Red Tricycle

I dream of red tricycles shining in the sun.

Rocket Donuts

Bacon strips on maple bars... intriguing. If I weren't a vegetarian, I'd be tempted to try it! These are at Rocket Donuts, which serves a variety of old favorites and new inventions, and all I've tried are very good. They make the best chocolate old-fashioned I've ever had!

Beachside Blackberries

Blackberries

Heavy and shining

Bursting in little mouths

Staining pink fingers red.

Whatcom Museum-- Skywatch Friday

This is actually the back of the Whatcom Museum, but it is identical to the front. The original plot of land they were going to put the building on would have had equal access both ways, but it would have been sitting over an old coal mine, which someone decided wasn't such a good idea. So they built it here instead, with the cliff-facing backside just as pretty as the front. To see my other shot of the museum from the front, click here. To check out other Skywatch Friday participants, click here.

Silhouettes at Le Chat Noir

These artful silhouettes in the window greet you when you walk into Le Chat Noir, one of my favorite places to go for something scrumptious. This is one of many creative accents that give the restaurant a whimsical French flair. It's located in the Sycamore Square Building (originally called the Mason Block Building), which is the oldest building in Fairhaven, Bellingham. It was built in 1890, which isn't all that old to the rest of the world!

Larrabee Sunset

Sunset at Larrabee
A blanket and a glass of wine
Nothing else to me
Could ever be so fine!

Northwest Crawfish

My friend Corey found this crawfish (or crayfish, crawdad, mudbug-- whatever you prefer!) hanging out on the bottom of Lake Whatcom with his much bigger older brother. Big brother apparently wasn't willing to grace us with his presence, so I took a snap of Junior here. No animals were harmed in the making of this picture (my little girl made sure of that). He was returned to his muddy home, safe and sound.

Bellingham Chalk Art Festival 2009

This was one of many awesome drawings for Bellingham's 2009 Chalk Art Festival. I don't know what it means... but it looks cool! Click here to see this year's award winners.

Window Washer-- Skywatch Friday

There's something sort of peaceful about window washers-- they're slow and steady, forced to be careful and take their time. No rushing here. Plus, he must have a great view. Mostly, though, it reminds me of this Barenaked Ladies song I've always liked, "When I Fall."

It's Skywatch Friday! Go see some skies.

Seagulls at Larrabee

I know seagulls are a major nuisance and supposedly quite dirty, but if you ask me, they're very pretty. The crisp white against grey, the pale yellow beak with a dot of red at the tip. I would decorate a room in those colors. Anyway, this seagull is perched on a rock at Larrabee State Park, and as long as I'm so freely giving my opinions, Larrabee is the best state park in Washington. Gorgeous views, miles and miles of trails, an incredibly beautiful drive on the way there, and great tidepools for starfish hunting with the kids. Plus, while it feels secluded, there are two fine dining spots within a 15-minute drive: The Oyster Bar and Chuckanut Manor.

Amtrak

Passenger train

Taking you there

Without a care

City of Subdued Excitement

I'm not sure where Bellingham's unofficial slogan "City of Subdued Excitement" came from. Actually, for all I know it's the official slogan at this point-- you see it everywhere! It seems like I started to hear it here and there about 15 years ago, but it was a long time before it caught on

with city officials. Anyway, now everyone knows we're the City of Subdued Excitement... but no one knows who first called it that.

Heirloom Tomatoes with a Side of Strawberries

A rainbow of tomatoes--

the strawberries sad

because they can only be red

Whatcom Museum

The Whatcom Museum has four buildings-- this is the 1892 Old City Hall. It has seen good times and bad, but is standing strong and remains Bellingham's most iconic building. For more information, check out the Whatcom Museum website.

Captive Audience

She pretends the pretty girls

in the window are real

Shows them she can dance

Lips curve silently in approval

Skywatch Friday: Celebratory Shoes

Apparently the owners of these shoes decided a)they didn't need these shoes anymore or b)they were celebrating something and got so excited they had to leave a visual of the moment for the rest of us. I tinted and faded the picture a bit to make it look old, because to me there's something sort of sweet and innocent about choosing this form of celebration/rebellion.
"Gosh, guys, Mom and Pop told me I had to stay home."
"Oh come on, Bobby! They'll never know the difference!"
"Okay, I'll do it! Let's go!"
"Swell!"
"Let's get wild and throw our shoes over the wires!"
"Golly!"
"Jeepers!"
Mission accomplished, Bobby went to the sock hop at the soda fountain, met Barbara Ann, married her and had lots of children and lived happily ever after.

Now don't those shoes just warm your heart?

Click here to see other Skywatch Friday participants.

Sensory Art

My oldest daughter plays with the water cascading down the sculpture at Maritime Heritage Park.

Thanks for the Warning...

Pearls of rain

Ahhh, Rain, old friend, welcome back!

The flowers and birds and I missed you!

Shall we have a cup of tea together?

I'll go put the kettle on.

Parkade Stripes

I like this cozy little courtyard off Commercial Street. The bold stripes of the parkade loops make for a striking contrast, I think. There is a crepes cart that sporadically makes an appearance here... this picture was taken right where that cart would be. *Sigh* No crepes today.

Living Tapestry

I love the different colors and textures of these plants. I really should plant some in my garden. In the meantime, I have this nice picture I took at the Bellingham Farmer's Market. This was in my friend Linda's stall. She owns Back Lane Gardens and has some beautiful stuff! Click here to check out her site.

Frail Halo

One of my little girls, Giorgiana, looking slightly more angelic than usual.

Skywatch Friday: Above the Clouds

The San Juan Islands float on clouds,

never touching the water below.

Click to see other Skywatch participants

Yogoman's Wild Rumpus

Otherwise known as hula-hooping night, the Wild Rumpus is one of the few times we can bring our kids with us to the Boundary Bay beer garden. A great way to enjoy a summer evening-- the kids are happily occupied... and we get to drink good beer. Cheers!

BTW the band playing in the background is Yogoman Burning Band, and they are awesome! Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/yogomanburningband

Lummi Island Ferry

This is a view of the lovely Mount Baker from Lummi Island. You can take the ferry for $2 on a summer day and experience the laid-back island life for awhile. Bike around the small island, have lunch at the Willows Inn or the Beach Store Cafe, gather seashells and sea glass along the beach, and head home much more relaxed than you were before!

Summer Rainbow

If you catch the rainbow in the park

you can climb it like a ladder

and play till the day is dark

when shadows no longer matter.

The Hub Community Bike Shop

I love this mural at The Hub Community Bike Shop. It's right on the South Bay trail, so I see it every time I bike to Boulevard Park. This is one of my favorite murals in town-- and we have a lot of murals! These are the guys who did it.

"Aaaiiiiiiii!"

Here is another cliff-jumper at Whatcom Falls Park. He was pretty nervous, and stood at the edge thinking about it for about twenty minutes before he went for it. I wish I could have gotten a shot of his expression when he finally jumped, but seeing as how I would have had to jump backwards in front of him with a waterproof camera, that wasn't gonna happen!

Theme Day-- Night

"Night" is the subject of Theme Day at City Daily Photo this month. I chose a shot of these glowing luminarias at one of our Relay for Life events. Each luminaria is in honor of someone who has been touched by cancer. Unfortunately, too many of them are "in memory of"-- my own mother and mother-in-law included. This was the first year I had to see my mother's name on a luminaria in memory of her rather than in celebration... so this is a very sad but beautiful picture for me.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants