Weather Happens

Autumn in Tacoma creeps in gently, convincing you she is a friend who will never lose her temper. The sun slants down brightly, painting leaves and houses with a golden glow.

The squirrels frisk about pretending there's no hurry to store up for winter. The leaves slowly turn and carpet the ground in bronze, while the crisp air begins to playfully nip at your ears. But then slowly a damp cold begins to clamp onto your bones. And then suddenly, real weather happens!
Has your friend betrayed you? Has Autumn become an icicle in your back? Naw! She's just inviting you out to build snow bunnies. She'll bounce you back into the temperate zone before you know it.Photo locations: Squirrel lives at 3015 N 12th St.; Carpet of leaves was at Jefferson Park; Kaiser's Mercantile was in the Fern Hill historic district; Alie and snow bunny in my front yard.

Snorkeling Lion & Cat Goddesses

The unique decorations people use to adorn their homes and yards delight me as I walk. For example, here's a snorkeling lion at N 27th and Junett:Then, here are some tamer but more suspicious cats at 1019 N Anderson:
Speaking of cats, I'm reading a book entitled Cat & Dog Theology by Sjogren and Robison. It hilariously underscores the difference between cats' and dogs' attitudes. It must have to do with cats' past deification in Egypt; they've never gotten over that. For example, this old cat goddess started speaking insistently to me as soon as I turned the corner onto her street. She marched me straight to her apartment door and said, "Let me in this instant! It's irrelevant that you don't live here. You're obviously a member of the serving caste, so open the door for me!"

University of Puget Sound

The Organ in Kilworth Memorial Chapel.

A Methodist Episcopal Church group founded what is now UPS in 1888. Please see a timeline of the university's history with its fun photographs, at the school's own web site.

Something you won't see at UPS anymore is this fountain. A new building is going up on the west side of the campus where this courtyard was.
Something you can still see is the Chihuly glass in the Susan Resnek Pierce Atrium in Wyatt Hall:
Of course nothing is more interesting on campus than the students themselves. A UPS professor tells me there's a lot of loneliness on campus. This photo I took at the student center seemed to capture some of that:

Appreciation to My Readers!

Thank you, Walking Tacoma readers, for your patience. This is my busy time of year work-wise, and with the added hassle of our burglary, it's taken me several weeks to get back up to speed on my walking project. Nevertheless, I'm back on the street! Here's my total progress so far:
To put it in perspective, here's the park board's map showing Tacoma divided into its four quadrants, and clearly delineating the city limits. My plan is to walk every street within the city limits. The magenta shading shows the area in which I've walked every street so far.
I'm currently walking on the east side of the University of Puget Sound campus. UPS is one of our two Universities (within the city limits), so I'll want to share more about this historic school with you shortly.

I'm excited about walking those areas of the city that I'm least familiar with. Those include most of the NE quadrant, as well as a good deal of the NW. For now I will continue to work my way toward the Narrows and the Point of Tacoma's north end.

NO FAIR!

All right, if you must know, people also steal cars in Tacoma. For example, here's a photo of our front driveway and our two Toyota Camrys:That's right, the two Camrys are both completely gone. On Sep 19, my wife and I went to the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup, a town ten miles east of us. We parked our sedan on the street a few blocks from the fairgrounds and then spent the next 5 hours touring exhibits and animal barns. When we returned to where we had parked our car, it was gone. Unfortunately, we had kept our garage door openers in our cars. With that and the registration in our glove box, the thieves were able to beat us home, take our valuables and our second car.

Ten days later, our local newspaper reported the breaking up of not one but three car-theft rings. Of course, it's not strictly a Tacoma problem. "Officers searched three private residences, in Tacoma, Federal Way and Des Moines, as well as Import Autos Sales in Puyallup…." However, the cover story in our paper on Sunday, Oct 2, explained how greater Tacoma has the 14th worst car-theft rate in the country (down from 7th three years ago).

