The gray has returned
Clouds drawing out my calmness
Too much so, perhaps
Category: Seattle and Beyond
Moving Day
Moving day
Changes arrived
Blending excitement
Within sadness
Transitions leave some
Behind while
Potential is birthed
Seattle’s Spring: A HaikuÂ
Blossoms announcing it so
In the trees, birds call
Southbound I-5 Silver Lake rest area to close Wednesday, April 26
You know that little rest area on I5 south, right by the truck scales south of Everett Mall? If you don’t, well, fret not…I know many people who’ve lived here their whole lives who are oblivious to it’s existence. I’ve stopped there a handful of times. But, since most of my driving in this area is commuting, I usually don’t have need.
Anyway, it’s good that it’s there, and I’m glad the state is keeping it up.
Southbound Interstate 5 travelers should plan ahead if they wish to use the rest area between Marysville and Olympia.
Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close the southbound I-5 Silver Lake rest area just south of Everett from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, for maintenance work to the area’s RV dump station. This closure may roll over to the next day if work cannot be completed in the scheduled time.
Other rest areas
Drivers have other rest areas on southbound I-5 to choose from, including:
- The Smokey Point rest area is located 19.5 miles south of Mount Vernon and offers restrooms, telephones, drinking water, vending machines, visitor information, RV dump station and picnic areas.
- The Maytown rest area is located approximately 12 miles south of Olympia. Services include restrooms, telephones, drinking water, vending machines, visitor information, and picnic areas.
The Tulips Of Skagit Are In Full Glory Now – Plan Ahead
Tulip traffic was pretty brutal last weekend. I saw back ups starting in Lynnwood. I don’t know how far the congestion went, often it opens up some north of Marysville/Arlington.
Anyway, I was hoping that the Easter holiday was a large contributor, but the good folks at WA DOT aren’t so sure. They’re predicting even heavier traffic volumes the next few weekends, as the flowers are now in solid bloom. Not sure how lovely the weather will be, but this is western Washington and you can’t let a little rain hinder your fun.
Below are some notes from the WS DOT. I particularly recommend the SR 20 option. If you’re not heading for the tulips, you might even head over to 9, though if that’s backed up, you’re kinda stuck.
A Skagit pro-tip: check out Calico Cupboard, one of my favorite restaurants up there. Besides the Mt. Vernon one, there’s one in La Conner, too (a nice little junket away from the fields, still quite close, though). And if you need some caffeination, let me recommend Woods Coffee. They’re a chain out of Whatcom county, and I’ve been to several of their Bellingham stores and am fond of them. The Mt. Vernon store’s parking lot is a little quirky, so be forewarned.
If you’re not heading to the tulips, here are some other opportunities in the north Puget Sound region.
I hope your weekend is refreshing and wonderful.
Traffic was rough in and out of Skagit County this weekend and I’d expect it to be worse the next couple of weekends as tulip fields are in full bloom.
Here’s what to know:
- Consider getting to the fields and gardens before the gates officially swing open to beat I-5 traffic in and out of the area.
- Both Tulip Festival gardens open at 9 a.m.
- SR 20 is a good alternate into the tulip fields but consider going backroads to get out.
- Know that once you hit county roads around the fields, there will be congestion and even deputies directing traffic at some intersections. It doesn’t matter the time.
- There aren’t many restrooms available out on the county roads if you’re doing a driving tour. Consider stopping at one of the WSDOT Safety Rest Areas along I-5 before checking out the flowers.
In my opinion, visiting Skagit Valley this time of year is totally worth it. Just know that even if you plan ahead and have alternate routes – you are going to experience some congestion. Plan ahead by having snacks and activities in the car to keep everyone relaxed before and after your visit.
Everett CC’s 2017 Anime & Manga Arts Festival in May
The good folks at Everett Community College, along with the City of Everett’s Cultural Arts Commission are delighted to bring you their 2017 Japanese Anime and Manga Arts Festival.
Next month, May 19th & 20th…and this event is FREE! And open to everyone.
Their website has all the details.
