Exploring a CLOSED park in Seattle! East Montlake park floating walkways

Swim with me!

A new video is live on my Youtube channel! This is a short and simple one, where I work on my swimming at a local gym now that they've reopened to the public with added cleaning and safety measures. It's been ages since I've really swam, so I'm a bit rusty, but it feels really good to get back in the water and work on it! I'll be doing a swimming challenge soon, which will result in a much longer video, so keep an eye out for that in the coming months! I do have a shoulder injury to work with, which is a bummer, but I love how swimming is low impact while definitely being a tough work out. How about you? What's your favorite work out?

Seattle Vlog: Carkeek park - Nature sounds (NO MUSIC, NO TALKING)

Something a little different on my Youtube channel this week, I'm posting this video from my hike at Carkeek park, here in Seattle, and there's zero talking or background music, only the ambient sounds of nature (and occasionally my breath). If you get the chance to visit Carkeek park, I absolutely recommend it- there's a lot to enjoy, from an orchard, the beach, forested paths, train tracks... it's a stunning spot to take in some nature and enjoy an afternoon! I had a great time exploring and look forward to my next outing to the park. The video itself is under 10 minutes, so it's not an extensive time commitment for those of us with shorter attention spans. ;) As always, be well and adventure whenever possible! There's a big beautiful world out there just waiting...



XOXO,

NAU

Seattle: August walk around Lake Union

Summertime in Seattle is a splendiferous and fleeting thing, where for a brief window our nearly year-long blanket of cloud cover clears out to let the sunbeams rain down upon us, bestowing sorely needed vitamin D to scores of pallid flesh. While it's not unusual to witness joggers in varying stages of undress all year long, in the summer the skin is out and even the most hikkikomori among us are tempted out from their dens to feel that familiar warmth tingle the skin. Anthony and I are not immune from this seasonal shift and all the sun-worshipping activities it encourages, so on one fine August day we popped on our walking shoes and store out for an epic journey around Lake Union! It's one of the many bodies of water in Seattle, but Lake Union is small enough that you can easily take a walkaround it in an evening, and it'll take you through some wonderfully scenic Seattle neighborhoods! There are tons of quirky house boats to be seen, beautiful mcmansions lining the water front, parks (including the iconic Gas Works park), marinas, and so much more to take in. During our outing, there was a fair bit of construction going on along the eastern shore of the lake, leading us to take a somewhat longer round-about route as a result, but so it goes. We weren't unhappy with the sights we took in at all and appreciated seeing some unusual architecture and light effects as a result! We definitely put a pin in a few locations along the route that we look forward to revisiting, and hopefully I'll have a Vlog up on my Youtube channel in the next couple months! I'm working on upgrading my equipment, and am really excited to share a lot of new quality content with you in the future! In the end we did over 9 miles in an evening of walking, were able to see a heron fishing, get in our daily step count (and then some), and generally just had a lovely night out exploring our city. We hope you enjoy these photos we took during the adventure! 

Early May 2020 Seattle quarantine daily life Vlog

In early May, Antho and I took a walk around Greenlake park and I decided to vlog the day. We saw squirrels, hummingbirds, and other birds aplenty. When we got home I made us some brunch, did some exercise, and we ended with bossam for dinner. It was an overall wonderful day, and I wanted to try sharing some of my content in a new format for all of y'all to check out, so let me know what you think! It feels weird to record so much video, and I'm a bit rusty with my editing, but it was a lot of fun to make and I'm considering doing more along these lines. 

