What to do, what to do!?!
Here's the deal, it was such a bee-yoo-tea-full day today that we just had to get out. Since we'll be leaving soon, we got the idea to take another, possibly final, (I will be getting a bit melancholy the closer we get to moving, deal with it!) ferry boat ride.
It was a great idea and as fast as you can say Bob's your uncle, we were off!! Hahaha, Evidently, I'm channeling my inner Brit today, too.
Hopping aboard our Magic Carpet, aka The Link, we headed on downtown to catch the 1235 to Bremerton. All the years I've lived here, I've only ridden the ferry to Bainbridge. I've only ridden on it a couple times but, still, I was in a rut. So today we decided to take a walk on the wild side and ride the ferry not to Bainbridge, but to Bremerton.
Why'd I wait so long?
Editor's Note: When I downloaded the pictures I found I had taken 689 photos for the day. After editing, there were still over 550 and I picked out about 180 pictures for the blog. Hahaha, even for me, that's a bit much and so I decided to, for the very first time, break the day down into two blogs. This one and then there will be another one for the Naval Museum we visited in Bremerton.
To be honest, I got this idea from Michelle. When she goes on a Lighthouse Expedition, she breaks her blog down showcasing two or three lighthouses in each. Makes it easier to digest. Y'know, Michelle has been a big influence on my blog. She got me started blogging so you can blame her if you like. Plus, I've borrowed a couple ideas from her, too.
Ok, back to the matter at hand, we hopped aboard the Link and soon enough we were getting out at the Pioneer Square Station.
And passing Pioneer Square itself as we made our way to Pier 52, the old Colman Dock.
As we headed down Yesler Way, we passed the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and saw the reflected light of the sun playing off the buildings.
Mmmmmmm, chocolate . . .
And there we were, ready to get our tickets for today's adventure.
Woo, woo!! We got a ticket to ride!!
Hahaha, there are definite pluses to being a Grouchy Old Man!! Hello!! Please cut the price in half because I'm . . . old!!
Hahahah, I'll take it any day of the week.
And here's our route to adventure. Honest, I don't know why I never realized this before. As you all know I am exceedingly frugal. A painfully penurious person. I am terribly thrifty. As you look at it, the trip to Bremerton is almost twice as long as the one to Bainbridge!!
What the . . . !?!
Same price, twice as long!!
Ratz!!
Hahaha, let's have some inexpensive fun!!
And see what we can see. The cormorants were out sunning themselves and drying out their feathers.
OK, backstory. I tend to take pictures everywhere using my patented, innovative and totally carefree style called, See 'N Shoot!! It's great for me as it involves very little thought or effort on my part. Hahaha, right up my alley, really.
We were waiting on the ramp to board and I saw the faithful ol' Wenatchee setting sail for Bainbridge and, as is my wont, I saw . . . and I shot.
I was merrily snapping away when the man behind me asked what I was taking pictures of. OK, my Spidey Sense jumped into action and I warily replied that I was getting some shots of the ferry leaving and I pointed at the ferry.
Nothing to worry about, he was genuinely interested in what I was seeing and we got into a pleasant conversation with him. He's a youth pastor now. He's worked in non-profits helping people and now lives on Bainbridge. He's recovering from laser surgery on his brain to cure his epilepsy (Disclaimer: This is all from what Carol and I remember and while we were both engaged in the conversation, our memories look more like a sieve these days than a basket and a lot falls through. If we get something wrong, we apologize. Profusely.)
Besides, I'm such a Photo Diva, I love it when anyone asks about my photography.
Taking the air . . .
Fun Facts: These birds are part of the Phalacrocoracidae Family . . . and it's a large family with some 40 species of aquatic birds known as cormorants and shags. There's really no consistent distinction between a 'cormorant' and a 'shag' so these names have been assigned randomly. Love the exact sciences!!
They're medium-to-large birds, with body weight in the range between 7 to 11 lbs and a wing span of 18-39 inches. The majority of species have dark feathers. Their bill is long, thin and hooked and they have webbing between all four toes.
They're all fish-eaters, catching their prey by diving from the surface. It's fun to watch them and try to photograph them on the water. Usually by the time I raise the camera all that's there are ripples as they dive beneath the water to get something to eat. Excellent divers, under water they push themselves with their feet with help from their wings; some cormorant species have been found to dive as deep as 45 meters deep!!
