Cavanaugh's Coffe House Grand Opening

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Snorkeling Lion & Cat Goddesses

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

University of Puget Sound

The Organ in Kilworth Memorial Chapel.

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

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

Appreciation to My Readers!

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

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

NO FAIR!

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

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

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

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

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

City of Palms II: Landscaping Larceny!

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

Ms. Merryman writes:

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

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

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

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

The Camera

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

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

My Magenta Miles: August 2005 Progress Report

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

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

I Spy!

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

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