It was a glorious morning!! What a beautiful day. We brought light sweatshirts to wear but I didn't put mine on all day it was so pleasant . . . and bright . . . and clear . . . and pleasant.
This is the scene that presented itself to us as we were leaving for the Link.
Love. The. Link.
And, look!! There's some of those wild 'n crazy Seahawk fans!!
When I say Sea, you say 'Hawks!!
Sea . . .
HAWKS!!
It's so easy to get into the spirit here.
Loving the zoom. Someday I might even get good with it.
Here come de train . . .
Link Sandwich Train Reflected Door Window Selfie!!
Who could pass up the chance to get a Reflected Window Selfie in a door on a Subway Sandwich Shoppe themed train car?
Obviously not us.
Hahahaha, try as we may, and we'll keep on trying, we haven't been able to get both of us in the two different windows yet. But, as I said, we will keep on trying.
The light was great today. Here the sun is reflecting off the roofs and lighting up the lawns. It just looks good.
Now, mind you, I took maybe five pictures in this sequence trying to 'reach out' and zoom in on the Link train coming towards us. This was the best of the lot. Oh, the others were OK, but they weren't as interesting as I wanted them to be.
I'm trying to catch that effect where, with a zoom lens, all the train cars are compressed and flattened out in the picture.
I'm getting closer . . . and having some fun while I'm doing it. Can't say the same for you, though.
Hahahaha, tough toenails!!
Nearly everybody on the car we boarded was wearing Seahawks Blue 'N Green!!
So, I gathered up my courage, stood up and asked them if they would mind if I got a picture and they all said, Go for it!! And I raised the camera, shouted, When I say Sea, you say 'Hawks!!
And BAM!!
I got this shot!!
Then, at the Columbia Station, these four guys, among others, got on. They were all, obviously, traveling to the game together and as soon as we saw them, Carol and I put our heads together and began singing ;
One of these things is not like the other,
one of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others,
By the time I finish my song?
Hahahaha, we are madcap, aren't we!?!
P.S. It's the guy on the left. He was wearing a NC State sweatshirt instead of something SeaHawk related.
Then, at the SODO Station, this guy got on and Carol instantly became jealous of his pants.
Hahahaha, Seahawks alllll over the place!!
We rode the Link on down to the International District/Chinatown Station. It's faster than getting off at the Stadium Station . . . cross a street, go over a bridge and BAM!! you're at CenturyLink.
Here's all the excited fans getting up to street level from the Link.
Follow the crowds. We could already hear the crowd in the stadium.
Crossing on the Weller Street Bridge over the AmTrak Rail Lines below.
Yeah, there were a few goobers there wearing their Forty-Whiners colors. But that's not why I included this picture. See the girl to the left with the outrageous Tutu!?!
Well, one guess as to what other little girl wants to get herself a Tutu like this to wear to the games?
Hahahaha, easy wasn't it!?!
Amazing the number of people going to this game. I'll tell you now, the count for attendance was over 68,000 people and I think we bumped into or passed by each and every one of them.
That's a whole lotta fans, there, folks!!
The light was . . . well, it was pretty doggone good.
A clear day with a brilliant sun and, said sun was reflecting off the Glass Box Building, aka Stadium Place Apartments, and lighting up the main entrance to CenturyLink.
Look!! Can you see him!?!
It's Santa Claus!! See him!?! There on the right hand side?
Hahahah, Ol' Saint Nick loves the 'Hawks, too!!
Remember, the pictures are presented as they were taken and so, at times, the order will seem a little bit loopy but, honest, they are, with very few exceptions, presented in the order in which they were taken.
So, that explains how we can go from the main entrance of the stadium to this scene next to the AmTrak train station of the crowds coming into the parking lot in front of CenturyLink.
We hadn't even got off the bridge yet. Oh, see the guy hawking (hahahaha, that one was too easy!!) the SeaHawks jerseys? He was selling them for HALF-PRICE, FOLKS!! HALF-PRICE!!
Turns out his half-price is still $50. But I guess you don't have to pay sales tax so that's a plus!!
The excitement was building!!
Oh, here's a new and way-too-much-fun American custom!! The bag check!! Yeah, if your bag is not See-Through then you're not bringing it in to the stadium.