They're coastal birds and they range around the world, except for the central Pacific islands.
Fun to watch but not as goofy as the Common Merganser.
And their buddy. Hahaha, you're gonna be seeing a lot of these fellows. I really hit my pace with Seagulls today. More on this later.
You've been warned.
Ahoy!! We were boarded and getting ready to set sail for Adventure!!
We were aboard the MV Kaleetan.
Fun Facts: This proud boat, built in 1967, is a Super Class Ferry. She's named for a mountain peak northwest of Snoqualmie Pass. The Kaleetan normally operates on the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route but moves down to the Seattle-Bremerton route for the winter.
She's starting to show her age, however. You can see the wear and tear showing on the railing. There's more, you'll see.
Two Seattle icons, one old and one new. The Space Needle, 1962, in the background and, in the foreground, The Seattle Great Wheel, spinning its magic since 2012.
Fun Facts: Seattle was the third city in North America to offer a wheel of this design. The others are the Niagara SkyWheel in Canada and the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel in South Carolina. The Seattle Wheel is the only one of the three to be built over water.
And another cormorant. That's his eye there,that little green thingie at the end of the beak. It took me the longest time to understand that. I kept looking for it a little higher up on the head.
Wacky Wildlife!!
OK, you remember that I mentioned the MV Kaleetan was showing its age? As we walked around, we noticed these age spots.
Funny thing is, these look like things.
Like this one. Can you see the man's profile?
Or the fish?
Regardless, these weren't what you would call confidence builders in our Mighty Craft. And, unfortunately, there were more than a couple.
OK, there will be no Artsy-Fartsy Alerts!! for this blog. It's simple, I was shooting a lot of what I would consider Artsy-Fartsy shots and I'd be putting that header up just about every other picture. So you've been warned . . . Jackie's on the loose with his camera and anything can happen.
Hahaha, for some reason I was really taken with putting parts of the boat into the pictures today. Bear with me, 'K?
Hahaha, I was really working on my panning today. I had plenty of subjects because the seagulls know a good thing when they see it and they've learned the ferries sell, among other delectables, popcorn.
Kids + popcorn + seagulls = Photo Ops!!
The Great Wheel reflected in the windows of the MV Kaleetan.
Whup!! We are moving!!
Unlike the Bainbridge ferries, these boats didn't have much in the way of outdoor viewing areas at either end. They did have a third deck that we could go up on and there were sheltered viewing areas up there as well as along the sides of the boat.
There's CenturyLink Field!! Next year we'll win the Super Bowl, fer sure!!
It was a great day outside. I couldn't help marveling a little bit at our great winter weather while on the East Coast they're inundated with snow . . . piles and piles of snow.
Hahahaha, eat it, New England Patriots!!
Random Reflected Window Shot.
I had planned on shooting this, the lighthouse at Alki Point.
There ya go, Michelle!!
When she visited, the closest we could get was the gate into the compound. And that warn't close!!
The Emerald City.
And the railing. I kept including parts of the ship in each of my scenics. I knew what I was doing and yet I couldn't stop. Strange.
Hahaha, yet another shot of the USCG Alki Point Lighthouse.
Fun Facts: In 1887, the U.S. Lighthouse Board finally recognized the need for an official light and placed a lens-lateen atop a wooden post at the point. Yeah, that'll do it.
Years later, the Lighthouse Service decided to upgrade the light and add a fog signal at the point. The present concrete fog signal building with the 37-foot octagonal tower was completed in 1913.
The USCG Commandant for the Seattle District has his quarters at Alki Point.
I can't help myself. Still, I maintain there are few people alive who, having a camera handy, would not have stopped and taken this shot.
Very few.
Part of the sheltered 'sun deck'. It would seem that today, that term, Sun Deck, was a more appropriate term then when I rode the last ferry. It was cool out there but it wasn't as cold as the last time and, and this is a biggie, there was sunlight!! Hahaha, you could see your shadow today and that's always a good thing.
Hahaha, you always get a chance, or two, to shoot a passing ferry. The key for me is learning how to limit my shots. I didn't put in as many of them as I originally wanted to and I guess that is something on the plus side.
