Category: Seattle

Boats and Tender

On By Fred KingIn boat, SeattleLeave a comment

A couple of boats that passed through the locks from Puget Sound to Lake Washington. One of the ‘lock tenders’ who has to tie up each boat that passes through the locks. Notice that he is tethered, via a harness, to the railing behind him. Good safety idea.

Closing the Locks

On By Fred KingIn boat, SeattleLeave a comment

Large gates closing. Second photo the gates are closed. Third photo is one of the hydraulic hinges ( really not sure what the technical term is ). Once the gates are closed the water level is either lowered or raised depending on which direction the boats are going. This is the northern lock that allows boats to move from Lake Washington out to Puget Sound. The water level has to be lowered because the water level of the lake is higher than that of Puget Sound.

Hiram Chittenden Locks

On By Fred KingIn droplet, Duck, Park, Puget Sound, SeattleLeave a comment

 

Also known locally as The Ballard Locks, this is one section of the locks that work to get marine vehicles from Lake Washington to Puget Sound. The duck is swimming around in a calmer spot on the waterway. The locks are  quite a tourist draw in Seattle. I’ll be posting some photos taken at this location over the next few days.

Interesting Ritual Observed

On By Fred KingIn Capitol Hill, childhood, Children, Seattle, ThoughtsLeave a comment

A week ago I was walking near Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill in Seattle when I observed  a most unusual Spring ritual. There was a large group of children gathered around an inflated giraffe-like creature led, apparently, by a middle-aged man  wearing fake bunny ears. As he gesticulated to the horde of children as he counted down from 10. When he said the magical number the children made a dash for these plastic, egg-shaped objects that were randomly placed on the landscaped hill. I surmised that the idea was to collect as many of these ‘eggs’ as one could. Clearly the advantage was with the faster and probably older children. This event/ritual had their own professional photographer! After all of the eggs had been gathered the children and their parents met up at the fake giraffe-like object and the ritual seemed to come to a close at that point. I think I identified with the toddler in the last photo. He seemed to be wondering what all the fuss about some orb-like  object could be? My sentiments exactly 🙂

Georgetown

On By Fred KingIn buildings, SeattleLeave a comment

Georgetown Community Center. For years this building served as the South Precint Headquarters for SPD, The South Precint is now located in a larger, new facility on Delridge Way in West Seattle. Above photo: looking south on BNSF tracks in Georgetown. There is an old spur that goes into the old Seattle Brewery Building. That spur ends abruptly about 20 yards north of this location. It’s an interesting place to walk around on a Sunday morning. Along the tracks is a wealth of discarded items.