LOW DOWN: We took a long walk this morning, destination Terminal 91.
I was hoping there would be a big cruise ship or two to ogle at, but none were in port upon our arrival. However, we did have something to ogle - the lowest tide we've ever seen in that spot.
The water was waaaay out there, exposing a swath of seaweed and several sea critters. The kids ventured out to the far-off edge.
The dogs and I hung back, the canines cooling themselves by laying on the cool, smooshy seaweed.
On the land above the beach, the city is working to expand the park. People have tied tags to a chainlink fence, sharing ideas about what they'd like to see at the new park.
On the way back up the hill, as we passed the in-progress South Magnolia Combined Sewer Overflow Control Project under the Garfield ("Magnolia") Bridge, I told the kids I'd just read about some artifacts unearthed during the operation's excavation phase.
In fact, just last night, KOMO News featured a story about the find. Unfortunately, their video embed code doesn't work, but you can view the short piece at this link: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Workers-unearth-centuries-old-artifacts-under-Seattle-bridge-311073811.html?tab=video&c=y
According to a King County Wastewater Treatment Department report, shortly after construction began, backhoes began turning up numerous boardwalk pilings and glass bottles. At that point, they contacted the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation, and the site then became an archaeological dig.
Finds included a pair of Pince-Nez (“pinch-nose”) glasses, a style made popular by Teddy Roosevelt. Image from King County Wastewater Treatment Department
As it turned out, the sewer project site used to the home to Finntown, a low-income, multicultural community that lived along Smith Cove in the 1920s, during the Prohibition era. Many of the recovered artifacts were alcohol bottles. Some Native American artifacts were also unearthed, as were items with Japanese, Chinese and European ties.
Some of the artifacts discovered are expected to go on display at the Burke Museum later this year. We'll have to go pay them a visit.
GETTING CLOSER: The countdown to NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reaching Pluto is ticking every downward. Launched nine years ago, it's expected to arrive in twelve short days, after flying 3.6 BILLION miles!
New Horizons is already sending photos of the dwarf planet back to Earth. Check out this one, showing two different faces of Pluto.
On the Pluto shot to the right, there is a series of spots along the equator that seem to be evenly spaced. Per NASA, each of the spots is about 300 miles (480 kilometers) in diameter, with a surface area that’s roughly the size of the state of Missouri.
New Horizons was designed and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, and they manage the mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
Some of the artifacts discovered are expected to go on display at the Burke Museum later this year. We'll have to go pay them a visit.
GETTING CLOSER: The countdown to NASA's New Horizons spacecraft reaching Pluto is ticking every downward. Launched nine years ago, it's expected to arrive in twelve short days, after flying 3.6 BILLION miles!
New Horizons is the first mission to the Kuiper Belt, a sprawling zone of icy bodies and mysterious small objects orbiting beyond Neptune.
To learn more about the mission, we began watching a one-hour documentary today, "The Year of Pluto."
New Horizons is already sending photos of the dwarf planet back to Earth. Check out this one, showing two different faces of Pluto.
On the Pluto shot to the right, there is a series of spots along the equator that seem to be evenly spaced. Per NASA, each of the spots is about 300 miles (480 kilometers) in diameter, with a surface area that’s roughly the size of the state of Missouri.
New Horizons was designed and built by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland, and they manage the mission for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
WATERY DISCOVERY: We had to run to the northern city limits this afternoon, and on our way back, we noticed a park next to the Bitter Lake Community Center with a small water feature. We flipped the car around and did a little splashing.
I loved the sound of all the happy kids cooling off.
Turns out there is a bigger water feature a hundred yards or so beyond the little pond. ...
The actual Bitter Lake. It looks to be mostly bordered by private property, but there are a couple of small shore access spots for the public. However, not a single person was in its water on this 90 degree day, which I found surprising. I couldn't help but wonder if the enormous, brazen, kinda scary flock of Canada geese populating the beach had something to do with that. No doubt the lake is filled with goose doo. According to a Wikipedia article, tannic acid from logs dumped into the lake gave its water a bitter taste and the lake itself a name. The King County Web site says the lake's surface area is 19 acres, and its maximum depth is 31 feet. Bass populate it.
The actual Bitter Lake. It looks to be mostly bordered by private property, but there are a couple of small shore access spots for the public. However, not a single person was in its water on this 90 degree day, which I found surprising. I couldn't help but wonder if the enormous, brazen, kinda scary flock of Canada geese populating the beach had something to do with that. No doubt the lake is filled with goose doo. According to a Wikipedia article, tannic acid from logs dumped into the lake gave its water a bitter taste and the lake itself a name. The King County Web site says the lake's surface area is 19 acres, and its maximum depth is 31 feet. Bass populate it.
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