Walking Tacoma

Longmire Meadow

2011-09-11T20:07:00.001-07:00

Kaaren and I walked the loop around Longmire Meadow this afternoon. Yes, I know it's not in the Tacoma city limits, but Mt. Rainier National Park is part of our Tacoma culture, and it hardly feels like leaving home when we go there.

We saw the signs of a great deal of beaver activity around the meadow's main pond. Mr. and Mrs. beaver were sleeping away this hot afternoon inside their cool water-access home, but they've clearly been busy.

Mt. Rainier National Park holds many delightful memories for our family. We praise God that this beautiful place is only an hour's drive from our front door. When Mr. Longmire first built his sulphur-spring spa here at the meadow, it took people days to get here, with the first leg by train, and the second by horseback.

My annual pass to the park expired last month, and I bought a new one today in faith that I'll be back soon!

Darkness & Light

2011-09-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

My dear friend and Christian brother, Kent, accompanied me today as we walked 7th and 8th streets between Grant and Broadway. In close proximity we found lovely, bright homes like the ones above (7th and J), and spiritually dark ones exuding need.

Janet and two other ladies welcomed our prayers for them as they sat in the courtyard of Hope Guest Home; we encountered two other ladies who were loudly cursing each other as they crossed the street.

A highlight of our morning walk was meeting Claudia Mason, principal of Bryant Montessori Elementary School. She so graciously told us about Bryant and even let us peek at some of the precious children having their lunch. We wish the administrators and teachers of Bryant the best school year ever!

We also met some friendly tourists from CA who were walking to Wright Park and enjoying the beautiful day in Tacoma. They said they were thinking of moving here. We didn't have the heart to tell them about our 11-month rain festival...

Kent and I finished off our morning with an outdoor lunch at one of my long-time favorite places to eat, Greek To Me, on 6th and Division. If you've not yet tried their Greek food, don't hesitate! Try the Gyro or the Souvlaki.

Perfect Tacoma Morning

2011-09-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

I see some spooky things on my walks, sometimes. I'm not sure I would want this 6th Avenue Griffin perched under my eaves.

Nevertheless, yesterday I walked the wedge of the pie between 6th and Division, from Sprague to J St. with my spiritual brother, Kent. It could not have been a more beautiful morning and we met some wonderful people. It was so pleasant that I decided to row part way.

One friend that we met in the beautiful garden at Tacoma General Hospital allowed us to pray for his mother, Barbara, who was recuperating from surgery. I also teased him about his "Cuban" cigar.

Kent and I made sure we stopped to smell the roses!

Then there's nothing like ending a morning walk at the Southern Kitchen (6th & Division)! Yes, the comfort food at SK is everything they said it would be. It's my new go-to place for beef brisket.

Indian Henry Trail

2010-08-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

In our neighborhood an eroded monument marks the location of Indian Henry Trail. What are now 84th Street and Steilacoom Blvd were once the first road to Tacoma from Fort Steilacoom to the southwest. This road was the theoretical evacuation route for white folks in 1853, in the times of the "Indian wars."

Here's a closeup of the eroded portrait of Indian Henry in a full headdress.

6th Ave Wildlife

2010-07-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Got out to walk the 6th Ave. strip by Jefferson Park this morning. I enjoyed the wildlife.

Storm Walking

2009-10-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

I feel for the person who never walks outdoors in a storm. The changing light on wet surfaces as the sun fights its way through dog-piling rain clouds makes for some beautiful visions of ordinary things. The sun broke through the amorphous army of gray today to light up the golden house above as I passed by (I've rendered it here as a cutout).

Animals are subdued on stormy days which makes for a paucity of birdsong. On the positive side, however, dogs are less aggressive and cats are more willing to pose for the camera from the safety of covered porches.

The maple trees are in their glory now, like the one below that's near South 8th and Pine streets.
Another variety of Maples at S. 12th and Pine streets made it look like the landscape was bleeding.

It was truly a red-letter day because I was able to spot a rare Chameleon Beetle!

Angel Of Music

2009-05-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Don and I got out on a gorgeous morning to walk and pray in the Stadium District near downtown Tacoma. We were amazed at what one can see when walking that is entirely missed when driving past. There's good and bad, dark and light. On the one hand, fatalistic graffiti. On the other, an angel of music (just visible over someone's backyard fence).

Fire

2008-06-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

I found this rose on fire in the Proctor District of N Tacoma.

Thankfully, the local Dalmatian fire fish was nearby.

Good Day, Sunshine!

2008-05-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

With heat and sunshine predicted for the day, I shifted from my North End walk to Downtown Tacoma. As it got toward noon, professional workers came out to get a little sun and call home. Children with parents or day-care supervisors stuck their hands in fountains and waterfalls.

I checked in with Pete and Davey, the best barbers in Tacoma. Their shop is on Pacific Ave, near 9th street. I was shocked to learn that ladies' man and blues singer Pete is married! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs.; I wish you God's life-long blessing!

Ground Hog Problems

2008-03-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our ground hog must have gotten into some mushrooms this year. The battle between winter and spring has kept us all guessing: will we skip spring altogether and go straight to summer? Straight to autumn? God forbid! We had snowfall here in the lower elevations on March 28th, much to the consternation of the sparrows on Kaaren's upper-deck bird bath.

Jesus Has Risen From The Dead!

2008-03-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Crocus trio in Kaaren's garden.

Here's wishing my city and my readers a joyous Easter. The life, death and bodily resurrection of Jesus is the demonstration that life has meaning, purpose and a future. God bless you all!

Riding Is Fun Too

2008-03-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

My walking has been curtailed this winter by work, winter colds and a minor traffic accident (we were rear-ended), but I had a great time on the first day of spring, riding Tacoma's light-rail train with my grandson Micah and my daughter Leslie. Who are you lookin' at, Micah?

A Chilling Sight!

2008-01-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have the same saying in your city that we do in Tacoma: "If you don't like the weather, wait 10 minutes." January 21st was a gorgeous walking day, and the Olympic mountain range appeared boldly on our NE horizon. And then came January 28th!

Schools closed because of snow and families stayed home to build snowmen. I took the opportunity to walk the neighborhood just east of my own. Along the way, I saw a chilling sight. It was the wrong kind of weather for an outdoor commode!

All That Glitters

2007-09-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

We have a gorgeous neighborhood along the western edge of our North End. The homes on this slope overlook the Puget Sound and the (now double) Narrows Bridge. I had the joy of walking N Vista View Drive and its connected streets and lanes on a cloudless afternoon of perfect temperature. What a great day for a dinner party on the deck!

The only thing that tinged my contentedness while walking this neighborhood was the awareness of my city's commercial bent. Historically we have tended to prioritize profit above people. We like money. But what does it profit a family to own a fabulous home and lose their soul?

Just north of N Vista View lies a gated community on Gold Creek Blvd. What do their entrance signs communicate to you?

My prayer for Tacoma is not that our prosperity would decrease, God forbid, but that our love for people would increase.

On The Edge

2007-08-11T15:22:00.001-07:00

I've been walking on the western edge of Tacoma's North End. Today I found a lovely ginkgo tree on N Vassault St and took this photo of one of its distinctive leaves. Considered a "primitive" species, here's a sprig of the leaves instantly fossilized in Adobe Photoshop, looking much as paleontologists find them (please click on the photo to see the detail):

The semi-secluded neighborhood of the ginkgo specimen is enclosed by Vassault Playfield on the north, N 26th St on the south, Pearl on the East and Narrows Dr on the west. Beautiful homes and gardens are interspersed with unkempt properties and dandelion breeding farms that must constantly irritate their neighbors. Ha, ha, that's life in the city! The best characteristic of this neighborhood is that it sits on a ridge, with the homes at the top able to catch glimpses of Puget Sound or parts of the Narrows Bridge, but it also has quiet cul-de-sacs shaded by giant horse chestnut trees. I saw that a friend of mine in the neighborhood has his house up for sale for $379k; I'm guessing his lovely house falls at near the median price range for that part of town.

