BallardBlog

I live in Ballard. You would if you could.

My Photo
Name:

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.

Friday, January 28, 2005

Friday Cat Blogging: Flipper


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

This Tree's Not Big Enough for Both of Us


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Crocuses, or, for our readers in ancient Rome, Croci


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Sunday, January 23, 2005

Tin Tree


photo by Ballard Blog

Art project or a way to keep the bloody squirrels out of the tree?

Saturday, January 22, 2005

La Vieille Ferme


photo by Ballard Blog

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!

Friday, January 21, 2005

Friday Cat Blogging: The Dude's Had Enough


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Headless Pigeon


photo by Ballard Blog
So little goes on in a pigeon's head that scientists think this is their next evolutionary step.

Friday, January 14, 2005

Friday Cat Blogging: The Dude, part 2


photo by Ballard Blog

While this picture of The Dude might lead you to think otherwise, it's still Friday Cat Blogging, not Friday Beached Whale Blogging.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

Snow


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Friday, January 07, 2005

Friday Cat Blogging: The Dude


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Cherry Blossoms


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Monday, January 03, 2005

Sunset Hill Park


photo by Ballard Blog

The sunset photo for the other day was taken at Sunset Hill Park, a small park on the bluff above Puget Sound. It's a few blocks from BallardBlog Tower and we often walk over there. On this clear afternoon, we see a few of the dozens of people who'd gathered to look at the boats below and the mountains beyond.

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Breakfast al fresco


photo by Ballard Blog

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.

Saturday, January 01, 2005

The Bug Car


photo by Ballard Blog

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!