Smilin' Jack: Seward's Folly?

Or - Once Around the Park, Please...

Seward Park Selfie!!

I know, it's not normally done, starting a blog with a Selfie, but this isn't quite like a normal blog.

It's going to be an amalgamation of this and that, here and there, Tacos and Seahawks Football. Oh, with a couple of flowers, a spider and swimming dog thrown in.

It was a glorious day and we planned to eat dinner at the VFW. They have Taco Mondays and then the Seahawks were playing the Redskins tonight, too.

Who could resist? Tacos AND Seahawks football!!

But first, we wanted to get out for a bit and enjoy the sunshine and Carol wanted to try out her new binoculars so we headed off to Seward Park.

Seward Park covers 300 acres. It's located in southeast Seattle, WA, near where we live. The park occupies all of Bailey Peninsula, a forested peninsula and former island that juts into Lake Washington. It contains one of the last surviving tracts of old-growth forest left within the City of Seattle. The park was named for former U.S. Secretary of State William Seward who engineered the Alaska Purchase in 1867. At the time this purchase was widely ridiculed as a waste of money. The Alaska Purchase was called Seward's Folly.

But back in the present...we went to the north side of the park where they have the beach. This is the first time I've been to this area. The water here, like everywhere else we've been along Lake Washington, was crystal clear.

Here's the steps leading down to the water. The beach area is directly behind us but this whole area is open to swimming.

While we were standing on the water's edge, this fella came up with a large canvas bag from which he pulled out this kayak. Then he started getting his kayak ready.

He had a heavy-duty hand-pump that he used to inflate the kayak.

He worked on that pump for about 10 minutes and finally got the kayak where he wanted it.

In the meantime, Carol and I enjoyed the scenery. Like this young lady, sunning herself on the steps.

What!?! You talkin' to me!?!

What are you looking at!?!

Here we're looking across Andrews Bay towards Lake Washington Boulevard. The Boulevard runs along the shoreline of the lake up to the floating bridge.

Kinda nice, having a house on this lake.

Meanwhile, the Kayak Guy got his kayak inflated and put it into the lake and started pulling for points unknown!!

Row, row, row your Kayak, gently down the Lake...

Happy voyages, Kayak Guy!!

And while he's rowing his way to who knows where, we're still on the steps, taking in the sun and the breeze and checking out the Binocs.

Here's a view of the swimming area. Beyond the steps is the beach area and on part of that, they've actually trucked in some sand for a beach.

Artsy-Fartsy Alert

I don't know...I liked it and so did Carol so it's in!! Quit griping, it's unbecoming of you.

It is a great park. They have a two-mile paved path around the park and here you can see some joggers finishing their lap around the park. Bikers, skate-boarders, walkers, strollers all use the trail, too.

We walked up the shore a bit to see what we could see.

And to let Carol try out her new binoculars.

I can see Russia from here!!

I thought this interesting where the web has bowed the reed down. That's one strong little web, there!!

Artsy-Fartsy Alert, Part II

We were in a position where the Bay was between us and the sun and so we got a lot of reflected light off the water.

I could see the potential but I couldn't see it. The sun was reflected off the water into my eyes and I couldn't see much of the viewfinder screen on the back of the camera. Couldn't see much of anything, really. So I was pretty much doing a real Point 'N Shoot here.

I like it. Could be better but I can see some potential. Now just to figure out how to be able to frame the shot so I don't get some unwanted branches in my shot.

Bottom line it was fun trying to do something different.

And I know I'll get better.

From our vantage point we were able to look up the shoreline to where The Floating Bridge, I-90, crosses the lake.

While we were there, oohing and aahing over the views, this man came up and started shucking off his clothes.

Carol tripped to the goggles and asked him if he were going swimming and, BAM, we were off.

Yep, he lives just up the hill, over there, and he comes down for a swim whenever the weather allows. He swims out to the buoy in the distance and then swims back...several times.

And we got more information...when he sees the boats towing the floating life-guard stations up the lake to Madison Park, he knows Summer is here. When he sees them towing the stations back for storage in Andrews Bay, he knows the Summer is over.

And we found out he has to go about 25 feet into the lake before it gets deep enough to swim. All you have to do is follow the path he pointed out to us.

Yeah, someone's laid out some stepping stones in the water for the in and out.

And with this, he was off.

We stood and watched him for a while as he moved towards the buoy in the distance there. Not a small distance, really.

And some Illegal Immigrants...Canada Geese.

