It was an absolute gorgeous day here in the Great American Pacific Northwest!! No rain, some clouds in the morning and the afternoon was absolutely brilliant!!
What's a guy to do on a day like this but go on a walk with his gal and so we were off...to Lincoln Park. We've been here before and both of us were thinking of it and that we should go back for another visit.
And we were off.
We're heading west on West Seattle Bridge over the Duwamish Waterway. This shot was taken looking towards the Emerald City. You can see the tugs lined up at the bottom center.
CB
Lincoln Park is just 5.5 miles away and yet it takes nearly 20 minutes to get there. Love the Seattle traffic!!
But we got to the park and it really is, once you get into it, like walking in a National Forest. Like this one.
The park is 135 acres in West Seattle. It's one of Seattle's largest parks and it has a heated saltwater swimming pool during the summer.
The park occupies a headland called Williams Point. The Duwamish called the area "Tight Bluff" (CHuXaydoos), referring to the dense plant growth.
The park, with its old growth canopy, is a major migratory destination for many species of birds and water fowl, and provides critical nesting habitat during mating season for bald eagles, owls and many other birds. It is also home to over 300 species of birds, many of them year-round residents.
An urban sanctuary and preserve, Lincoln Park is highly unusual due to its old growth forest, relatively well conserved natural undergrowth, and ease of access. Over the course of a given year, thousands of hours of volunteer effort go into maintaining this sanctuary for the use by all as a respite from the stresses of a fast paced urban environment.
The park is 135 acres in West Seattle. It's one of Seattle's largest parks and it has a heated saltwater swimming pool during the summer.
The park occupies a headland called Williams Point. The Duwamish called the area "Tight Bluff" (CHuXaydoos), referring to the dense plant growth.
The park, with its old growth canopy, is a major migratory destination for many species of birds and water fowl, and provides critical nesting habitat during mating season for bald eagles, owls and many other birds. It is also home to over 300 species of birds, many of them year-round residents.
An urban sanctuary and preserve, Lincoln Park is highly unusual due to its old growth forest, relatively well conserved natural undergrowth, and ease of access. Over the course of a given year, thousands of hours of volunteer effort go into maintaining this sanctuary for the use by all as a respite from the stresses of a fast paced urban environment.
CB
Or this one. In some places in the park the trees are so thick that the sun is blotted out.
CB
There's a lot of old growth there. These have been around a while. Y'know, there is something immensely satisfying in strolling through a park, catching a picture here and there and just enjoying the day.
Hahahaha, it rocks!!
OK, you remember the movie, It's a Mad, Mad.......World? They were looking for the money buried under the 'W'. Remember that!! Well, if I ever get any money, enough anyway that I can bury it, I will bury it under these trees.
Under the 'N'!!
Can you see it!?! Hahahaha, of course you can!!
Just follow the trail and soon you'll be overlooking the Puget Sound.
CB
Looking good!!
CB
Bam!! There it was...The Puget Sound!! Just beyond those kids...
...And this aging Hippie.
CB
This time we decided to go down the steep steps so that we could walk up the pathway...rather than walk up the steep steps.
It doesn't have to make sense, it works for us. I'd much rather walk up a path than climb a bunch of steps. Yeah, I'm that kinda guy...lazy.
Here's the gate to...The Steps!!
And here are the dreaded steps.
We found out, as we went down, that in the areas between the steps, it was slippery mud. Carol had her boots on but my sneakers were pretty slick. I was very cautious taking steps.
Hahaha, I am SUCH an old man!!
We stopped every so often and on one of those stops, I got this shot of the Sound.
Looking down from the path, these two were engaged in some earnest conversation when I took their picture. I'm kinda sneaky with my pics but, the law says, if you're in a public place you just may get your picture taken.
Plus, and I learned this one late, it helps, it improves the picture if you include people in it. It adds perspective, color and makes it a bit more human. I'm trying to do that because, in my previous forays into photography, I tended to try and leave people out of the pictures whenever I could.