Personality

2007-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

I walked 2.5 miles yesterday in a short window of time between appointments. The north-end neighborhood I visited — or was it the hazy marine air — was photographically uninspiring, so I'm sharing a shot of a Tiger Swallowtail, newborn and flawless, sunning on Kaaren's hydrangea.

But speaking of neighborhoods, each one has its own personality. As does each house, of course, when we stop to look closely. Yesterday's neighborhood, though in an upscale part of the city, had a drab quality overall. Most of the front yards betrayed a lack of attention. I imagined the neighborhood as housing a transient population, perhaps more focused upon upward mobility than upon deepening roots. There were the exceptional houses with beautiful yards; I remember one in particular with an exquisite rock garden set off by colorful plants. On the other hand, I passed a couple of houses with overgrown brambles and broken, littered walkways -- the kind of places that as kids we would have said were haunted. Today we'd more likely say they looked like meth houses.

My city's multiple personalities keep it fascinating for me. I find both the beautiful and the ugly good stimulation for prayer.

Tacoma's Asian Accent

2007-05-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Almost 8% of Tacoma's population is Asian. The largest subcategory of our Asian population is Vietnamese, followed by the Korean and Filipino subcategories. Our Asian population continues to grow and is for now staying ahead of our Hispanic/Latino population numerically. In the year 2000, 48% of our immigrants were from Asia.

Tacoma doesn't have a Chinatown like other West-Coast cities our size, because of our infamous expulsion of the Chinese in 1885 (see post of August 19, 2005: City of Reconciliation). Nevertheless, the presence of our multicultural Asian community is visible in its several Buddhist temples, its many Korean Christian churches, and its beautiful flower gardens often accented with miniature pagodas or other Asian ornaments. My fellow-walker Marcus and I happened upon this large Buddha head on N 31st St.

As I walk, I pray for the different individuals and people groups that come to my attention. I'm hoping to learn more about the needs and aspirations of our Asian neighbors this year.

New Walking Partner

2007-05-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

My grandson, Micah Rios, came on the Tacoma walk with me today. Well, okay, he rode while his dad, Ted, pushed. Nevertheless he covered about 3 miles with me in the N Commencement Bay Drive neighborhood. With his ready ear he drew our attention to every lawn mower roaring on this hazy Memorial Weekend Saturday. Lawn mowers fascinate Micah, and we hope he will retain his interest when he's old enough to push one! And yes, those are Crocs he's wearing with Cars doodads stuck in the holes.

Among other things, Ted and I talked about the Asian influence on the culture of our city.

Mirabile Visu

2006-12-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

Rachel and I walked about 20 miles during our long weekend together in Washington D. C. Our final adventure, before my flight home, took us to the Washington National Cathedral (the Episcopal Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul).

The Space Window on the south aisle of the National Cathedral contains a piece of lunar rock that was presented to the Cathedral by the astronauts of Apollo XI

The Episcopal Church, USA (ECUSA) currently threatens to rip itself apart over the issues of homosexuality and women's ordination. The 2003 confirmation of a non-celibate homosexual bishop brought feelings about the liberalizing influences within the denomination to a head.

The introduction of Liberal Protestantism ... complicated the nature of Anglican diversity, for Liberal Protestants did not value the historic instruments of Anglican unity. They did not believe many of the items in the historic creeds, did not consider the ecumenical councils binding, and held to an understanding of Scripture that was at odds with the way that Evangelicals, Anglo-Catholics, and even Broad Church Anglicans had affirmed its primacy. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, it became commonplace for Liberal Anglicans to reject belief in the bodily resurrection of Christ (William Sanday), the deity of Christ (The Myth of God Incarnate), and even the existence of God (the Sea of Faith Movement). — William G. Witt

The current controversies within ECUSA are a clanging contrast to the sublime beauty of their National Cathedral:

Washington National Cathedral is the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States. (St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is the largest church in the world and Saint John’s in New York City is the largest cathedral in the United States.)...The exterior of the Cathedral is almost the length of two football fields....The principal building material of the cathedral is Indiana limestone, chosen because it is superior for both construction and carving....The Cathedral is a solid masonry structure, the limestone blocks are laid one on top of the other with mortar between them. The flying buttresses are also solid stone and they help hold up the walls by bracing them....The Cathedral weighs 150,000 tons. The average piece of stone weighs 300 pounds. The heaviest stone in the Cathedral is the 5.5-ton boss over the west balcony.

Begun in 1907 and completed in 1990, the National Cathedral was built to stand for a thousand years. Rachel and I entered at the crypt level and saw engraved inscriptions dedicating this amazing building to the glory of God. Yes, God prefers obedience to sacrifice (1Sa 15.22), and one could disdain this architectural wonder as a diversion of an immense amount of money that could have been "given to the poor" (cf. Mat 26.9). However, the Cathedral is a fait accompli, its builders intended it for God's glory, and I encourage everyone to visit it and let the God of beauty minister to you there.

Bethlehem Chapel, crypt level, National Cathedral, November 5, 2006.

When Rachel and I ascended to the Cathedral nave, the sky-rocketing space took my breath away.

The Cathedral nave, from the marble floor to the vaulting, is ten stories high.
The Cathedral’s center tower is as tall as a thirty-story building.
The central tower is 676 feet above sea level, making its top the highest point in the District of Columbia.

Here's the main altar:

And here's one of the famous Rose Windows, the West Rose Window:

There are 215 stained glass windows in the Cathedral.
The north rose window is the Cathedral’s largest stained glass window at 26 feet in diameter.
More than 10,500 pieces of stained glass make up the west rose window.

The phenomenon of beauty is one reason I believe in the existence of God. In spite of the ECUSA's troubles, and my disinclination to encourage big church buildings, the National Cathedral lifted my heart and mind to the heavens.

A Day At The Museum

2006-12-09T09:48:00.000-08:00

Like Alex in Everything Is Illuminated, I didn't always appreciate history. Perhaps unlike Alex, though, I always craved meaning and purpose. In time I came to appreciate the fact that with a greater apprehension of history comes a deeper sense of meaning and a clearer sense of purpose.

Ergo, museums draw me. And of course there are no museums like the Smithsonian complex in Washington D. C. After our jaw-dropping tour of the In The Beginning exhibit at the Sackler Gallery (see previous post), Rachel and I tried to take in as many of the Smithsonian galleries as we possibly could. Having once collected butterflies, I quite enjoyed the insect gallery at the Museum of Natural History. I found the ornithology display rather Hitchcockian, but appreciated it nonetheless. It's always a pleasure to see a T-Rex of course, along with various fossil R.O.U.S's.

Having read Spindler's Man in the Ice, I found the display dedicated to that 5,300-year-old Neolithic hunter a wonderful shrine to the mystery of his life and death. I was also intrigued by a nearby display of a man of antiquity "taming a goat." I had no idea that taming a goat took so long, but the gentleman in the display obviously would not give up!
Because of my work, I'm most interested in the Ancient Near East exhibits. Mummified cats don't have much to do with my areas of specialty, but cats have never gotten over their deification in antiquity, have they? The attitude that "humans are just household staff/furniture" shows right through the sarcophagus of this specimen. I know a couple of his/her descendants who have definitely inherited the regal disdain for mere humans; they let me know by leaving a "present" on top of my suitcase.

Also, though I don't know much about Egyptian heiroglyphics, I recognize a rock star swinging a mic stand when I see one:
Okay, I'll get serious. My interest in artifacts of the ANE and of the Mediterranean world has to do with their potential to illuminate biblical texts.

