Lots of writing. Mostly about local history. Not sure if others would find this interesting but I have spent months assembling a data base that includes info on the 1,143 properties that qualify for historical status in a particular Seattle neighborhood. Each property will be tied to a current image file as well as a 1930’s tax photo and the tax documents, if possible. It’s for personal use just to aid my own research.
I’ve also been writing about the neighborhood elementary school that I attended which is one of those properties that is on that list of the “National Register of Historic Places”. For the school I am focusing primarily on the architectural features and hardware that dates to 1925. Real nerd stuff influenced by my years in facility management.
Currently I’m writing a short history about a Norwegian immigrant who was born in 1853, immigrated to America in 1879 and lived on a small islet close to where I grew up that was formed by the opening of a ship canal and the subsequent lowering of the lake by 9 feet. He lived there during the Depression and got around in a rowboat of some sort.
3meter,
My grandfather was Vice Principal at Cleveland High School. He taught homesteaders kids at the upper end of the Toutle River around 1920 near Spirit Lake. Teaching runs in the family. Our tribe settled in Kalama on the Columbia in 1889 before WA was a state. My grandmother graduated from Western in Bellingham when it was a teachers college in 1919. My Dad taught at Eastern in Cheney, geology and geography.
I used work at Fishermen’s Terminal with the Norwegians in the winter on the commercial fleet. I went to forestry school with several salmon fishermen. I lived in Ballard then and used to hang out at The Valhalla Tavern. Ballard before it was cool. PNW roots run deep. I am a third generation Husky The history of Seattle is amazing. It was really a logging town that grew up.
I went to Garfield and Ballard was another part of town that didn’t roll out the welcome mat for us. Had to tread carefully. The Valhalla checked ID. The El Roach didn’t so that was where we went.
The Panasonic FZ300 is splash proof. I keep my under a bungie on the front deck. It gets soaking wet but takes great photos. Really long zoom and f2.8 throughout the range.
Hmm… I’m in the market for a camera other than my phone. Good to hear that the FZ300 is that weatherproof. Do you paddle and use the camera in fresh or salt water?
Mostly fresh but it has had a few salt water trips.
See https://imgur.com/a/KAq1WV0 for some in boat salt water pictures. Focus is nasty difficult and since the sensor is small you sometimes will the image quality was a little better. But there isn’t anything in that price range that is splash proof and has a very good zoom.
I had hoped my unanticipated “hobby” of sewing hundreds of cloth respiration hygiene masks would be ramped down to nothing by this Winter. I started it, along with a loosely organized group of fellow male and female “sewists” back in early March when the nationwide shortage of PPE stocks left front line workers and volunteer agencies with no access for facial protection. We were cranking out and distributing thousands per week well into the late Summer. But even though face masks are now widely available in every dollar store, grocery checkout line and chain pharmacy, there is still enough demand for sturdy, reusable and comfortable masks (and likely will be for at least another 6 months) that I am still stitching up a few dozen per week, both to share with friends and with needful agencies, and to sell to finance the donations. Lost track of my total output months ago but I know it’s well over 1,000. Since I use a 1904 Singer treadle sewing machine at least I get some exercise in the process.
I did find some paddling themed fabrics and those have been popular at the outfitter shop where I sell some of them.
Here’s half the last big donation batch, 5 dozen kids and adult masks for an Arizona Native tribe’s community health outreach center.
As I tell folks, when the need for daily masking subsides (and we can only hope that day will come) my masks can be repurposed. Since I make them with tunnels to replace the elastic, two could be connected to make a bikini top, and a single mask could function as a colorful codpiece, a hamster hammock or (as shown below) a pet hat.
No projects, I tend to spend more of time hiking with the dog along the frozen rivers & lakes thinking I’d rather be paddling on them instead of walking on them lol.
Lotsa’ folks know me. But I only hang with those who are smart enough not to admit it.
Well… maybe unless they’re interested in killifish. Or canoeing.
Got two of my projects done this fall. Changed the larger overhead storage racks from rope to steel cables and built new work stands. Got tired of messing with saw horses. Next project will be a wall rack for my double blades and a new wooden paddle holder.
Florida trip = Project? That’s vacation where I come from.
Anyway, I’ve started assembling materials for a Baidarka build. Which I expect will take me more than just this winter. Carving bits of found wood also distracts me.
"something “fishy” about that PJC fellow…
