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! 💘

Edmonds: Vibrant sunrise and life updates

Hello internet friends, randos, and other curious visitors! It's been a minute since I posted last, for which I apologize. Life has been a bit hectic for us at 710studios, as we're currently in the process of preparing for a move and our internet connection went from decent-ish to utterly and laughably abysmal, so the battle for bandwidth is a real struggle right now. But that's right, y'all! We're moving out of the suburbs and into the big city proper, and we're so excited!! Not only will the relocation make my daily commute incrementally easier than it's been for the last 10 or so months, but we're absolutely stoked about the new home we've found. We'll have our own private space and be able to walk around naked again! We'll have tons of storage and the space to do tie-dye again! There are fruit trees, hammocks, a community garden, even a yoga studio on-site! It's like a dream come true and I can't even begin to fully express how grateful and enthusiastic we are about this change up to our routines. We're looking forward to learning more about our new community, too, which is comprised of some truly talented and inspiring creative and professional individuals who are involved in some utterly mind-blowing artistic projects! 

My long-suffering car with over 200,000 miles, Svetty, and I recently did a quick run-up to Lynden, Washington, which is kind of like a suburb of Bellingham if I'm understanding it correctly, but I apologize to anyone I may have offended with my lack of knowledge about Northern Washington's townships. Since I got booked for the event only about a week prior to its occurrence, I didn't have enough lead time to request time off at my day job and as such drove to Lynden and then back to this burb North of Seattle in one night... roughly around 3 hours of driving, on top of commuting in to the city earlier that same day for work... it was a lot. I listened to a few Podcasts, as is my usual form of vehicular entertainment, and thoroughly enjoyed the drive through the countryside, but upon returning I could tell my eyes and brain were starting to fry from too many hours behind the wheel combined with 4 hours of straight drawing, too, but it was worth it. Not only did I have a blast drawing at the event, but it's also wonderful to see somewhere new. If you've never been outside of Seattle, the rest of the state of Washington offers an astounding array of natural beauty and lush green spaces to blow your socks off time and time again and I'm a bit sad I didn't get to spend any time exploring while there on this brief visit. It feels really good though, cruising up the 5, feeling a tingle of excitement as Vancouver (Canada) grows closer and the trees open up to adorable farm houses presiding over large expansive lots... I don't know about you guys, but I love seeing new cities pop up on the road signs as I'm road-tripping, the possibility and shiny newness of it all. Leaving from my old hometown of Las Vegas you're faced with a few hundred miles of barren desert before you start to see other pockets of civilization crop up, but here in the Pacific Northwest, you're more likely to find yourself deep into a forest or suddenly surrounded by rolling fields of agricultural green goodness. Even in the city, the abundance of trees makes rounding each bend an exercise in uncertainty, as you can never quite predict what you might spot, whether it's a herd of goats casually grazing in the city, or a Sasquatch peeking out from behind a tree, it pays to keep your eyes open. 

I'm grateful, too, for the time we got to spend living in this cute little house in its cute little suburb. It's been an interesting adventure, for sure, and it allowed us to get onto our feet firmly planted in the area, which can be a real challenge.  But times change and it's high-time for a new chapter, and while it's been nice, the move ahead is going to be great! New dawns, new days, new adventures lie ahead! 💖

Washington: Picnic Point Beach at low tide

Originating from a desert climate, Antho and I aren't exactly people who have had an overabundance of time spent exploring tide pools and beaches, so the multiplicity of them available here has been astounding. I mean, sure, when I lived in Japan I'd make a point of it to walk along the river that ran through Urayasu and I'd gawk in wonder as the decrepit fishing boats' bones were exposed as the tide retreated, revealing hulls encrusted in barnacles, but these opportunities are quite rare to indulge in the Mojave desert. Here in Washington, there's an array of biomes available to explore, from the rocky beaches dotting the Puget Sound to deep, densely green growths of forest cropping out from anywhere a human has neglected to tame. Crows, bunnies, and squirrels roam the streets of Seattle proper, and I've even spotted a herd of goats in the densely populated University District! Washington and Seattle's city streets are teeming with life, and the Sound carving up the region provides so many beaches and waterfront sanctuaries that we really have no excuse not to explore. 

When the tide's glossy grip retreats from the beach at Picnic Point beach, all sorts of life is revealed from the normally hidden aquatic world. We have visited Picnic Point Park during high tide when it's an entirely different place, so seeing it transformed is fascinating- at least to me. I was unable to join Antho on the beach on this particular outing, so he took all the photos for me and I was able to look over them later to see what I missed. He found much evidence of moon snails, a strange aquatic critter that bores holes through the shells of smaller mollusks and grows to an outlandish (to our appraisal) size. With the water retreated, crows and herons flock to the soggy shore to pluck up snacks galore, from crabs to snails to full-on fish. Sad jellyfish and a staggering, swishy drunk man join the menagerie, backed by the steady serenade of the waves dashing against the land's edge. I can just hear those tiny sea-weed dwelling bugs in their infernal hopping, clicking noise, eager to latch onto any passing food-source and leave itchy welts to remember them by. 

We'll definitely be back. Nothing is ever static, and while life is constantly changing, the changing of the tides is a good reminder that sometimes it's best to just go with the flow. You can fight the current, but if you're patient it'll change soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy the crustaceans and getting sprayed by mysterious mollusks as they flee into the depths of the sand. 

Seattle: Grey day at Greenlake

Now that summer has slid into Seattle, you'd be hard pressed to find any sunny street lacking in pedestrians eager for that sweet fix of the D (vitamin D), but those that are fortunate enough to be proximal to bodies of water grow even more densely populated than the rest and you may find yourself struggling to find a place to park. Whether it's Gasworks Park at Lake Union or Greenlake in Northern Seattle, they're going to be overflowing with the UV-light starved sun-worshippers and outdoor activity enthusiasts flocking to soak it all in while it lasts. At the time of these photos being taken, it was still a bit grey and squishy and cold out with the occasional sunny spot creeping through to temporarily dry out the mud, but there were still ample nature-lovers out and about. During this visit to Greenlake, I had only just peered out at the goofy antics of the squirrels galloping along the grassy planes from a window's safe distance, too trepidatious to go out and try to explore the park. Given this state of affairs, I hadn't developed the kinship with the local corvids and rodents of Greenlake that I later began to explore... suffice it to say, things have evolved since then!

Antho met up with me after he got off of work and we walked a portion of the lake, taking in the brilliant blues against the vibrant greens and lush spring flowers coming into bloom. It's hard to argue that it's not pretty, and now that the sun is shining more vibrant and lingering in the sky, the grass is all the more green and vivacious, the full verdancy of summer taking hold. 

If there's anything the ever-changing seasons can teach us, perhaps it's to let things go in their due time without clinging too hard to the particulars of a given season or situation. As surely as the flowers will bloom in spring, the gripping chill of winter will seep in and drain the color from the trees and sky, and eventually our own fragile little meat-machines. It's a little hard for me to reflect back on these photos because it was around the time we lost our dear sweet Ollie, the last of our hand-raised squeaks. Losing a pet is never easy, and it's taken some time for my heart to bear the brunt of that pain, the closing out of a chapter, but I'm glad that we got the time we had. Enjoy the moment and the seasons as they come. That seemingly endless summer sunlight will inevitably fade away, sooner or later. 

Washington: Icy Winter's Morn

Is it cold where you are or are you gliding into the dog days of summer? Here, now, it's pretty chilly, with winter's grasp holding firm over the Puget Sound and surrounding regions. Clouds in various shades of grey generally dominate the skyscape, though there are the occasional bursts of blue and hints of the sun's warmth breaking through to remind you it still dances out there, just beyond the blanket of moisture hovering above. While it's generally just shy of cold enough to snow, we still get ample rain that, in the coldest hours of the darkest portions of the evening, can freeze over to a delicate frost decorating the world when we wake. Depending on the morning after, the frost can last for a surprisingly variable window of time before dissolving into steam in the sun's rays. Like I said above, though- it's rarely cold enough to snow, with the chance of it snowing on Christmas day somewhere around 7% or lower. That's generally a good bit more likely than in Vegas, where they average only 2 inches of rain per year (whereas the Seattle area gets an average of about 37.5 inches of rain per year).  I'm no statistician, but even I can see the odds of a white Christmas in Vegas are exceedingly slim- though it has happened, once, in 2008, so it's not an utterly impossible thing, just exceptionally improbable. Not so improbable as to get your ship to the restaurant at the end of the universe, but certainly improbable enough to note. 

Antho and I, of course, have been luxuriating in the cold and ambient moisture in this variable and transforming an environment. Waking to a bright, cloudless morning with our world metamorphized by a glittering profusion of ice droplets is fascinating, and new.  While we slept, a giant came through and dropped fistfuls of glitter, or perhaps a fleet of faeries flew in with an army of bedazzlers and spackled everything they could in shimmer. But again, like most of the magical things in life, this beauty is fleeting and as the rays of sunlight dance across the droplets they begin to lose form and evaporate, disappearing into the ether.  All this hydration means that the plant life, at least that hardy enough to weather the declining temperatures, is still thriving. We were surprised to find these brilliant pink blossoms bursting into abundant bloom after the rains started sweeping the area with more vigorous regularity. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the fleeting beauty of the beads of ice on this brisk winter's morning!

Nevada: Moonrise, plus Sunrise at Lake Mead Marina

When I was a youngin growing up not terribly far from Lake Mead, you could camp out right at the water's edge overnight, but the water levels weren't so dangerously low and the city's lifeline so perilously threatened back then. These days, you can find camping near the water in one of the designating camping areas, or stay overnight nearby in the city of Boulder City, where there's several different hotels, motels, and inns to choose from. We found a spot to camp out not far at all from the lake and nestled into our van for the night. There's only so much you can see in the dark of night, anyhow, so we went to bed fairly early after having enjoyed the moonrise and set our sights on exploring the lake come the next day's light. I've already covered some of our later escapades on the road trip here, but for the evening and sunrise adventures, you're in the right place. It was a stunning full moon rise as we prepared for bed, and when the gentle rays of morning jostled us from slumber we made our way to the marina and watched the sun come up over the water. Not a bad way to start the day. 

There are, of course, plenty of options for entertainment if you're looking to spend more money and time out here than we were. You can rent a kayak, jet skis, or go out for a cruise on one of the local charters, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. There are even a restaurant and small convenience store right at the marina, so if you run out of ice, snacks, bait or booze you do have a lifeline within the Lake Mead recreational area, at least during their hours of operation. We'd come prepared and simply had to find a pleasant place to park the van before strolling out for our adventures. It was summertime when we visited, so the heat rapidly increased as the sun rose, which was a major factor in why I spent so much time splashing around in the lake later on. There's a lot of wildlife to be found out here by the water, surprisingly, from coyotes to rabbits, vultures to lizards, and so many different kinds of birds. It's always nice to get out of the city and experience some degree of nature, even at a man-made reservoir like Lake Mead!

Plenty of photos ahead!

Seattle: AJ's Day out in Green Lake

These days, my job has me scurrying all over the city of Seattle to attend gigs, so I've been getting a lot of time behind the wheel exploring quite a lot of the city's streets. One day I might be out in SoDo working at an LGBTQ+ automotive shop, the next I might be working in a small bungalow in the heart of the university district. I'm not complaining one bit, because what better way to get to know a new city than by traversing it on a day to day basis? Sometimes I even find myself way out in Kirkland or making a special trip into the heart of Occidental Square. Driving through the city has given me the opportunity to witness protests in action, sea-planes gliding into the city, countless squirrels scampering and given me a glimpse into the inner workings of businesses I might never have set foot in otherwise. It's absolutely fascinating, and while I can't divulge too much about any particular place I work in, the surrounding neighborhoods themselves have endless surprises to offer. Given the nature of my work, flexibility is a major plus, and thankfully I consider that to be one of my strengths. Antho, too, has needed to be quite flexible these past few months as we've been sharing the van due to my Volvo being in the shop. After the drive from Vegas, and years spent living in the dehydrated den of sin where temps above 110 degrees Fahrenheit are normal during the summers, and her only form of tending coming from drunk questionably qualified friends of the family, the old girl was in need of some serious TLC. In fact, after getting into her transmission my trusted mechanic informed me that my situation was primarily caused and then exacerbated by the misguided efforts of the drunken sailors who'd poked around the engine prior. The poor mechanic sprained his back and given that he's a one-man operation, that slowed his progress on repairing the old girl quite a bit... Thus, our shared vehicle situation has extended on and on, a fair bit longer than we'd initially intended or hoped, but being flexible is a strength in this life we live.  

When you're always on the go, days can rapidly bleed into each other, a procession of driving along seemingly countless winding little roads, navigating parking in new corners of the city, and cloudy sunrises and sunsets all melting together. Every so often, though, Antho's day off will align well with a gig of mine, allowing him to escort me to my work and then explore a new area. His work keeps him closer to home, after all, so I've seen much more of the city, and I like to try to re-balance the scales when the opportunity arises. I had to spend a few hours working in the Green Lake area, so he dropped me off and went exploring at the nearby parks. He found a Japanese confectionary, squirrels galore, fall foliage in fiery shades of red and orange, and so much more! We hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes of our adventures. 

Vegas: Lake Mead National recreation area

Growing up, I spent countless weekends out at Lake Mead national recreation area, often overnighting at some random corner of the park. Most of the time we'd be out, parked or camped near the water, with an ice chest full of drinks (beer for the adults, sodas for me) and a wind-powered vessel of some kind anchored on the beach, but sometimes we'd venture off to an island or cove. Regulations around camping were a lot looser back then, and you could freely park on the beach, but these days you're limited to the marked camping grounds. Times change! Around my ninth birthday I was "gifted" a small sailboat, which I've always suspected was more a gift for my adopted father that coincidentally happened to be obtained around the time of my birthday, since I had long expressed my near-zero interest in boats, being more of an artsy fartsy kid who spent their free-time deeply immersed in drawing, reading or writing at any and all given opportunities, but it afforded us even more excuses to get out to the water. As an adult, in many ways I really am quite grateful...the opportunity to meet and mingle with many different individuals, learning that there were different approaches to this thing called life than what I could see from my limited perspective as a child, expanded my worldview and openness to new and unusual people in ways that have profoundly shaped my life.  I also got to spend a lot of time in nature, discovering frogs, owls, crustaceans and spontaneous weather events that I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to. For the record, though, had I actually been asked what I wanted at my ninth birthday, I probably wouldn't have said to get taken out camping with a bunch of drunk adults, one of whom sat on my birthday cake... That time spent around the water and among nature, though, has left in me a deep need to be near water bodies and untouched natural areas. It feels all the more ironic, and perhaps sadistic, that I spent as much time in the desert as I did throughout my life. 😂

Lake Mead, however, is a man-made reservoir about 40 minutes to an hour's drive outside of Las Vegas, so it's a bit of a respite from the desert climate, if only temporarily. Due to a severe drought over the past couple of decades, the water levels have dropped measurably, leaving a sad ring around the lake, like soap scum on an under-cleaned bathtub. While opportunistic animals, like coyotes, rabbits, and vultures, have managed to thrive, the dwindling water levels could bode badly for Las Vegas residents, along with those from some of the other nearby cities that depend on the Colorado River and Lake Mead reservoir for hydration and electricity. Things aren't exactly looking to improve in the coming years, either. Maybe it's the desert's way of saying we weren't supposed to settle here? It's dry, and maybe global warming is making it dryer... this isn't going to prohibit Las Vegas from growing, of course, with the acquisition of the Raiders, new stadium, and all that. I'm curious to see what the future holds for Vegas, but I'm glad I've settled somewhere a little less devoid of one of the most necessary components of life.