“You don’t have to walk far in Seattle to pass a person suffering on the street. These members of the community are forced by poverty, lack of affordable housing, domestic abuse, addiction, mental illness, discrimination and host of other challenges to go without basic human necessities. Their plight has not gone entirely unnoticed. On Monday morning, Seattle Mayor Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine signed a Proclamation of Civil Emergency in response to the growing homelessness crisis in King County.” Read the full article here.
Facts about homelessness in King County from One Night Count:
“While tech moguls build up shiny, new office buildings in Seattle’s South Lake Union, many local businesses have taken a different route and set up shop in old, historic homes. From coffee shops to recording studios, here are seven Seattle businesses that operate out of cozy old homes.”
“It’s just another dreary day in your haunted mansion. The wind howls. A murder of crows scurries across the roof. You pour a cup of coffee. It tastes like blood. So what? You add a little cream. The ghosts are creaking around on your secret stairway again. Eerie children’s laughter echoes in the halls. After the fourth banshee scream from the basement, you think to yourself, “you know what, maybe it’s finally time to put this house on the market…” Read the rest here.
I passed by these terrifying Halloween decorations in a neighbor’s yard. Some of them are hyper-realistic. Like this human foot…
And these weird baby hands….
This strange human head…
And his beautiful lover…
For more creepy tricks and treats, check out my article:
On a gorgeous early fall day, I walked from my new digs in Fremont to Discovery Park by way of the Ballard Bridge to cover the recently refurbished homes at Fort Lawton for Curbed Seattle.
The idyllic homes are surrounded by Discovery Park, Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Fantasies of frolicking through grassy fields singing, the Sound of Music before retiring to my wraparound porch for a cool glass of ice tea came to mind. To learn more about the fascinating history of the area (POWs! Jane Fonda!) and the homes, read the full story here.
Bainbridge Island is everyone’s favorite part of Kitsap County, Washington. In the written epilogue of the 1996 hit movie, That Thing You Do! Guy Patterson and Fay move to Bainbridge Island, have four children and found a music conservatory where Patterson teaches jazz composition. Tom Hanks wrote and directed the movie, so I can only assume that his harrowing performance in Cast Away was inspired by his time on Bainbridge Island.
You must travel to Bainbridge Island by Ferry. The ferry is very safe, but if you would like to stand on the bow and pretend its the Titanic, the nice citizens of Seattle will just smile politely and walk around you. The ferry is so safe, it’s laughable.
View from the Ferry
Once you arrive on the island, artisan handicrafts and farm-to-table restaurants will overwhelm your senses. Portland has nothing on Bainbridge Island. It just doesn’t get any more homegrown local than Bainbridge.
In the mood for a pastry? Inhale a fluffy orange sweet roll with a buttery orange filling and sweet orange glaze from Blackbird Bakery.
If you want to fit in with the locals, you’ll really need to ramp up your outerwear style. Head on over to The Wildernest and pick up some Mountain Khakis.
Locals in Bainbridge care about their look and will go to great lengths to maintain it. One local lost an item of clothing and posted a flier all over town to reclaim her beloved accessory:
The Eagle Harbor Book Company has an incredible selection and atmosphere. They also have a large section featuring local authors including Jack Olson, Susan Wiggs and David Guterson who wrote Snow Falling on Cedars.
Other famous Bainbridge Islanders include actor Chris Kattan, adult film star Tori Black and Jon Brower Minnoch, the heaviest man recorded in history.
If you want to spice things up, head over to one of the many kitchen stores and pick up some of Chef Marla’s Yiddish “Shit-arein” spices, which translated means, “to throw a little of this and a little of that.” They come in Dipshit, Horseshit, Shootin the Shit, Chicken Shit and Super Shit.
Bainbridge Island is a wonderful adventure for all ages. With beaches, parks, hiking, shopping and artisan goods galore, it is a special place in our world not to be missed. Although it is surrounded by water, boasts a median household income of $91,280 and 92.88% of it’s residents are white, Bainbridge likes to think of itself as a lady on the streets but a freak in the sheets.
Behold the wonder for yourself. On Bainbridge Isle.
If you’ve ever wanted to do an anthropological study on the relationship between old hippies and wild salmon (who hasn’t?), the Issaquah Salmon Days Festival is fertile ground for field work. I go each year with my family and enjoy “Fishy, Family, Fun,” that is “Spawnsored” by Overlake Medical Clinics with Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (F.I.S.H.) and run by a dedicated team of “OhFISHal” volunteers. It’s truly a dream come true.
The festival is chock full of one-of-a-kind artisan goods and folk art that puts Portlandia to shame. You can even get a cactus planter modeled after your favorite classic Super Nintendo game. What will they think of next?
I think if one person could embody the soul of the Pacific Northwest it would probably be Harold Johnson. Harold Johnson is a wonderful painter who paints on site in a little tent at the festival. I hope that one day I can undergo a metaphysical, physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual transformation and become half the man he is. He’s worth checking out.
Delicious culinary adventures abound across the festival. You’ve got your classic corn dogs, pizza, kettle corn, and elephant ears, along with samosas, ethiopian food, asian fusion burritos, and of course, salmon.
Salmon Days is the perfect place to stock up on gifts for your loved ones. Especially Moms. Need a hand-painted platter with a picture of a chicken riding in a truck on it? Your wish is Debbie Dean’s command.
If you get tuckered out shopping and eating, you can always stop by the Magical Strings stand and take a breather with some soothing harp music. Now might be the time for you to finally by that harp you’ve always wanted.
Salmon Days only comes once a year, so don’t miss it this year Oct. 3rd – 4th.
Carnival of Souls 