Cistophoros (or cistophorus, cistophor), a silver coin first issued in the Kingdom of Pergamon (Pergamum) in the 2nd Century B.C., meaning "chest bearer", relating to the cista mystica, the serpent-entwined chest or basket of the Dionysian Mysteries, that originally appeared on it. It was a type of tetradrachm worth 3 denarii in Roman times.

For example, this tedrachm from Pergamum (Pergamos) features the Aescuplapian serpents worshipped in that city. Pergamum worshipped the serpent in connection with Dionysias (Bacchus), as a fertility symbol and a god of healing. (Hislop claims that serpent worship was brought to Pergamum from Babylon in the time of Darius.) Since Pergamum was the capital of the region (and cultural center) until AD 133, it may have been this serpent worship that prompted Christ's words to the Pergamum Christians (in Revelation 2.13): "I know where you live -- where Satan has his throne."

Speaking of Babylon, I was excited to see this pottery sculpture of a Babylonian man in the Smithsonian's ANE display:
Notice the conical crown and hat-like brim of the turban, the shoulder length hair and trimmed beard, the necklace and pendant, and full-length robe. It's because of artifacts like these that we can visualize how people of the Arabian peninsula looked in the time of Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar!

I know that it's fashionable among Darwinists and other skeptics Bible these days, but this much is certain: unlike more recently originated "holy books," the Bible, Old Testament and New, originated in a real cultural and historical matrix. The Smithsonian even displays a signet ring attributed to "Jotham, son the Judaean king Uzziah, who 'built Elath and restored it to Judah.'" (2Chron 26.2). The ring was "found in the third level of Tell el-Kheleifeh...The inscription reads 'belonging to Jotham.'...The seal indicates Jotham's function as an official of Elath, whose approval was needed on various economic transactions."

The Bible is not a book of fairy tales that occurred in a remote but unspecified time (long, long ago) in a mythical place (far, far away). It is primarily a history book, anchored by specific names, dates and cultural allusions to well known geographical and historical settings. Anyone can verify this by spending a day at the museum. Whether or not one accepts the supernatural elements in the biblical stories, the Bible's authors intended it to be read as a report of historical events.

Give Me A '63 Lincoln

2006-12-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

I recently perused several dozen anti-Taliban cartoons and pictorial spoofs on the internet ... and I was not amused. Half the cartoons were obscene, most of them were hate-blinded and almost all advocated dealing with the Taliban (and terrorists-in-general) by a simple application of overwhelming force (e.g., nuking the entire country of Afghanistan into a lakebed). I suppose that by now some of the cartoonists have realized that Taliban totalitarianism and Islamic jihadism is not a problem that can be bombed into oblivion, but I was appalled by the ignorance and stupidity displayed by these American artists. Mind you, I hate terrorism and despotism, and I love political cartoons. I am not opposed to the use of military force and I profoundly respect and support our U. S. troops wherever they are deployed. However, I detest the delusion that a people's ideology can be changed by force and epithets.

I salute those who recognize that an ideological enemy must be respected and understood before it can be defeated. I congratulate those who condemn the perpetrators of evil, but who do not confuse those perpetrators with their dissenters of the same nation, race or religion.

Sunset photo of the Lincoln Memorial by Kaaren Graciano

I pray for myself and my fellow Americans, that we would rediscover the nobility that our forefathers demonstrated in the face of war. And that if possible, our nobility would not come at the high price they paid for theirs. God, give us the grace to "overcome evil with good" (Rom 12.21).

Salute To The American Soldier

2006-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Photo by Kaaren Graciano, Arlington, VA, September 2006

You have carpeted beaches with your bodies so your fellows could wrest island hills from the imperialist aggressor. You have liberated death camps so skeletal survivors could be "born again." You have fought unpopular wars against fanatical foes, but have always done your duty and never decided that the price of honor was too high. You have insured, at high cost, that Saddam will never again remunerate the families of suicide bombers. For this and infinitely more, I salute you, I thank you.

This photo and the one above it, by Roderick.
The Viet Nam Memorial, Washington D. C., Nov 2006

In The Beginning

2006-12-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Part of the Smithsonian Castle.

Rachel and I agreed to prioritize some of the Smithsonian museums on our walks, as there was a spectacular display of biblical manuscripts, called "In The Beginning" at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The display included fragment samples from the Cairo Genizah, and manuscripts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Nag Hammadi Library and much more. Never again in my life do I expect to see so many examples of the world's most important biblical manuscripts all under one roof. The good news is that you can see the display online at:

In The Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1,000

Upscale and Downhill In Rosslyn

2006-12-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

The apartment bldg. in Rosslyn where Rachel lives. Photo by Kaaren Graciano.

As one of my first adventures in the Washington D. C. metropolis, I walked the neighborhood where Rachel lives, the Rosslyn district of Arlington. Any neighborhood that has public (commissioned) art is pretty classy in my book. Within a few block's of Rachel's apartment I found "Cupid's Garden" and "Chicago Titan":
(No, I don't know what Mr. Chicago is doing in Arlington, VA, but I can see why he hasn't shaved.)

I enjoyed walking the canyon-like parts of Wilson Street. The buildings climb skyward a few more stories than in my home neighborhood.
And then there's the Metro. It's just like the London Underground (The Tube), and makes zipping around greater D. C. a breeze. As further evidence that Rachel is a true Smarty Pants, she's figured out how to walk downhill both to and from work. She walks downhill in the morning to one Metro station, then after work takes the subway to the Metro station just past her apartment building, and walks downhill home!

Metro Photo by Kaaren Graciano, Sep 2006

The Other Washington

2006-12-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of November, I altered my routine again to walk in Washington D. C. I spent a long weekend in our nation's capital visiting our daughter Rachel (affectionately known as Coco). It was the week of her swearing-in at the State Department. I must admit I was busting my buttons with pride as our Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, led Rachel and her fellow officers in their oath of service.

Speaking of Dr. Rice, I must say she spoke with all the intelligence and poise for which she is known in the media. It would be a privilege to work with such a person. I don't envy her the foreign policy challenges she faces, but I wish her God's blessing!

Rachel was hired by the State Dept. and has done her training with 92 fellow classmates, some of whom are shown here posing with Secretary Rice. (The arrow points to Rachel.)
There were 93 embassy and consulate positions open, among which this class of new Foreign Service Officers would be posted. My wife and I are very proud that in spite of the competition, Rachel won her first-choice posting and will spend a two-year tour in Tel Aviv, Israel. (She will study Hebrew full-time in D. C. until leaving for the Middle East in August, 2007.)

While I'm bragging, we were tickled to read in a The New York Times article on "The Foreign Service Exam" by TAMAR LEWIN (December 17, 2006), that the test is "perhaps the nation's leading smarty-pants exam":

THE path to the Foreign Service has always been straight and narrow: the first step is the written test, perhaps the nation's leading smarty-pants exam. Since 1932, hundreds of thousands of applicants have grappled with a half-day of questions on geography, English usage, history, math, economics, culture and more.

"It's like being on a golf course," said Justin Norton, a 26-year-old who flunked the test this year and last, but wants to take it again. "You've got all the sand traps, the water hazards. I remember I didn't understand the question about economies of scale. I remember something about Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. And sometimes even when I knew it, like a question about George Kennan and containment policy, I got it wrong anyway."

It is not an easy exam to study for. The State Department suggests reading a good daily newspaper for a year. There are prep books, and at places with lots of applicants, like the Fletcher School at Tufts University, maybe even a study group. But mostly, people prepare on their own, looking through a world atlas, the Constitution or the word problems they did on the SAT.

