Skiing Again!

I can't believe the midwinter break is almost over. I must say I have packed a lot into the week. These pictures are from Thursday when I went up to Snoqualmie to cross country ski. I went alone which is, truthfully, something I enjoy. I was on the same trail I skied in December so I didn't take as many pictures; the landscape hasn't changed aside from maybe a foot more of snow. While it wasn't a brilliant sunny day, there was new snow on the ground and the temperature hovered at around freezing all day long. It was perfect for doing a brisk 3 hour ski. I figure I skied a solid 12 miles and I sure felt it at the end of the day. I did notice more waterfalls running vigorously over rocky mountainsides. The one in the top picture fell into a ditch next to the ski trail and through a culvert under the trail and into the lake on the other side (second picture). I saw a few fly like bugs on the snow as I skiied along. Now what bug hatches in winter and survives in the snow? I can understand that they may be living under the snow and in the brush and decaying matter under trees, but on top of the snow?

Silver and Grey

On my way home from the singing I stopped downtown at Seattle's new sculpture park and "voila!" my camera was working. This tree sculpture seemed perfectly placed against the grey Seattle winter sky. Check out Seattle Art Museum to find out the actual titles of the sculptures and to learn more about the artists. By the way, I am having a heck of a time controlling font color and I have no idea where this underlining is coming from. But do click on my link to the Art Museum. It is very informative.

Silver and Grey

Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Mother Eagle

Mother Eagle
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Hulls

I do not know the true title of these sculptures but I thought they suggested something nautical like hulls of ships or waves. See that blue sign in the back on the left? Basically they ask people to look and not touch. I do not see how they are ever going to enforce that! While you can't tell from my photos, the sculpture park was quite well attended on this blustery winter afternoon. There has been some discussion about the signs. They are rather tacky and detract visually from the sculptures. While I certainly don't advocate violating the sculptures with graffiti, shouldn't simply touching them be an allowable and expected? After all, they have been constructed to be outside and if the weather can do its worst why can't we at least touch the sculptures?
Hulls
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Black with Holes

Black with Holes
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Chrome

Chrome
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Eraser

I can't help but wonder for just how many years will people recognize what this is. Does anyone out there still use a typewriter?
Eraser
Originally uploaded by mtnester.

Signs of Spring

February in Seattle = Spring
Originally uploaded by tunefulpower.

Two whole days of singing and the weather outside was almost warm in the sun. You have to know I was happy to be singing but I also hankered to work in my yard as I took a brisk walk around the Ballard neighborhood and saw several signs of spring. 'Tunefulpower', the singer who took this picture, also spied Spring in this daffodil blooming next to the Sunset Hill Community Center. If you click on any of the photos it will take you to Flickr account of the person who took the photos. They have taken wonderful photos that show the diverse population of the singers and the vigor and enthusiasm that the leaders bring to the singing. While most people in attendance were from Washington and Oregon, there were a few from Chicago, Canada, New York, and Colorado.

Little Korina

Jordan Singer & Family
Originally uploaded by portlandsacredharp.

Sacred Harp singers can be very young.....

A Well Dressed Gent

Bruce Rowland Gets the "Best Dressed" Award!
Originally uploaded by tunefulpower.

or more seasoned, like this well dressed gent!

Seattle's Sacred Harp Convention 2-17-07

Bruce Rowland Leads a Large Saturday Class
Originally uploaded by portlandsacredharp.

Lucky for me that a singer from Portland took all these wonderful pictures because my camera was not cooperating at all. Really I was there; for each and every glorious song! If you enlarge the photo, I am the one with my head bent down next to the lady in pink (Alice), in front of the windows. We're the trebels. Check out the trailer for Awake My Soul . This is a dvd about singing in the Sacred Harp tradition.

Hat Ladies: Katharine, Karen & Tamara

Hat Ladies: Katharine, Karen & Tamara
Originally uploaded by portlandsacredharp.

Traditional Southern singers dress up and the women wear hats. These Pacific NW ladies have adopted the custom and they sure look nifty in their hats!