So now they've got these places set up around the stadium where you can, for a modest sum, leave your bag and valuables until the game is over.
Ah, these modern times are sure . . . interesting.
Like, you, I've always wondered what these symbols or artwork (?) stood for on that tall thing in front of the main entrance meant. I mean, they always stand for some symbolic thing or another, right?
Fun Facts: I did a little research and found out that the discs on the North Tower, which is what that tall thing is called officially, were designed by Bob Haozous. They are four 24-foot-diameter painted steel discs. Although inspired by symbols that are part of his WarmSprings/Chiricahua Apache heritage, Haozous believes that the forms and colors of the artwork have universal meanings.
Specifically, the artwork is intended as a constant reminder of our deep connection to the earth (Of course it does). According to Haozous, the lowest disc, depicts a stylized cityscape, representing our contemporary, man-made world.
Sound legit so far. Man is on the bottom.
So I'll interrupt later on in this narrative and let you know what all the other discs mean. Keen stuff, y'know!!
Here's the Happy Folks merrily checking in their bags.
We finally reached ground level and I got this shot.
And looking backwards, I got this zoom shot. A lot of interesting architectural styles going on here in The Emerald City.
But, back to the game.
So the lowest disc represented the man-made world.
The green disc above it symbolizes life and growth, but its human figures are flying away, suggesting the loss of man's direct tie to nature, or in a more hopeful reading, a return to those ties.
Oh, for goodness sake's!! Just remember, this is Seattle, after all. A Liberal Bastion that rivals San Francisco for Kumbaya Moments and All You Need Is Love silliness and puffery.
And the lines for the game. These pictures were taken around 1240 so there was about 50 minutes to go before the opening kick-off.
It was really exciting being there. I mean, there was a feeling in the air of expectation and fun. Everyone was in a good mood and willing to laugh along with you or smile at you. Everyone was courteous and happy . . . albeit a bit profane.
I am still astonished at the liberal use of the f-word that you hear just walking about in this most public place. We've really lost a lot of our restraints.
I really enjoy this shot. The reflected sunlight from The Glass Box was not only lighting up the north end of the stadium but, if you found the right spot, it was heating up the parking lot.
It got a wee bit chilly here in the shadows but when I found a spot where the reflected light was, well, it warmed up quite nicely.
And look!! See at the top of the picture? Christmas decorations!!
Cool!!
And another American tradition!! Getting wanded coming into a public event!!
Crazy times.
But the folks know the drill and follow the rules.
Isn't this great light!?!
OK, let's go for the third disc on our Touchy-Feely Tour.
The first one represented our Man-Made World and the second was the loss of man's direct tie to nature. (I don't think I've lost that tie . . . it's merely evolved and is now new and different for me.)
The third disc honors the sun, highlighting our dependence on the natural world and the redemptive powers of nature.
Ah, gotta love Ol' Mother Earth.
And I do.
Like this great natural light.
One of the things I'm on the look-out for as we visit these games is the people. Honestly, there are some folks that really put a lot of time into getting their 'game face' on. And some of these outfits are, well, pretty wild.
This was the first one we encountered. The guy had the whole uniform on. He looked like he should have been on the field, not in the parking lot.
Hahaha, look close . . . even his cellphone is color-coordinated.
There was a whole bunch of people out in the streets!!
And up on the rooftops, too!!
There's always that one, isn't there?
A real-life Gangsta from Frisco.
And still they kept on coming.
One thing I noticed that was absent today was Blue Thunder, the drum line that has always performed before the game. Maybe we just missed them but usually we see, and hear, them.
There was one other difference. Today there was a noticeably larger First Responders presence. Like these guys from the fire department.
Hahahaha, all guys and most of them with facial hair of some kind . . . and hats.
Think about this, all those jerseys!! I would think it fair to say that the NFL has their finger in the sale of at least half of the jerseys you see here . . . I just checked the NFL Shop and the most expensive ones are around $160 and the cheapest ones are about $100.
Wha . . . !?!?!
That's a good pile of chump change. And today, the cheapest ticket I could find to get in was around $200. And that was for the NoseBleed Section!!
It's all about the Benjamins!!