Here's what we've learned from the experience:

• Older vehicles are not immune from theft, they get stolen and stripped for parts.
• Toyota's made between 1986 and 1992 often have nearly identical keys; since our glovebox was locked, whoever took our car probably used a key to open the car, drive it away, and get at our registration.
  
• Assuming you leave your registration (or other documents with your address) in the car, don't even think about leaving your garage door opener in it too.
• Don't leave any personal items in your parked car that you'd hate to have stolen with the car.
• If your house has an attached garage, keep the door from your garage into your house locked when you're away.
• Don't keep all your jewelry together in a single, unlocked jewelry box.
• Don't leave identity documents, like passport or social security card, in the same container or drawer with jewelry or other easily fenced items that thieves prioritize; you don't want them to scoop up your identity along with the material valuables.
  
• Backup your computer files, especially if you use a laptop.
• Join a spiritual community; our church friends responded to our crisis immediately, but we're still waiting to hear back from our homeowner's insurance carrier.
  
• "Theft" falls under "comprehensive" on your auto insurance policy; if you don't carry comprehensive coverage you get zip for your stolen vehicles. Good thing I like to walk. : )

P. S. My camera gear was in my backpack, safely with me at the fair.

City of Palms II: Landscaping Larceny!

I knew my city wasn't crime free; after all, someone stole Soul Salmon and traded it for bicycle wheels. But a gang of palm tree thieves? Kathleen Merryman reported in the August 15, 2005 edition of The News Tribune that Tacoma chiropractor Michael Milasich and his wife Joan keep getting their expensive palm trees stolen.

Ms. Merryman writes:

This, the Milasiches believe, was no random theft. This, they say, the work of shady landscapers. "A friend told us there is a ring of thieves that steals palm trees," Joan said. The wily couple devised a plan to protect their replacement palms from pillaging gardeners. "We chained them to the building," Michael said. "Then they tried to steal them even though they were chained." Thieves, he understood, appreciate our urge to replace that which we have lost. In fact, they bank on it. So the chains resting under the red landscaping blocks next to his building are significant. And a surveillance system records action in the lot.

The Milasiches are not alone in having to protect their palms. On my last couple of walks, in the University of Puget Sound district, I passed my friend Dan's house. Dan has this palm tree with a beautiful stand of canna and other plants around it:

Nice, but if you walk around behind, here's what you see:
Yes, that's right. Dan had to chain his palm tree because someone has already tried to steal it. Oh, buying the chain and padlock wasn't a problem; it was planting the telephone pole nearby to chain it to!

I've been praying a lot as I walk Tacoma's streets. Is their a blessing for palm trees?

The Camera

I enjoyed walking 4.2 miles in the UPS district this afternoon. A heavy rain fell around noon, but then the NW clouds thinned slowly to brilliant sunshine by late afternoon, and that after-the-rain air was a treat.

My sympathies to the folks trying to hold one last autumn yard sale today. At midday sellers had to scurry to get remaining moisture-sensitive items under cover. By the time I arrived at N 15th and Oakes streets, the rains had finished and the sales were winding down, but I looked in on one backyard sale and enjoyed chatting with Brenda. I bought a jacket for our new grandson, and enjoyed seeing some original pottery that hadn't sold yet. Brenda asked about the camera I was using, so we chatted about that and I took a picture of her daughter, Ava.
The camera I use is the Nikon Coolpix 8700. This digital 8MP model originally priced at $999 now sells new for $450. (I'd love to have a second one, though I'll probably spring for the slightly newer Nikon Coolpix 8800 when the time comes.)
I love everything about the 8700. It fits very lightly and comfortably in my hand, has astounding versatility (note how you can flip the monitor completely around to face the same direction as the lens), and has automatic modes for snapping pictures that I wouldn't know how to take manually. As an example of a photo I wouldn't have expected to turn out, here's the Pieta window I found in a dark landing of the Church of St. Patrick on N 12th and J:
By the way, Sue at Turning Point tells me that the Walking Tacoma blog has inspired one of her daughters to start carrying her camera with her more often. Thanks for the compliment, young lady; I wish you beautiful memories! And thanks for the encouragement, Turning Point!