Still, the exam gets rid of most applicants. More than three-quarters of the 17,000 to 20,000 who take the exam each year flunk. Even those who pass often remember for years the lacunae in their general knowledge exposed by the test.... (emphasis mine)

Rachel passed the exam on her first try. Not bad for a home-schooled girl whose higher education never included college!

I was intrigued to learn all the different titles that Rachel has as a Foreign Service Officer, including a military rank. She is a vice-consul, a third secretary and a first lieutenant. In view of the New York Times article, we're now addressing Rachel as, "Vice-Consul, Third Secretary, First Lieutenant Smarty Pants Coco."

Thankful 2006

2006-11-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving! I hope the pet turkey I photographed in N Tacoma survived the day!

I'm grateful for the opportunity Thanksgiving brings to stop and reflect on the many things there are to be thankful for in this crazy world. I'm so very thankful for my wife, daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. I'm thankful for my extended family spread geographically from Tacoma to Washington DC (in one direction) and from Tacoma to Cabo San Lucas (in another). I'm thankful for my friends who have sacrificed (and would sacrifice) so much for me and who make my work possible. I'm thankful for the meaning and purpose that Jesus Christ has given my life. I'm thankful for the guiding light that is the Holy Bible, and for my friends who follow it authentically. I'm thankful to live in a city where God is at work.

“Hey! I don’t have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I’ve failed as much as I’ve succeeded ... but I love my wife, I love my life, and I wish you my kind of success.”
— Dicky Fox, in the film, Jerry Maguire

Pentecost Walk in Tacoma

2006-10-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

My walking project is small potatoes compared to Tom Demaree's. Tom and his friends have walked 6,000 miles across the length and breadth of the United States, praying for our country as they go. Now Tom and his friend Kevin Roberts are going to specific cities across our nation and walking with the concerned citizens in each location. On October 21st they came to Tacoma.
Tom and Kevin lead what they call a Pentecost Walk. You can read about it at www.pentecostwalk.org. I was asked to design the route for the Tacoma walk, so I included our beautiful Wright Park, as well as Tacoma General Hospital and other points of historic and civic interest. Tom stopped the parade on the northern border of Wright Park to exhort the pastors who were among the 70 (or so) walkers.
We couldn't have planned better weather for the Pentecost Walk. It was a glorious day and our route included lots of fall color.
Autumn is a metaphor for death, but there was a wonderful sense of life among the people who walked with us this day.

Love, Snow and Nightfall

2006-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Love, snow and nightfall cover a multitude of sins. Tacoma is overall a beautiful city, but even the gritty parts are pretty at night. Crisp autumn nights are allowing me to grap some night shots. Here's a couple of our tall buildings downtown with freeway ramps along the right border of the photo. On the horizontal footbridge crossing the bottom third of the photo, you can see the two glass sculptures that stand like giant glowing swizzle sticks above the 15th st. offramp.
Zooming out a little allows you to see the permanent outdoor display cases of Chihuly glass sculptures on the east (right) end of the footbridge. (Please click on the photo to expand it.) You can also now see the glow of Pacific Ave. on the left. Thanks in part to the University of Washington Tacoma campus across Pacific Ave. from the Historical Museum (the domed building of the old Union Station), and an array of upscale restaurants, the streets of downtown Tacoma have come back to life in recent years.

As in other big cities, there are districts of Tacoma that never sleep. Here you see the steam rising from the industrial flats between downtown Tacoma and NE Tacoma on the far horizon.

Then there's our distinctive wooden event dome, glowing like a flying saucer in its ring of spotlights.

And here's what the new bridge construction looks like at night. Instead of raw concrete and iron rebar you see a string of pearls.

Linked Destinies

2006-10-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Nope. I didn't take these photos, but I knew you'd like them. My friend Sherry Lorentzen sent them to me. The new Narrows Bridge is actually further along than shown here; it's now getting its road bed installed.

I'm grateful that the road-widening on both approaches to the bridges is nearing completion, because the traffic is finally starting to flow a little more smoothly on Hwy 16. That's the highway that connects Tacoma to the Washington peninsula and to the beautiful city of Gig Harbor. I teach in Gig Harbor every Wednesday night, and as I spend time on the peninsula side of our bridge, I have a growing awareness of the intangible links between the communities of Gig Harbor and Tacoma. I believe that our two communities are going to become an increasing blessing to each other.

Well, Hello, Dahlia! Reprise

2006-10-10T23:08:00.000-07:00

My Master Gardener tells me that I'm the only person she knows who says, "Doll-yuhs." She says, "Dowl-yuhs." I asked our friend Kevin from Yorkshire which way he pronounced the flower name. He said, "Day-leahs."

Well, whichever way you say it, it still doesn't smell like a rose, but it is a dramatic bloom. I couldn't resist these two on N 51st St. today.

May Your Soul Prosper

2006-10-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've been walking through some upscale neighborhoods lately, around N Parkview Ln and N Lexington. I've seen some gorgeous houses, many with a Puget Sound view. I particularly liked the stylish entry of the house pictured above.

As I walk in our wealthier neighborhoods, I pray an inverted version of 3 John 1:2. In the first century, Christians generally had a vibrant faith but often faced economic and physical hardship. Therefore, the apostle John prayed that his friend, Gaius, would "prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers." In other words, John prayed that his friend would be as healthy physically and economically as he was spiritually. Today, in our culture we tend to be more prosperous externally than we are internally. Therefore, I pray for my wealthy neighbors that their soul may prosper, even as they are doing well physically and financially.

Finding Community At Salmon Beach

2006-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Salmon Beach residents, Roxanne, Amelia and Timothy

Salmon Beach is perhaps Tacoma's most secluded neighborhood. Consisting of about 80 homes on stilts, it's located at water level on Tacoma's western shoreline, just south of Pt. Defiance Park. (If you use GoogleEarth, take a look at the satellite image of the long, single-file line of houses that comprise this neighborhood.) The only access to Salmon Beach is by way of long and steep footpaths from the cliff-top above, or by water. Residents must leave their cars in parking lots at the top of the cliff and hand carry their groceries down to their homes.

My friend, Terry, and I descended the terraced stairway to Salmon Beach today, and walked the single, narrow, sometimes tunnel-like foot path that comprises the neighborhood's one "street." We met long-time resident Roxanne and her children, and chatted about life on the waterline. The view is spectacular. One of the best views of the Narrows Bridge is from Salmon Beach, and "Beachers" can also see parts of Gig Harbor across the water, and some of the Olympic Mountains in the distance. Residents can fish, swim and boat from their front porches and decks (the saltwater of the Sound was crystal clear today).
Not that living at Salmon Beach is without its inconveniences. One man told us about having to lug over a hundred pounds of tools up the hill for work each day (the cliff-top parking lot is not secure against theft). I've already mentioned having to carry groceries down. Then there's the storms. Roxanne said that in our most recent windstorm she and her family had to evacuate their house because the sea-level wind was lifting it off its pilings.

But perhaps the biggest reason people choose to live at Salmon Beach in spite of its drawbacks is because of the sense of community they find there. When Roxanne's family had to evacuate their house, a neighbor with a secure building immediately took them in. If there's a heavy job to be done, the neighbors pitch in. If someone finds a cedar log floating free in the sound, they'll get a Salmon Beach neighbor to bring a second boat and lug the log to shore. Then 3 or 4 families will work together to cut and split it into firewood. Terry and I walked past beautiful firewood piles today!

The southernmost house of Salmon Beach

I must admit I envy the folks of Salmon Beach. They are surrounded by natural beauty and enjoy a real sense of community. And they have art! For example, they have Chloe, the mermaid by Marilyn Mahoney, and a totem pole by Chris Brooks.

Not to mention wildlife!

What Salmon Beach residents don't have are some of the building permits they need to improve their houses, and confidence that their cars up at cliff-top won't be tampered with at night. We're praying for you about those things, Beachers!

