Winter December 27, 2008

It has been so cold the shutter to my camera has been failing. Here is a shot looking over my back yard to the trees and houses on the other side of the Spokane River Valley. My house is in Browne's Addition just west of downtown Spokane.

The Martin Woldson Theater: The Fox

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Look at the snow on the cornice above the marquee of the Fox -- the Martin Woldson Theater. This is the home of the Spokane Symphony. It is one of most beautiful restored buildings of downtown Spokane. What a treasure. It will be with us for at least another 100 years.

A Spokane Front Door

December 27, 2008. We have had over 45 inches of snow this December. It is is warmer today. We had 6 inches of snow overnight. It is quite beautiful today as it has been for the last two weeks.

The Snow of December 18, 2008

Overnight Spokane received 20 inches of dry snow. The temperature was in the about 14 degrees. It is beautiful in Spokane. A great Christmas gift from nature.

Elk

This herd of elk was moving accross a clearing in a forest in northeastern Washington. I will not say where.

It is always a puzzle to me that some of us seeing this picture would presume we should get out 30-06's or our 30-30's or 32 Specials and try to kill one of these beautiful creatures. We are not very far away from the primative, I suppose. And, that is why we have war. As things escalate, we may no longer have a civilization. Maybe that is the necessary result of our hubris.

Sacred Heart Hospital

This picture is of Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. For years this hospital was administered by Sister Peter Claver of the Sisters of Providence. We lose much as time passes and life becomes more and more complicated. Sister Peter Claver could handle it all but those who worked with her and knew her first hand remember the personal touch of this fine person. Will the past ever become the future?

Air Force Cemetery, Spokane

Fall at the Air Force Cemetery just off Government Way and West of Fort Wright. There are a surprising number of infants and very young children buried here. Children of enlisted men. The most prominent death years were 1955, 56, 57. Odd. Surely infant deaths are common but there are too many. Something must have been happening which was unusual. One wonders about radiation of parents as the fathers flew the bombers going to and from Fairchild Air Force Base just west of Spokane.

Puget Sound Late in the Day

The cars and their drivers are heading home from the Olympic Peninsula a couple of weeks ago. This very nondescript picture shows the everyday nature of ferry travel on Puget Sound. This is the ferry run between Kingston and Edmunds just north of Seattle. The picture does not show it, but there were several commercial fishing boats at work just south of the ferry run. They were working purse seines.

Late Fall: A Road West of Town

Here is a picture of a gravel road west of Spokane. The winter sky was beautiful that day. Soon the road will be covered with snow and impassible for most of the season. The conditions will force one out of his car and onto his feet. Wonder if there is a metaphor there which might apply to the current economic conditions which are starting to make demands upon us to become different. How might we become different? By becoming self-sufficient, by slowing down, leading simpler less money intense lives. The economic downturn will get us to move away from our intense effort to pass though life hardly noticing the pleasures of truth life affords. But maybe nothing will come of our difficulties. Of course nothing will come of it if we can find a way to "buy" our way out of it for another 20 - 30 years.

Mount Spokane, November 2008

Winter is on its way. Mount Spokane, just a few miles north of downtown Spokane, has had its first snow of the season. About 10 inches, but much of it melted at the lower elevations of the ski area. The depth in the woods at the base of the ski area was still at 8 inches or so the weekend of November 8, 2008.

This morning, November 14, 2008, it was cold in Spokane, below freezing. That means colder weather at higher elevations. The sky was clear this morning but now it is greying. Weather is moving in.

A Pine Just Below the Rimrock

This tall pine is just below the Rimrock west of Spokane. Spokane is nearly surrounded on the west by Rimrock. The Rimrock forms a pleasant barrier for the city. It is a place where one is constantly delighted -- the light always changes, the seasons bring out the unique qualities of our home. Vachel Lindsey, loved the Rimrock and went to it again and again from his rooms in the Davenport Hotel and his apartment in Browne's Addition.

Fairchild Air Force Base Cemetery

This is a picture of the Fairchild Air Force Base Cemetery. There are a remarkable number of infants buried here -- over 100. They died mostly in the Spring of 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1958. I wonder why.

The cemetery overlooks the Spokane River to the North. It is adjacent to the Centennial Trail.