Seattle: Cal Anderson park and life under quarantine

It's a weird time to be alive, and social isolation is very real. Seattle has long been known for it's "Freeze", or that social frigidness that can plague and frustrate new arrivals looking to make connections, but apparently that anti-social tendency might be playing an active role in saving our city right now. On March 23rd Governor Inslee officially issued an order mandating that all residents stay-home or risk facing up to a year in prison or a $5,000 fine, though the mandate allows for gardening, strolling or jogging for exercise, and even going to parks...with some recent provisions. Initially, most of the city's parks stayed open as long as people were practicing proper social distancing measures, but this past weekend (April 11th and 12th) major parks were closed to the public, and even the Friday prior we witnessed people being given tickets for parking along the perimeter of Greenlake park, the parking lots of which have been closed to discourage crowding. To be fair, as of April 10th, there were roughly 10,000 cases of coronavirus infection reported in King County and surrounding areas, and many people have been violating the social distancing guidelines. I can understand why people are drawn to these places though, as spring has descended upon Seattle and the patches of greenery scattered throughout the city are bursting into bloom and bud, with blue skies becoming more reliable and the singing of birds and skittering of squirrels to add to the flurry of vitality. Make no mistake, spring has been stunning so far this year, and while we've enjoyed many strolls around our neighborhood these past 3 weeks, we too have fallen victim to the desire to go to our local parks to participate in nature's yearly awakening from its' slumber. No funerals, weddings, or church gatherings are allowed, so a lot of life's biggest rituals have been stymied by the need to maintain proper social awareness and prevention, but nature will never bend to our wishes and carries on uninterrupted. In these uncertain times, there's a very real comfort to finding some familiarity, some routine, to ground ourselves with, but with so many other options gone many of the parks have been overflowing with people...and then being closed to the public as a result...

Simultaneously, many of the streets are barren, especially at night time. We've been surprised and amused by the sheer volume of walkers we've witnessed in our neighborhood, with some of the intersections becoming a maze of maintaining 6 feet while dodging joggers, carriages, cyclists, and dog walkers from all directions all at once. Our local grocery stores have maintained a moderate sense of normalcy, with most of their stock still fully loaded and available, but then you round a corner to find half of an aisle completely wiped out. First, all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer were gone, then the dry beans, and now all the flour, too. On one visit to Target, we marveled at the fact people were panic buying ALL the menstrual products. Flour and beans are still hard to come by, and I've found that even some luxury heirloom bean sites are selling out of products like mad. Many stores are putting up plexiglass barricades between customers and employees, and the aisles are becoming one-way. Our weekly order from Imperfect Produce has become complicated by an influx of new shoppers depleting their inventory and overloading their system, leading to all sorts of complications with our deliveries over the last few weeks- whether it be an entirely missed week of food or skipped items, or simply a lack of options by the time my day to order rolls around. We're not hurting for anything, and had built up a small supply of emergency preparedness supplies, but it's startling and surreal to see these signs of panic and chaos creeping into the mundane aspects of life. For most of my life, grocery shopping has been easy and abundant, with reliable availability, and now not so much. I've heard rumors that there may be a meat shortage coming, but I've also heard that due to all the sporting events being canceled there's an overabundance of chicken wings, so who knows. There's so much fear, and so many theories floating around the internet, and a lot of ignorance proliferating. I'm not a scientist, and I'm not here to tell anyone how to go about their life, but personally, I think we all need to take a deep breath and try to ride it out without letting our anxieties get the best of us. That's what I'm trying to do... I'm out of work for the time being, as my job was not considered an essential business in this pandemic, and as a result, I've been at home with my thoughts, my partner, and our pets to process for weeks now. Getting exercise, even a brief walk around the block has been huge in helping me to stay sane. When I can, I try to order from small local businesses to support them, though my income has been drastically impacted by this situation. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get scared, or anxious, from time to time, but there's not much I can do other than maintain proper distancing and staying home, so try to make the most of all this free time. I, for one, am excited to make a whole new batch of candles soon!

These photos are of Cal Anderson park, in Capitol Hill, from a time before the pandemic. It was still a quiet, mostly empty day at the park, though, and I felt the photos kind of captured the weird post apocalyptic vibe of the times. Enjoy!