That's so strange, Canada Geese. Why not Canadian Geese?

Seems there's an urban myth that the Geese were named after a Taxonomist named John Canada. While that is, indeed, a cool story, it is, apparently, false.

Ratz.

I liked it.

It was called a Canada Goose as early as the 1600s and then, later on, got the Latin name, Branta Canadensis. And all of that really means nothing in the day-to-day life of an average American.

So there's no real good reason to NOT call them Canadian Geese (which sounds so much better to my uneducated ears) and so I shall. And if I run into some busy-body pedant, I will just tell them to stuff it, I calls 'em as I sees 'um.

Or, I could be like this fellow who writes;

I like to call them the vicious Kanatan Bird Mutant who gives chase and slams your ankles with its beak-weapon across Harbour Front Park to get your ice cream cone, but that's just me.

Hahahaha, now that's the voice of experience.

OK, we had our Kayaker and now these two came over paddling their...uh, er, selves across the lake.

It just doesn't look comfortable to me. Plus, I think I'd spend more time in the water than I would on the board. It's a balance thing.

Looking toward the entrance to the park. The Audubon Center is to the left.

Looking at the circle island at the main entrance to the park. To enter you come in from the left and circle around to exit. In the circle they have some great arrangements of foliage.

Also, in the center of this island, there is a little-known monument: a taiko-gata stone lantern, a gift of friendship from the City of Yokohama, Japan, to the City of Seattle. The stone lantern was presented in 1930 in gratitude for Seattle's assistance to Yokohama after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

We walked over to the other side of the park and passed a number of webs. The spiders have been prolific with their spinning.

Waiting for lunch.

And as we were crossing over, we got this great view of Mt Rainier.

Mt Rainier is a massive stratovolcano, a volcano composed of explosively erupted cinders and ash with occasional lava flows, that is 54 miles southeast of Seattle.

It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous U.S. and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of 14,411 ft.

I had not known this, but Mt Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it's on the Decade Volcano List (a list of 17 potentially dangerous volcanoes with a history of massive eruptions that are near major urban areas).

Because of its large amount of glacial ice, Mt Rainier could potentially produce massive lahars, moving fluid masses composed of volcanic debris and water, that could threaten the whole Puyallup River Valley.

Hmmmmm, I'm not feeling as warm and fuzzy about this mountain now.

Look!! Some more of them there Canadian Geese!!

Hahaha, what a day!! First the guy swimming on the north side and now this gal swimming on the south side.

Move over, ya damn Canucks!!

Then we saw this touching scene of modern day warmth and closeness.

Two of them...enjoying a day together...at the park...on their cellphones...20 feet apart.

Yeah, I'm here with Ted, why?

Looking southeast along the shoreline. The folks here have their own docks.

Then we saw this water animal.

I will get the frisbee and bring it back to my Master. I am having fun, too!!

Eucalyptus Trees?

Any help?

Bueller?

Finally some AMERICAN water fowl.

Rock on, Mallards, rock on!!

Ignore the Canadians. They'll get theirs when we get a Republican Congress in November!!

Bwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaa...

Ummmm, diversity?

I will get the frisbee and bring it back to my Master. I am having fun, too!!

Awww, who am I kidding!

I was only gonna use one of these but I can't make up my mind.

I love 'em all!!

They stay.

'Nuff said.

Then we saw the Kayak Guy!! He was lolling around taking his ease and drifting along.

Looks like keen fun.

And we saw this Seaplane taking off. See him? The yellow spot just a bit left of center near the top of the picture?

How cool is this?? Just standing around watching seaplanes taking off.

Looking at the Leeward side of Mount Rainier.

The side of a mountain facing away from the wind is the leeward, drier side. It is also called the rain shadow.

The leeward side of a mountain has very little wind and a dry climate. In the northern hemisphere, this is usually the eastern side of the mountain.

Kayak Guy finally had enough fun and began moving toward the shore.

Mind you, he launched on the other side, the north side, of the park and then came in, picked up his kayak and went home on the south side.

Artsy-Fartsy Alert, Part III

OK, they're just leaves...but they are Autumn Leaves, Man!! Autumn Leaves!!

And a couple shots of flowers.

Hahaha, you got off easy!!

Gooooo, Seahawks Selfie

Yeah, I know!! I finally took off that doggone vest!!

But it's the only way I can carry two cameras, one extender, six batteries, reading glasses, two pens, lens cleaners, wallet, phone and other miscellaneous important things!!