Well, we knew there'd be demonstrators out there today and there were. This fellow was exhorting us to get our lives back on track. While I respect their devotion I just don't care for the way they present their message.
And, we were getting close to where they were cooking up the Brats. Mmmmmm, smelling good!! And we were getting closer to some more demonstrators.
This guy had his fire helmet decked out for the 'Hawks.
We knew there'd be a demonstration today. They announced it and it was confirmed by the heavy police presence as we saw came up to the stadium.
Still, it was a bit smaller and less disruptive than I thought it would be.
On a side note, of course Black Lives Matter. Honestly, all lives matter. It'd take a real idiot to think differently.
They picked a spot in the middle of Occidental Avenue to set up their small protest. For dramatic effect, there was smoke in the air but it was just BBQ smoke, folks, that's all, just a couple Brat's being grilled.
Unfortunately for them, no one seemed interested in their goings on. They was being roundly ignored. No one seemed to really care.
OK, two observations . . .
1) That guy that was running the Roasted Peanuts Company probably lost a lot of money today.
2) Is it just me or do most of these folks look . . . well, really white?
Yeah, sure, and while you're at it, kick out those dog abusers, too, 'Kay?
I don't know what this was doing there. I've not seen it before but, whatever, it's kinda cool.
ARGH!! Fear This!!
As we got past the small bottle-neck where the demonstrators were blocking foot traffic, there was this long line of Bicycle Cops waiting. As I watched them they, for the most part, looked really bored.
There was a lotta overtime being paid out today.
There were almost as many cops present as there were demonstrators.
But even though the Peanut Roasting Guy was getting his butt beat by the demonstrators in front of his venue, these guys were doing a brisk business.
Cuz there was a whole lotta people there and they all seemed intent upon getting something to eat and, more importantly, something to drink! A lot to drink before they went into the stadium.
Along that line, one of my friends, a guy named Ryan, texted this query today while he was at the game:
Question: If Seattle Seahawks/CenturyLink love their 12s so much, why do they water down their beer and charge $9.50 for it? Riddle me this.
Hahahaha, see!! There ARE others who think like me!! A little bit, anyway.
No other reason for these being here other than I think they're some pretty nice shots.
Then I saw SEAHAWKS BLUE SANTA!!
How cool is that!!
Blue Santa!!
I tried to get a better shot cuz he was Santa-Dressed from the top of his Santa Hat all the way down to the bottom of his Santa Boots. The crowd was too much and this, dagnabbit, was the best shot of the whole bunch.
Drats!!
Then the crowd began chanting SEAHAWKS!! SEAHAWKS!! SEAHAWKS!!
Why? What's going on?
Then we spotted this guy and his stupid flag. Hahahaha, he and his friends were waving it and yelling for the Forty-Losers and we began yelling back at them.
Hahahaha they got quite a reaction.
P.S. it was the first time Carol and I yelled along with the crowd and it was fun, chanting out the team's name. Hahaha, we're simple people.
We were, literally, swimming upstream. And still they came on!!
When I took this pic, it was 1255 . . . about a half hour until the kick-off.
And it was exciting. Being there and feeling the buzz given off by all these folks having a good time with one purpose . . . a Seahawks win.
Hahahaha, I saw this sign at the head of a long and very busy set of lines and had to laugh at the irony.
Express lines!!
If you believe that, then I have some beachfront property in El Paso to sell to you.
I've been by this area before, several times, and never once realized it was put on by Alaska Air. Hahaha, good show, Alaska!!
Seahawks Game Crowd Selfie!!
Geaux 'Hawks!!
I'm always on the look-out for 'dedicated' fans who put a little bit of effort into their 'game face'. Like this fine fellow who got 8th-graded by one of his friends.
I mean, this takes some effort, right? Get the colors, apply them, put on the numbers, backwards, in a mirror.
You rock, Man!! Geaux 'Hawks!!
The sun colored everything. Hmmmm, am I reestablishing ties with Father Earth and Mother Nature? You bet I am, Losers!!
Kumbaya, y'all!
And another first!!
The U.S. Coast Guard made an appearance!!
They were out in force showing off the latest in their large and impressive fleet of ships.
And their mascot, Obie the Bear.
I am a bit confused because this guy doesn't look at all like . . .
