Skywatch Friday--Floating by the Needle

Viewed from a friend's house in West Seattle. He has this gorgeous view, albeit sometimes without the parachutist, every day...

I'll be posting again from Belgrade September 2nd...



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Which pie did I make?

Yesterday we fed the birds, now we're feeding me....and a few friends. When I'm in the US, I like to eat foods that are not readily available in Belgrade, like blueberries. Very few here, if any; never seen blueberries on the Serbian markets. Anyway, I made the blueberry pie on the right for my contribution to a dinner at my future in-laws' home. (Remember, daughter's getting married in Belgrade September 19th!)

(I'll be back posting from Belgrade on September 2nd.)

ABC Wednesday "F" is for "Feed Sticks"

Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo offers an up-close-and-personal aviary, where kids (and I am a large child) can buy Feed Sticks for a dollar and feed their feathered friends. The little parakeets and cockatiels in the enclosure seem to be endlessly hungry, and they are constantly eyeing new visitors to see if there's a feed stick in his or her hand.

Who ever came up with the expression 'eat like a bird'? These guys were famished!

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Koo-koo-ROO-zah!

I did a double-take when I walked pass this gourmet popcorn shop at 215 Pike Street in Seattle. "Kukuruz" is the Serbian word for 'corn.,' and perhaps in a couple of other Slavic languages. Googling gave me this information .

Sounds good!

Found him!

It was Chuck from Almost One A Day in Seattle (see list on right) whom I found, not the cat. The cat is a really sweet kitty (and that's a compliment, coming from a dog lover), and belongs to the Cat Whisperer...

Chuck had written to me before I arrived that he was hard to find at the Pike Place Market, but I sneaked up on him and found him with nooooo trouble.

Check out Chuck's photos!

One year ago today....

One year ago today my loving and much-loved husband passed away. I can't believe the year has gone so fast, and that the pain has lessened so little. I imagine it never will.

This photo is from all of my family to him whom we loved more than anything. He's shown here on a beach in La Push, Washington, on his last trip to the US two years ago.

Ivan, we love you still and forever.

Neat-o Nikes

Pretty snazzy, eh? I think I would have bought a pair of these once-upon-a-time.

What I see in the morning

When I open my eyes every morning (early) here in Seattle, this is what I see before I even get out of bed: leaves against a pale blue sky.

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A good mother

As I said the other day, I frequently took the Bremerton ferry this summer. Each time the boat docked in Bremerton, I hurried to the front port side to check on Mama Seagull. She'd made her nest on a tall pylon that aligns with the ferry's window. I was hoping to soon see a baby or two, but all I ever got was an egg. Anyway, everybody loves baby birds....

...or do they? Well, believe it or not, the Feds have been exterminating seagulls for more than a decade from Seattle's ferry terminals, because they are a health and safety hazard, after one ferry employee came down with psittacosis, a disease sometimes transmitted by birds, even the domestic parakeet. This nasty bit of news came out here in early August. Part of the article reads, "...the birds are usually killed discreetly and quietly at night to avoid offending anyone..... Nests are removed by hand. Juvenile birds typically are gassed with carbon-dioxide in a chamber about the size of a microwave oven. Adults often are killed with pellet guns..."

So I wonder when our nation's beaches are going to get rid of all their gulls.

I hope this little egg stays safe.

ABC Wednesday 'E' is for 'Everlasting...?'

Is (some) love everlasting? This sign in the Lush soap store in Westlake Mall proclaims that it's not, and that their soaps last longer. So buy one and shower with your sweetie while they last!

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Snoozing over the Sound...

During my Seattle visit, I have had the occasion to take the Washington State Ferry across Puget Sound several times to Bremerton to visit my mother who lives in Gig Harbor. It's an hour ride, and I usually read or write. Many people use the time for a cat nap....