Washington: Roozengaarde during daffodil season

Seattle is currently gearing up for the possible return of Snowmaggedon, or heavier-than-usual snowfall that brings the city to a slippery skidding slowdown as the various hills that comprise the landscape of Seattle is rapidly transformed into hazardous slides leaving drivers and city crews to cope with the ensuant chaos. Businesses close or alter their hours as their teams are able to safely navigate their way in or are not so able to. Of course, all this slippery icy terrain is exceptionally beautiful as Seattle glistens under a blanket of frost, so it's tempting to go out and explore despite the potential risks. Also, given that the terrain varies wildly from one neighborhood to the next, some parts of town keep moving along smoothly while others come to a frigid halt as accessibility goes down. While it snowed a little earlier today, it was only a light dusting that set about to dripping away shortly after landing, but the portents are there. Winter is here, and snow is coming. 

Given the deep chill settling into the air around us, it's probably understandable that I'd rather reflect back on some sunny spring days when the daffodil fields were ablaze with the brilliant yellow flowers as the sun beat down, glowing warmly in the sky above. To partake in the sight yourself, you'd have to drive North of Seattle on I-5 for roughly an hour to Mount Vernon, where Roozengaarde resides. The farm is fairly easy to find using your maps and the information provided by their website, and parking is fairly ample, though I imagine it will fill up during peak visiting season and hours. I went on a weekday and the gardens were still quite bustling with a wave of visitors, soaking in the sunlight and admiring the assortment of blooms decorating the expansive grounds. Admission was only $7 at the time of my visit, though it may go up during their Tulip season, where the rainbow blooms are not only incredibly beautiful but exceptionally popular and bring in visitors from all over the region. After my own meandering stroll through the grounds, I can definitely understand the appeal, it was stunning! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would recommend anyone go at least once, and if Roozengaarde is full there are other, smaller farms nearby that would love to host you! After my time here, I headed towards Deception Pass for a hike, and during the drive, I passed several farms, one with a very friendly little lady waving excitedly as I drove by. Pretty idyllic scenery, for sure, and a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city, and the cold. Should you find yourself nearby, I absolutely recommend checking them out! Just, if you do, mind the signs. Please. They exist for a reason. Don't be like these assholes! You're a visitor, and the signs exist for a reason, so respect the signs and keep things pretty for everyone! 💘

Seattle: Volunteer park conservatory

Seattle is firmly in the grip of Old Man Winter's steely hands now, bringing that ominous monotone overcast lurking for what seems an interminable stretch of days to our skies, and ample moisture to boot. All those clouds like to bring their friends' drizzle, mold, and humidity along for the ride, lest we forget, so it's regularly damp outside. So, not only is it just cold, it's wet, and a bit squelchy out, but never fear! Having evolved and acclimated into this climate, Seattleites have a bounty of ways to stay warm and dry during the drearier of times thrown at them. One of my personal favorite options is to pop over to the Volunteer Park Conservatory, a stunning piece of architecture finished in 1912 featuring over 3,400 panes of glass and lush verdant greenery that's quite easily accessible in its prominent corner of the Northern Crest of Volunteer Park. Not only is the temperature kept warm and cozy for the plants all year long, making it a welcome respite from frigid temps, but they're among an increasingly shorter list of places where the parking is free! 

The admission fee is exceptionally reasonable, as well, at only $4 per adult, making it an awesomely affordable date option; bonus points because it's super photogenic so you can take all the cute photos! According to their website, you're more than welcome to take photos for personal use during your visit, but the use of tripods is limited to Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and if you intend to do a full-on photoshoot during your visit you'll need to reserve time outside of their regular operating hours, so plan accordingly if you want to get more involved in your photography. It's an absolutely stunning environment and quite popular for engagement and wedding shoots, but also some really cool creative fund-raising events, too, so be aware that you might need to book out a little bit in advance. If you, like me, want to take lots and lots of photos during your visit, that's fine, just be mindful of the people trying to also enjoy all the gorgeous flowers on display. That's fair, right? No one particularly enjoys having to dodge a photographer's butt jutting out into traffic. 

