Weekend Reflections--Pink and purple!

A wig, fake ice cream, real girl (I think she has ice cream cones on her dress, too) were posing in front of a wall of Seattle's EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT.

 Of course I couldn't resist the impulse to steal a shot. See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--cloud on a string

Almost like a giant balloon is this cloud 'connected' to a jet's trail.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Big guys like fragant soap, too

While in Portland, Oregon, last weekend my daughter and I entered this soap/cosmetic shop. We sniffed and sampled creams, and so did this fellow.

Ain't all for girls.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"X" is for "Aix"

Aix-en-Provence, that is, my neXt destination once back on European soil. I spent one year (junior/part of senior) studying there in 1968-69. Memories galore relived a few years back with some of us who have kept in contact.  This October we plan to get together for a real flashback in Aix!  I don't plan on sleeping, just talking, eating, and sampling wine....

See other Xs on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

The Blue Line

Spotted this hip guy on the blue street car line through a restaurant window in Portland. 

Latkes for breakfast

In Portland for the weekend....we had a lot of good meals, including this Sunday breakfast of latkes served with applesauce and sour cream (for me) and challah French toast for my daughter, across the table.

Yum.

Shadow Shot Sunday-Metropol Palace in The Nines

Daughter and I are on a 'girls' weekend' in Portland, staying at The Nines.  On one table there was a glossy magazine of worldwide hotels and to my surprise, there was Belgrade's recently renovated Metropol Palace.

Maybe I should do a night-out in Belgrade when I return!

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--the window washers

Not a job I'd like to have....

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--The Swing

Have to say that nowadays when I do swing, usually accompanied by a child, the back and forth movement makes me a bit nauseated.  Nevertheless, while my little grandson (not this older boy) was swinging and happily being pushed by his mother, I snapped this photo of an enthusiastic swinger.  He made me think of the following poem, The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson:

How do you like to go up in a swing,

   Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

   Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

   Till I can see so wide,

Rivers and trees and cattle and all

   Over the countryside—

Till I look down on the garden green,

   Down on the roof so brown—

Up in the air I go flying again,

   Up in the air and down!

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Fleur-de-lys and....?

I only recognize the fleur-de-lys (alternate spelling:  fleur-de-lis) on the gate of this Seattle garden. Don't know what those pretty lavender one are....

ABC WEDNESDAY="W" is for "weally wed"

You can tell I'm hard up for photos this vacation.....  I couldn't find anything else for W, so I chose to post as if Elmer Fudd himself were posting. Are you aware you can set your Google settings to Fudd-speak? You can, right here.

These bwight wed chairs were stacked up outside a cafe in downtown Seattle.

See other Ws (weal ones) on Mrs. Nesbitt's  ABC WEDNESDAY.

Hospitable Bromeliad

Speaking of bromeliads,, I spotted this truck the other day. I googled Pineapple Hospitality and it appears to be a Seattle-based hotel group, with a hotel in San Francisco and Portland too.

I love their vanity plate.

Pure

A pure white rose after a Seattle rain.  And it even had a fragrance.

Shadow Shot Sunday--upside down again

Some thing are a mystery in life, like why Blogger occasionally refuses to upload my photos the way they should be.  This photo is upside down!  I tried everything; saving the photo with right, left, upside-down and right-side-up orientation, but none went through the right way.

Anyway, this shadow resemble a flower, but is actually a small garden lamp.

Oh, well.

Check out other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--spot the flag!

Old Glory reflected in a building in downtown Seattle.  Today is Flag Day, too!

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH---Ancient names in the Grand Canyon

More from the Grand Canyon....I ran out of adjectives to describe the beauty; wows developed into 'spectacular,' 'breathtaking,' 'unbelievable', 'mind-blowing', and so on.  None do justice to the Canyon and even this photo doesn't give you a feeling of the expanse.

In this photo from left to right, if I remember what Gaelyn the Geogypsy and my hostess told me, we see more or less in the center three 'buttes' and from the tiniest to the largest (right to left)  they are Zoraster, Brahma's Temple, and Deva Temple.

These fanciful names can be attributed to the geologist and poet Clarence Dutton.

Visit other skies on SKYWATCH.

A better view

This raven will have a much better view of the Grand Canyon than I ever will, unless I take a helicopter ride, which I am not about to do.  This was a quick shot, but I managed to get it in focus.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"V" is for "versus"

I've been negligent in posting since I've been visiting Gaelyn at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I'm now back in Seattle and trying hard to catch up with posts, and eventually visiting your blogs. Many apologies; but it's hard when on vacation!

That said, I learned an awful lot with Gaelyn. I really knew what we call buffalo are in reality bison, but like many fell into the trap of that misnomer. If you want to know about buffalo VERSUS bison, check out this site that explains it all.

From now on then, it's "Oh, give me a home where the bison roam....", "Bison Bill", and "I've been bisoned."

Check out other Vs on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

REFLECTION WEEKEND--Glass bromeliads

I love watching Jeopardy when in the US and the other evening I got the Final Jeopardy question correct, since I happened to know what a bromeliad is:  a plant native to tropical and subtropical America, typically having short stems with rosettes of stiff, usually spiny, leaves.  A pineapple is one!

These beautiful glass pineapples were in the window of a glass blowing workshop downtown.

See other reflections on James'WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--not happy

When I went up to my daughter's rooftop terrace the other evening to take some sunset photos, this crow was not happy. He (or perhaps she) swooped and cawed incessantly.  The tree it was in was not close and I saw no signs of a nest anywhere. Perhaps I'd just come too close for comfort.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Four doors

A bit of Seattle symmetry for you. I almost felt like waiting to see if four identical people would emerge simultaneously.

ABC WEDNESDAY=="U" is for "unusual"

A feathered chandelier is indeed unusual. At least I've never seen one before. This one hangs in a boutique on Queen Anne hill in Seatte.

See other Us on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Clam Chowder

I love a good clam chowder....and oyster crackers.

Boomer

Boomer is new to the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. His creator is the same sculptor that made the Pike Place Market's Rachel the Pig.  You can read about Boomer right here.

THEME DAY--ZEST!

Oh, to be a kid again, though my inner child is alive and well, believe me.  Here's my grandson Luka, who is largely responsible for my lack of visits to your blogs...  He's definitely enjoying himself here in this zestful moment.

I've noticed that I don't appreciate swinging as when a child....it kind of makes me nauseated....but I don't mind pushing.

Here's where to see other Theme Day posts.