I live in Ballard. You would if you could.
Ballard was settled by Scandinavians in the late 19th-century. While we weren't part of the original migration, we've lived here a long time and still like it.
You meet a lot of cats when walking through Ballard. Some shy away but some come out to greet you. We named this friendly lass "Flipper" because she immediately dropped to the pavement and started flipping from side to side letting us know she was friendly and wasn't going to attack. It's a cat thing they do. Kind of charming, actually.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 12:43 AM
Ah, real estate. Talk to any Ballardite for more than a few minutes and the conversation turns to real estate. For the first time in memory, Ballard real estate is hot, hot, hot, and everybody wants to get in on the deal. Any deal. Especially if it means a two-bedroom-one-bath for less than $250K (the hardest deal to find these days).
It's easier for bald eagles. It looks like a pair of eagles has eyed a tall Douglas Fir down the hill from us. It's got a zillion dollar view of Puget Sound (and all the dead fish that might wash up on shore) and stands tall over acres of brush and berry vines (and all the rodents living therein). Real estate is all about location, location, location, and the eagles have it.
The crows don't much like the newcomers--there's bad blood between eagles and crows going way back--but the crows always lose. In the second picture we see a crow attempt to dive bomb Daddy Eagle. The funny part is that Daddy Eagle doesn't even acknowledge Mr. Crow's presence. Fuss all you like, Mr. Crow, Daddy Eagle's laid claim to Ballard's hottest one-bedroom-no-bath property and he's not giving it up for nobody.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 7:34 PM
I've embarked on a project for 2005 (and maybe 2006). I'm going to walk every street in Ballard. Now, in the 17 years I've lived here, I've walked a lot of those streets, especially during the five years I walked to work. But all that's water under the bridge, or perhaps concrete under the shoe. This project started January 1 and all those streets will be walked! Again!
Trusty Sony camera in hand, I ventured forth this afternoon to get a few more streets colored in on the map. These croci were greeting the sun on 65th Street. It must be nice to be a crocus on a southward facing slope. My northward facing croci are still asleep.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 3:34 PM
Art project or a way to keep the bloody squirrels out of the tree?
posted by Ballard Avenue | 4:07 PM
Well, I don't know about your Saturday night plans, but mine included leftovers from the local Mexican restaurant, a worn copy of Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon, and this bottle of La Vieille Ferme, an insouciant little French red. How insouciant is it? Look at that screwtop!
posted by Ballard Avenue | 8:54 PM
It's time to say seeya to The Dude. He's got cat business somewhere and there's no use asking what it is. But I'm sure he'll be back soon.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 1:18 AM
posted by Ballard Avenue | 8:15 PM
While this picture of The Dude might lead you to think otherwise, it's still Friday Cat Blogging, not Friday Beached Whale Blogging.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 12:10 AM
The long-rumored snow arrived this morning. This is all that was left by the time I got outside with the camera. Nonetheless, panic ruled the airwaves. Legions of parka-clad news reporters fanned out across the city, beaming live ActionCam reports to StormWatch '05 broadcasts. You would have thought something had happened.
Less excitable Ballardites just walked down to the coffeeshop for some joe and a donut. A cinnamon old-fashioned, it was. Mighty tasty.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 4:38 PM
The Dude lives across and down the alley from us. We might go a week or two without seeing him, then a weekend will come and he's totally underfoot. I think his people leave town for a couple days and he gets lonely.
He's a young cat, no more than a year old and each time we see him, there's a little more Dude to love. And, boy, is he lovable. He jumps into your lap and has a purr motor that roars like a Harley. I'm on record as saying that if I ever see any sign of neglect of the Dude, he's mine. But at 10 lbs. and growing, it's hard to make a case for compassionate catnapping. I guess he'll just remain the Official Occasional Weekend Cat of Ballard Blog.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 1:14 AM
The entire city is a-flutter with a weather forecast that it might snow Saturday. That's silly. Sure, it might snow, but in Ballard you can hardly predict the weather three days ahead in the summer. To predict a snowy Saturday sounds like the television stations are trying to drum up some panicky viewers for the evening news programs.
The cherry trees down the street aren't much bothered by such apocalyptic predictions. It's snowed before, it will snow again. Maybe Saturday. But today the sun was out and it felt pretty good.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 1:40 AM
posted by Ballard Avenue | 8:08 PM
It was a pretty quiet morning down in Ballard's industrial area when I came across this bird having his breakfast on a building stoop. I quickly grabbed the camera and got a couple shots before it flew away. While it looks very owl-like in the picture, I think it was a small hawk.
Breakfast was a pigeon, but not one of the grubby ones mentioned in "Pigeons and Eagles" last month. Instead, it was pure white and, if the grain pellets scattered everywhere are any indication, well-fed. I'm afraid there's a pigeoneer missing a bird tonight.
posted by Ballard Avenue | 1:07 PM
Railroads are made to haul things. The Ballard & Shoreline doesn't haul much, but it does hauls an unusual load: Bugs. Bugs fly into the halogen light that lights the room. A crew collects the dehydrated remains and puts them into the bug car, which then makes its rounds around the layout. Need some bugs? The Ballard & Shoreline is happy to serve you!
posted by Ballard Avenue | 1:45 PM
