April 29: Sky over Lacey

April 28: Chickadee

April 27: Best Friend

This seeing eye dog rode the 17 bus with his human companion last night.

April 26: Task Lighting....

...for the extreme multi-tasker.

April 25: Drizzle

It's been a misty morning.

April 24: Euphorbia

While acknowledging the awesome diversity of the natural world, there's something TOO strange about euphorbia....I suspect it has alien DNA.

April 23: Hosta

April 22: Red Breasted Sapsucker at Twilight

A group of sapsuckers have begun regularly dining on the tall trees in Karen and Randy's backyard. I'll keep trying to get a photo that shows their gorgeous coloring.

April 21: Almost like Paris

This lovely building houses Dahlia Lounge and Dahlia Bakery....if only all of Seattle was so beautifully maintained!

April 20: Like Swallows Returning to Capistrano

The Canada geese have always favored the grassy area at the southernmost point of Lake Union. For years it was an undeveloped area with a protected bank area perfect for nesting. Then the whole southern part of the lake's shore underwent an extensive upgrade: trolley tracks, footbridges, paved plazas, public art installations, you name it. Finally the workmen cleared out and fences came down, and the geese have returned to their favorite spot.

April 19: Ballard Eagle

This building at Market and 22nd was built in the early 1920's by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. It's one of the few buildings in Ballard to have retained its architectural details.

April 18: Not Just Another Pretty Cherry Blossom

These are the first of thousands of blossoms on our tree that will open over the next few weeks, and produce an equal number of delicious cherries in July.

April 17: Done!

Now we just need to make sure the soil stays moist, and wait patiently for the bok choy, kale, spinach, green onion, carrot, and parsnip seeds to sprout.

April 16: One Down, One to Go

Between rain squalls today we dug six inches of dirt out of the framed bed in the back, put it through a 1/4-inch mesh screen, mixed it 50/50 with compost, and then returned it to the raised bed. The black bin next to it contains all the rocks that didn't make it through the screen. No earthworms were injured in the process of making this planting bed.

April 15: Katie....

...finally got her braces off!!

April 14: The Most Beatiful Street in Seattle

For two weeks each year, this ordinary street in Ballard is transformed into a magical place.

April 13: It's Coming

I know it's a squirrel, not a bunny, but this picture still makes me think, "Easter is Coming!"

April 12: Mascot

That's the Chase Bank logo he's wearing on his chest.....but somehow this meet-and-greet on Westlake didn't make me feel any better about banking at Chase.

April 11: A R T

This sign marking an art gallery on Dexter has each letter light up in sequence, then it blinks off and starts over again, like an old diner sign.

April 10: Final Performance

Yesterday was the season's final performance of the Moisture Festival. When we left Hale's Palladium after two hours of non-stop laughter, it was....yes....raining.

April 9: Practical

You have to admit this window covering is a real multitasker: it shades, insulates, enhances home security, and probably makes a very effective blast shield. After all, you can never be too prepared.

April 8: Blue

This is Red's sister. They're alike in coloring and their distinctive stubby tail, but opposites in personality. Nothing could ever tempt her to come over and say hello.

April 7: This Can't be Code-Compliant

Yesterday it was a tiny street-side vestibule on Westlake; but cut a hole in the ceiling, add a tiny staircase better suited to a submarine and voila! Now it's a stair hall.

April 5: Red

Red lives on 58th Street, and on days when it's not too cold or rainy she patrols the sidewalk and greets everyone who passes. She's constantly on the lookout for who may be approaching, so no one is deprived of an ecstatic greeting.

April 4: Epimedium

It's still very rainy and very cold, but delicate spring plants like epimedium don't seem to mind the weather near as much as we do.

April 3: Swedish Pancake Breakfast

This is our neighbor Bart, playing the nyckelharpa at the Swedish Cultural Center's monthly pancake breakfast today. The breakfast runs for 5-1/2 hours and the line never let up. Seattlites really like Swedish pancakes.

April 2: Decisions, Decisions

I favor the cream color on the far left, or the green next to it. This house definitely needs...something. I'll check back in a couple of weeks to see how it turned out.

April 1: Old and New

The long-waited extension of Mullen Road from Ruddell to College in Olympia finally opened recently, and it's an opportunity to ponder the contrast between the random beauty of the suddenly-exposed forest and the disappointing ugliness of the intentional "landscaping."