We were surprised at how much water there was in the river at the end of June, but then, we're not in California anymore.
In the next photo, those aren't waterfalls; they're the remains of the snowpack. It was a little bizarre to be looking up at nearby snow on such a hot day.
And here's a video showing the cool, flowing water (with a surprise at the end).
We didn't stay out there late; we had to get back to the city for dinner with Peter Tannen and his partner David, who were up from San Francisco on a two-week trip around Washington State. We met in Lower Queen Anne at Racha Thai, which is so far my favorite Thai restaurant in Seattle. Peter and David have friends, personal history, and family here in Washington, so they have plenty of places to go and people to see while they're here. We were glad we got to spend some time with them.
Sunday was even hotter than Saturday! I grumbled and wilted; I didn't move here for this, I was thinking. We ended up checking out the Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder (the official name is the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks). We spent some time watching the salmon climb the ladder in the welcoming coolness and darkness of the underground viewing area; then we watched as the large lock filled up with dozens of small-to-medium-sized boats waiting to enter the Lake Washington Ship Canal. I had never seen locks in operation, so I was glad I had the chance to see how they work. As we walked up to the platform beside the locks, we heard a brass band playing, and I thought it was a recording played by the lock operators to create a festive atmosphere for the boaters. It certainly seemed that way on that Sunday of hot, brilliant sunshine. But it turned out that there was a band concert going on in the park next to the locks.
It's supposed to cool off slightly today, and temperatures are expected to return to a more tolerable mid-seventies later in the week. Thank goodness; I don't have the wardrobe for this weather.
4 comments:
That's cute about the nice pedestrian on the nice pedestrian bridge. (I was hoping the surprise at the end of the video would be the nice pedestrian, driven crazy by the heat, in his birthday suit, but it was still a pretty good surprise. :-) The part about the locks reminded me of visits to the Soo Locks in my youth. Before I saw them, I couldn't figure out why they were needed: If one body of water is higher than the other, won't it just flow into the other so they even out? Once I saw the locks, I understood. During our recent heat wave, I was thinking maybe I'd better join you guys in Seattle, but it sounds like even living in Seattle is not a guarantee of a heat-wave-free life.
By the way, these pictures are lovely. I admire the way you guys partake of everything around you--nature, culture, restaurants, etc. I sometimes reflect on how I am living in an area that is drenched in natural beauty, yet rarely see a body of water or more than one tree at a time. Actually getting to the scenery seems daunting, plus doing it by myself doesn't always sound like fun. (In fact, being by myself way out in the middle of nowhere sounds positively unfun.)
As a car-free lifer (so far), I know what you mean about the daunting prospect of just getting out to the scenery. It's really tough if you have a full-time job and limited time to spend getting from Point A to Point B, not to mention spending some time at Point B once you get there before you have to head back to Point A. Have you considered caving ever so slightly to the sad, sick, car-dependent culture we live in, and joining City CarShare? Yes, it means that some car trips will be taken that wouldn't be taken otherwise. But if it helps you maintain your personal, experiential connection with the natural environment that you care so deeply about, then maybe it's a paradox worth embracing. Take a friend and cut the carbon footprint in half. Just a thought. :-)
Yes, I should probably do that. I probably will, one of these days. Good suggestion.
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