My Magenta Miles: August 2005 Progress Report

The magenta shows where I've walked so far, for a cumulative total of 64 miles on the city streets of Tacoma. I've barely begun this project, and I already feel I know my city much better than I did before. The more I walk our streets, the more motivated I am to get out again and discover something else I've never seen or noticed before.

For anyone interested in the technical toys, here's what I'm using for this project. I use the Omron HJ-112 pedometer to keep track of my actual walking distance. For mapping my tracks, and for marking the coordinates of monuments and the like, I use the Garmin e-Trex Legend GPS receiver.

I Spy!

I'll bet you didn't know about this outdoor art installation! I certainly didn't until I happened upon it today on N 11th, between Sheridan and M streets. It's fascinating. It's virtually a 3-D "I Spy" game created by Darrell Talbott. Darrell told me that his collection of artifacts grew as neighbors donated items. Apparently this work of folk-art is somewhat of an archaeological record of the immediate neighborhood. (Yes, you can click on the photo for a larger view.)
So, let's play! In the first close-up below, I spy a wasp nest. A thermometer. The skin of a baseball. A Louisville Slugger. A funnel. A bottle cap opener.
Okay, if you found those, try the second close-up below. I spy a sunflower. A bald eagle. Two mousetraps. A sled. An old-fashioned telephone. A mouse with big eyes. A horseshoe. A Maverick insignia. A blue car hiding.
Leave me a comment if you found all the items I named, or if you need help.

After telling me about his artwork, Darrell walked with me for a few blocks and told me about his life. He also wanted to pray for our president, so we did that for a moment on the corner of 11th and "I" streets before we parted company. Keep up the creative work, Darrell, and remember John 7.38!

Walking the Wedge

The historic neighborhood in Tacoma, called the North Slope, includes an area sometimes called "the pie wedge" because of its shape. An overcast morning gave way to a beautiful cloudless afternoon today, so I walked nearly 8 miles in the wedge. On the map below, you can see my route today as recorded by my GPS receiver. Today's track is yellow; the white tracks are from previous days. You can click on the map to enlarge it.

Yes, I took a detour into Wright Park for a pit stop.

Plenty of interesting sights await the walker in the North Slope pie wedge. One is the lovely courtyard of the Bayview Apts on N 2nd, with its beautiful palms and fountain.


Count the sparrows! On this warm afternoon, the birds could not stay away from the Bayview courtyard fountain. Even my presence only spooked them momentarily. When I stood still, they flew right back to splash in the water. You might want to click on this photo to enlarge it. Can you see the blur of the two sparrows flying away?

How about the movie mural in the basement parking area of the N 1st and Broadway Video Rental Store? The neon colors reached out and grabbed me. If you visit the Stadium district, stop by and see how many movies you can identify from the full mural (I've only posted part of it here).

On the final leg of today's walk, I happened upon this "still life" arrangement: a drooping boquet of sunflowers in a bicycle mounted vase. It struck me as a picturesque reminder that summer will end soon.

City of Reconciliation

Something happened in Tacoma 120 years ago that I wouldn't want to talk about if not for what happened today. In November of 1885 all the Chinese people of Tacoma were ordered to leave our city. Having helped us finish building the railroad, the Chinese had prospered to the point that Anglos felt that their own jobs and businesses would be threatened by the "Asiatics." The Chinese,even those who were baptized Christians, were libeled as "heathen" (and much worse) and driven from the city. Their homes and businesses were burned to ashes. This is why we have no Chinatown in Tacoma, as other major West Coast cities do. Our Chinese population of 600 in the 1880's has barely rebounded to 700 today (out of a total city population of nearly 200,000). This tragic history is perhaps best reported in Murray Morgan's book, Puget's Sound. See also a personal essay on Tacoma's anti-Chinese past by Jennifer Lee.