Change of Routine II: The Movie

2006-08-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Ahhh! No one is flying the plane!!!

No one was piloting the Boeing 757 because it was sitting quietly on the tarmac at SeaTac International at 2 a.m. So what was I doing peering into the empty cockpit of one of Delta's planes at that hour on August 24th? Aha! I thought you'd never ask.

My friend Rick Dupea had hired me to act in a promotional film he was directing for Panasonic Corporation. The film will promote Panasonic's servicing package for their own IFE (In Flight Entertainment) touch screen system.

Actress Carrie using the 9" Panasonic IFE touch-screen.

If you haven't flown recently enough to use an IFE, you're in for a treat sometime soon. Not only can you dial in the movie of your choice, you can elect to play any of a number of interactive games, competing with your fellow passengers. The system lists players' names on the screen, and tells you what row and seat your competitor(s) are sitting in. (I beat UW Business graduate Aaron on our first round of Trivia, but couldn't keep up with his mental pace after 3 a.m. You're the man, Aaron!) The IFE will definitely shorten a cross-country or international flight.

Yes, it was cool to act in a movie on a 757 in the middle of the night (the only time the production company could get access to the plane), but what I found most interesting was learning about the jobs of the other actors (most of whom were performing their real-life roles for the camera), and watching the film crew capture their creative footage.

My fictional travel companion -- but very real person--, blonde Carrie, will soon graduate and become a school teacher. Panasonic employee, Aaron, (sitting behind Carrie) travels to exotic places around the world selling the comapany's services, at the bidding of his boss, Ted (sitting behind him). Young Delta flight attendant, Mary, told us wonderful stories about her job and travels. We learned for example that there are a couple of active-duty flight attendants in their 90's -- yes, over ninety years old. (Wouldn't you want to keep working if it meant week-long layovers in places like Florence, Italy, with paid hotel?) Ground crewman, Bob, (not pictured) told us some of the most interesting stories about what happens at the airport at night and at those places near the airplane where passengers aren't supposed to go. Bob escorted us across the tarmac to the 757 as soon as he was sure the plane's engines were off. He explained that a ground crewman in Texas had recently gotten sucked into a low-slung jet engine. "It's not a pretty sight," Bob said, "you don't come back from that."

I'm sorry you won't get to see the finished movie -- unless you attend the airlines' trade convention in Miami next month -- but if you're interested I can explain the story to you sometime. It has a pretty straightforward plot with an upbeat ending. In the final scene, Carrie and I fly off into the sunset, sipping our tropical drinks and happily playing video games on our touch screens. And no one gets sucked into a jet engine.

Before closing this post, I just want to say it was great working with Rick Dupea. He's a well organized, clear-thinking and gentle director. Thanks for the memory, Rick!

Well, Hello, Dahlia!

2006-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Tacoma is a great city in which to stop and smell the roses. And a great place to admire the dahlias. And do both in the same place: the Point Defiance Park Rose Garden! You won't find a prettier spot on a summer day than this public garden. Special thanks to the workers and hobbyists who maintain it for us!

On my last visit to the Rose Garden, besides the roses and dahlias, I actually found a flower that stumped my very own Master Gardener. Kaaren couldn't tell me what this is; if you can, please leave a comment!

Change of Routine

2006-08-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

Roderick on Dege Peak

I vary my routine during my two weeks summer vacation, even if circumstances require me to stay close to town. Today I went to Sunrise, Mount Rainier National Park, with some of our family. Son-in-law Ted, daughter Leslie and grandson Micah hiked with me for a couple miles along Sourdough Ridge, and then I went on alone to Dege Peak (elevation 7006 ft.). When I got to the summit, I found a woman there of my generation silently drinking in the magnificent 360° view. After catching my breath from the challenge of the final switchbacks, I quietly asked, "So is there someone to thank or did this all happen by chance?" The woman laughed and said, "Oh, there's definitely somebody to thank; it's all too perfect."

Here's a closer look at Clover Lake (elevation 5,751 ft.), visible in the photo above, just to the right of my wristwatch.

The hike to Dege Peak was lined with wildflowers. From late July to early August, the alpine meadows glow with colors, like the purple of this lupine:
From the top of Dege Peak I could look southward across snowy crags and see Mt. Adams in the distance:
And here's the view that I had from where I was sitting, of Sunrise meadow, and of Mt. Rainier proper. Do please click on the photo to enlarge it and get the full effect!
"The amazing thing," I said to the lady on Dege Peak, "is that this all registers on our minds as beautiful; where does the capacity to recognize this as beautiful come from?" "There's definitely somebody to thank," she said.

Watch For Breakdancers

2006-08-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? On vacation! But I wanted you to see this new caution sign that appeared on Pacific Avenue, near our home. My guess is that it means "Watch for Breakdancers."

The Foursquare City

2006-07-09T22:03:00.000-07:00

Ruston's View of Tacoma and Mt. Rainier

I don't plan to systematically walk the streets of any city besides Tacoma. However, there is one city that is completely encapsulated within my own. Partly for that reason, I have now traversed its every street. That little city is the town of Ruston, WA.

Industralist James Rust established Ruston as a company town for his employees. (Mr. Rust himself apparently lived on N 10th and I Streets in Tacoma; see my photo of his house below). Laid out as a square, Ruston covers a third of a square mile, with Pearl Street serving as its western boundary and Pt. Defiance park at its northern edge. I've highlighted Ruston on the map of my progress-to-date above. You can see some historic photos of Ruston at The Ruston Connection.
No longer a Company Town, Ruston is a predominantly middle-class residential community, serving as a gateway into Point Defiance park from Tacoma, and as a gateway into Tacoma by ferry from Vashon Island. Ruston's personality as a gateway city is primarily manifest in its eateries and shops along Pearl Street. Easily the most well-known of Ruston's food stops, and a must for visitors to the town, is the Antique Sandwich Shop at N 51st and Pearl. The Antique Sandwich Shop earned the eternal gratitude of our family by sharing the recipe for their chocolate espresso cheescake. (The sample below was prepared by my daughter, Leslie.)
The other place to eat in Ruston that visitors should try is Tatanka Take-Out. Try their bison burgers and tortilla wraps and feel good about the fact that you're getting 1/3 more protein and 1/10 the fat of a beef sandwich.
Ruston is an attractive city, and its citizens are friendlier than average. People greeted me as I walked Ruston's streets, and one yard --landscaped as a rocky beach-- offered free shiny rocks for children:

Taste of Tacoma

2006-07-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

Every summer the Park District sponsors a mini-fair called "Taste of Tacoma" at Pt. Defiance park. I was walking nearby, and so detoured into the park to smell the food and watch the people. It was a perfect day weather-wise, so a great day for the festivities. Kudos to The Sound Community Church who was handing out free bottled water at the park entrance. Hurrah! for Habitat of Humanity too, who were framing a demo house while onlookers enjoyed corndogs and gyros.
I was glad to capture some "human interest" photos at the Taste of Tacoma, in order to assure my blog readers that the citizens of Tacoma are well-bred people of good taste.

She's A Lady

2006-06-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

While photographing roses in the Pt. Defiance Park garden, I met this lady. If I hadn't already believed in my little Nikon Coolpix 8700 before seeing this photo, the resolution of this shot would have sold me!

Getting To The Point: Wondering About Beauty

2006-06-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised to see how long it's been since my last posting; I've been walking more than blogging! Today I directed a geocaching event for my colleague's Dad's Club. While dads and sons scoured Pt. Defiance Park for hidden treasures, I toured the park's rose garden. I love roses, and make a point of taking time to stop and smell them. And photograph them. Here's my collection of One Inch Roses, collected photographically as I've walked Tacoma. Please click on the collage, and then click again with the magnifier cursor to get a better look:

Have you ever wondered about that? How is it that we recognize beauty as such? Sure Darwinism offers an explanation for male-female attraction, but why do we recognize a rose or a sunset as beautiful? Why do we perceive a mountain range, or an ice skater's leap as beautiful? I think about such things as I walk.