Now you get an idea of just how big that tree trunk is that washed up on the beach. Because of the people. Plus you get that splash of maroon color to work off the other colors. Because of the people. Finally, it looks like someplace maybe you'd like to go and sit on a sunny afternoon. BECAUSE of the people.
'Nuff said.
Now, on a humorous note, I made a big PhotoShop fix on the girl on the right.
She was wearing a black thong...that everyone could see. I don't know if she's a plumber by trade, but she was advertising like a plumber here.
So I, ever the gentleman, pulled up her pants a wee bit here.
Hahaha, that really improved the picture!!
What blog would be complete without a leaf? Hey, c'mon, it's Fall and they're all over the place. We even saw a woman coming back up from the beach with a gallon baggie full of them. Hmmmmm, I could take them home and then photograph them there!!
We're on the beach now and looking south to the swimming pool at Point Williams. Yeah, they got a swimming pool right there on the Sound. It's closed now but...
Looking north towards the end of the park. You can see where the private homes begin. Yeah, color me green. You can get an idea of how much driftwood makes it to the shores in the Puget Sound. And see the people!?! Makes it friendlier.
OK, I know it's the same scene as in the picture above but...I like it.
'Nuff said.
There it is...the Puget Sound. Across the Sound are the Olympia Mountains. Even on a great day, you have clouds. There's almost always clouds here.
OK, so my new camera has a number of features I'm trying to learn. Here's one of them. There's one setting where you push the shutter release and then the camera takes six different pictures...well, the same picture but six different interpretations of that one picture. I didn't care for most of them, but I kept this B&W one.
Hey, I have a soft spot for B&W pics.
What trip to the Sound would be complete without, in addition to a almost mandatory leaf, one of a colorful sailing boat.
Whoop!! Check that one off, too!!
Yuck!! I think he's wrapping up lunch here.
Carol identified this as a Drummonds Willow. The funny thing is that it looked OK to me from a distance but when I got real close, with the zoom lens, it looks sorta spooky. Like an alien mind-eater!! Wait, I've got nothing to worry about then!
Hahahaha...I crack me up!!
There's a pathway along the shore at the park and it was busy today!!
Here are two males and a female. They're Harlequin ducks. Look at the guys!! The jet black on their necks and the splotches of pure white. Wow!!
And a cormorant joined in the fun. All four of them, the two males, the female and the cormorant would dive completely under water and the surface somewhere else.
We saw this tree before when we were here. The interior decorations have changed since then. Back then there was a piggy bank here...now it's Harry Potter and, LOOK!! a leaf!!
Don't ask.
I don't know.
Close-up of Point Williams. Popular spot for fishing.
Looking north you can see beyond the lighthouse at Alki Point towards Elliott Bay. And there's a ferry. At one point we were able to count four ferries plying their routes.
Look, Michelle!! There's the lighthouse...just to the right of center, it's the white building with the red roof.
It's gonna start raining in a couple hours...you can see where it is coming from. The clouds are moving in from the west over the Olympics.
See!!
See what I mean!! People make the picture...better. (Gosh, I really do have a way with words, don't I!?!) It really was a busy day at the park. Lots to do and enjoy.
Looking back, you can see where we entered the beach walk...it's just to the right of the last house there on the shore. You can also see the men fishing.
I just can't wrap myself around the idea that fishing is fun. It looks awful boring and I'd end up cutting open a vein or two trying to fillet a fish. Plus, I'm not a big fan of fish.
B.O.R.I.N.G.
CB
OK, trying for Artsy-Fartsy with this backlit shot. It's semi-interesting.
This park area is on the south side of the swimming pool. Very nice. There, on the far right, is the pier for the Vashon Ferry.
Looking down, towards Vashon Island, I got this picture of Carol...
This wasn't the first kayak we saw. There'd been one other going in the opposite direction. Plus, we saw two guys on those paddle boards; the ones you stand up on and paddle.
Lots of folks were out and walking their dogs.
CB
Another sailboat. There were several out on the Sound today.
Here's the other kayaker I mentioned...and another sailboat. That's Brace Point there, just south of the Vashon Ferry Landing.
A Dad and his son. We watched Field of Dreams the other day and all I could think of was a boy and his Dad having a game of catch.