However, walking in Old Town today allowed me to attend the ground breaking ceremonies for the new Chinese Reconciliation Park at the east end of N Ruston Way. A camera man was interviewing Tacoma Mayor, Bill Baarsma, as I arrived. The Mayor welcomed the nearly 200 people who had arrived for the ceremonies, and then presided over the following program. Mr. Baarsma noted the appropriateness of his participation in a ceremony of reconciliation, since the Mayor of Tacoma in 1885 had been at the forefront of the efforts to evict the Chinese. Mayor Baarsma acknowledged our city's past crime against our Chinese citizens and then read a historic decree proclaiming August 19th Chinese Reconciliation Day in Tacoma!

During the program, Dr. David Murdoch, a Baptist Pastor, shared his reflections. When he first came to Tacoma in 1982, he felt that something was amiss in the spirit of our city. He investigated our history and discovered the ignominious expulsion of the Chinese. He then joined with others in seeking a way to address this wrong against our past neighbors. Dr. Murdoch noted, as does Murray Morgan, that some individuals, including a group of pastors, did stand against the eviction conspiracy in 1885.

In 1992, City Councilman Robert Evans and former State Rep. Art Wang, joined Dr. Murdoch and other community members to initiate the reconciliation process. On November 30, 1993, Tacoma's City Council recognized the efforts of this citizen's committee and unanimously approved Resolution No. 32415 to acknowledge that the expulsion of 1885 was "a most reprehensible occurrence." The City Council also approved the building of a commemorative park on our waterfront near the site where Tacoma's "Little Canton" once stood.

In 1994 our concerned citizens founded the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation to continue the reconciliation process. Under the tireless leadership of President, Theresa Pan Hosley (seen here ceremonially breaking the ground with others; 3rd from right above, first from right below) the foundation succeeded at last in beginning the process today of building the commemorative park.


I appreciated that the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, which was here before either Anglos or Chinese, was represented by Connie McCloud. Buddhist disciples of Hsin-Tien Shi were scheduled to give a blessing of the park site, but when called upon by the Mayor, they declined to participate (contrary to the report on the CRPF website), apparently because their Master was absent.

The formal part of the program ended with a Dragon Boat Salute just offshore by the Tacoma Dragon Boat Association.

A stated goal of the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation is "Setting a reconciliation example for the other communities across the country that have encountered similar events [in their history]." Thank you Mayor Baarsma, Mrs. Hosley, and members of our City Council and of the CRPF, for helping us set right our city's past and making us a City of Reconciliation. As Solomon said, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Rite of Passage

Near the end of my walk today, I stopped at a young girl's yard sale on N Yakima St. She told me she was selling her "baby toys." I had unfortunately just spent my last bills on an iced latte, but I bought a wooden ladybug (good for back rubs) for 50 cents. I asked the seller if I could take her picture, and she wisely went and asked her mother, who graciously consented. Young lady, may the wisdom and grace you already have continue to increase, and may you prosper in all your life's adventures! (Click on the photos for a closer view.)


Dolls looking for a home, and my yard sale lady bug!










Also on Yakima St I spotted the remains of a homemade children's swing, wedged in the y of an oaktree. What caught my eye was the graphic record of summer friendships.

The Outer Limits

My goal is to walk every street within Tacoma's city limits. Click here for the best online map I've found that outlines Tacoma's limits. It's a pdf file published by Metro Parks Tacoma, and shows the city in four quadrants, NW, NE, SE and SW. Though I've set no time deadline for finishing this project, I intend to post mapped updates of my progress at the end/beginning of each calendar month. I'm blessed by your interest!

Noisy Nikes II

Yesterday I deviated from my normal walking plan again to take Alexandria hiking at Mt. Tahoma (yes, Seattle, it's our mountain!). The weather was perfect for ascending the steep Paradise Skyline trail. Alie was able to climb the trail for nearly a mile and a half (she'd walked 2.75 miles by the time we got back to the car). We got high enough to look back over the Paradise peaks and see Mt. Adams in the haze. We got near enough to Rainier itself to look down on a glacier (do click on the photo!).
But half way up our climb, I suddenly heard that awful noise for which I returned my recent pair of Nikes. It was unmistakable: half way between a squeak and a ... well, never mind. I couldn't believe it! But wait, it wasn't me! We paused on the trail and realized that another hiker followed right behind us. As he passed, you guessed it, he was wearing Nike whoopee shoes!

