Earlier this year before they cleaned off the gum wall in Seattle

So earlier this year we hit the gum wall, unintentionally and not physically (that would be gross.) 

we had a lovely morning at the aquarium after some under sea learning and the meandered the pike place market and bam there we were at the gum wall (which I had not been to in ages, a decade even?) 

You can see the excitement in my daughters face when trying to document out happy background full of colorful gum...

Impressed by the number of gum penises about ...anyways they spent a few thousand and cleaned this puppy back down to brick just over a month ago.
it will live again I am sure it already is....

Stairs no more

so there were stairs, albeit somewhat ramshackle and  I only was able to navigate up them once before they became too un stair like to get up em...
now the wood is gone and a shadow remains, imprinted til the building falls I suppose and though that didn't seem imminent 7 years ago now ...it does.

These rift of the new Seattle and the old

 

Falling apart and building up. I guess if I look at my own darn life this too is how I have lived, falling down and building up.

The tenacity with which Seattle  now builds up is remarkable and when I met other folks who come from other places non of them seem to have known prior to moving here the inherent risk of earthquakes which will I suppose cause some more falling down and building up.

Fort Stevens State Park, Oregon

 

I love me a good fort that is for sure.

Growing up I experienced Fort Erie which for me is not as exciting as one of this western forts of maze like concrete wonderfulness.  I can only imagine how these would have sparked my imagination as a kid as they do so now so much so as an adult (or kid pretending to be adult, mistakenly placed in adult body.)  

This is Oregon's Fort Stevens State Park , specifically Battery Russell.

Northern State Hospital Farm 2015

oh dear, it has been awhile since I made a pilgrimage to the farm, things have changed !

Seems Drastic from last visited, hopefully I am not aging quite as badly as this farm.

It's hard to say if people initiated what has occurred, glad I made it before the two roofs had been removed leaving something left without a shadow.

I cried when I walked into it, like my daughter once might have over losing a tower to the dog who figured it was there to be destroyed.

I cried and got it out then photographed and now I am beginning to get that out.... changed pieces of something left to fall apart.

Old saw Mill on Clear Creek Trail, Silverdale

It was hot when we visited this trail.
 construction seems to be screwing up the southern parts of the trail at present.
But I was satisfied with a rusting saw and some Queen Anne's lace for fun small exploration.


trail map here

Barn at Scatter Creek wildlife area

On our fourth visit to Great Wolf Lodge we managed to get some sun as it was the most beautiful weekend, of course- personally i Prefer Great Wolf when it is absolutely crap outside so I can feel lucky to be hot indoors.

Bricks, ST Marys Lake , Montana

It was a hot day one of a few on the vacation that spent most of the time in a winter like state, from 80- 20 in a week in September.
I love bricks especially those with stamps where I can trace their genetic origins.