Lunch on the Deck

Okay - so this is cheating a bit


because technically speaking
this deck is at the Tides Tavern in Gig Harbor,
but it's just over the bridge from Tacoma
and it shares the same salt water playground.

This week, it's been a bit hot to eat anything,
but there is a bit of a breeze off the water
and you can always just drink cold drinks.

Record Breaking Heat

We're having record-breaking heat around here.
Yesterday's temperature in Seattle reached an historic high
of 102 degrees Farenheit/38.88 degrees Celsius.


Because our summers are usually more moderate,
the vast majority of homes have no air conditioning.

So any bit of shade is a blessing.

The building in the background is the Thea Foss condos
on Dock Street, next to the Foss Waterway.

Ma Chihuly's Floats

Dale Chihuly made a gift
of glass orbs
to the Tacoma Art Museum.


The installation is called
Ma Chihuly's Floats.

You can only see it in the summer,
since the installation is in an enclosed courtyard
open to the sky and the glass is fragile in cold temperatures.

Sidelined

These guys are sidelined


but following the action.
And the kids are following their every gesture,
their every word.

Hero worship.

Chris Bivins at Two Vaults Gallery

Two Vaults Gallery
at the corner of Sixth and South Fawcett
(in the Merlino Arts Center building)

features an exhibit by Chris Bivins, or at least I think it does.
I took this photo Friday, but in checking online
I found that the Weekly Volcano said this show
ended 10 days ago.

Chris Bivins is a figurative, mixed-media sculpture artist.
If his show is still there, check it out.
If not (or if you can't make the trip), click on the link above
for an intro to his work.

Was I seeing things on Friday?

p.s. The gallery was closed yesterday, but I determined that
although the show officially closed, lots of Chris's work is
in the gallery and available for sale.

Military Aircraft

Tacoma is home to Fort Lewis
and the McChord Air Force Base.

We see lots of these big guys
circling the skies in preparation for landing.

Park Along Ruston Way

Rain or shine
you find people walking,
and jogging and cycling


in the parks and on the paths
bordering Ruston Way,
overlooking Commencement Bay.

Like Jack Hyde Park.

Umbrellas

Not the kind to shield you from rain


the kind to keep you from going blind
on a bright, sunny day
when you're dining (or drinking) al fresco
near the Dock Street Marina.

Tacoma Art Museum

Summer's a good time
(anytime's a good time)
to visit Tacoma Art Museum.

Right now,
there's Chihuly on your left and
Chihuly on your right
as you walk up this walkway to the galleries.

The courtyard on the left
features "Ma Chihuly's Floats,"
an multi-piece installation of glass floats
that Chihuly donated to the museum in honor of his mother.

The cases on the right show off
part of the museum's collection of Chihuly glass pieces.

Banners

Great banners like these
hang from light poles.


They delineate neighborhoods or extol
the virtues of dining in the downtown establishments.

Arts & Crafts Fair

It's not technically Tacoma,
it's a "suburb" sort of

but over the weekend there was
the annual Arts & Crafts Fair
in Gig Harbor
which is just across a bridge from Tacoma.




The festival is
planned and executed by Peninsula Arts League.

And technically, there's more than one photo
but I thought a slideshow would be fun.

Latte, Mocha, Cappucino, Frappacino

How do you like your caffeine?

tall - skinny - not too hot - hazelnut latte
or
grande - icy cold caramel frappucino - with caramel
drizzled on top - hold the whipped cream.


No matter. Just serve it with a smile.

Sunset

I know Tacoma doesn't have
a monopoly on gorgeous sunsets

but this was too scrumptious not to shoot.

It's taken just off Highway 16 at Jackson,
looking west across Puget Sound
toward Gig Harbor (the dark foreground)
and the Olympic Mountains
(the indigo-colored mountains butting up
against the fire in the sky).

I got there about two minutes too late
to capture the blazing golden orb
as it slipped down behind the mountains.

Attention Cyclists

Not the best shot.
Perspective is off.

I had to use a flash because the poster
was in the loo and the lighting was horrible.

But it's the event that counts.
Get out there and throw it down.

p.s. Happy 21st Birthday, Gavin.

What Else?

What would you expect to find
decorating the fireplace mantel at the Mandolin Cafe?


Those are mandolins, aren't they?

Conservatory

There is a botanical garden
in the conservatory at Tacoma's Wright Park.


It's an oasis in the middle of the city.

Steps

According to a little girl and her father
who counted aloud as they descended


there are 83 steps.

I haven't counted them myself,
so I'll take their word for it.

Temple Beth El

The soaring architecture
of Tacoma's Temple Beth El


with its decorative glass
is designed to inspire reverence and reflection.

Finishing Touches

Workers are putting the finishing touches
on the new Language and Performing Arts wing,
an addition to the upper school (grades 9 - 12)


at Tacoma's Charles Wright Academy.

The school offers an excellent (albeit expensive)
education from preschool to high school graduation,
with small classes and a challenging curriculum.

Every student must take visual or performing arts classes
in addition to English, math and sciences,
foreign language, history and physical education.

Tacoma's Convention and Trade Center

The Convention and Trade Center


is across the street from the Tacoma Marriott
and opposite Tacoma's Hotel Murano.

I love how the multitude of windows
reflect both old and new.

Apartments on Fawcett Street

Lots of condos are rising up
in the downtown area.
Because it's a economic redevelopment zone,
there's an abatement of property taxes for new construction
for several years.


But there are still a few apartment buildings
that tell stories about the more meager and colorful history
of dwellings in the downtown and Hilltop areas.

Simple Things

Sometimes simple things
are quite appealing


Window detail at the Washington State History Museum
copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian


if you just take the time
to notice.

Table Art at the Hub

Table art

"Table Art" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian


al fresco at the Hub.

Rock Candy

If you peek around the cone,
you catch a glimpse

of the Bridge of Glass
and the Federal Courthouse.

Primo

A restaurant tucked back behind Starbuck's
just off Sixth Avenue


it has a varied menu
and showcases the work of local artists
throughout the year.

Authorized

Graffiti is a problem
but not this graffiti.


It's the work of young Tacoma street artists
and a public art project.

At a Rainiers' Game

Minor league baseball:
an invitation to sip some suds
on a summer evening


and for two friends
to bring their cameras to the game
so they can take pics of two guys who are friends
and who just happened to have adjacent seats.

Puget Sound Fourth

It isn't just on the Fourth of July
that boats in marinas all over Puget Sound
hoist the Stars & Stripes.

But today's a nice day
for a reflection on freedom

and constitutional rights

separation of church and state

and the liberty inherent in being able to
express divergent views without being shot
or disappearing or having your blog shut down.

Seven Oh One

Early Friday morning
at Seven Oh One Pacific


not yet ready for the lunch rush
but open for cool breezes on a sunny day.

Merlino Art Center

At the corner of Sixth and Fawcett

a building holding
hidden treasures.

Old City Hall

A bit of detail,
a piece of the past


Old City Hall.
Mostly empty, if not fully vacant.
But worth preserving.

I didn't know about the Theme Day today
"Empty"
but this fits in perfectly.