A Tacoma treat

While driving along Schuster Parkway in Tacoma this evening, I glanced over at the Simpson Kraft paper mill and saw the most beautiful light on the plant. Though I was tempted to continue down the highway, I reminded myself that I would regret not stopping to take a few shots (I had about seven more shots left in my Fujica 6x4.5 that I was itching to blow through). Art trumped fatigue and I pulled over into Thea Foss park.

I walked down to the metal dock and started snapping and chatting to an after-work fisherman about the beautiful light and fish and whether it was possible for me to reach down and grab one of the salmon that were up against the dock. While I was contemplating the logistics of transporting a fish in my car without plastic bags, the fisherman said, "Look, there's a boat coming." I turned to look and saw a dragon boat crew paddling toward us. I then remembered it was Thursday and my mother was probably one of the paddlers. I knew my friend Robyn and her husband Steve would definitely be there. Lo and behold, there Kathleen was in her cute purple jacket and purple sunglasses.

Kathleen in her natural habitat & Steve the oarsman

The dragon boat leader told me that a tug was about to be launched from Martinec and I could go witness it if I jumped in my car and ran down there. Again, I considered ditching the idea, but how often does a girl from NJ get to see a tugboat hit the water for the first time. I drove down to Johnny's dock and joined the small but friendly crowd of people gathered to watch the event. The paddlers decided to row there.

Mt. Rainier, a dragon boat and the 11th St. Bridge - Ah, Tacoma.

Here's a shot of the tugboat hitting the water. Glory be! It floats! A tug is born. A great way to end a late September day. I should trust my photo instincts more often.

Summertime, summertime, sum sum summertime

It appears that summer has finally arrived in the Pacific NW. After the lovely weather we experienced in Europe, it was rather grim to come back to the cold, the grey and the rain. Don't get me wrong...I hate it when people complain about the weather here. Most of the time, I don't mind it - rain down here means snow in the mountains much of the time. Plus, the moisty air keeps my complexion in peachy condition and makes for lots of healthy plants. There are times, however, when I just crave sunlight and the ability to walk around without a sweater close at hand. All that being said, I think I can embrace the sunshine without fear and the expectation that it will be snatched from me in the morning (for a while at least).

In celebration of the sun, I've taken a couple bike rides in my tank top (working frantically on my tan) and plan on hacking some blackberries in my overgrown yard. Later on I may even sit on the deck with a book and a beer - that is if I can mellow out enough to relax for a while. I've been spending a lot of time in my dark office working on photos - good for the amount of work I'm doing, bad for not maximizing my outdoors time. I've tried working on the laptop in the bright sunlight, but you know how successful that would be...

Last night, we went to Tacoma for dinner and a movie ("Buck" - worth watching - makes me miss having an animal in my life). Afterwards, we went down to the 11th Street bridge to take photos. The light had just shifted so I was a bit disappointed, but Mt. Rainier had its unique, rosy, end-of-the-day glow so I couldn't be too sad. The bridge is wrapped in large sheets of plastic because it is undergoing major structural work. It seems like the plastic wrap is gradually consuming the bridge. Here's one of the shots I took - not too great, but it's got a nice shot of Rainier framed under the bridge.