Cavanaugh's Coffe House Grand Opening

2006-05-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

As my teaching responsibilities cool down, my walking heats up. The map above shows the territory I've covered by foot so far within our city limits. I've logged 123 miles in what I estimate will be be a 700-mile walking project.

On days like today (the temp. was predicted to hit 87°), I have a hard time ending my trek and returning to my other duties. It was a fun morning, a highlight of which was happening upon the Grand Opening of Mike and Linda Soden's Cavanaugh's Coffee House on N 41st and Cheyenne streets. My friends will want to support this locally-owned business. It is one of the most attractive and friendly espresso shops you'll ever visit, and yes, they have Wi-Fi. "Latte" Linda makes a great iced-latte with their espresso blend from Bremerton's Ootopia roaster. Mike's father, NW Photographer Ron Soden, provides the wall decorations: gorgeous black-and-white photographs (currently of local scenes). When you visit, you'll want to buy more than cofee and pastries because Ron's photographs, uniquely matted and framed, are quality works of art. (I was lusting after his framed pair of tall ship photos.) Congratulations, Mike and Linda, and God bless your new business!

Mike and Linda Soden, Owners of Cavanaugh's Coffee House,
on the first day of business at their new location,
N 41st and Cheyenne streets in Tacoma.

Bees and Blooms

2006-05-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

I literally took time to smell the roses today. Sprintime is a great time to walk in Tacoma. My wife, Kaaren the Master Gardener, has enhanced my knoweledge and enjoyment of garden plants, and thus of my walking tour of Tacoma's front yards. I'm enjoying preserving the fleeting beauty of spring blooms and blossoms with my Nikon. The Coolpix 8700 continues to show its wonderful capabilities with close-ups. Be sure and click on the honeybee to enlarge this photo of the little clematis pollinator!

Getting To The Point, Part 3

2006-05-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

I returned to Pt. Defiance Park on April 24th to hide a geocache I've dubbed "Home Office Eagle." You can read about this geocache and see comments by the people who've found it by clicking HERE.

I continued my exploration of the Park's forest paths on May 3rd, when I hit upon a glorious trail I would call "the path of giants." The trail runs in a straight NW-SE line for one mile, starting/ending at the picnic area (on the 5-mile drive) at the very tip of the point. This inspiring trail is overshadowed by many giant firs and cedars!
Speaking of giant trees, I stopped and took a self-portrait at the Mountaineers Tree I mentioned in a previous post. This 450-year-old tree towers up 218 feet, with a 7.5 foot diameter.

I love the woods, but Pt. Defiance Park has much more to offer, including spectacular views of Puget Sound and of Gig Harbor, the city across the bridge. On a clear day, the Olympic Mountains pop out in all their glory.

Getting To The Point, Part 2

2006-04-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

My main reason for going to the Point today was for fresh air and exercise on a glorious sunny day. I also had a spiritual reason for going to the park which, God willing, I will share about in the future. For now, suffice it to say that this park's popularity is well deserved. Without leaving the city I can walk in deep and ancient woods. Our park system has preserved some aged giants at the Point, including a Douglas Fir that is nearly 24 feet in circumference, and whose lowest branches are what we call "widow makers"; should they break off and fall, they are massive enough to flatten a car. Here's a photo of that tree taken on an earlier day by my friend, James Gunn:

There's nothing like a walk on a well-maintained forest path, under a canopy of cedar and fir, breathing in that oxygen-rich air and hearing nothing but birdsong.

Speaking of birds, one does see the occasional bald eagle in Tacoma's forested neighborhoods. High flyers that they are, they are unmistakable when the sun hits their white head feathers. And of course there is no "nature thrill" like watching an eagle fish! The optics and physics involved, along with the sheer computing power of an eagle's brain involved in plummeting from the sky and lifting a trout or salmon out of the water is enough to make me believe in a Designer. If you ever have the opportunity to watch slow motion film of an eagle fishing, don't miss it. Eagles will even fish in pairs: the first will dive at a water bird forcing it to dive under for cover; the second eagle will time its dive to grab the prey just as it surfaces thinking the danger has passed!

I didn't see an eagle today, but I found an old dead snag, the very kind of forest perch the great birds favor:

Please notice the highly unusual Tacoma phenomenon in this photo above: a cloudless sky!

Nope, no eagles today. I had to settle for a nice shot of a faithful pair of Canadian Geese. They are beautiful birds, even if they do naughty things to our park lawns.

Getting To The Point

2006-04-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

The north end of Tacoma ends in a sharp point of land that juts into Puget Sound. This tip of our city has been preserved as the well-loved Point Defiance Park. The blue skies today tempted me away from my orderly walk on Tacoma's streets to the roads and trails of this magnificent park.

As you can see, my 4-mile walk today (tracked by a GPS receiver) took me off road along forest trails, eventually out across the south border of the park onto Tacoma's northernmost residential streets, and finally back into the southeast corner of the park where I had left my car. (To be continued...)

Tacoma Bridges Coming Down

2006-04-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

Even as Tacoma's new Narrows Bridge is going up, the city is taking down several of its bridges that cross Intestate 5. Some of the bridges will be replaced. I took the above photo standing on one of the "condemned," the Tacoma Ave. bridge. The photo looks southwest toward the G Street bridge in the foreground and the Yakima Street bridge behind it. The Yakima bridge has already been truncated on its south end where you can just make out a steam shovel clawing away at it. I took the photo to preserve the memory of these old bridges, but was delighted by the bonus of a dramatic cloudscape. Yes, Tacoma skies look like this often. While I was out walking at midday, I enjoyed sun, rain and a bit of hail.

Here's a closer look at the truncated end of the Yakima St. bridge:

Happy Resurrection Day!

2006-04-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

What reason have atheists for saying that we cannot rise again? Which is the more difficult — to be born, or to rise again? That what has never been, should be, or that what has been should be again? Is it [not] more difficult to come into being than to return to it? — Blaise Pascal, Pensées

Here's wishing my readers a blessed day as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Crown of Thorns
Euphorbiaceae, Euphorbia milii, Photo by Graciano
W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, Tacoma

You Can Still Experience the Rain Festival!

2006-04-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, but it's not too late to enjoy Tacoma's Rain Festival. Think I'm kidding? Some folks really do come for the rain. An aunt of mine from arid Baja California came for a visit in August one year. It didn't rain the whole time she was here, and she was so disappointed. She had so looked forward to a downpour!

Today I walked the perimeter of Tacoma's Wright Park in the rain. In my continuing quest to capture the rain experienc in photos, I offer the above impressionistic-like image of raindrop eddies on the park's pond. Click on the photo to expand it. This image has not been altered by a filter; it's a true representation of the eddies and reflections on the pond's surface.

Turning my lens upward, I was able to capture a raindrop clinging to the blossom of a Kwanzan Flowering Cherry tree:

Spring Is Here, Bridges Are Blooming

2006-04-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings and apologies to my loyal readers. I am well, just very busy teaching at this time of year.

Nevertheless, I'm walking the streets of Tacoma and excited about developments in this great city. Something my wife and I are enjoying watching is the construction of the new bridge going up alongside Tacoma's famous Narrows Bridge. (The existing bridge's main claim to fame is the collapse of its predecessor; see video of "Galloping Gertie's" demise.) Because the present bridge is a bottleneck for commuters traveling from Washington's peninsula to Tacoma, Olympia and Seattle, a second bridge is going up right beside it. Here's a telephoto shot of the pinnacle of one of the new towers:

Please click on the photo to enlarge it. You may just be able to see one of the workers (in a yellow helmet). I added a yellow arrow pointing to him.

