Apple Love

OK. So I ran into some trouble this morning while trying to upgrade my first-gen iPhone's software. Like many others, Apple's over-worked servers took forever. But they finally spoke to my iPhone and the upgrade is complete. Now, I'm in love with Apple again.

Heck, I always was. Sure, we had a little disagreement this morning. But now...oh my! I just installed Remote. I'm controlling iTunes running on my very old G-4 through my iPhone. Amos Lee is playing through my SoundSticks on my desk. Cool!

But wait! There's more! By using an Airport Express attached to our home entertainment system out in the living room, my iPhone can control music out there! My GAWD! This little guy is awesome!

OK. So I was frustrated earlier. But that's history. Apple...Mr. Jobs...you're awesome.

Been Bricked

Great. Now my first generation iPhone is useless except to make emergency calls. Seems there are quite a few of us out there having the same experience.

Also, MobileMe isn't working.

What's the deal, Apple?

Rude Awakening

So, I woke up this morning and stumbled out to the living room. When I looked up, there was this big furry critter staring at me through the window. Talk about a rude awakening!

Between my blurry eyes and the fact the sun wasn't fully up, the image is a bit out of focus. Plus, s/he was as startled as I was so it started to wander off.

Here's hoping this encounter doesn't portend stock market activity.

Boxwood

Walking to work this morning across the Seattle Center grounds I noticed many of the trees were enclosed in neat little boxes. Some of the boxes were closed, some were open on one side as these are. Some of the trees are young and newly planted, some are many years old. Clearly they are to protect the trees and may be in preparation for the Bite of Seattle. But the effect was kind of funny. As though the trees had run into phone booths. Phone booths? What are those?

A Safe, Sane, Soggy 4th

Anyone who ever said "hotter than the 4th of July'' probably never spent America's birthday in the Pacific Northwest. The 2008 edition of Independence Day was typical: highs in the 60s and rain for the evening's pyrotechnics.

But, as is usually the case around here, the weather only dampened the area, not our spirits. Jesse and Jennifer brought out a nice array of fireworks and we set them off after a traditional meal of roasted hot dogs and corn on the cob. Fun was had by all, including Kelton. He's three now and unlike past years, this time he really got into the fireworks. His little sister Kira seemed to enjoy them as well, though she was a little nervous.



The video was shot on Jennifer's Flip Video camera. The music comes from archive.org. It was hastily thrown together with Final Cut Studio. Here's hoping your holiday was a good one.

Trash City

Coming to work today, it was nothing but trash all the way up 4th Avenue and all across Seattle Center. Yesterday was the big Gay Pride parade and event. Thing is, I don't remember the Center or 4th Ave looking this trashy even after The Bite of Seattle or The Torchlight Parade. Sheesh! What happened?

OK. Rant over. I'll go back to work. And hey...get off my lawn! :-)

What A Ride

I first took a ride on a motorcycle when I was about 14. My cousin Denny had a hot Honda 90 and let me ride it in his backyard. I promptly dumped it. A couple of years later I got my own Honda 90 and dumped it too, but I rode the heck out of that thing and spent the rest of my life loving motorcycles. I've owned a bunch of them over the years. The one I have now is without a doubt the best bike ever made. I know...BMW riders and others would disagree. Especially Harley freaks. But engineering, comfort, looks, handling and on and on...this is the best. I've ridden Harley, BMW, Yamaha, BSA, Triumph, and many others. The Goldwing is the best.

And this being the first really hot weekend of the year around here, it was tailor made for a quick ride out past Lake Retreat, over the Green River Gorge, on through Cumberland, out to Enumclaw and back. I love this spot. Not too far from Hobart, it has a great view of Mount Rainier. It was kinda hazy and this was shot with my iPhone, so it's hard to see it out there. But the view is glorious.

It's great seeing hordes of bikers and rafters swarm out to our area when the weather's hot. We just ride by and know we aren't far from home, whereas they have some distance yet to go. And when we get home, everything those others came to see is right here. Love that.

Food + Tech = Coolness!

I just love it when we can combine technology and food. That's one of the reasons Alton Brown is one of my favorites. But today while perusing the feed from one of the food blogs I follow, the video below popped in. Sure, it features the very cool Jaden Hair of Jaden's Steamy Kitchen, but it also features the extremely awesome Flip video camera. It's yet another great example of how well those little camcorders can do. I think since the video was shot on the set of ABC's Good Morning America with all those expensive broadcast cameras around it made the video seem that much better somehow. At least to me.