But I did catch a lot of windows . . . and reflections.
And I used that zoom lens.
Yes-Sir-Ree-Bob, I used that zoom lens.
What the . . . !?! You're going to become very familiar with gulls in flight. I've been working at panning and capturing a usable image of a bird in flight. I've tried, and failed, with the eagles and the mergansers but I've learned and gotten a little better each time. These guys were extremely helpful by gliding along with the boat and allowing me a chance to gain some experience.
And I did. Hahahaha, I had a good time shooting these gulls.
Again and again and again and . . .
. . . again and again and again and . . . .
. . . again and again and again . . .
. . . again and again and again.
But I did restrain myself from posting all of them here. I am pleased with the results and, yeah, I know I have a long way to go but, by golly, at least I got the first step taken.
This photo was taken at 1303 and it still strikes me how much it looks like an early evening shot, not one taken in the middle of the day.
I like the angles and lines presented by the wheel house and was shooting that while trying to catch an occasional gull and I got this one.
Touchdown!!
I got excited when I saw this!! Haha!! Another lighthouse!! Won't Michelle be jealous. And, because it was a good distance away, I used my mighty zoom I shot and shot.
I was feeling a bit smug.
Although it did look like a lighthouse from a distance once you got a bit closer, you could see it is a weather station on government property. And they're not all that friendly about your visiting that property, either.
Ratz.
Well, back to the important things!! Hahaha, some things never change.
Ferry Reflected Window Selfie!!
We ate our lunch on board. Chicken salad sammies. I went looking around for some water for Carol and a soda for me.
Bummer. They only serve Pepsi on board. I got Carol her water and I got me a root beer. But, look! I could have gotten some clam chowder or, if I had a hankerin' for it, a beer.
Yeah, that's right. They serve beer and wine on board the ferry.
If you're just riding back and forth to work, you can do it in relative ease here. And enjoy a cold brew.
We were, at this point, rounding Point Glover. Some beautiful homes here. Plus, some of them have built, created, crafted a beach in front of their homes.
How cool is that!?!
Plus, we saw a lot of small craft like kayaks.
Isn't this something? What a great place, eh?
And the Red Bluff was plying the waters going to work.
Fun Facts: Built in 1968, by Albina Machine and Engine Works of Portland, Oregon as the Dean Foss for the Foss Launch and Tug Company of Tacoma, WA. The tug was eventually acquired by Star Marine of Bainbridge Island, WA, where she was renamed as the Red Bluff and put to work in the Sound.
Another one of my Artsy-Fartsy efforts. I like this one. It sorta reminds me of another Happy Accident I got several weeks ago.
I like me some Happy Accidents!!
Here it is. This is the one I took a couple weeks ago on the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. You can see the similarities between these two Happy Accident photos.
ARGH!!
Tough life, eh!?!
Hahaha, ignore the rich people. Let's concentrate on seagulls.
Alrighty, then!!
It was a grand and glorious day.
And, another neat thing about riding the ferries, at least at the times we were on them, is that they are relatively wide open, uncrowded. Very few folks get outside as they prefer watching the passing parade from the comfort and ease of the passenger lounges.
Hahaha, I particularly like this one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's another reflection in a window but what I like is that I got the kids in the reflection and standing along the rail.
A Twofer!!
How cool is that!?!
Hahaha, always thinking . . . and shooting.
You can see the city of Bremerton as we approach the ferry terminal. I mentioned that the Kaleetan was showing its age . . . see the deck? Maybe time for some dry dock and a little touch of paint here and there.
OK, we're pulling into the terminal and I'm regretting that I didn't get a picture of the guy that we had talked to before boarding. He was a nice guy and part of our day and so I wanted to include him in the blog.
I searched around and was thinking I'd missed him when, Aha!! I spotted him at the end of the line.
I went up, introduced myself again and gave him one of my cards and asked him if he'd mind if I got a shot and, as you can see, he didn't.
His name is Michael Fox. Yep!! And he is evidently the 3rd or 4th version. He even has a son named Michael Fox. To be fair, I think I heard him say that Michael is is middle name. His first name is David but he goes by his middle name.
Very nice guy.
We got to chat with Michael all the way off the ferry and then set him free. There he is, making his escape. He's the one crossing the street.
