July 2015 in Seattle

This is the new Headquarters building for Amazon.com, they have a huge and fast growing campus in South Lake Union. I have watched this building go up over the course of the last 2 years and it is my favorite.

Looks as if they used a lot of commercial grade crab traps to construct this entryway onto the South patio.

CEO Jeff  Bezos was very involved in the planning stages of the construction of this building. It was completed in half the time of most other buildings it size currently going up in Seattle.

These buisness across the street are all closed, I am sure it will be soon replaced by 12-13 story office complex.

A bit of interesting graffiti on the old  City (Ace) Hardware building

Never thought of the contribution high rise buildings make to climate change, The exhibit describes one Seattle building that is the most green in the country. the building produces all its own power needs and recycles all of its waste water back into potable water.

With the height of Seafair coming soon there is talk of the Go Fast boat competition on Lake Washington, here is one of the Local originals on Display at the Museum of History and Industry on Lake Union.

I do not think the hull shapes have changed that much.

July fully established the summer of 2015 as the hottest ever in the Pacific Northwest. Some days even hotter than Miami, Fl!

We have done all the free festivals at Seattle Center but the Polish Festival is worth going back to for this food!

The Lone Star of Washington State Rainier Beer.

Russell went along with me to see Manchester United play in the champions cup VS Club America. Manchester 1-0

Later the next day the Manchester Tour Bus drove right in front of me.

I had been been taking care of "Big D" all day so I thought it best to get out for a walk after returning him home to mom.

There is a very cool hike and bike trail along the water front just a few blocks from where we live. You can get in about a three mile walk dwon to the Cruise Ship terminal and back

Later I discover why this fire boat was moored down here, it was preparing to be in the Fleet Week Parade.

The fuel barge just backing out after refueling the cruise ship.

The Volunteer Sail Instructors got together one evening for some sailing, impromptu racing, snacks and Beer, I brought the beer! A nice evening to relax and have a chance to just visit on the back Deck of CWB.

There was a few bottles of Beer left over from the Instructors Fun so I thought the second floor commons deck at our condo building would be a good place to enjoy it.

The SAM starts their Summer Music Series in July on Thursday evenings and that is also when the Elliot Bay regatta is during the summer. This evening I counted over 70 vessels and I am sure they topped over a hundred as I could not see all the way down to the lead group. Summer at SAM: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/summer#jul16

No need to be in a hurry in this race.
You can check out theSculpture Garden Music that night here:
http://youtu.be/XAnu7ecrkEQ

We took Big D down to The Sound Bridge at Benoroya Hall that has some really cool musical programming for toddlers. I always knew there was a transportatin station under the symphony Hall but I had never seen it. 

Hard to believe a Huge Downtown building is built over all this.

We had to make a quick trip to Ft.Worth TX and a pleasent surprise was a chance to meet up with some old High School Friends. Not sure which of us has more heair? Jeff keeps his "Closer" Groomed.

Jeffery and Roxanne were actually responsible for hooking The Admiral and I up on our first Date. Thinking of those 15 cent Griff's Hamburgers!

The New Docks ar Corpus Christi Marina are almost ready.

Whoops I just heard that the limit on these docks is 40', we will not be down here for sure.

Get Your Motor Running corpus Style

This is why we are glad to not come back to Texas till October.Holy Smokes, the heat index was 105 while I was there. We have fully aclimated to Seattle weather, and while we have had some days in the 90's, as soon as the sun goes down in Seattle is starts cooling off to the 60's. and there is no heat index since the humidity is so low here.

I was sweating by the time I made it into the Austin Airport, The good news is they have this new little craft beer spot for a pretty good Pale Ale.

First time to ever see a Go Fast boat on Lake Union. All the summer days have been near perfect for sailing on Lake Union due to the warmer temps, the winds have mostly been excellent see
http://youtu.be/3At5WWx4Pos

I have been seeing this Cycle/paddel Wheel Saloon on Lake Union this summer see:
http://thecyclesaloon.com/book-a-tour-2/

This Nordic Tug is Number 5, I asked the guy as I sailed by and he said it was a 1982. He sure takes care of her! Very cool trawler.

With the warmer days there is always wind on lake Union this summer, unlike last summer when some days you might have enough wind to sail 1/2 down the lake and then have to paddle back to the dock!

There is a Mexican Resturant just a few blocks from us in Lower Queen Ann Hill, it has the same exact name of a relly good Mexican Restaurant in Corpus Christi so of course I have been curious. The Admiral was in Texas and I was hungry so I tried it out.

Top Shelf Margarita and Tacos Al Carbon, neither one was Top Shelf!

The Seattle Fire Boat leading the Fleet Week Military Ship Parade, Very Impressive!!!

The USS Essex Amphibious Assault Vessel next, This ship participated in the recovery of Captain Richard Phillips that was taken by Somali Pirates. When I heard this I had to watch the Tom Hanks movie. 

All the ships were lined with personnel in white.

USS Guided Missile Cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62)

 Guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), and guided-missile destroyer USS Howard docks just behind one of the alaska Cruise Ships on the Water Front at Bell Harbor.

My favorite Trawler a 37' Lord Nelson Victory Tug in Bell Harbor.

A very special Fender.

Check out that Pilot House!

One early morning I woke up and glanced out the window about 5:15 am and decided to get up and take this sunrise photo over the Cascades.

July 2015 in Seattle

Early on our daughter put Big D's name on several child care/pre-school list in the general vicinity of central Seattle. With child care ranging in the $1800-$2000+ per month range in Seattle and considerable waiting list at each, it is a sellers market. We all tried to make each pre-school successful with Big D but none of them could muster the necessary requirements. The first few days at each one seemed promising and I was sure each time that we would soon make our transition back to Texas within 30 days. After the third and most promising one failed the test his mom realized that the best thing for him was to just quit work and stay home with him till he aged up a bit. So at the end of September she will become full time mom and we will begin or transition back to Texas.
We recently made a trip back to Texas for a family event and it is clear just how we have acclimated to the cooler weather in Seattle. I am thankful that our return to Texas will be during cooler October so we can slowly re-acclimate to the Texas summer in 2016. Even with record warm temps in Seattle it is nothing like Texas with both Heat and Humidity forcing the heat index into triple digits.
Lots of free Summer events all around Seattle plus our volunteering at The Center for Wooden Boats and Ear Shot Jazz has kept us with plenty to do.  I am trying to put the possibility of bringing Wand'rin Star to Puget Sound on the table with the Admiral as I would love to spend the rest of our sailing days in this incredible environment up here. Spend Winters in Texas and long summers in Puget Sound sounds Great to Me!