But to get perspective, here's the panoramic view of the bridges with the Olympic Mountains in the background:

Do click on this bottom photo, because it enlarges nicely. As you can see, the older bridge is on the right, accomodating traffic. The new bridge is going up on the left (west) side. The workman I pointed to is up there to the right of the crane, but you won't be able to see him at this resolution!

The Rain In Spain

2006-02-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

The rain in Spain falls mainly in Tacoma, it would seem. Or at least the rain in the Phillipines is falling here, as we continue to get thrashed by La Niña (according to NOAA). The rain came down like tiny bullets today, after another night of window-rattling wind gusts.

My walking pace slowed significantly in January, but actually not because of the inclement weather. Instead it's the exigencies of my corporate and teaching responsiblities that have kept me indoors. That will soon change, God willing!

Our Rain-drenched World

Raindrops

2006-01-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

The rainy season has come to Tacoma with record-breaking downpours. The county is contending with flooding river banks. Same old, same old for our beloved Puget Sound region.

Gray skies don't invite you to pull on your walking boots, but rainy days do offer clean cold air and unusual photo opportunities. For example, the days are dark enough that the lights come on early in Tacoma's port, providing a festive backdrop for this curious robin.

I want to wish a very Happy New Year to my faithful readers. Here's my progress to date, a cumulative total of a little over 90 miles along Tacoma's streets:

Weather Happens

2005-12-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

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

2005-11-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

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

2005-10-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-09-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-09-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

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

2005-09-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2005-09-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

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

2005-08-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

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."

Mauled!

2005-08-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

So, August 9th, I'm walking east on N 28th toward Starr St. and find a kitty out by the sidewalk. Awww, cute kitty. Is little kitty okay?

Next thing I know...

kitty grabs me by the leg, clamps teeth at my knee and throws me ...

into giggles.

Hmm. While the owner's away, the cat will play!

Noisy Nikes

2005-08-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Nike is generally the first brand I look at when shopping for a new walking shoe. Though Nikes run a little wide for my feet, I've found their AIR models to be very comfortable for walking in the city. And so, last May I invested in a new pair of the Nike Air Impel (why do the models I like always have to be the most expensive?). True to my history with Nike, the Air Impels feel real good. However, this pair has a bizarre problem. A good shoe should run quiet, and these do until they warm up on hot pavement. Then they make very embarrassing noises.

It took me a few miles to figure out what was happening. The shoes are perfectly quiet indoors and for the first mile outdoors. Then a kind of snapping noise begins. At first I thought I was just hearing the hard end of the laces smacking the top of the shoe as I walked. I eliminated that possibility by tying the laces differently. But yesterday was a beautiful hot day, and the shoe noise reappeared and got worse as my shoes got hotter. Before long, it sounded like a rude bodily noise with every step! The problem has to be connected to the air cushion in the heels. In yesterday's sunshine, the pretty girls were out washing their sports cars, the brawny landscapers were out shoveling beauty bark, and there I was walking past them on a pair of whoopee cushions. I got so embarrassed I came home and dug out my receipt to return the shoes.

Sports Authority was greeat about take the Air Impels back. After getting my card re-credited, I went over to the shoe racks and saw that the Impels are now on sale for 23% off! Hmmm, one wonders if others are having problems with them. Be that as it may, for the next few miles I'm trying a new pair of hopefully very quiet Reeboks.

The Whoopee Shoe

Tacoma Churches 001: Central Lutheran

2005-08-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

My walk today took me by Central Lutheran Church. I saw lights on inside, so stopped and chatted for a few minutes with Dr. Redal, the pastor. My wife tells me that it was at this church where she first heard the gospel. Indeed, Pastor Redal reminded me today of Central Lutheran's commitment to the inerrancy of Scripture and expository preaching. Central Lutheran has influenced countless people over the years through their special services and their sponsorship of Faith Seminary. The church was founded in 1925 by second-generation Norwegian Lutherans who felt the need "make the gospel of Christ known to their children in the English language."

Take a look at the auditorium of Central's first building in downtown Tacoma. You'll also enjoy the online display of the stained glass windows in Central Lutheran's current building.

Hide Me Away on N Stadium Way

2005-08-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

Between Stadium High School and Garfield Park, lies a quiet and secluded neighborhood of beautiful older homes. I walked the whole neighborhood today, from N Stadium Way to Tacoma Ave, covering it in 4.9 miles (including a couple of repeated blocks). Once again I enjoyed finding palm trees in our evergreen city. My wife (the Master Gardener) says that many people have probably obtained their palm trees from the tropical nursery on N Pearl St, but that even Lowe's is selling palms now.

Seeing the old (original?) building of the Washington State Historical Museum brought back memories of field trips taken while attending Robert Gray Jr. High School. I thoroughly appreciate the new WSHM on Pacific Ave, but it's displays seem a tad sterile compared to the earlier building's musty and gritty old artifacts that so fascinated us as kids.

My youngest daughter and my granddaughter joined me for the first two miles of my walk today. Alexandria enjoyed the play area in Garfield Park. Here's Alie ready to come down the tube slide. (Click on the photo for better resolution.)

Cars, Camels and Comida

2005-07-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

I varied from my North End routine today. My wife joined me in walking up S Park Ave to the Fern Hill street fair. This annual gathering of displays and commercial booths is held in the historic business district at 84th st. The main attraction at the street fair is the large gathering of custom and classic cars. I particularly liked the paint job on the Li'l Whiner below.

Among the dozen or more vendors at the street fair, one displayed some "antiques," an item of which I recognized instantly. It had been a while since I'd seen the distinctive rounded can, but the Camel Repair Kit for rubber tire inner tubes was a close companion during my bike-riding youth.

Grace Community Church, a congregation that has served Tacoma for many years, has recently relocated here at 84th and Park Ave. They held their regular Sunday morning service while the street fair was in progress, and also manned a table outside for people interested in registering their children for the Daily Vacation Bible School coming up in another week.

The Safe Streets folks were also manning a table in front of the Turning Point salon. I can recommend Turning Point, as I get my hair cut there and most of the females in my family get their hair done there as well. Next to the salon, tienda Los Caballero was selling tamales for a dollar! There were several food options for people who wanted to stick around and listen to Steve and the Good Times play oldies, and $10 massages for anyone who rocked too hard. It was another brilliant sunny day today; great weather for the Fern Hill community to hang out together.

Patriotic Tacoma

2005-07-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

On the evening of July 28, 2005, I walked streets between N 30th and UPS, beginning from the home of my friend, Pastor KM. I again enjoyed the many flags I saw flying from house fronts, like this one on N 30th. I suppose some of the patriotic bunting was hung in honor of the 4th, but homes flying both the American and British flags tell me that we are thinking of the 7th as well.
Speaking of the war on terrorism, I commend the Fiqh Council of North America for their fatwa against terrorism just issued. May God bless all who signed it!

Here's the part of Tacoma I've walked so far, filled in with light magenta:

Something Fishy

2005-07-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Tacoma has maintained a forested area around a creek that feeds into Puget Sound near where N Alder St meets N Ruston Way. I've walked all around this Puget Park now and have also walked the lower half of its densely canopied trail. My friend TW helped me find the Napoleon's Sweet Skills geocache there.

On my first exploration of Puget Park on June 15th, I wandered into an overgrown picnic area and was delighted to discover a fish out of water. It's another of the delightful salmon sculptures displayed in our area. It's a beautiful fiberglass work called "Soul Salmon," and I couldn't figure out why it was in a rather hidden location off the main trail. It seemed vulnerable to vandalism -- or worse -- to me. Sure enough, last week someone stole it! The News Tribune announced the disappearance and that the salmon was worth about $10k. I was very grateful to have snapped a photo of it when I saw it, because I pessimistically thought a sculpture of that value would probably be in the home of some out-of-state collector by now.

