Veggie Garden, Third Shot

Back to our garden...we’ve harvested a few more tomatoes, but the green onions haven’t grown more than a couple of inches out of the ground and the radishes are at a standstill.


This poor, pathetic (Mike gave it a haircut weeks ago) tomato plant just won’t give up! Look at all the tomatoes on it!! It is a patio tomato plant that we brought from Salem.


And does anyone know what type of tomato this is?? It was supposed to be a patio tomato plant we got here in Kenmore, but it looks more like romas or even peppers!


This one has given us some nice, sweet cherry tomatoes for a snack, but it has produced just barely enough for a couple of salads. They sure taste good though.


Here is our white squash that has finally flowered. We’re not sure if it will have enough sunshine time to develop the squash.




The pumpkins on 8/7, 8/18 and 8/30. There are lots of flowers on them. I just hope we have pumpkins by Halloween!













And the sunflowers on 8/7, 8/18 and 8/30. We need MORE SUN!

Mike and Some of the Ole AT&T Wireless Wrecking Crew

Mike had a party last night. He invited some of his old buddies from back in the day when AT&T Wireless was the hottest gig in town. At one time they were all IT management...those were the days...

Mike’s menu included his spicy bean dip and chips, Mike’s homemade mustard potato salad, Frank’s BBQ hot wings, celery and ranch dip, grilled corn on the cob, and home-baked walnut chocolate chip cookies. YUM! Mike did all the work...all I had to do was keep the beverages flowing and the 2-year old happy.


Mike hard at work at the grill.


Gary and Bill.


Evan.


Evan’s wife, Amie and daughter, Emma.


Gary and his friend, Clint.


The gang.

The weatherman had predicted clouds and showers, but he was wrong! The sun was out and the evening was very nice. We had a really good time and with any luck the weather will hold out and September will host many more BBQs.

Shilshoe Bay, Golden Gardens and the Ballard Locks

Oh, another glorious day in Seattle! Yesterday morning we put our bikes on the bike rack and headed south and west to Ballard and Shilshoe Bay in Puget Sound. We unloaded our bikes and began our ride at Golden Gardens, a public park on a saltwater beach with nice sand and lots of boats in the water.




The marina is just south of Golden Gardens.



Mike dreaming of a sailboat...some day...



Leif Erikson - I am a Johnson, and I used to live in Ballard - perhaps a long, lost relative?


We saw lots of Dungeness crabs like this guy in the water.


As we biked further south we hit the “restaurant zone” – including Ray’s Boathouse. A restaurant that burned down to the pier in 1987. And almost 10 years later it suffered a 2nd fire! But it reopened months later and is still there today. I have been there many times and the tables on the deck cannot be beat for the sunset view, good chow, and adult beverages!




We caught a pic of this ship, escorted by a tug boat. Her name is Alaska Solution and she appears to be a ferry of some sort. We happened to follow her all the way through to the Ballard Locks.


And what are the Locks? The Locks are a profound engineering marvel! They serve as a way to move vessels from the salt water in the Sound to the fresh waters of Lake Union and Lake Washington. This is accomplished by raising and lowering the water levels - quite a feat. Secondly, the Locks include fish ladders which assist in the migration of salmon back to their birthplace so that they can give birth and continue the salmon cycle.




While the Alaska Solution used the “big lock,” the smaller boats used the “small lock” and came out one at a time.





The fish ladders have an observation area for viewing one of the ladder steps. I have visited the ladders so many times over the years, but it is still fascinating to see what these huge fish have to go through to make it home to spawn.


Salmon in the “waiting area” to go up the ladders.


The fish ladders on the side of the Locks.

We probably spent over an hour at the Locks and fish ladders. It was so very interesting and something I’d recommend for anyone – visitors and native Seattleites!


After all that “sight seeing” we got back on our bikes and went north back to Golden Gardens. The beach was filling up and it was time to head home. Ahhh...I love Seattle!

p.s. I am going to start documenting my Kenmore Air sightings...here is one now!

Happy Hour 2010

Back in the day, Happy Hour meant cheap drinks and free hors d'oeuvres. In today’s economically challenged times, Kenmore sports a whole new meaning to Happy Hour...


From our local Texaco station.


And from the Shell down the road.

I wonder which one started Happy Hour first?!

Mike the BBQ Chef

We have used the Webber BBQ grill sooo much this summer. It’s really nice to cook outdoors and keep the kitchen nice and cool. Mike has been perfecting his grilling technique and last night we had a great dinner – all prepared on the grill.


Mike firin’ up the briquettes in my lovely apron.


Everything’s cooking...steak for Mike, salmon for me, roasted corn and skewers of red potatoes and onions.


Time to eat!

Veggie Garden, Second Shot

The recent days of hot, bright sunlight have been good to our struggling veggie garden. In fact, yesterday I harvested another tomato and our first radishes.

And the pumpkin vines in the back yard are finally going crazy with little runners sprouting everywhere. Will we have jack-o-lanterns from our yard???


August 7th.


August 18th.

See the difference in the photos from August 7th and the one from yesterday?!


August 7th.


August 18th.

And the sunflowers are also gaining height. I just hope there is enough time for them to blossom into mammoth yellow sunflowers!!