Behind the scenes at the TV studio: Mussels in Lemongrass Curry Broth from Jaden Hair on Vimeo.

Memory Place

I walk by this spot every day going to and from car to work. I snapped this with my iPhone. Even on the many cloudy, dreary days it still brings back some memory. Kinda weird. Just little bits and pieces of memories. Time spent there as a kid, then as a teen, then an adult with my own kid, and now with grandkids. Just something about this view that triggers the memories.

It's the perfect spot. The spot all the tourists use for their shot of friends or loved ones with the needle in the background. Sometimes on the way home I'll stop and offer to take the shot so they all can be in the picture. How many images have been captured there since 1962?

Maybe that's why it triggers the memories. Because SO many have been created there? Maybe.

Garden 2008: Epic Fail

This isn't a very good picture. It's in keeping with the kind of spring and early summer we've had here in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Way too much rain, snow, and cool temperatures. The produce you see here on our kitchen counter is all we have to show for our gardening efforts that began on President's Day back in mid-February.

Now, I'm no great shakes as a gardener. But tomatoes, a few strawberries, pumpkins and flowers are not too tough for even me. But this year it's a different story.

Here it is almost July and our one pot of strawberries is still lime green. Not a fleck of red anywhere. The pumpkin patch is so abysmal I couldn't get myself to take a picture. After snow in late April ruined my first attempt, the heavy rain and lack of sunshine have made what's left of our patch a wretched mess. And our tomatoes, usually safe and protected on the deck look terrible. Just not enough sun and heat. Poor little guys haven't set one single fruit yet.

So, we have a small, feeble bunch of radishes. They taste OK but they're small and kinda tough. Radishes are the first produce I ever planted as a boy and are still easiest to grow. Not sure what's going on with them.

Here's hoping the second half of the season will see a big turnaround. But as I sit here watching another gray, dreary day go by and the Mariners getting trounced again, I'm not too hopeful. For the M's or our garden.

Maybe next year.

World's Biggest Dark Knight Fan?

Phil Cosand has been an IMAX projectionist at Pacific Science Center for years. He's shown well over 5,000 films. He's also arguably the world's biggest Batman fan. He certainly is the world's biggest fan of this summer's big blockbuster, The Dark Knight: The IMAX Experience.

Over the past month or so he's taken hundreds of his Batman comic books, photocopied the covers, then pasted them to the walls in the lower lobby of Pacific Science Center's Boeing IMAX Theater. He's a man on a mission. A man obsessed! And he's not done yet. He has many more to paste up.

Look for Phil hanging around in his awesome Batman suit, anxiously awaiting the film's opening July 18, 2008. And if you have any questions about the film or his favorite superhero, Phil has the answers.

Simple Pleasure Renewed

When I was a boy, late 50s or early 60s, I remember my folks taking me to a restaurant in downtown Seattle. It's long gone, replaced by Westlake Center and other things. You walked down from street level. A row of shoe shine chairs, a barber shop where guys got haircuts and shaves, a guy in the men's room with towels, and plenty of cigar smoke. The shaves especially are still a strong memory.

Then in my Army years in the 70s I remember getting a shave and haircut in Virginia, Fort Lewis and Vietnam. It was just part of the routine. Even in Vietnam where our base was tiny and wretched, we had a small shop where you could get a shave. I think there was a tiny sauna there, too where you could get a massage...and other stuff. But the shave is what we're talking about here. That was my last shave by another person using a straight razor. Until today.

My son and I were treated on Father's Day to a shave and haircut at The Art of Shaving at Bellevue Square. I didn't even know this place existed. Had totally forgotten the pleasure of a good shave. And David, the guy who shaved us is WAY beyond anything ol' papa-san did. Lavender and lemon scented water and hot and cold towels. And some very nice shaving cream and aftershave. All expertly applied.

I know they still practice this fading art in New York City and elsewhere, but my guess is most guys have never experienced it. My son never had until today. Gentlemen, you owe it to yourself to try it at least once. Ladies, it was a GREAT gift. Certainly a LONG way from 'shave and a haircut, two bits' but well worth the money. More here www.theartofshaving.com

Bears Getting Outa Control

Things are getting a little TOO wild on The Orchard Compound.