I'll probably mention this again, later, but this part of Bremerton looks like a European city to me. They've done a nice job, though of making the entry into and out of the ferry terminal easy.
See the small brick building on the left, just to the right of the far left most lamp post?
Cool bar, eh? Unfortunately it is only Family Friendly until 2100. I wonder what happens after that?
Hahaha, do you think they're going for the Sailor Trade with that name?
OK, stuck in the middle here is the visit to the Naval Museum. It was a total surprise and a great treat to visit it. But what I'm going to do is take all that and put it in the next blog.
So we'll pick up here at the Harborside Park right after we left the Museum and just before we got on the ferry for the return trip to Seattle.
Bremerton has done a nice job with this waterfront area. This park divides the Naval Shipyard from the ferry terminal.
Nicely done.
We were crossing over a foot bridge to get in line to board our ferry, the MV Kitsap, for the ocean voyage back to The Emerald City.
Downtown Bremerton. Again, it really has a feel and look of a modern European city to me.
While we were waiting to board the ferry I was idly looking around and I saw this, the U.S.S. Turner Joy - DD-951.
Fun Facts: This ship was one of 18 Forrest Sherman-class destroyers. She was named for Admiral Charles Turner Joy and was commissioned in 1959. She then spent her entire career in the Pacific where she participated extensively in the Vietnam War and was one of the principal ships involved in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
Decommissioned in 1982, she's now a museum ship. They conduct tours and you can even spend the night on board. Ratz!! I wish I had known this.
This isn't a good shot, but it does give you an idea of the ship. My Dad sailed across the Pacific and the Atlantic onboard ships like this. Haha, seems a wee bit too small for my liking to be way out there in the middle of the ocean.
Way too small.
Here's my Dad's ship, the USS George W. Ingram. It's a Buckley-class Destroyer Escort. It was named for Seaman George W. Ingram who was killed in action during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
It was one of the many fighting ships turned out as America geared up for war. Commissioned in 1943, this ship made five Atlantic crossings doing convoy duty.
Fun Facts: I've wondered what's the difference between a Destroyer and a Destroyer Escort was and today I found out.
A Destroyer in the traditional sense is a fleet ship, intended to screen the battlefield from enemy destroyers and submarines and engage the enemy battlefield with torpedo attacks. A destroyer typically then would be capable of high speed (faster than the battlefield), good endurance to keep up with the battlefleet and a heavy battery of rapid-fire guns and torpedo tubes.
The Destroyer Escort came about in WWII and, unlike the highly flexible fleet destroyer, was a much more specialized vessel. The DE was primarily an anti-submarine platform although it could also provide some anti-aircraft defense. The DE was much slower than a fleet destroyer: 20-24 knots instead of 35-37 knots since its prey was quite slow. This meant it could not accommodate the larger vessels. This also made them well suited to mass production and a rapid wartime buildup. They had fewer and less powerful guns than a destroyer and few or no torpedo tubes but a heavy anti-submarine battery and good ASW detection equipment.
Destroyer escorts were too slow for working with the fleet so they were used as escorts for merchant or military and amphibious convoys.
Ahhh, a lightbulb moment and I now understand why my Dad, who had been stationed with the Pacific Fleet until 1943, suddenly found himself in the Atlantic doing convoy duty.
At the end of the war as the need for convoy escorts lessened, they converted the Ingram into a high-speed transport for Underwater Demolition Teams, the forerunners of today's Navy Seal Teams, and my Dad found himself back in the Pacific.
The newly converted UDT-26 was involved in operations in China before preparing to join the Fleet for the invasion of Japan.
For our return trip we were going to be riding on the MV Kitsap.
Fun Facts: This ferry is an Issaquah 130 Class ferry. It was built in 1980 as an Issaquah class and upgraded in 1992 moving it up to a 130 class due to the addition of an upper car deck. It's used mostly on the Seattle-Bremerton route.
The MV Kitsap is named after a Suquamish tribal Chief from the 1800s. A county in Washington is also named after him.
Stuff You Find Out: In the 80s, a Punk Rock Band incited a riot aboard the Kitsap, resulting in damages that cost $40,000. In 1991, the Kitsap collided with the MV Sealth under heavy fog in Rich Passage. Unfortunately, just five years later, she ran aground on nearly the same spot of the collision.