 The conservatory is pretty spacious, too, as there are five separate houses to explore, each with their own precision-controlled climate to accommodate their delicate denizens, of which there are many! The oldest surviving part of the building is the ornate lunette or peacock window panel above the front door, with the rest of the building having been rebuilt over the years. The conservatory has been here since 1912, so she's gonna need some love to keep on protecting and preserving her vast assortment of foliage over the years. Whether you're a sucker for succulents or go mad for a good carnivorous beauty, you've got plenty to choose from here. There are so many gorgeous specimens tucked into each room it's hard to really set eyes on each and everyone in a casual stroll. It's worth taking your time and really stopping to appreciate, and, uh, smell, the flowers. It's well-worth the $8. Go! Get you some flowers! They do, in fact, sell some plants out of their gift shop, so you can quite literally go get you some flowers. And you absolutely should. You never know what you'll find!

An ode to an old car: 93 Volvo 940

Recently, I had to retire my beloved old car, Svetlana or Svetty for short. She was a 1993 Volvo 940, so while not one of the sexier, i.e. turbo-charged, of the bunch she got me around for over 14 years. People love their Turbos, and for good reason- my gal was equipped with a 4-cylinder engine to carry her 4,000-ish pound body, which translated to an underwhelming acceleration up long inclines, but smooth and comfortable coasting on freeways, once she got up to speed.  I could get her going quite fast, considering- close to 100 MPH, and she easily handled the long stretches of 70-mph roads spanning much of the desert and rural areas. To be honest, I'm a bit of a cautious driver and have been for a long time, though the accident that caused me to lose Svetty has only increased that trepidation I've felt since. 

Given that the average age of the cars on American roads is about 11 years, and most people only keep their cars for an average of about 6 years, I'd gone well above and beyond that with my old gal. She kept driving, even past 200,000 miles, and she was comfortable. I drove her throughout college, and when I traveled to Japan my family kept the car running so that I could drive her upon returning- a nice familiarity after some reverse-culture shock and the challenges of readjusting to life in the US of A. She'd driven from Vegas to Seattle, then back up North, along with many other shorter road trips throughout the nearby regions.  I'd gotten a lot of work done on her to keep her going, too: replaced the transmission, had an after-market stereo system with Bluetooth and new speakers installed, replaced the fuel pump, her starter, multiple batteries, radiators, countless hoses, wires, lights, and more. These things happen, and general maintenance is always going to be required to keep an older vehicle moving, but she sure did, up until she didn't. 

And really, even after the accident, she would start and drive- but the battery had been cracked and was leaking battery acid all over, so I was worried about the potential for electrical fires or other issues arising. She probably could have been saved, had I the knowledge or skills needed to do the bodywork, or the money available to pay someone else for it. Alas, I lack the skills and the funds, and as much as I love the old girl (and still do), the accident was really traumatic for me and I wasn't sure I'd ever feel quite the same driving her, even if I did sink in the cost of the extensive repairs and had her thoroughly rebuilt. I opted to let her go, with much grief and extensive mourning. Not only was I losing a reliable companion of over a decade, but it had been just as long since I'd entered the intimidating and frustrating world of car-buying. Maybe it's less frustrating for people with excellent credit and cushy bank accounts, but in my initial search I spent over $500 on getting different cars inspected only to learn the mechanic would advise against committing to any of them. I found a 1981 Volvo 242 or so that was absolutely adorable, but it had its own cast of challenges given its age and condition. It took a couple of months of searching and looking into different financing options before we finally landed on my new ride, who is similar to Svetty in being of European make, blocky, and white, so the familiarity helps ease the transition pains. As much as I adored my Svetty, there are things to be said for the advancements of technology over the last 26 or so years, like additional airbags, inbuilt Bluetooth, anti-lock brakes, and other safety features. 

Even so, I'm going to miss the old gal. She got me where I needed to go, more often than not, for many, many years. Despite all the changes life throws at us in the course of 14 years, she remained a stalwart and steadfast friend. Even in her final moments, she kept me safe and shielded from the force of a Toyota Sienna trying to coexist in the same space as me, allowing me to walk away unharmed, and for that I will be forever grateful.

