Prayers for Peace

My friend Daphne and I recently took another trip to Lincoln Park to commemorate special people in our lives.











May I be filled with Lovingkindness
May You be filled with Lovingkindness
May They be filled with Lovingkindness
May All Beings be filled with Lovingkindness

Uncle Bill's Memorial Service

A Memorial Service was held for my Uncle Bill in the Portland area on Monday, June 18, 2007. As my way of participating here in Seattle, I set afloat a bouquet of flowers from Duwamish Head. Since that date is one of the especially high/low tides near the Vernal Equinox, I was concerned that the flowers would get caught on the beach sand at low tide. So I placed the flowers in the water at high tide to make sure they would float out along with the ebbing waters. It wasn't a fancy bouquet, but I think it was enough.


Here are Bill's three daughters Emma, Julia and Marion. His fourth daughter, their sister Saramay, passed away last year.

La Conner Photos

I was in La Conner in early May to teach a workshop and had time to snap a few photos. I think I love photographing light as much as anything else.

Brand New Baby

Alki Beach Walks Has Moved

As of April 15, 2007, I have moved my Alki Beach Walks posts to a new blog "Alki Beach Walks"

Recently at the Beach

Memorial Plaque

"She is known as the Sea
my otherworldly lover.
Please take care of her."
-Andre Buck Nouni

A plaque embedded in the concrete in front of a bench in Anchor Park on Duwamish Head.

Walking Friends Kerrie and Don

Kerrie with her dog Flora and Don with his dog Kelsey.

Sea Otter Hanky Panky

Beach Construction

Now that the weather is getting nicer, I am seeing more "beach construction."


Info on one of the bulkhead landmark posts.

Found Photos

HUH?

Last of the Daffodils

OK. We've all seen way too many photos of spring daffodils. But these were so pretty I couldn't resist. I'm posting them to commemorate the end of the season.

Tulips are next.

Pass It On........

I was the recipient of an unexpected Act of Kindness yesterday. (No these weren't from my husband.) It felt really, really good. And it reminded me that I can pass it on to someone else. Not the chocolates of course, but the Kindness. So I will.

Told You So.............

Well, as I said............almost every year the spectacular display of blossoms on Tom's cherry tree is terminated by some kind of spring weather event. Sure enough, this year it was HAIL. We had a serious hail storm night before last - the hail was still in the yard when I got up this morning. The blossoms and the whole lovely display are done. But that means the new leaves are on their way and they will happily decorate the tree for at least the next six months.

Blown Blossoms

This manhole cover lies directly beneath the cherry tree mentioned in yesterday's post. Sure enough, we had heavy rain today and this is the result. The cherry tree is now past its prime and on its way out.

It's My Lucky Day!

Those of you who have read my blog know that I made a decision a while back not to pick up the strange items I come across during my morning walks. Well, this is what I spotted this morning. And my question to you is, "Do you think I picked it up?" Damn right I did. And it is in my pocket this very moment.


And here is something else I came across. It was a headboard and a footboard for a twin bed, and it was made of the most gorgeous birdseye maple I've seen in a while. They were lying in the wet grass on someone's parking strip. There was a big sign on them that said "Free." Do you think I picked them up? Damn right I did. And they are leaning against the wall in this room - happily protected from the rain that has been falling all day. The rain that would have completely ruined that beautiful wood. Yes, wood. The entire thing has not one particle of particle board in it that I can see. It is the real deal. My guess is that somebody didn't really know what they were trying to get rid of.


I spotted this on the beach this weekend. Very odd. I'm not sure what it is because I didn't want to get close enough to find out. I'm wondering if it is something from outer space.


This is one of the most beautiful cherry trees in our neighborhood. It belongs to Tom who lives down the street. It must be close to 80 feet tall. Every year it produces the most spectacular show of blossoms. And almost every year, before I know it, a spring storm has blown through and thrown all the blossoms onto the sidewalk and into the gutter. I always have to remind myself to savor the sight before it all goes to heck. It is so easy to take that tree for granted. I bet it doesn't bloom for more than a week.


Another view of the peace arch (see below). I have been noticing it every day now. I feel sort of like Monet observing the same haystack over and over again. Sometimes the "arch" is lying on it's side. Sometimes it is bobbing in the water because of the high tide. This morning a seagull was standing under it toying with a flapping flounder. I got my camera out to take a photo. But before I could click the shutter, the gull swallowed the flounder whole. You could see the fish wriggling as it went down the bird's throat! EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!


