Tag: seattle

A Saturday Haiku For Seattle

Carl Setzer

With the gloom clearing

Patches of blue sky eastward

Yet more rain’s coming

Weather, especially in June, can be quite fickle. Such is today. I guess.

The Pike Place Market: A Meditation

Carl Setzer

Memories of walking the market 

Wood floors creaking 

My grandparents walked here 

Aunts and uncles, cousins 

So very much of my soul

Looks at the westward view

Sunset behind the Olympics

Elliott Bay’s colored waters

Blues, reds and purples

Their history upon my eyes

Hey Seattle, the weekend’s looking pretty good

Carl Setzer

Weather

Though the next few days look a bit drippy, the weekend is looking pretty nice. Actually, we’ll be pushing the Seattle comfort band pretty hard Sunday and Monday. 80? Ooofff!

Anyway, excited and ready to get outdoors? Or are you going to find a coffee shop or a mall with AC?

 

Reflecting on our burst of summer-like weather 

Carl Setzer

Well, it was pretty hot today. A real scorcher by Seattle standards. The temperature above was in Marysville, taken right after I got in.

I’m not the biggest fan of heat, but it doesn’t bother me like some folks. I remember getting off the plane. In Orlando. In August. The wave of heat and humidity was invigorating. Weird, I know. But it brought up memories of the Philippines. A wonderful period in my life. That was many decades hence. Yet it’s still in my heart. 

Where I hate heat: when I’m trying to sleep. I love feeling cool. No logic. Just is. Thank goodness for fans. 

Now the layer of grimy duat covering my cars each morning irritates my sinuses. That’s been adding an element of misery. Fortunately, my allergy meds work mitigates my misery. V_

Clearly, spring has sprung. 

And, in classic Seattle, Charlie Brown-esque luck, after one last nice, albeit cooler, day, we launch into another dripfest weekend. Oh, we hapless Seattleites and our penchant for indoor weekend fun…or rain gear. We’ll need to utilize one, or both, this coming one. 

May it be wonderful for each of you. Rain or dry. 

The Temperate Life

Carl Setzer

We in Seattle have a unique concept of weather. Living in a temperate climate impacts the use of adjectives. Things like “heat wave” and (today’s Daily Prompt) “frigid“. 

I’ve heard “frigid” used to describe temperatures in the 30s (Fahrenheit). Now, if you’re from Buffalo, Chicago, Moscow or Beijing, you might find that a bit puzzling. Understandably so. Yet, with some insight, it makes sense. 

Western Washington’s average temperature ranges from 37-77 F over the year, with a mean of 54 F. Extended exposure to this makes for a unique view of weather extremes, especially what defines those extremes. 

A quirk of  Seattleites: this narrow range of comfort. Seattle folks complain of brutal cold in the mid-30s, and of extreme heat in the upper 70s. Folks from Buffalo are still wearing shorts in the 30s, and Floridians are wearing light sweaters in the 70s. 

I’ve come to believe that this framework helps us cope with the length and breadth of grey days. So many transplants I’ve known struggled with the extended grey. It carries its own brutality. For me, though, it’s beautiful. 

 

Oh No! I missed Emerald City Comicon!!

Carl Setzer

Fret not my geeky friends, for Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest are laden with comicon delights.

In Seattle alone, you have:

And there are events in Portland, Everett, Bellevue, Spokane, Ellensburg, Boise…

There are plenty of opportunities, check them out! Here’s my list.

Things are changing all the time. If you come across something that’s not here, let me know and I’ll add.

An afternoon walk

Carl Setzer

Briefly I went out
Enjoying this moment’s sun
As it fades to dust

Earlier this week, the dreary effects of winter faded for an afternoon. I went down the few blocks to the trailhead and walked. Got some good exercise and vitamin D.

A few thoughts on cycling this Saturday morning 

Carl Setzer

Was just reading through a bunch of articles about cycling, all centered in the Pacific NorthWest. Urban cycling, bicycle touring, city planning, healthy living and how cycling fits into a sustainable culture; filling my brain with ideas. A big thing: I need to get out and ride more. Of course, it’s been been quite chilly here around Puget Sound. And such things challenge my desire to ride. 

I’ve become much more of a fair weathered cyclist. At one point, the notion of being such horrified me. I was committed to riding, bike commuting, cycling as urban transport. A few accidents with cars (with broken bones and other fun) and myriad close calls, my tolerance for urban riding waned. Plus, moving back home to Seattle’s suburbs threw me deep into car culture. Riding became a weekend hobby. I hate this. 

The desire to return to deep immersion into bike culture hits me regularly. It rebounds off of the suburban car culture, but bounces back. The overcommitted life, which is only manageable with a car, my 20 mile commute, the geographic spread of suburban life all factor in. 

I’m also weary of the challenge of getting exercise. I need to block time to get to the gym, versus just walking/riding all the time. There’s a community around cycling that’s pretty amazing. So many benefits to the cycle-centric life, and I miss them.