He was christened Mr. Hummingway by a dear friend who likes birds but is ambivalent about interaction with birds. She had formative experiences that made her view birds as flapping missiles who get tangled in your hair, dive bomb you, or suddenly ditch into the open window of your moving car on a freeway. Those…
Mainmastmen
Double-crested Cormorants, with their totipalmate feet, gripping the ropes of a mast at Lake Union’s Center for Wooden Boats.
Freezing to the Tune of Willie Nelson
We went shooting ice pics today . . . on the tundra of frozen Seattle. On the way, I got hooked on this Willie Nelson cover, thanks to a new mix from my favorite pop musicologist, colloquially known as Dodels. First, Willie. Then, ice. I will always think of my frosted, immovable fingers when I…
Moonrise in Seattle
Moonrise by D.H. Lawrence And who has seen the moon, who has not seen Her rise from out the chamber of the deep, Flushed and grand and naked, as from the chamber Of finished bridegroom, seen her rise and throw Confession of delight upon the wave, Littering the waves with her own superscription Of bliss,…
Reflected Reversed
A figment of light, reflected in liquid sun . . . an ephemeron of a rabbit hole, then painted over with evening mist. Or: just another wet afternoon in Seattle. The Photos: Reflections of the city shot in large puddles, then spun 180º for the rabbit hole effect. Treated slightly with color contrast and a…
Sandy Shorebill
At this point in my California life, I’d be chugging caffeine before the sun comes up, and getting to my favorite shorebird sanctuaries and mudflats as the light turns magenta rose …
Ice Ducks
Here’s my segue from Winter Water . . . to the semi-graceful form of winter ducks. The snow is gone, but I still froze my fingers into Rocket Pops, snapping pics of these ducks navigating their own version of tundra. Unlike me, the ducks kept their digits warm, thanks to the ingenious countercurrent circulation system…
Spillway
At the Ballard Locks there’s a mist that hangs over the spillway, the meeting of nature and machine, sending and suspending droplets across the sky and onto my camera lens.
Pigeon Over Seattle
This pigeon did aerial turns and hovers that rivaled a raptor’s. I captured a few frames as she took off from Pike Place Market and hovered for a few seconds against Seattle’s skyline. Thanks to SkeletalMess on Flickr for the Creative Commons texture “Tainted” which I used in the above rendering. Related Pigeon Posts: Lancelot-Guinevere:…
When Godzilla Bought a Tile
I searched for some history on this Pike Place Market tile by Godzilla. Did he cough up $35 in 1985? And does he know Stan and Aina Beckman? I came up, instead, with an interesting piece about the silicon carbide material used for the tiles — and how Market life takes a toll on these…