You're a good girl, Svetty. 

Thanks for everything. 

💖

XOXO,

NAU

Seattle: Fremont by foot in sunnier days

Seattle is currently gripped by a storm system that is dumping rain in fat sloppy wet buckets, soaking everything and causing unnamed new rivers to run their course over the roads in an impressive downpour that hasn't been seen in years, leading to warnings of flooding throughout the area. Pine needles and vestigial remnants of crunchy dead leaves are now hyper-hydrated, becoming a slippery hazard as you wander, or scamper, through the drops. Days of rain have been splattering down now, cooling off the Puget Sound region. This, they say, is what Seattle should be like this time of year, and the last few years have been marked by unusually warm and dry weather patterns. All those stereotypes about Seattle being grey and wet? Well, here we are, folks! Soggy Seattle, in all it's squelchy glory.  The foliage needed it, and if this keeps up we might not have such a fiery summer next year, as this year was marked by many wildfires in the semi-rural and truly wild areas of the state. While fires can be cleansing in moderation, no one is happy when the majority of their state is ablaze. Just look at what's going on in Australia! Yikes. 

So, suffice to say, it's currently a bit cold and blustery out. My sweaters get soaked in the brief run from my home to my car, and lingering outside for any reason will quickly leave my shoes a soggy sad affair. Oh, but you are wearing rain boots, no? No. Of course not. Not me. Not this desert rat. I've yet to procure a proper set of waterproof footwear, and as a result, I find myself sloughing around in socks that are definitely moist, if not downright damp, at times.  Even when I was living in Japan, with its typhoon season blasting down torrents of rain for weeks on end, I somehow managed for over two years. Would I recommend this stalwart and obstinately stubborn approach to another? Absolutely not! Get you some waterproof shoes, kids! But all this rain has got me feeling some sort of way about these photos, taken when it was still warm and bright, and so very, very dry. Look at that brilliant blue sky! We aren't getting much of that around Seattle these days, and it makes vague ideas of running off to someplace with hot nights and cold drinks more appealing, even if I'd never justify actually taking the time for myself. 

Does anyone else struggle to take vacation time? That seems to be endemic in the United States, with our gung-ho go-get-'em attitudes and idolization of the workaholic approach. I work hard. My bosses know that and even when I'm being given a reminder of regulations and how vacation time is readily accessible to me should I choose to use it, I struggle to take it. Of course, the acquisition of a new (to me) vehicle, along with our beloved pet rat's medical struggles, blows my monthly budget a lot higher than I'd set it if given the choice, and being a responsible adult means taking care of these things and more, so working is crucial to my ability to pay my damn bills and sleep at night. I find myself torn between taking some much-needed recovery time and a desire for financial stability, and in trying to overcome and push forward I inevitably burn myself out and make silly avoidable mistakes that, had I taken a moment to decompress, wouldn't have happened at all. Sigh. All that being said, I think a much-needed vacation will be taken come January. Even if I end up staying home, I could use some downtime to really digest everything that's happened over the last few months.

Being tough is well and good, but you've got to make time for self-care. On the day these photos were taken, that's precisely what I'd done. After a successful day of work, I found myself in the Fremont area in good weather and decided to take some time to stroll around and acquaint myself further with its quirks. The Fremont Troll, as usual, held his vigil under the bridge, and Lenin loomed with his bright red hand, standing guard in front of the sandwich shop and other businesses tucked behind his intimidating silhouette. So, for one blissful, sunny afternoon, I strolled in the sunlight and played tourist. And it was lovely. I recommend it. Don't forget to show yourself some love, folks. Stop and smell the flowers, bask in the sunlight on a lazy afternoon, and do the things that make you feel alive, even when you don't feel like there's enough time in the day. You deserve it. And if today isn't the day, perhaps soaking in the digital glow and pretending to join me in the stroll will help, even if for just a bit.