Cinerama’s Anime Festival
I’m pretty excited that the good folks at Cinerama are hosting their first Anime Movie Festival. They’ll be featuring twenty-three genre favorites including Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Paprika and Cowboy Bebop.
If you like Studio Ghibli, they’ll be heavily featured including ten masterpieces from famed anime grand master Hayao Miyazaki. These titles include Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro.
Also included in the festival is 2017 Oscar-nominated The Red Turtle.
All movies will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles (the choice for discerning anime geeks). One exception:Â Ponyo, which will be dubbed in English, and The Red Turtle, which is dialogue free.
It’s hard for me to choose one, and the time/commute to Seattle factor makes things painful. Dream world: I’d take next week off, stay in a nearby hotel and binge. However, that’s not to me.
Which is your favorite? Are you going? Which films are you going to see?
Anyway, all the details are here, with the schedule and reservations here.
Slowing Moving Day In Everett
It was a weird day to be at the Snohomish County administrative offices.
One: for some strange reason, tons of people were submitting plans/requests for permits. Not sure the causality of that. But the line was LOONNGGG.
Two: there was plenty of media presence, most likely due to this story: “Cascade Mall shooter dies in apparent jail suicide“. Mr. Cetin was being held in the Snohomish County jail, part of the admin complex.
Three:Â I heard that they were interviewing jurors for a major case. Not sure the whos or whats of that rumor, but there you go.
Four: I’m sure related to all the above, there was no parking in the county’s garage.
Last but not least, there was a gnarly accident on the corner of Oakes and Pacific, so Oakes wasn’t getting through, and people were being routed around Pacific.
Made for a slow moving day, but got some key stuff done. Not going to complain too loudly.
What a lovely day!
Today was pretty delightful. First, got to sleep in…always a boon.
My wife and I hit the Brook’s Tent Sale. Though I’m no longer a runner, my wife and son are. And I’m something of an avid walker, so good shoes are valuable to me.
Next stop, a friend of ours, who makes killer cinnamon rolls, made some killer cinnamon rolls and shared some with us.
We then went and walked around the Edmonds waterfront. One of our favorite places. Calm, peaceful, and people who will actually politely greet each other.
On our way home, we stopped at Mel & Mias, a gem of a bakery/coffee shop in the Perrinville neighborhood of Edmonds/Lynnwood. Charming, delightful place. Light and inviting aura, and excellent treats. Oh, and coffee that’s quite unique. Today got to try a monsoon coffee from India. I’ve never had Indian coffee, so that was a delight in-and-of-itself. The processing for this is unique. They basically cage the coffee beans and let the rains clean away the husk and pulp of the cherry. It had mild citrus and berry notes which paired well with our cherry tart.
For dinner we went to help celebrate our favorite Mexican place’s (La Raza) 8th anniversary. Though we had to leave before the mariachi band arrived, it was great seeing the good folks there having a deserved good time.
Nothing monumental or life changing. Mostly, just life affirming and charming. The sun shone brightly, which was a pleasant change. All in all, no complaints.
Here’s wishing every one of you a blessed Easter, no matter which faith your practice. May we all find peace and joy…in the small things.
Oh How Technology Delights Me
Starting at the first of the year, I’ve been working for a construction company. A lot of what I offer is technological competence. Now my team needs someone with AutoCAD knowledge. Well, back in the early/mid-90s, I studied CAD, back when I was thinking about becoming an engineer.
So, to say my skills are rusty is a bit of an understatement. We studied AutoCAD for DOS! Now, DOS was awesome and all, but that really was an unfathomably long time ago.
My local education institution, Edmonds Community College, offers a AutoCAD class as part of their Construction Management program. And as I need to ramp up my skills quickly, here I find myself, taking another evening class.
I’m having a ton of fun, though. I mean, I’m sitting in front of a computer making it do cool things. Speaks highly to my tech geek side.
It is a quirky thing, that’s for sure. Many operating elements are counter-intuitive if you’re solely used to the Microsoft-land. A bit less so if you’ve used Photoshop and Adobe products, or Quark (remember that one?). As Master Yoda would say, I need to unlearn what I’ve learned.
Anyway, I’m having a lot of fun learning new stuff. A key element of the geek heart, as I describe it.