A father give you life...A Dad makes your life better.
So, we were amblin' along and, BAM!! Carol spotted this guy flying around and he landed in a tree about 200-300 feet from us. And about 80 or so feet up in the air.
Yeah!! Another Eagle!! What a kick!!
And then that sassy crow lights on the branch above him. Tempting the fates, Bro.
Look 'it that beak!! Ouch!!
Enjoying the sun.
CB
Dramatic backlit shot of Vashon Ferry making another round.
Looking up towards the other end of the park on the south end. Still coloring me green.
Then we bumped into these two Grand Ganders. They must be regulars at this watering hole because they were unfazed by the people nor the dogs. They were totally at home there.
Mutt and Jeff...and we weren't the only ones that stopped to gawk and take pictures of the ganders. We weren't the only ones.
The ferry is coming in for a landing.
Ahhhh, here's the pathway back up to the top of the park. The one that gently slopes up the hill with very few steps. Hahahaha, the easy one.
And when we started up we ran across these. Nearest we can figure, and by we I mean Carol, is that they might be some kind of a nut. The shell is very hard...kinda like pecan husks.
OK, Carol's found out what these are. This broadly spreading tree is called the Killarney Strawberry Tree. It is popular in garden planting. The name Killarney refers to a place in Ireland where this plant is popular and it's often used for hedging around fields.
The fruit is edible but dry and not particularly enjoyable.
Here's a cluster of them.
And when you have some bushes, you gotta have some...spiders. This guy was up high enough that I was able to shoot him with the sky in the background.
He's got lunch and dinner on the hot plate.
Looking back down the pathway towards the Sound.
Lincoln Park Trail Selfie!!
Just a shot of the pathways in the park.
Lincoln Park Ball Field Selfie!!
And this one...lookin' good, Carol Anne.
After the park, we drove over to the USCG Station at Alki Point. I had forgotten about the lighthouse there and, of course, it is now closed for the season. It is the home of the 13th District Commander and it still has a working lighthouse.
And there it is!! Pretty nice. Unfortunately, the lighthouse is only open for tours on weekends. During the months of June through August.
Oops!!
What a sweet deal!! Free government housing right there on one of the choicest parts of the Puget Sound...not a bad deal.
We walked down the street from the Coast Guard Station and they have a beach walk there. We got this shot of the sun going down in the west.
What blog would be complete without...
FLOWERS!!
Walking back to the mini we passed several picture opportunities.
And a leaf!!
Driving back, we both had the same idea. We've been seeing these ads for Burger King and their 10 pieces of chicken for $1.49.
Hahahaha, when we got in the Mini I asked Carol if she were hungry and it got around to...she'd been thinking of stopping at BK for the Chicken Nuggets and I had too!!
Great minds, folks!! Great minds.
So I set the Garmin for the nearest BK and we were off. Fortunately, the Garmin took us down Alki Avenue and I was able to get these shots.
Looking off Alki Beach towards Elliott Bay.
Moving a bit northeast, we're getting near the curve in the road where you can see...
...The Emerald City across the Bay.
And you can see the Space Needle...looking pretty darn tall...across the Bay.
Look at all the people out enjoying their day.
And it was a beautiful day.
But we were hot on the trail of some chicken nuggets. Heading down Rainer Avenue towards the Burger King in Beacon Hill
And we were minutes away from happiness.
Hahaha, we do live high on the hog (or whatever meat by-product they're using for these chicken nuggets) around these parts.
So it was back to the hole-in-the-ground underneath the Big Brown House in time to watch Payton Manning shatter Brett Favre's TD Record while munching away happily on our (hahahahaha) Chicken Nuggets.
BTW, Manning broke Favre's record and then went on to notch up another TD ending the game with 510 Career TD Passes. Favre's record was 508.
It's kinda like counting my blessings, I guess, when I recap the day. It was a definitely better day than it was yesterday. Much, much better. Beautiful weather, NFL Football (the Seahawks lost, again!!) and some (questionably) good food!!
Hahaha, life is really good.
Hooah!!
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