Baseball

There is an echo in Safeco Field!!

It is my opinion that there are TWO seasons to each year: 7 months of BASEBALL and 5 months of WAITING for baseball.


FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS TILL SPRING TRAINING BEGINS!!!

The Lady Washington

I'd like to begin by mentioning that my love for sailing began when I was in my teens. I had a friend who would take me with her when her parents went sailing on their sailboat. I fell in love with the movement of the boat on the water, the sounds of the lines straining with the tension of the sails full of air, and the cry of the gulls. To me, then and now, it just doesn't get any better than that.

I've always dreamed of having my own boat and being able to be out on the water whenever I wanted to, but that never happened. But through the years I've had occasion to get out on someone else's boat and when that happened, I loved every moment of it. There was a time, about 15-20 years ago, when we were able to be aboard a friend's 49 ft sailboat for a week in the Canadian San Juan Islands. That was such an amazing opportunity and I will remember it forever. But that's another story. :)

I wasn't aware of The Lady Washington, nor that it was possible to actually sail on her. When I discovered her online I couldn't buy tickets fast enough. I was delighted to find that I could get tickets for the Sunset Sail on Wednesday, August 19th.

If you aren't aware of her either, just a little background: The Lady Washington is the Official Ship of the State of Washington. She is a full-scale reproduction of the original Lady Washington built in the British Colony of Massachusetts in the 1750's. In more recent times, you may remember her from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean in which she played The HMS Interceptor. I must admit I did think a time or two, while moving about her deck, that Johnny Depp did indeed walk this very deck also. I digress ... LOL

Our three hour sail was done on a 90 degree day, so the weather was perfect, and the sunset magnificent. We arrived at the dock about 3 hours early, intentionally, so we could hang out at the water until time to board. We found a little pub nearby and sat outside and enjoyed oyster sandwiches and conversation with another guest, while breathing the salt air and enjoying the sounds of the waterway. Walking a short distance, we found a small marina store, and purchased some bottled water and snacks to take aboard with us. At approximately 6pm we were allowed to board, given safety instructions and then motored away from the dock and out into Commencement Bay.

The Hawaiian Chieftan sailed at the same time, and we considered ourselves fortunate to be aboard The Lady this first time out. (when buying tickets, you can not specify which ship you want to be on, you just have to get lucky enough to be assigned to the one that you want) Once away from Thea Foss Waterway and out into the bay, sails were raised and engines slowed (I'm not sure if they were ever completely cut). We stayed in that vicinity of the bay for the evening, sailing back and forth, while the crew attempted a few sailing maneuvers. The 360 turn without changing the sails only accomplished 180 degrees, but impressive just the same. And then the setting sun took center stage.

It was difficult to disembark, but the attitude seemed to be that Barb could NOT now live aboard The Lady, no matter how much she might want to. We left the world of water and fantasy and returned to automobiles & paved highways, and made our way home.

We have committed to sailing on The Lady at least once each summer, and are so very pleased to have found her.

If you'd like to know more about her, you can read about her, and The Hawaiian Chieftan, here: Grays Harbor Historical Seaport

And .... finally ... some of the photos I took while aboard:


The Lady Washington, before boarding



Would those be pirates climbing the rigging?



Me, with The Hawaiian Chieftan in the distance



The Hawaiian Chieftan



As close as we could come to Pirates - a few members of the crew



Another view of The Hawaiian Chieftan



Sailboats on Commencement Bay



Mount Rainier at sunset



A beautiful sunset



Another of the sunset, with the Olympic Mountains to the right



Two of the crew, and a last peek at the sun for the day



The end of the day, with the lights on shore beginning to become visible as darkness takes hold.

Baseball Trivia

from "The Great American Baseball Quiz by Paul Dickson"

1. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League in 1947. The first African-American to play in the American League, 11 weeks later, was Larry Doby.

2. In 1995, when Cal Ripkin Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record by playing in 2131 consecutive games, Joe DiMaggio, one of Gehrig's former teammates, was on hand to shake Ripken's hand and congratulate him.