Hmmmm, bad luck Kitty-Kat.
This ferry is in better shape than the MV Kaleetan. But it was smaller, it didn't have the upper sun deck. On board this boat the only spots for viewing out of doors were these two small areas on either end of the ferry. And both sides were busy during this ride.
OK, maybe I was a little too harsh in my judgement of the MV Kaleetan. This one is showing some wear, too, although not as bad as the other.
We were moving along at a fairly good clip when I got this picture. Those ferries can really pick 'em up and set 'em down when they want to.
But this one was happy texting and taking pictures.
Whup!! Another Happy Accident.
Hahaha, I'll take 'em where I get 'em.
The well of the ferry. What was really cool was that the folks in the front stayed in their cars and got a front row seat for the whole trip without ever having to leave their vehicle.
Again . . . and again . . . and again . . .
It was later in the day and it was a lot cooler than it was earlier. And it was windy.
Going out we passed the Red Bluff towing a barge.
And then this one got adventurous.
Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away . . .
But it didn't always work out.
What the . . . !?!
I'll just be quiet except for, color me green.
What a great cottage.
Hahaha, I know, you're thinking not another gull picture.
Not too many more, I promise. Just a couple more.
Angles make all the difference when you're dealing with light. This direction or that, it tells in the end.
I told you Carol was busy talking pictures, too.
Here's me plying my madcap photography skills.
'Smile, dammit!! Stupid birds!!'
CB
No, I didn't give up. This is my version of Carol's 'Victory' pose when I discovered she was taking pictures of me taking pictures.
We are a zany couple.
CB
I think, I'm not making any promises, but I think this is the last one.
Hahahaha, I know, a huge sigh of relief. I heard it from way over here.
And Mt. Rainier. Looking good!!
There were a lot of container ships in the Sound today. All part and parcel of the problems they're having with the dock workers.
The city. Ain't it grand!?! The neat thing is that we can ride down to it easily on the Link and then walk from one end to the other just as easily.
Just the other day Carol and I took a leisurely stroll from the Westlake Center up to the Needle and then all the way back to Link Station at Chinatown.
EZ-PZ.
Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main
Where many a stormy wind shall blow
'Ere Jack comes home again.
Hahahah, them's the words. Look it up!!
The Emerald City seen just beyond Alki in West Seattle.
Ridin' the Ferry Selfie!!
Up and down, I managed to get one selfie before I went back out on deck.
And Carol caught me in a bemused, pensive moment.
CB
They've really done a good job of making these ferries comfortable. Booths line the sides and they have seats in the center area.
But I was on a mission. While I'd been out on the open deck, I'd noticed a man standing down in the auto well and thought, why not go down and see what I could see?
Always ready for an easy challenge, I headed down the gangway to the auto deck.
Ba-Boom!! Very easy.
Now, get this, see the car in the front? A couple were sitting in there, eating a snack, listening to their radio and sipping on a soda. Hahaha, The only way to travel!!
And that is where I was.
Naturally, I had to get of shot of where I was, and I threw in a couple of gratuitous seagulls for good measure.
No, honest, I waited until the gulls appeared before I snapped this shot. Hahaha, I have my priorities.
A great day for some sailing on the Sound.
Looking towards the other end of the boat.
See the guys in the car? Hahaha, they had a great view during the whole trip, all from the comfort of their car.
I spy, with my little eye . . .
Hahaha, she was having fun!! And staying semi-warm.
And getting these shots.
Evidently I am not the only one possessed by seagulls.
CB
Hahaha, it's contagious!!
I really do like this city. It's been fun, since I retired, to explore it. I feel I've gotten to know it pretty well.
And a first look at the Great Wheel.
Heading back up, here's the second deck for autos.
You can sit in your car here and look at the Bounding Main through the sides.
I admit I do not know much about technology. I was left wondering if these guys were hooked up to some wi-fi aboard the ferry or if they had some device on their computers that allowed them to pick up a signal anywhere.
Whadya think?
My kinda town, Seattle is, my kinda town.
And Carol ventured out for a picture.
These honyocks, high school kids, stayed out here pretty much the entire time. It's always a wonder to me how these knuckleheads ever survive puberty.
Hahaha, to be young again.
