Beautiful Landscape

Where I Am Now

A blog about what's on my mind today.

West Seattle

I've lived in West Seattle for 30+ years, most of that time at Alki Beach. Growing up, I lived near San Francisco and later in the foothills of the Sierras - I've always been drawn to mountains and salt water. West Seattle offers the best of both worlds. I've worked for West Seattle companies, started a couple of businesses here myself, volunteered in various ways, sung in community choir, and made friends.

West Seattle is home.

Hey 98116, How Much CO2 Do Your Households Emit?

2 days ago
2 min

Hey 98116, How Much CO2 Do Your Households Emit?

We've heard for decades that increasing population density is good for the environment. The theory is that it discourages suburban sprawl,

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WTF Is a Woonerf? And Where Can We Put One in West Seattle?

Sep 19
2 min

WTF Is a Woonerf? And Where Can We Put One in West Seattle?

Woonerf, a Dutch word, is translated as "a living yard." It is a street where car use is limited in favor of green space and room for pedest

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A Fresh Look for the Arboretum at South Seattle College

Sep 12
2 min

A Fresh Look for the Arboretum at South Seattle College

I was a landscape design student at South Seattle College in the early 1990s. The Arboretum was our outdoor classroom, where we took classes

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The World's Oldest Pearl Jam Fan

Jul 23
4 min

The World's Oldest Pearl Jam Fan

I've been called the world's oldest Pearl Jam fan. But it isn't true.

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Life at Alki Beach: Pirates and Pole Vaulters - Aaaargh!!

Jun 11
2 min

Life at Alki Beach: Pirates and Pole Vaulters - Aaaargh!!

It appears that the Seafair Pirate landing at Alki Beach is cancelled this year because of lingering issues from the pandemic. This photo es

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The Alki 11 Row House Project

Jun 5
2 min

The Alki 11 Row House Project

In 2013, a developer announced plans to replace these three beach houses with an 11-unit row house project in the Alki Beach neighborhood.

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SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle

May 18
4 min

SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle

Did you know that trains don't run uphill? It's true. On level ground, those smooth metal wheels glide along those smooth metal rails,...

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West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

May 15
6 min

West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

Is "crisis" too strong a word for the state of affordable housing in West Seattle?

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The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

May 7
4 min

The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

Can West Seattle's Alaska Junction become a 15-minute city?

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How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property

Mar 7
2 min

How to Calculate Storm Water Run-off from Your Property

The EPA estimates that over 770 cities in the US combine waste water and stormwater in the same pipe and send it to sewage treatment...

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Pandemic Gardening

Feb 11
1 min

Pandemic Gardening

"'Tis an ill wind indeed, that blows no good." - William Shakespeare For all the pain and suffering brought by the COVID-19 pandemic,...

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Were Sewer Breaks on Wickstrom Place Caused by Development?

Oct 2, 2015
2 min

Were Sewer Breaks on Wickstrom Place Caused by Development?

During the weeks of controversy over the permitting of the Alki 11 rowhouses that now face 55th Ave SW and Wickstrom Place SW at Alki Beach,

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The Wishing Tree

Apr 5, 2015
2 min

The Wishing Tree

In my car, running errands, I often pass a house with a lovely Japanese maple in the front yard, decorated with little white lights and what

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A Gaelic Blessing

Apr 14, 2014
1 min

A Gaelic Blessing

This fun little song was part of my community choir's 30th Anniversary concert. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed sing

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Sleeping With Mozart

Feb 24, 2014
1 min

Sleeping With Mozart

How is it possible to share a bed with a man who has been dead for 222 years? It's simple - try learning to perform his music. It stays wit

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The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11

Jul 13, 2013
4 min

The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11

I wrote this when I had become tired of pointing out the problems with this project. Our protests fell on deaf ears anyway. It was clear tha

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Will the Alki 11 Rowhouses Cause Flooding?

Jun 29, 2013
5 min

Will the Alki 11 Rowhouses Cause Flooding?

If you've been following these posts for a while, you are familiar with the math: for every inch of rainfall, nearly 5500 gallons of stormwa

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Over One MILLION Gallons of Waste Water - Where's It All Going to Go?

Jun 27, 2013
2 min

Over One MILLION Gallons of Waste Water - Where's It All Going to Go?

In my last post, I explained how the Alki 11 rowhouse project on 55th Ave SW will add more than one million gallons of combined waste and st

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How Much Sewage Will the Alki 11 Generate?

Jun 19, 2013
2 min

How Much Sewage Will the Alki 11 Generate?

In an earlier post, I explained how to calculate the amount of stormwater runoff this project will produce. Now let's look at the amount of

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Here's Where Things Get Serious: The Environmental Impacts of the Alki 11 Row Houses

May 27, 2013
1 min

Here's Where Things Get Serious: The Environmental Impacts of the Alki 11 Row Houses

To really measure the environmental impact of a project, you have to look at what it replaces. When you compare the before and after, side b

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Remembering the Alki Beach 9/11 Memorial

Sep 11, 2011
2 min

Remembering the Alki Beach 9/11 Memorial

It is hard to believe that a decade has passed since the events of 9/11/2001. And yet, here we are.

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Ceanothus

May 23, 2011
2 min

Ceanothus

Ceanothus, also known as California wild lilac, is starting to bloom now in Seattle. Its striking, purple-blue flowers are shaped like tiny

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HONK! If You Love Music

Nov 14, 2010
2 min

HONK! If You Love Music

Note: This post was from 2010 when HONK! Fest West was held in the West Seattle Junction. If you want to attend the 2021 version, which will

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Strawberry Trees Forever

Oct 5, 2010
2 min

Strawberry Trees Forever

Is it a tree? Is it a shrub? With the right cultivar selection and a little artful pruning, it can be either.

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