretations today for the letter A at Mrs Nesbitt's ABC Wednesday.

Winter Calm at Boat Haven

2010-01-16T11:31:00.001-06:00

Click here to view all the contributions to Monochrome Weekend.

Best Photo of 2009 - The Eagle

2010-01-14T22:28:00.016-06:00

While my choice for today's CDP theme of Best Photo of 2009 is not a great image in a technical sense, it certainly represents a most memorable few minutes for me.

As I reported in my post last year:
"...bald eagle I encountered this afternoon on a beach walk. He had landed atop a large rock surrounded by the surf. He wasn't pleased when an otter suddenly surfaced and climbed up onto the rock with a fish in its mouth. Immediately the raptor pounced, but to no avail. The otter escaped with his fish and I caught this somewhat blurred shot of our beautiful national bird having a bad day."

To elaborate a little more on the encounter, I first noticed the eagle as he swooped down from a high bluff above the beach and glided just above the surf and off into the distance before turning around. He then sailed over me and landed on a rock in the water about thirty yards away. I fumbled for my point and shoot digital camera and got off this shot just as he went for the otter. He missed the mark and flew out to sea, but returned again for another perch on the rock. He quickly gave up pursuit of the otter and its fish and vanished. I managed to catch several more shots of him during his circling, but none so striking as his attack on the otter with talons at the ready.

View other Best Photos of 2009 today from CDP bloggers around the world.Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Also view beautiful and interesting skies today at Sky Watch Friday.

Weekend Monochrome - Moto Guzzi

2010-01-09T21:29:00.005-06:00

A visit to Pike Place Market in Seattle.

View contributors to Weekend Monochrome

Cascade Peaks

2010-01-07T21:29:00.003-06:00

An early fall sunrise on the beach at Point Hudson.

Many more sky images today at Sky Watch Friday.

Y is for Yawl

2010-01-06T11:29:00.005-06:00

A couple of years ago during the Wooden Boat Festival we enjoyed an afternoon sail aboard the 90' yawl Odyssey seen here. A yawl is a rigging configuration on a sailboat with a main mast forward and a small mast at the stern of the vessel stepped behind or aft the rudder post. Check here for a good definition and history of yawls. Built in 1938 for a granddaughter of the Vanderbilt family, the Odyssey is now managed by a Sea Scout unit in Tacoma, Washington. It has a rich sailing history which is best summarized here on its website.

Visit ABC WEDNESDAY today for more takes on the letter Y.

Shadows at the Copa

2010-01-03T16:33:00.003-06:00

This line of shadowy figures belongs to diners waiting on a circular stairway for outdoor seating at the Copacabana, a Bolivian restaurant in Seattle's Pike Place Market. At least, when one is at the back of the line, some consolation may be a photo op for shadows....one never knows.
It's all worth the wait though. I made a post earlier about the Copacabana Cafe (seen here) with its balcony seating over the bustling crowds in the market and with its super views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. Paella for lunch may have something to do with it too :)

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:33:00.002-06:00

It's Theme Day for CDP bloggers on this first day of the new year. The theme this month is changes. Happened to notice our collection of sea glass we've picked up on our walks along Port Townsend beaches. Hard to imagine the changes these little shards of glass go through as they are transformed from bottles discarded into the sea years ago and washed ashore later as collectable nuggets of glass, also known as mermaid tears.

There are many versions of the theme subject today from CDP bloggers around the world.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Sky Watch

2009-12-31T22:33:00.001-06:00

Cold winter morn at Point Hudson Marina.

The Mountain

2009-12-26T23:28:00.002-06:00

A Mt. Rainier sunrise on a late fall morning at Point Hudson.

Peace on Earth

2009-12-20T16:30:00.002-06:00

Goodwill to all. Best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday season.

Twilight Moon at the Lighthouse

2009-12-12T23:28:00.001-06:00