Smilin' Jack

We went for a walk to the gym in Columbia City (CC) and, as is my habit now, I took my camera with me.

Having this small, point and shoot, camera allows me to capture what I'm seeing. I used to walk along and try to see where the photographs were but it was an exercise I could only do in my mind as the camera I had then was too large to easily carry everywhere I went and shooting with film was just too darn expensive.

Now, however, I am always 'armed' and ready to shoot. I'm everywhere with the camera now because I can capture whatever images catch my eye and take as many pictures as I like.

This is so great!!! Oh how I wish I had had digital as a young man. I would have been insufferable.

Anyway, these are some of the images I got yesterday walking through CC.

I've become a big fan of flowers...

I'm even noticing an improvement in my compositions. I'm 'seeing' better now.

The wife of Doc Blanchard. one of the founders of Seattle, brought the dandelion out west so she could use it for medicinal purposes.

The article I read about her said, "You can thank Mrs. Blanchard" for this particular pain in the bumkus and so now, every time I pass a robust crop of dandelions I always say, in my whiney and wheedling voice, "Thank you, Mrs. Blanchard!"

Thank you, Mrs. Blanchard.

Been down this road several times in my mini and NEVER saw this…purple house until yesterday during the walk.

C'mon, really!?!

A purple house!?!

We walked down Alaska from the Link Station on MLK and came into the park by the library near the Cultural Center.

It's a small park; it used to be a gully they had to build a foot bridge over. When they built the library, they filled it in and now it's a beauty.

Here's the Columbia Branch. The original library is small by today's standards and needs. They had to add an annex onto the back of this.

Still, you can see the original beauty in this building and the pride the people of CC must have felt when this was constructed.

Here it is, Rainier Ave through CC

Detail of the old buildings/

As we headed back, we went through the park again and I saw this Mom walking her kids.

Flowers, again. Some kind of flowering tree.

And tulips. These ranged from a gentle yellow to an almost white...

Seriously, it's so easy to get great pictures.

No God? Gimme a break. This doesn't just 'happen'!!!

So easy to shoot and get something nice.

They have houses on the West side of this park. This sidewalk goes along in front of them.

And we were outta there. A beautiful day.

This past weekend, the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle hosted the Emerald City Comicon Convention. We've never been there but we've heard A LOT about it (Re: The Big Bang Theory), so we decided to go.

OK, it's Seattle…and it was the wettest recorded month of March ever. So, yeah, it was wet and windy. And cold. Good Golly, it was cold!!

We could feel the excitement building as we neared the Convention Center.

We knew we couldn't go into any of the exhibits or sessions…All the three-day passes had been sold out for months and there were some one-day passes available but they were a bit too pricey for this ol' Miser to consider.

Still, there was a lively trade going on outside…people were buying and selling passes. Yeah, one guy is yelling about, "Anyone done with your pass for today?" while another was asking, "Anyone want to buy a pass?"

Here's the actual pass for that day, Saturday, March 29th. You had to have one of these proudly displayed about your person in order to get into the exhibits, etc.

We didn't have one so this is where our little journey ended.

I mean, this Comicon thing is Big Business.

But we weren't expecting to go in so there was no big loss there. Actually, we got exactly what we were looking for…The Great Show that is the people attending the Emerald City Comicon Convention (EPCC)

And what a show it was…

The lobby...

"What are you doin' later?"

"Dudes, lookin' good!!"

Taking a break...

Near the shops on the ground floor...

Escalators leading to upper levels…

Looking down at the long lines to get up...

Everyone was ready to pose for pictures. I had asked the two Butterfiles (?) for a picture and Andy Warhol there in the back joined in for the picture.

No words…just a nod and a meaningful stare...

Look!! It's Glenda and the Wicked Witch of the West...

We were riding down on parallel escalators and I asked if I could get a picture and, BAM!! I got 'the' pose. All these guys struck a pose as soon as a camera looked in their direction. They were all great sports and were there, obviously, to have their pictures taken.

These fun folks were set up and you could have your picture taken with them. Which one of these is different than the others?

Yeah, it's Bender. he was posing with these villains…

Yeah, craziness…I know!!

Some pooped out…warriors and princesses ???

Kato was there. Boom!! The pose!!

After I took the picture, I showed it to him and he exclaimed, in a disappointed voice, "Ah, damn, I should have bent my knees!!"

Dedication, man, dedication.

Bam!! The pose!!

I asked for a pic and she immediately put her stuff into the bag on the bench, whipped out her, uh, whip, and struck this pose for me.

Lots of people were getting their pictures taken with, OK, I don't know WHAT this guy is…

Nor do I know what this is all about…

Don't think I really do want to know, after all.

Saw this guy several times. He was having a great time.

He'd raise that mallet (hammer?) and snarl in a REALLY loud voice. Even saw him chasing some small kids around. He had fun...

OK, this is some guy from a video game, right!?!?!

Don't know what she was, but she was having a good time posing.

And the fun, apparently, never ends...

In addition to the fun 'People Watching" you could go to other 'Activities'…

like, "30 Years of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and a panel on, "Aren't You a Little Old for This?"

(Ouch, that one had to hurt!!)

And now I'm wondering just what "The Experiment" was all about. Hmmmm!?!?!

Look at the lines waiting for the escalator to come up...

Comicon entrepreneurs were there…making some money. She was putting on Body Art...

OK, I know which one I'd be going to…

"3:00 PM, Makeup for Geeks"

Who wouldn't!?! Eh!?! Who wouldn't!?!

And, for the socially awkward (I wouldn't expect that to apply to anyone at Comicon), there was this,

Sci-Fi Speed Dating!!

They actually had a room set aside for this…

Honest!!

Saw this young lady busily sketching out a dragon's (?) skull.

Fun stuff!!

And we got a picture of one of the Starlets from a Zombie Series…

Don't know which one, but we got the picture!!

It was crowded, busy and fun. Everyone was pleasant…well, almost everyone.

The Convention Nazis were a little brusque in controlling the lines and, "Moving people along!!"

Bacon…it's Universal!!

And the Pocket Tins are collectibles!!

My gosh!! Win, win!!

We had a good time. Lots to see there. Who knows, next year I may even go IN!!

But the fun didn't stop when we left the ECCC!! The streets, once the rain let up, were just as exciting as the inside of the Convention Center.

There's something about folks in Seattle…they love their home-made microbrews and they love eating al fresco…the rain lets up just a bit and, BAM, they're outside eatin' it up.