The Smith Tower. Looking good!!
Looking back I zoomed way in for a close-up of Alki and the beach beyond the point.
Hahaha, Carol broke out her wool hat.
Looking good, Carol Anne!!
And, there they are . . . still.
Resilient. Not very bright, but very resilient.
The Great Wheel.
I had retreated back up to the Lounge Deck and I was watching them come into the dock. This skipper has obviously done this before.
It was a feather-soft landing. There was a barely perceptible, 'bump', and we were there.
Smoothly done.
All ashore!!
There wasn't much traffic today. But it was a holiday after all. This is the staging area for cars waiting to board the ferry.
All that was left to do was take a short stroll on over to the Link at Pioneer Square.
It was just a fun and gentle way to spend a day. Riding around and seeing what was to be seen.
If this is retirement, then why did I wait for so long?
There's Carol's favorite dress shop. Not that she buys anything there but she sure does enjoy seeing the fashions, the window displays. Whenever we're close, we always stop by.
And they do a great job of dressing the windows. The dresses they display are constantly changing and so every time we stop by they're different.
And they're intriguing, too. I wonder if this is a small homage to Mardi Gras going on in New Orleans?
Carol could rock a hat like this!!
And another of my favorites, the Merchants Cafe. It's got a great facade. Inside ain't too shabby, either. They have the original bar that made the trip around the Cape back in the late 19th Century.
Hahaha, I am getting a bit nostalgic here.
Our favorite Irish Pub in Seattle, O'Donnell's.
When we visit, we will definitely go back there for lunch. Carol swears by the Fish 'N Chips and I give the Ruebens, Two-Thumbs Up!
Walking back, we crossed 2d Avenue and I got this shot of the Needle there in the distance.
That's the Smith Tower to the left. Across the street and just up is the Frye Hotel.
Fun Facts: When the Frye Hotel opened for business, President Roosevelt was a guest at the grand opening. That's Theodore Roosevelt. The new hotel was a hot spot for important gathering and conventions. Like the National Association of Master Horseshoers and Blacksmith.
The year was 1911. That was three years before the iconic Smith Tower was built.
Now, over 100 years later, it's past its prime and it is being used for subsidized and low-income housing.
Some of the artwork at the Pioneer Square Link Station.
This is outside and just above the main entrance.
And a surprisingly crowded ride back home.
While we were bumping along, I remarked on the beach bag this young lady had telling Carol she'd have to get her one like that and, boom, we were off. Carol complimented the bag and we struck up a good conversation. I tell you, you can meet the most interesting folks in the most ordinary of ways.
That's Paige, on the right, and Kari, sitting down. They were visiting Seattle to have some fun with friends and to see the area and check out its fit for a possible move. I think they liked it.
They're both from California and they were heading to the airport for the ride home after the long holiday weekend. And they'd done some shopping too. Kari got a great picture of the Pike Place Market . . .
Paige is a project manager and Kari teaches Pre-K but is looking to move up to the big time, First Grade.
We had a great time talking with them and they were both gracious enough to let me get their picture for the blog.
By the time I got this picture, we were approaching the Othello Station and a lot of people had already gotten off. It had been a bit more busy before.
And I gave a plug to Amy's house when they decide to move up here. If it's open, that is.
This is kinda, sorta like the picture Kari bought. Same theme, umbrellas and Market but hers was all colored.
It had been a great day and we enjoyed it a lot.
Then, to put the cherry on top of the Ice Cream Sundae that was my day, I found this in my mail box when I got home.
I had submitted three pictures to M.J., the Meteorologist for Q13 FOX News This Morning, and she'd accepted one which she showed when we were down in Lincoln City. I had thought that was the end of those pictures so imagine my surprise when I saw that she's chosen to feature another one of my pictures.
Woo, woo!! This will be the third one to be shown on her show.
That M.J., she's got one great eye for real art!!
You guys can live-stream it so you can join in on my fun.
There it was. What a great day.
So here's the deal, when you visit, take the Seattle-Bremerton Ferry and plan on spending some time in Bremerton. They have a great Naval Museum right there at the ferry terminal. And it's a good way to spend some time out to sea.
Ahhhh, it will be tough to move.
Ahoy!! Life is, indeed, very, very good.
Hooah!!
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