3. The New York Yankees have won 26 World Championships.

4. The only player to win the Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Cy Young award is Don Newcombe.

5. The slow-witted, terminally ill catcher in the 1973 baseball movie Bang the Drum Slowly was played by Robert De Niro.

6. After the U.S., the Dominican Republic has produced the most Major League baseball players.

7. The record for hitting home runs in the most consecutive games (the record is eight) is held by Ken Griffey Jr. of the 1993 Seattle Mariners, Don Mattingly of the 1987 New York Yankees, and Dale Long of the 1956 Pittsburgh Pirates.

8. The first player to earn $1 million in one season was Nolan Ryan.

9. In the 1952 movie The Winning Team, Ronald Reagan played Baseball Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.

10. The Major League ballplayer who went on to become the star of a popular Western series on television was The Rifleman's Chuck Connors. (He is one of a handful of athletes in the history of American professional sports to have played for both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.)

11. The franchise that played the first game of the season at home nearly every year from 1882 through 2008 is The Cincinnati Reds.

12. The first player to have his signature branded into a Louisville Slugger bat, in 1905, was Honus Wagner.

13. In the language of baseballese, an easily fielded pop bly is know as a can of corn.

And there you have it, my Thursday Thirteen for today!

Chinese Garden, Portland, Oregon

I'm not sure if Green Thumb Sunday meme is still active or not. I signed up for it last week, but have heard nothing back. But here's a post for it anyway. :)

For Mother's Day this year, my kids invited me to Portland to go out to lunch and then spend some time at the Chinese Garden. It is located at NW Third and Everett, downtown Portland, and I can't say enough positive things about it. This was my second visit to the Garden and I again enjoyed the lush green of the spring growth and the tranquility of the environment.

This is one of the many photos I took while there, showing the view through one of the many ornate windows:



And this close up of the Washington State flower,a rhododendron, in full bloom:

Saturday Photo Hunt: Advertisement

Lots of ADVERTISEMENTS at the ball park.
This one was taken at Safeco in Seattle.
And, of course, we are advertising Starbucks in Seattle. *smile*

Fabulous Friday!

I'm up, out of bed once more. Some mornings, that's saying a lot. This morning was one of those. I hit the beloved snooze button twice. The third time that the jarring, nerve racking buzzer sounded I decided I couldn't hear it again, and pulled myself up and sat on the side of my bed.

I wanted to go back to work why????? OH! I remember! Pay Day! LOL And today's the day that my treasured check will be waiting in my inbox when I arrive at the office. I'm preparing myself for the tiny amount it will be this time. I took two weeks off of work to go play in the lovely state of Washington. I had a wonderful time, going here and there, but only managed to get 15 hours of work in for this pay period. Like I said: it will be a very tiny check this time. LOL

And speaking of playing in Washington, I leave you with a photo. Our last playday was Monday, when we went to the Zoo. After being on our feet all day, and working up quite an appetite, we took ourselves down to the water front and ate dinner at The Pink Door (located in Post Alley at Pike Place Market). The weather was amazing and they were seating outside. I took this photo from our table while waiting for what turned out to be an amazing antipasto plate. If you're not familiar with Seattle, this is Elliot Bay:


(click photo to enlarge)

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle

A Day at the Zoo





Deciding to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather we've been having, hubby and I spent the day at the Zoo Monday. Woodland Park Zoo, in Seattle, Washington, sits on 92 acres, north of downtown and just west of Green Lake. Once inside the gates, there is no feeling of being in the city. The canopy of mature trees gives shade and buffers the sound of the city. We strolled for hours, unaware of the city's activity so nearby.

Thinking that we had arrived early enough to see some morning activity, we soon became aware that it was already nap time for many of the animals. Sleeping lions, tigers and bears (oh my!) gave no reason to linger to watch, but moving on we found plenty of activity to keep us interested.