. . . this one who made a recent appearance at a Coast Guard Academy football game.
Oh, those silly fresh-water sailors.
When I saw this I thought, "Competing Messages!!"
Still the crowds came on. It didn't seem to ease up even though it was around 1300, just 30 minutes away from kick-off.
There's a lot of stores there on Occidental Avenue catering to the fans and selling nothing but sports gear. These stores are always crowded on game days and today was no exception.
I wanted to pop in just to get a price on something I might want to buy and as we came in, we saw a long line waiting to pay. I mean it was like 20-25 people deep.
Anyway, I stopped to look at a canvas carry-all there and this guy said to me, "Go ahead and buy it, you can afford it."
Never one to pass up a chance to be a smart-ass, I replied, "Sure, I will. Just give me your wallet and I'll get it." and laughed.
And so did he and then, without a pause, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and handed it to me.
And I took it.
I was dumbfounded. Usually, I'm usually never at a loss for a snarky come-back but I admit, this time, I was caught flat-footed. I didn't know what to say.
My first thought was I should just walk away and see how far I could get before he called my bluff but, unfortunately, I wasn't mentally quick enough to do that and, obviously, I don't think it would have been a good idea to get this guy mad at me. Hahahaha, so, having had my bluff called, I folded my cards and meekly handed the wallet back to him.
But I did give him a card and tell him he was gonna be in my blog!!
And there he is!!
Oh, and he told me he was hanging out with a Canadian.
Life is interesting. It really is.
 |
| Thanks for the laugh, Bro!! |
Hahaha, so, having gotten the info I wanted and a good object lesson in being prepared, we headed back out onto the street.
Man, they do sell any and everything Seahawks related. Except Rubber Duckies.
These are the new thing now. These old style football helmets.
I think they do have a practical side in addition to being highly decorative and that is to help keep your noodle warm. I think.
Having gone about as far as we wanted, we turned and began swimming with the crowd upstream. It was a lot easier.
Blue is the color.
It's about 1305 now and still there are large crowds outside the stadium
Now that's dedication.
Random thought, it'd be really difficult to commit a crime and get away with it in this car.
I got Carol to pose with the Fear This truck.
Hmmmmm, I wonder what this truck was there for.
Because we had turned around we had to go by the Ferguson Demonstrations again.
OK, I thought this was funny. As we were walking by the guy with his hat on backwards, there on the left, remarked to his friend that, "Seahawks matter."
This guy sorta looks like the guy that played Al Bundy on TV, doesn't he.
Pretty much everyone ignored the protesters and flowed easily around them. I had expected to hear some chanting from them but I didn't hear anything at all.
Now look at the cop on the left, he was having a good time. This woman was flirting with him and got him to pose with her for a picture. Nothing like a man in uniform, on a bike, to get a girl's motor running, eh?
Heavy police presence. Including this . . . Commercial Vehicle Enforcement vehicle.
Really? Commercial vehicle enforcement? Well, it's big and official looking so who cares if they're only concerned with delivery trucks parking in a No Stopping Zone.
Speaking of flirting . . . these horse were doing a good job of it.
Look closely at the face of each horse and you'll see they have a clear eye shield plus a protective plate that runs down the front of their face towards their nostrils.
They had their game faces on.
What the heck, it's game day. Let's everyone have some fun.
OK, it's around 1310 now and Carol and I are starting to head back to the Link. The crowd noise inside the stadium is almost palpable.
It is loud!!!
And still there were crowds of people outside the stadium.
I shouldn't be, but I am amazed at the immensity of this human undertaking. That all these disperate peoples come together and work out all the particulars necessary with just the absolute minimum of fuss to allow themelves to enjoy this game and this day is staggering.
Amazing!!
There's the Big Glass Box, aka Stadium Place. As a rule of thumb, I do not like glass buildings. I think it's cheap and a far-too-easy way to avoid doing some real work at designing something that gives people a rise. I don't care for them but . . . there's always an exception to every rule and this one is mine.
I like this thing.
I think I like it because of its proximity to CenturyLink and the great reflections I've gotten off it and the great light it reflected onto the stadium today. Regardless, I like this one.
But we turned left. My idea had been to stop in at the Historic Triangle Pub and get a cold one before we headed on home. There it is, across the street.
