There's Nothing So Rare as a Day in June

A bright and sunny afternoon. Between jobs. Perfect for exploring.

Destination: West Seattle and Columbia City Farmers' Market.

Equipment: Bike and helmet.

First stop: Metropolitan Market

(http://www.metropolitan-market.com/homeA.php)

The reason for the stop was to buy some broccolini for a recipe I had seen in today's paper: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/food/368100_stayfood25.html. This is a fabulous do-not-miss store. Fresh goods, friendly employees (how often do you actually have a conversation with the cashier while checking out?), everything you could want in a grocery store. I ended up with lunch (multicultural finger food--a spanakopita and a samosa) too.

On to Alki. Parked across the street from Alki Bakery (watch for an upcoming review when I return), got out my bike and started riding. The smell of the saltwater is so rejuvenating. OK, correction here, apparently this is actually the smell of kelp, but no matter, it is wonderful.

I rode in the bike trail along the beach/waterfront. Except for one slight diversion past the trail through a residential neighborhood and around a curve that yielded a delightful view of the Mountain...it pays to go where others (usually) do not go. I stopped at the marker pointing out that Alki is Seattle's birthplace. The Denny party landed there in 1851. And then there is the Lady Liberty statue, our very own replica donated by the Boy Scouts in the 50s.

Right now there is some construction on the sewer going on that provides a minor inconvenience but otherwise it is a pleasant ride. The temperatures were in the 70s so the beach was filled with sun worshippers. I rode to the pier where there is a great view of the city and then it was time to head back to my car to go explore the market (3-7 PM on Wednesdays in summer).

On the way to the market http://www.seattlefarmersmarkets.org/markets/columbia_city I had my first tour of the new light rail lines running through the south Seattle neighborhoods (Beacon Hill, Rainier, etc.) Seeing it is exciting, but we still have a wait. The light rail does not start running until 2009.

The Columbia City market is located in a parking lot at the corner of Rainier & Edmunds. It is a fabulous and colorful place with lots of diversity in people and food. I purchased eastern WA cherries and local strawberries. I also tried and had to buy apriums, which are a mix of apricots and plums (the direct opposite of pluots) and some of the sweetest fruit I have ever tasted. While there I stopped to sample birthday cake (the market is 10 years old) and a fabulous truffle that was lively with various spices (mint and chili were 2 of the spices).

By the way, dinner was great (I used chicken sausage and bowties though).

Thai in T-Town

I'm in my last week of work at my current job, so today my coworkers took me out to lunch at Indochine, http://indochinedowntown.com/, a great place in downtown Tacoma on Pacific. It is beautiful with a fountain flowing in the middle, deep brown wood, and black leather seating. The food is Asian fusion.

We shared a dish of Cashew Chicken, which one of my coworkers preferred but to me was nothing more special than any other cashew chicken dish. We also shared Drunken Beef Noodles, which I thought were fabulous. Beef, veggies, and rice noodles are sauteed together with Thai basil, soy sauce, and rice wine, creating a very tasty combination.

I am not sure I would venture back to Tacoma just to go here, but the atmosphere was definitely worthwhile. It is a good idea for a romantic or special occasion dinner.

First Hike of the Season

Saturday morning...alarm at 6 a.m. is so wrong...the views better be worth it!

I headed north and over Stevens Pass this morning to meet up with some friends who had camped overnight in Lake Wenatchee State Park. (I couldn't go--there is also something wrong about working a full day on a Friday.)
We headed to Leavenworth to park a car and then drove to the Eightmile trailhead. The sky was a deep cerulean blue and the air held warmth and a beautiful breeze. It was thrilling to leave the clouds behind and find nothing blocking the sunshine.

We started seeing wildflowers almost immediately on the trail - lupines, paintbrush, trillium, and mariposa lily. The beautiful color was actually best within the first mile. The trail does not have much elevation gain. There is one switchback to the first lake, about 2 miles in, and then about 1.5 miles and a bit more elevation gain with a couple switchbacks later you come upon Eightmile Lake.

At the first lake we met up with a chipmunk and then at Eightmile Lake we had a visit from a marmot. The chipmunk wandered up to my feet and stared up at me for a few brief seconds. Once I had my camera ready, however, he was out of there. The marmot wasn't quite so friendly, giving us mostly a rear view.

We spent some time at Eightmile Lake, admiring the views, including a possible avalanche across the lake, and watching for more wildlife. Good grub for a wildflower hike is definitely pistachios, cheddar cheese, and chocolate-covered pretzels. Some of the group preferred gnawing on a round of sausage and cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuits, or downing a can of sardines.

On the way back we enjoyed the antics of a Boy Scout group also on the hike, including their group photo on the log bridge over the raging rapids caused by the abundance of snowmelt.

The Sun Still Shines

According to the forcasters, postcasters (is there a term for those who predict the weather after it happens?), news media, and locals, last week was the coldest first week of June on record (dating back to 1894). I am wondering if it was also the wettest...

This evening I shivered out on the porch in attempt to capture the sun's short visit.