The good news is that, now a week after the theft, "Soul Salmon" has been recovered. The person who had it said he got it in trade for some bicycle wheels! The sad news is that someone in our city stole a $10k sculpture and traded it for bicycle wheels! Someone poached "Soul Salmon" and then didn't know what to do with it. I guess in Tacoma "the women are strong, the men are good looking, and [not] all the children are above average."

Guess The Price

2005-07-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Daughters Rachel and Leslie joined me to fill in N 29th between Junett and Union. We parked the car in front of the home of our friends, Todd and Debbie, and enjoyed the quiet shady neighborhood one block from busy 30th. We immediately happened upon the sweetest looking Victorian surrounded by shade trees. Please click on the photo below to get an enlarged view.

We played "guess the sale price" when we passed houses for sale. A house I guessed at $190k was $250k, and another I guessed at $390k was offered at $620k. Shows how out of touch I am with N End prices.

After we walked some cross streets, I had the girls drive the car down to Starbucks in Old Town while I walked down the 30th st hill just to get some more exercise, on this beautiful sunny evening of July 24, 2005. My walk totaled 2.88 miles this time.

E Dock St Terror!

2005-07-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

On the gorgeous morning of July 18, I walked most of E Dock St, starting from 4th and Pacific. While standing in a parking lot taking photos of the Old City Hall clock tower, I suddenly jumped out of my skin at the most horrendous, percussive sound I had ever heard. The ground shook, the telephone wires were humming and I thought, Oh, no! A terrorist bomb has gone off and the debris may strike me in the next split second! It took me a long moment to realize that what I had just experienced was nothing more than the sound of train coupling on the Burlington Northern railroad across the street. The jamming together of boxcars occurred a track or two in from the street, so I had no warning; the railroad cars I could see were motionless. I mentioned it later to my friend, RT, who works in Tacoma's port area. He chuckled and said that where he works they hear that sound on an hourly basis. I salute you if you work near Tacoma's rail lines and have had to get used to that crashing thunderclap of a noise; it would take me a long time.

P. S. There is a very clever geocache hidden in the marina area off E Dock St. There is another cleverly hidden geocache at the Museum of Glass.

Tacoma's Victorian Houses

2005-07-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor to the NW, Pt. Townsend, touts its historic Victorian buildings, but it's got nothing on us. Here's my favorite Old Town Victorian so far, digitally photographed on the cloudy morning of June 29, 2005. I love the sunrise tracery in the windows!

Please click on the photo for an enlarged view!

Where'd I Get The Idea?

2005-07-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

I got the idea of walking every street in Tacoma from an article about Caleb Smith. He walked every street in the city of New York (700 miles)!

Where I've Walked So Far

2005-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've got years to go on this project, but here's my small beginning. The streets I've covered in my first 3 months of Walking Tacoma are highlighted with a light fuchsia color. I rarely walk more than 2 miles at a time. I prefer to walk a minimum of 3, but I get so interested in what I'm seeing and in taking photos, that I run out of time and must hurry to other commitments!

Meaning of Tacoma

2005-07-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

The name of our city comes from the Native American name for what is now known as Mt. Rainier. According to the sign posted by the replica of Job Carr's house (see below), the name "Tacoma" comes from the [Native American] name..., Tacopid, meaning "She who gives us the waters." NationMaster.com gives a similar explanation, Tacobet, or "mother of waters." Others have analyzed the original name Tacoma or Tahoma to mean "snow covered mountain." Still others state matter-of-factly, but without documentation, that Tahoma means "the mountain that was god." None of these translations of Tahoma/Tacoma are mutually exclusive. A snow-covered mountain is obviously the source or "mother" of waters for the region around it. I've not found hard evidence that natives of the Northwest ever believed Mt. Rainier to have been a god at one time, but if some once held that superstition, it may have been in recognition of the mountain being the source of the local waters that nourished and sustained them .* The name of our city always makes me think of a favorite scripture, John 7.37,38. Please click on the photo below to magnify it for easier viewing!

*Though I think there is a legend, somewhat suspect, attributing the mountain's deification to its primeval volcanic activity.

You Know You Love Your City If...

2005-07-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

12. You spend the majority of your time in it.
11. You root for its athletes even though you're not into sports.
10. You know where its best geocaches are.
9. You love giving visitors a tour of it.*
8. You like to tell people you were born, born again, or graduated there.
7. You're in a religious or civic organization that serves the community.
6. You know its population.
5. Your hackles rise when outsiders put it down.
4. You mourn the necessary demolitions of its architectural icons.
3. You know its main history, industries and cultural offerings.
2. You pray for it, or seek its blessing in other ways.
1. You know its skies are bluer than Seattle's.

*We like to take visitors to see the Chihuly Bridge of Glass near downtown Tacoma. Please click on the photo above to magnify it to full size!

Living Color

2005-07-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

My wife, Kaaren Joy, is a Master Gardener. She wishes I were more interested in gardening, but I've offered her a quote from William H. Davies (1871-1940): "The more help a person has in his garden, the less it belongs to him." She pooh-poohs that and says she's happy to share ownership. I must confess, though, that I'm learning from Kaaren's coaching and certainly gaining a greater appreciation for the flower-gardener's colorful results. I enjoyed this blue and white lithodora along Starr St on my May 17 walk. I also saw what I believe may be a jacaranda tree (rare in WA) on 27th or N Park Dr. It was just past its bloom so I made a note to visit a week or two earlier next year.

Sawing Record 1889

2005-07-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

On a cloudy May 17, 2005, I walked from N 30th and McCarver up around N Park Dr, up to Tacoma Ave on 11th and back down Carr, a total of about 2 miles. I'm interested in everything about Tacoma's culture, and particularly about it's history, material and spiritual. Thus, I'm always happy to discover a historical monument or marker that was hitherto unknown to me. Today I found the Ackerson Mill monument. I've adjusted the contrast on the photo of the inscription to make it easier for you to read. The monument itself stands on the corner of N 11th and N 27th streets.
Perspectives change with time. The logging industry must now take environmental concerns into account in its practices and public relations. Today it might not boast in the thousands of board feet milled, as much as in the acres of forestland replanted.

West Road Canyon

2005-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

On a damp May 9th, 2005, my daughter Leslie and I walked up N 29th and then south on N Junett to make a circuit around the West Rd canyon. There is a striking view of the deep green canyon from the closed off bridge at the end of N Yakima. We enjoyed seeing the gorgeous homes and gardens in this regal neighborhood! Leslie is staying in shape for dancing and for the August delivery of her first baby.

City of Palms

2005-07-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed how many palm trees we have in Tacoma now? I spent my childhood in arid Calexico, CA, and palm trees were one of the few trees in abundance. But palm trees in Tacoma? In the Evergreen State? Palm trees are now so popular in Tacoma that we even have fake ones! Here's a sample of the real thing near N. 30th st.:

Job Carr, I Salute You!

2005-07-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

On April 20, 2005, I began my walking project with my wife Kaaren where the city of Tacoma began, at what is now North 30th and Carr streets. Job Carr built the first white-man's house about half a block from this corner, and by so doing founded Tacoma. A replica of his cabin sits in Old Town Park located another block up 30th St.
This is a beautiful spot on the Puget Sound, and must have been lovely in 1865. From here you can see across the water to Vashon and Maury Islands, as well as to Brown's Pt. In Mr. Carr's day I would have enjoyed watching the tall ships come through. And back then there weren’t yet any trains or railroad crossing signals to wake Job up in the middle of the night!

Download an excellent guide to take your own walking tour of Old Town Tacoma.