And still people kept on coming to the game.
Isn't this a beautiful building? This little Flatiron? The second and third floor have remodeled and are now two separate apartments. What a cool place to live.
The Historic Triangle Pub, the bottom floor of this Flatiron, sits on 1st Avenue and, on this avenue, the trees run down the center of the street.
They had the Hot Dog King stand open today, serving up Seattle's Largest Sausages!! Or so they say.
And while it doesn't look too busy here, inside it was pretty well packed with a large and raucous crowd of Seahawks fans.
I took a rain check.
But not before I got this shot of the front end of the old building. The two apartments . . . and they sit directly over the bar.
Awesome sauce!!
But before we crossed the street, it was time for a . . .
Store Window Reflected Selfie!!
Whup!! There it is!!
The tallest building in Seattle!! The Columbia Tower!! Second tallest on the Left Coast west of the Mississippi.
Every bar within the city was ready for game day.
Even the travel vans were ready!!
Random shot of a polar bear sunning himself on an iceberg.
I think I'd want a super-long zoom lens to get this shot. Wouldn't want to get too close.
Seattle Store Window Reflected Selife!!
Hahaha, this window was made for Selfies!!
All the bars were hopping!!
Again, this takes a small bit of dedication.
This is looking south down Occidental Avenue towards the stadium.
And there, in the corner, was another bar and there, in the corner of it, were these two big fellows with their tiny friend.
Honestly, I am no longer surprised by anything I see on the streets of Seattle because, right after we saw these, we saw . . .
, , , these four lovelies. Yep, it is garters and minis along with some wild looking boots.
Don't ask.
I don't know.
But, hey, look it!! It was cheaper to park over here.
After these two . . . sights, we turned ourselves back towards the stadium.
And saw these guys having their game day party out on the balcony. I got the shot and then got a friendly wave.
There are lots of Sports Stores around that area. I got this shot of Sherman (25), Wilson (3) and Lynch (25) in the window of one of them.
OK, let's get to the last disk.
Quick recap, the first disc stood for our man-made world. Disc two symbolized the loss of man's direct tie to nature and the third one honored the sun and our dependence on the natural world.
Here's the top, or fourth, disc. It's a collection of man-made clouds, meant to suggest the immensity of the natural environment.
I'm sorry, but what a load of hooey.
Seriously, what a load of touchy-feely, gobblely-gook. I think I might have been able to pick out some other 'symbolic discs' that could better reflect man's achievements and his relationship to this changing planet.
Honestly, art is nothing more than the ability to get someone else to buy your stuff. It's not a matter of what is good more than it is how well you can convince others that it's good.
Look at that crowd. See the people standing up in the top most tier? They probably paid over $100 for the privilege of standing up there for the whole game.
Craziness!!
They could take that same $100, find a seat in one of the sports bars and get a better view of the action on the field PLUS a better buzz from the beer and still have some money left in their pockets at the end of the game.
Craziness!!
Part of what Carol calls the Rainbow over CenturyLink.
It was now about 10 minutes until kick-off.
The noise was . . . pervasive.
I honestly don't know that I could stay for an entire game with all that noise.
We're standing there, soaking it all up and we noticed the red blob down there a bit right of center. At first we thought it might be part of a band but . . .
, , , it turned out to be a bunch of Forty-Whiners.
Hahaha, Losers!!
We'd heard some fireworks go off earlier and then they shot off the cannons!! I tried to catch the smoke rings from the shots, but as you can see, I missed.
Here's The Big Glass Box. Cool, eh? What must one of the apartments look like from the street?
Kinda like this!!
Bet you don't go around in your underwear in this apartment.
Hahahahahaha, TMI!!
Here's the stadium's North Tower again, lit up by the sun reflecting off The Big Glass Box, aka Stadium Place.
The crowd was really roaring now. There was about five minutes left until the kick-off. Both teams are on the field now.
But it was time for us to head back so I could get a primo seat for the game at home.
Still shooting the streets and using that zoom feature.
And liking it.
I believe that this is the Seattle City Hall being dwarfed by the Columbia Tower.
An interesting covered walk between two buildings. With a Christmas tree.
Then we saw this old stand for a cistern. For you kids who are scratching your heads and asking yourself, "What is this thing? This Cistern?" Listen up and I'll tell you.