Beginning in the African Savanna, we were delighted to see Ostrich moving about the field with the Zebras and Gazelle. It is always amazing to me how large an African Ostrich is.


This Giraffe found himself some shade, out of the mid-day sun.


Moving on down the path, we came across a couple of hippos cooling themselves in a pool of water.


Difficult to see in the photo, but beautiful in person, these weaverbird nests are incredible. The male weaverbird builds a pear-shaped nest by weaving together fresh grasses. He begins with just a ring, then builds outward, making the nest the same way a person weaves a basket. Once his nest is built the male hangs upside down from the nest, flapping his wings wildly and singing loudly to attract a female. After the eggs hatch, both parents feed and guard their young. The weaverbirds are especially abundant in the savannas of East and South Africa.


Just across the main path from the African Savanna we found the Elephants in Tropical Asia. This elephant was pulling food from a bucket hanging high from a wooden structure.


A favorite of mine, the Siamangs, were fascinating. The adults mate for life and their singing appears to reinforce their pair bond. It is also a way of them keeping other siamangs away from their feeding grounds. Whatever the reason, they seem content to be in motion and "sing" continually. The males make a different noise than the females, as they puff up the sacks under their chins. The volume is surprisingly loud and as we finally walked away from the exhibit, we could hear them singing from a distance.

We were fortunate enough to observe some interaction between two very large Orangutan before they parted company and each sought out his own shady area for a nap.They were huge, and their fur was a rusty orange color. As is typical for me, I was so interested in what they were doing that I forgot to take a photo.


Moving into Australasia we found some kangaroos lounging in the shade. Although not active, at least they weren't sleeping. It would have been a treat to see them hopping about, but no such luck.


Cutting across the North Meadow we came across this Peacock wandering in the grass. His coloring was brilliant. He did open his tail a few times, but each time he was facing away from me so I wasn't able to photograph it.


In the Tropical Rain Forest, this sloth bear was awake and pacing, while another was sleeping. His long thick coat made me wonder how hot he was in the 80+ degree weather.


This photo doesn't do the new Penguin Exhibit justice. We spent about an hour there, observing the penguins and then listening to the Keeper Talk. I have a soft spot in my heart for these little guys and enjoyed every minute of my time with them.


I never tire of watching them "fly" through the water. There was some porpoising going on too (sure hope I spelled that right! LOL) and it brought a smile to my face each time I saw them break the surface of the water.


Last, we visited the Gorilla Exhibit. This is always a mixed bag of feelings for me. I feel drawn to them, and my trip to the zoo would not be complete without visiting them. But when I make eye contact with any of them, there is so much intelligence looking back at me, that it just breaks my heart to see them confined the way that they are. I want to gather them up and take them back to their home, ya know? - sigh - I realize that most of them were born in captivity, but my heart still longs for them to be free in their own habitat. I always wonder what they are thinking as they look into my eyes.



And the Thirteenth photo of "things I saw at the Zoo" are these two tired feet! We didn't get to see everything, because these feet would take me no further. We left early and vowed to return again soon.

Thanks for walking through the zoo with me.

Hairy-Scary!!

So I had my hair colored today. At a new shop. OMG that can be SO scary.

Let me back up by saying that I colored my hair for several years in my 50's and then decided about a year or two ago that I would grow it out to see what color it was. Do you have any idea how many months that takes???? LOL Well, about 8-10 months later I had my answer. I had more gray in the front than the back, but still more brown than gray. However, that brown color, that had been so rich and dark throughout my life, has now faded to this drab non-descript color of some sort of faded brown. Oh well, still not too bad. I decided to keep it.

However, not only the color faded, but it's getting thinner and more fine. What's a girl to do? I knew! A perm would be just the ticket. I made an appointment and presented myself to my stylist with every intention of purchasing curls and body for my hair. No sooner had my butt hit the chair and she began to give me her list of reasons why she didnt think a perm was a good idea. What the heck? No perm? Then what? She suggested color again. And like an idiot I said Okay.