Mule Stables, Fort Spokane

This is a picture of the mule stables at Fort Spokane, Washington.

The fort, built about 1880 was located at the confluence of the Spokane River with the Columbia River about 60 miles west and a bit north of present day Spokane.

Lunch Time, Biggs, Oregon

Driving a car hauler is interesting work. After a while you get used to having a large US made sedan gently moving up and down immediately above your head. Here we have parked for lunch at Biggs, Oregon.

1st Avenue, Spokane

A picture of the Wharton, Oakley and Minnesota buildings on the south side of 1st Ave. in the West 400 block. About 7:39 am on a summer morning in August. The Oakely building has been converted mostly to residential lofts. The Minnesota building is in the process of conversion of its commercial units into residential units. One unit is finished on the main floor. Three units on the second floor are in the works. One unit will be finished in three weeks (of August 18, 2008).

Annie and Nina in Lake Roosevelt

Annie and her friend Nina swimming in Lake Roosevelt. The lake is over the area of Spokane River. We are up river. The depth here is about 40 feet. The water is clear and warm. A brisk wind is blowing from the southwest up the river.

Seven Bays on Lake Roosevelt

A picture of Seven Bays. The marina is to the left and up the hill from the large pontoon boat at the dock. Our moorage is straight ahead from the pontoon boat at one of the moorage clusters further into a bay. We on water which is about 180 feet deep. The Seven Bays area has a depth of 29 - 80 feet. The water is clear and somewhat warm, about 60 degrees. The lake is almost at the maximum elevation for Coulee Dam, 1290 feet above sea level . The level you see is 1285 feet above sea level. As a result, of this level, there are beaches in many places for camping and swimming and mooring. Above the marina on the hillside a developer is developing 92 homesite lots. It will be tough getting a boat slip in the years to come.

Spokan Garry

A sign found on a road near the Camp of Spokan Garry. 1811 - 1891.
Spokane, Washington. Rest In Peace.

Click on the picture to expand it. Then read what the sign says.

Fields of Grain, Hope Springs Eternal

In a few weeks Lincoln County just west of Spokane will look like this. Harvest will begin. It should be another good year for the wheat growers.

Lincoln County, Washington

Heading south on the way to Swanson Lakes. June, 2008.

Fort Spokane

Here is another picture from the grounds of the old Fort Spokane.

Horse Barn, Fort Spokane

This is the only barn left standing. This picture looks to the East.

It is eary June, 2oo8.

Fort Spokane, Lincoln County, Washington

In the late 1800's the United States Military had a fort at the confluence of the Spokane River and the Columbia River. This is the view the soldiers would have had back then looking from the fort to the north accross the Spokane River.

After the military closed the fort, it became a school for Native Americans. The school was closed after only a few years.

There is little that remains of the fort. A few buildings and lots of footings of buildings long since torn down.

It is a beautiful site. Information and pictures can be found here -- Fort Spokane.

Korean War Memorial

Here are two pictures of the etching of the wall at the Korean War Memorial. The wall is to the left in the second picture. The second picture was taken looking into the soldiers marching toward me.

Korean War Memorial, Washington D.C.

This is a picture of one of the statues in the Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The wall in the background has images etched into it, barely visible.

Like the Vietnam War Memorial across the way toward the White House, this memorial was a moving experience. One cannot fathom the many deaths which occurred and lives which have been ruined or damaged as a result of war. And to what purpose? Perhaps when our ends come to us we will gain an explanation. Wouldn't that be something. To finally find out what all this vanity is about?

We are not in a recession

We are not in a recession. No sirree. The tax incentive money is on its way. In Washington state I hear the gas stations are being allowed to price gasoline in half gallon amounts. That sure will help. I also hear pizza parlors are selling pizza sliced in twice the number of pieces as before. You get more under these approachs. That is what the wise ones think. You know what, it is all advertising and deception. We are a nation of flim flam!

The graffiti has a similarity. The same sort of art can be found in a spread of area south of the business district and west of the downtown area.

Graffiti

In parts of Spokane near and about the downtown area one encounters the remnant of "artists" who wish to put their mark on property not theirs. It is quite detracting, a blight.

This picture is of graffiti on the second story wall of a building near the heart of downtown.