A cistern is a tank for storing water, especially one supplying taps. They used them, especially for hotels, to capture rainwater and ensure there was always a supply of water available for their clientele. You see, back a couple of years ago life wasn't always so easy and there were times when the city was unable to always supply the water you needed. Hence, the cisterns.
A sunny, Sunday Seattle street scene.
Hahahaha, now this is good advertising. What a novel idea.
As we were heading to the Link, we passed the Waterfall Garden Park on the corner of 2d and Main. A pretty little oasis right there in the middle of all the buildings.
And there were still some flowers blooming.
A nice interlude.
Looking down 2d, we could still see, and hear, the stadium.
Some more of the art (?) set along 2d and Washington.
There's the Alaskan Way Viaduct. It's a two-level state route along the shoreline of Seattle. Unfortunately, the new tunnel being dug by Big Bertha is causing the Viaduct to sink.
Yeah, that's right. The Viaduct, along with parts of Pioneer Square are getting a bit lower. Ah, great planning by the city.
Hahahahaha . . .
Here's some of the three-wheel pedi-cabs that show up for the games. These guys are in Occidental Park listening the to the game being broadcast by . . .
. . . the Box House. Yet another sports bar near the stadium.
Just cuz I liked it.
The Box House have speakers set out so that you can stand or sit outside and see and hear the game. And they've had the kick-off and the Seahawks have the ball.
The Interurban Building . . . this turn-of-the-century office building was used in the movie, Disclosure, for the exterior shots of Digicam. Don't know what that is cuz I haven't seen the movie.
And the Pergola at Pioneer Square.
Looking west down Yesler Way towards the Viaduct again and using the zoom lens.
Hahahaha, tough!!
I like it!!
I was struck by how clear and vivid this reflection of the Smith Tower was in the rear window of this car. Pretty cool, eh?
Looking back down Occidental Avenue towards the park of the same name.
As we went towards the Link we passed the Smith Tower and saw this unusual design.
And a chance for another . . .
Smith Tower Door Window Reflected Selfie!!
And then just a bit further up, we had this view down 2d Avenue to the CenturyLink and it's North Tower with the four discs.
I like doing these street scenes.
And as we approached the entrance to the Link at Pioneer Square we were reminded, once again, of the large police presence in the city.
But it wasn't so bad that we couldn't enjoy a bit of the artwork in the entrance.
The underground Link station . . . and bus stop.
You can always tell the Link from the busses. The Link has three eyes. Two headlamps in the normal place and then a third, centered above the cab.
Hahahaha, I couldn't agree more. It has really been our Link to fun.
As if they needed the reminder, but they were passing these out today for the 12th Man at the game.
There it is, SafeCo Field, CenturyLink Stadium and The Emerald City.
Kinda neat.
Now we just had the half-mile walk back to the Hole-In-the-Ground.
And we're getting used to looking for Angel.
She's the white pigeon that Carol has adopted. She comes around every day to our feeder and we've grown accustomed to seeing her. We've learned that she hangs out near the 76 Gas Station, sitting on the streetlights and on the wires hanging there during the day.
So we look for her.
And, today, we spotted her taking some exercise with the rest of the flight. She's pretty easy to spot.
Here she is, high up on a line. Evidently she has an admirer judging from the look she's getting from that shy fellow to the left there.
Here's Mt. Rainier. We get this view as we walk down Renton Ave towards the Hole-In-the-Ground.
Cool, eh?
And part of our walk takes us by this tall old growth that, on occasion, breaks off a branch and tries to kill you with it.
And we were pleased to see robins back in the Robin Tree.
We figure the loud earth-moving machines must have scared them away. I hope they stay this time. We saw about 5-6 robins in the tree today. We haven't seen them there for several days.
So there it is, our day. Pretty good seeing as the Seahawks won. They beat the Niners 17-10.
Hahahaha, they knocked the Niners out of the play-offs. Ay, que lastima!!
Hahahaha!!
It was fun and it was a great day to get out. I am always surprised at the energy, the excitement that happens prior to the game as the fans arrive and go into the stadium. It's electric!! It's fun.
We had a great time.
Live is good.
Hooah!!
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