Parking Strip Planting on Beacon Hill

My future sister-in-law (hurray) planted this parking strip outside her house at one of the intersections on 15th. Thank you! I love this.

Hawthorn Tree Outside City Hall

A coworker of mine is a smoker, and I've started hanging out with her when she goes outside to smoke because I like her and I like outside. Yesterday I talked her into walking across the street to City Hall to light up, and she asked me what this tree was. I told her I didn't know but that I would take a picture so I could find out.



But then we noticed that the fine City of Seattle folks tagged it for us. English Hawthorn.



Then we went back to work.

Fall Morning in the U-District

This morning I went to the Farmers Market in the U-District, my first Seattle neighborhood.





I miss all the hippie yards.



I'm a peaceful and cowardly person, but I think if I saw a person spray-painting a tree, I'd want to kick their ass.









Doesn't "Sweetbread" mean brains? I'd never heard of this little local vineyard before. I gambled on the cheapest white and red.



Then I went to Esquin Wine Merchants and lollygagged in the Loire whites section before finally settling on Cheverny. What I really wanted was a Sancerre, but apparently Cheverny is another steel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc wine from the Loire Valley, and it was $10 cheaper than the Sancerres. Hopefully it will have that minerally taste that I love so much in Sancerre -- we'll see.

Then I suddenly decided that I also wanted a Niagara ice wine for dessert, so I grabbed one from Jackson-Triggs, a vineyard that I blogged but didn't name back in July.

No More Hangar Cafe

They were too good to be true (for long, anyway). I will miss them.

Unless one of you wants to buy it?

In other local business news, the ownership of Yoga on Beacon is changing hands. The former owner is moving to California.

Quick Rainier Cold Storage Update

Looks like the Architectural Review Committee of the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board wants to explore the idea of having Sabey rebuild the western wall of the Stock House (an idea I dismissed as stupid a couple of days ago).

You'll probably see more details on this morning's meeting from Dan at Seattlest, who was also in attendance, before I'll get a chance to write more.

Rainier Cold Storage, Landmarks Preservation Board -- Sept. 28

As The Paper Noose recently noted, this Friday the Architectural Review Committee of the Landmarks Preservation Board will review Sabey's response to ARC's request that they estimate how much it would cost to preserve the west wall of the Stock House, or replace it brick by brick.

Sabey's estimate is $8-11 million to save the wall, and they note it may be dangerous, irritating to neighbors while work is done, and potentially impossible.

(They also came up with a figure for how much it would cost to replace the wall brick by brick. But I don't really care about that, because that's a stupid idea.)

(They also came up with a figure estimating the amount of money they would lose if they preserved/replaced the wall because the lack of windows would make it a less desirable space for tenants. But I don't really care about that, because they bought the buildings with the intent to preserve them if possible, so that particular figure does not represent any change from their original plans.)

As enamoured as I am with my own ideas about what could replace the Stock House, of course I'd rather see it preserved.

Since I work right across the street, I may try to make it to the 8:30 a.m. meeting at the Municipal Building on Friday and see what goes down in this round. Join me? Come here: Friday, September 28, at the Landmarks Preservation Board's Architectural Review Committee (ARC) at 8:30 a.m. in Room 4070 of the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor.

Pirates of the Caribeacon This Saturday

Guerrilla Masquerade Party will be invading Beacon Hill this Saturday night. Where will the Dread Ship GMP land -- the Red Apple, Beacon Pub, Baja Bistro, Inay's, Jefferson Park? If you know, don't tell. Pirates rely on the element of surprise.

Avast ye scurvy Guerrillas!

Shiver me timbers! September be the month fer Pirates! And unless ye want to spend eternity in Davey Jones' Locker, we urge ya to channel yer inner Pirate and get yer self aboard.

On September 1st, the month o' Pirates kicked off with a very special BaconStrip, then on Wednesday, September 19th, it be 'International Talk Like a Pirate Day' - http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html and http://www.talklikeapirateday.com/.

And then we Guerrillas be roundin' out the month on September 29th by pillaging new territory - crashing on the beaches of little island known as Beacon Hill - for PIRATES OF THE CARIBEACON!

The Dread Ship GMP will be needin' a hearty crew of Old Salty Dogs, Peg-legged Pirates and Lusty Wenches, as well as plenty of Sharp Witted Parrots, of course. And it wouldn't hurt to have some extra Pirate Ships around. Be sure to bring your treasure chests full of booty, in case ye be needin' more grog or rum. And if you don't have yer own treasure, bring along a treasure map and we'll find some adventure.

Perhaps during our journey will run across Mermaids or Sea Monsters, Sharks or Sea Hags. Or we could just see plenty of fish, dolphins and whales swimming amongst the seaweed in the deep blue waves of the briney deep.

The exact location(s) we'll be invading will be announced when we be approaching the day o' the party, so until then get yer pirate gear gathered and practice yer 'Arrrrrr!'s. If ye be needin' some inspiration, check out the movies 'Ice Pirates', 'Pirates of Penzance', 'Peter Pan', 'Swiss Family Robinson', 'Treasure Island', 'Muppet Treasure Island', or those 'Pirates of the Carribean' flicks. Or check out photos from the GMP Pirate party, "Guerrillas at Sea!", way back in 2003.