So it was back to the color, grow out, color circle again. I hate grow out. And I dont want high maintenance hair anymore. Anyway, no matter what color is put on my hair, it has a mind of it's own and turns red within a few weeks.

So that brings me back to today. I want to grow out the color and let it go natural - again. From previous experience I know I'm looking at 8-10 months to accomplish this. So I came up with a plan: semi-permanent color until I have all this old color cut off, then let the semi-permanent color fade away. New hair dresser agreed. So we were off and running.

She put the color on and I sat in the chair and watched. What is that orange color I'm seeing? Oh man am I going to be more red than I was when I walked in here? Am I going to be able to go to work tomorrow without a bag over my head? Does this girl even know what she's doing? As I sat and stared into the mirror, watching the chemicals turn from light to dark, I then worried if I was going to have black hair by the time we were done. About 20 minutes later a walk to the shampoo bowl and a walk back to the chair showed me that I had exactly what I wanted! Whew! Pretty scary there for a while, but way cool now! Loving my new color!

Green Thumb Sunday

This is my first post to Green Thumb Sunday. I thought that I'd like to share part of what I've been doing on our new deck. Container gardening has always been a challenge for me at this house, because the backyard faces west and things can get very hot and dry out there in a hurry. But newly-retired hubby vows that he will help me with keeping them wet this year, so we have set out several pots.

I think my favorite group is the one with the little water garden.



The small plant to the front is a coleus. The larger pot just an assortment of geraniums, marigolds, alyssym and lobelia.



The third pot contains my simple attempt at a tiny water garden. I love the sound of the water dripping from the little fountain. I purchased the floaters at a local pond shop. I think they have doubled in size in the week or two that I've had them. There are new little plants growing off of the mother plants. I will soon have too much for the pot. What to do then? I may have to toss them over the fence into the neighbors large pond. I'm sure that those frogs that keep me awake each night would enjoy them. :) The "Father" rock was a gift to hubby from one of our daughters a year or two ago.

Thursday Thirteen

Having let my blog sit idle for over two - count 'em TWO!! - years, I've decided I'd like to try to get it up and running. Why you ask? Hmmmm maybe I can think of

13 REASONS WHY (in no particular order):

13. An inactive blog looks so sad, just sitting there.

12. I have more time on my hands now that I've cut back on my work hours.

11. I love to type.

10. I love to write.

09. I miss having internet friends. When I bought my first computer, about a dozen years ago, I stumbled upon a chat room and made some really close internet friends. After a couple years that chat room dwindled down to just a few and then finally went away. I've always missed that camaraderie.

08. I belonged to another group of internet friends the last few years and recently that message board slowed down more and more, with each of us becoming busy with other things, until it just didn't make any sense to keep the board up anymore. With it gone, I feel kinda lost.

07. Soooo .... I'm hoping to make NEW internet friends and thought my blog just might be the way. Plus, a few of that recent group blog, and maybe this is a way to keep touch with them.

06. It will give me a reason to use my new dig camera.

05. It will give me an avenue to explore what other people are thinking and doing.

04. If I keep my mind open, I just might learn something new.

03. Did I mention making new friends? ;)

02. It would be nice to have something creative to do. Pogo games can get boring after a while.

01. A Girl Just Has to Have Fun! :)

Class Quilt

My quilt from my latest class is pinned together and ready to quilt. The shiny spots you see are the brass pins that are holding the top, batting and back together. I'm going to quilt this one myself, on my machine, just to see how I can do. I did try to shadow quilt one of the bow-ties, and except for one or two wobbly stitches, it turned out pretty good.

I learned a lot in this class. A lot of new techniques were introduced and I feel a little more confident to pick designs and color now.

Here's a close up of one of the corners. The binding isn't on yet. The brown you see at the bottom is actually the backing.

Many Trips

I really like this block. I haven't been as pleased with a block as I am with this one in a long time. I love the colors, and the movement. It's called "Many Trips".