Our first Tee shirt weather. Everyone was out. It's a wonder they weren't all in bikinis.

Finally, I have to note the passing of one of our Alki walking regulars. Although we are all characters, Charlie was right up there as most eccentric. For many years he would walk right by me, refusing to make eye contact. I finally stopped trying to say hello to him. But recently, he had started to acknowledge my presence with sort of strange remarks about the weather. The last time I saw him he stopped me and said, "How do you know my name is Charlie?"

Charlie was in his mid seventies and had an alcohol "problem" in his past. He had informed us that he didn't date because he couldn't afford it. He lived alone but ate lunch at the Chelan Cafe every day. When they noticed that he had missed a few meals, they went and checked his apartment. There he was lying in bed, dead. They say he had suffered a massive heart attack. Goodbye Charlie!

Who Would Shoot an Innocent Bird?

I came upon this bird in the middle of the sidewalk one morning on one of my walks. It made me sick.

Starfish(es)

I found this poor starfish stranded way up on the sidewalk. Most of his legs were chewed up. My guess is that some sea gull was dining on him for breakfast. So, knowing that under the right circumstances his legs could grow back, I picked him up and flung him as far into the water as I could.

I suppose some would complain that I was interfering with Nature again. But I just didn't have the heart to turn my back on him and walk away.

Here's another type of starfish I found further along the beach.

Beach Peace Arch

Tolo Travis

Look!

Every year I am so thrilled when the first daffodils bloom. For me, it is the official end of Winter. But every year, when I see their dried up brown dead heads hanging in the breeze, I realize that I never truly took the time to savor their blossoms. I always seem to be too busy and too distracted to even take five minutes out of my day to enjoy them. In recent years, I have made a point of doing more than walking by hurriedly. I actually sit down with them in my garden and enjoy their presence. I appreciate their color and am grateful for their wonder. Flowers do become more beautiful the longer I look at them. This way, when the beauty of the daffodils is gone, I have no regrets.

ACT Theatre's Young Playwrights Program

Here's a photo of our son Elliott participating in an after performance discussion of his play "Paradise Lost" at ACT Theatre in Seattle.

Rod Sakrison

Rod was an Alki neighbor, environmentalist and musician who loved the beach.
NO MOURNING FOR ME
Like a lyrical light show
The pale morning light
Dances across the ridges
Chasing a mad-cap paint brush.

Deep green valleys
Point to hidden rivers
Snow white peaks rub their eyes
Turned pink from sleep.

Bouncing across the waters
Darting between the ferry boats
Gliding over the beaches
Eyeing a mountain goat.

I'm going to fly over
Those Olympic Mountains
In my red round sphere
When I'm outa here.

I'll look out
On a carpet of clouds
And lay my head down
On a pillow of dreams.
------Rod Sakrison, January 6, 2005

MY CENOTE*
As I lie in ICU
I heard them saying,
"He won't make it.
We give him a few days."

But I was floating
Just below the surface
Of a circular Mexican pool
And I knew I had work to do.

Deep green almost black
Like a forest shadow.
I felt my soul
Deep below me.

I wasn't afraid
Or scared to death.
Either way I was safe,
Warm and free in my faith.

Since then people say:
"You were tough.
And you were stubborn.
And you wouldn't give in."

But that's only half true.
I lived by feeling
Weak and thin
And not giving in.
------Rod Sakrison, February 16,2005

*(A "Cenote" is a deep pool of water)

Stormy Day

I love these stormy days.

Attack Eagle

This bald eagle looks fairly small in this photo but that is only because it took me a bit of time to get my camera out. The bird had just dive bombed me and my dog Cosmo. Have you ever had a bald eagle fly no more than a few feet over your head? Talk about startling.

I think really he was eyeing my dog as a breakfast morsel. I've heard that eagles do eat small animals. I'm glad that Cosmo was on a leash. I have a nightmare vision of standing by helplessly as the eagle lifts off with my dog in his talons. Sort of a Wizard of Oz moment - you know, the scene with the flying monkeys. I've just got to tamp down my imagination.

It reminded me of a time a couple of years ago when my dog Magic and I had to chase an eagle away from a gaggle of screaming Canadian geese as the eagle attempted to take off with one of the goslings. Some bystander then lectured me about not interfering with nature.