Have I mentioned that my new Reeboks are perfectly comfortable and very quiet?

Mt. Adams and helicopter seen from the Skyline trail at Mt. Rainier.

Condos and Forests

So as to not have to walk Schuster Pkwy twice, we left one Camry at Starbucks on N 30th, and drove the other to Thea Foss park at the N end of E Dock St. We started walking from Foss Park, so the morning sun would be at our backs. As we arrived back at N 30th and Old Town, Kaaren saw the condo she decided she wanted. I think it was the upper deck of flowerpots with morning sunshine that sold her.


After the obligatory stop at Starbucks (drip coffee with room and a decaf sugar-free vanilla latte, please), and since we had both cars with us, we left one vehicle at the bottom end of Puget Park and drove the other to the top of the park at N 31st and Proctor. That allowed us to walk the trail down through the park. It was a perfect day for it: not too hot, not too cool. The 1-mile trail was only steep at the Proctor end, and soon leveled out under the dense tree canopy. The air was oxygen-rich and quiet. Half way down, we visited Napoleon's Sweet Skills geocache. Kaaren was disappointed that no one had left a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt. We paused at the N Alder St end of the trail to admire the sunlight dancing on the stream, and the remains of the installation from which Soul Salmon had been stolen.

Schuster Pkwy: Poison Berries & Glacial Moraine

Usually when driving along Schuster Parkway, between the N end of Pacific Ave and the E end of N 30th St., we're watching the scenic water side. Today, I and my wife Kaaren walked the approximately 1.8 m stretch of sidewalk along Schuster, and paid more attention to the flora on the inland side (thanks in part to a stilled train blocking our waterside view).

The first things to catch my attention on the Schuster hillside were the beautiful ripe blackberries. (Do they thrive in the carbon monoxide of all the passing traffic?) The next thing Kaaren, the Master Gardener, noticed was the poisonous Red Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) growing right among the blackberries! The shiny red berries of the Nightshade, emerging green from their purple and yellow blooms, are an emergency room visit waiting to happen. If picking blackberries with your children, make sure they don't eat these inviting berries of the Red Nightshade!

Among other items of interest we saw along the Schuster hillside, was a spot where about 6 feet of the topsoil had fallen away to expose the glacial moraine. Any Tacoma homeowner who has attempted to plant a garden in their yard is well acquainted with this endless deposit of potato-sized rocks that dull our shovels and make us envy our Sumner friends!

Stones smoothed and dumped by ancient glaciers. Click photo for larger view.

Dinosaur Tracks in Old Town

You see more details of your surroundings if you're bicycling through them rather than driving. You see the most if you're walking.




One of the things I've enjoyed noticing on my walks are the creative items people use to make their house or yard unique. One house near N 22nd and Adams flies a Happy Face flag. Another house on N 28th near Starr St has dinosaur tracks in its parking strip. They're really only three-toed, concrete stepping stones, but they catch the eye and add a paleontological conversation-starter to the landscaping.

Of course, nothing says "unique" like the architecture of the house itself. I wish my friend, Paul Akiyama, of BCRA here in Tacoma, had been with me to comment on this beauty (see below) that crowns a side street in Old Town. (One of the most intereseting road trips I've ever been on was with Paul; you see buildings differently when traveling with an architect!) In lieu of Paul's professional analysis, I'll call this neo-New Mexico Aristo.

Please click on the photo for a larger view!

P. S. Paul Akiyama e-mailed to say, " I toured the Old Town house several
months ago... The interior design was inspired by Mexican Bajaian (made up word) architecture with colors, mini verandas, stucco and heavy timbers."