A couple of weeks ago we had a big ol' black bear get into our garbage and almost our pumpkin patch. We ran her off just in time. Lately, one of her little ones is hanging around causing trouble.

I know, bear cubs are cute, right? But get up close with them and they're more like pigs than cuddly cartoon characters. Jennifer shot some video of this visit. We ran it off just before s/he tore into the trash. But s/he keeps coming back and is getting more aggressive. Tore up the trash and our compost bin again last night. With two little kids on The Compound things are getting dangerous.

So, I called the state wildlife department for some help. Their solution? Put all garbage away. Did that. Didn't help. Or call and pay for a private trapper. Well, I was told if someone is in immediate danger they will try to send someone. Hey, thanks. Sheesh! We'll just handle it ourselves. Just wish they had been a little friendlier in telling me they can't help. And frankly, I wish all of government would be so anxious to leave us alone.

Might be time to get a shotgun.

That's A Lot Of Bull

During the course of my life, I have heard the word bull associated with the name Stan Orchard many times. I'm happy to say that these days, the word frog is usually tacked on more often than not. This is the story of the real Stan Orchard, a scientist on a quest to halt an invasion of British Columbia.

I refer to Stan A. Orchard, R.P. Bio. Clearly this is not me. There is no A in my middle name and there have never been letters after my name, though there have been a number of adjectives before, most of them less than flattering. No, this Stan Orchard is one of the leading authorities on amphibians, most notably bullfrogs.

Turns out bullfrogs have been moving north from the U.S. into lower Vancouver Island for some time, causing all sorts of problems for the local ecosystem. American bullfrogs have a nasty habit of harming other species, among other problems. Stan Orchard is based in Victoria, BC and I've sort of followed Web postings about his work for some years. He is clearly a man on a mission to get those big frogs voted off the island.

Now, he's started a company to do just that. BullfrogControl.com Inc. is online with an abundance of information about the problems of bullfrogs and ways the public can help in the fight. If you have an interest in frogs as we do here in Hobart (ours are tiny varieties that seem to live under every leaf on The Orchard Compound), I suggest taking a look. Interesting stuff.

I've never met Stan Orchard. Never communicated with him in any way. Frankly, he probably doesn't know I exist. But I'm nonetheless quite proud of him. Hey, if you're going to share a name with someone it's far better that he is someone of such high stature. Heck, if my folks had named me Harry I'd share the name of an infamous killer from the 1800s who had a penchant for dynamite. Eew!

So, all the best to you, Stan Orchard. Here's hoping you come out victorious in your great bullfrog battle. And thanks for bringing such nobility to our shared name. I hope we can meet sometime.

Baby Bear Pays A Visit

A couple of weeks ago we had a big ol' black bear get into our garbage and almost our pumpkin patch. We ran her off just in time. Today, one of her little ones showed up.

I know, bear cubs are cute, right? Get up close with them and they're more like pigs than cuddly cartoon characters. Jennifer shot the video below. Jesse and our trusty beagle Lilly ran off this little guy just before s/he tore into the trash.

The Orchard Compound can be a bit wild at times.

The Flip Video Camera Rocks!

About a year ago, Jennifer (DIL) was given a Flip Video camera as a gift. I looked at it and was impressed by what it could do, but never really played with it. She didn't either until last September when the family went to the Puyallup Fair. Now, nine months later after she filled the thing and couldn't figure out what to do with the video, I finally got around to messing with it.

In a word: cool! The thing is dead brain simple to use. Editing is a snap. I used Final Cut to throw together the video below. But it comes with software right on it so even those not familiar with iMovie, Final Cut and so on can put simple videos together. Sweet! There is no tape. It has a USB connector built in. Just plug it into your computer and there are all the files (AVI). Just drag and drop and edit!

I've been reading quite a lot about these gadgets. Heck, even the UW is enamored with them. The possibilities are endless. There are now several Flip competitors, all priced about the same. For about $100 US you can be shooting video. High priced camera no longer required.

Here's the video:

This Is Why We Live Here

Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. spend a great deal of time complaining about the weather. Hey - it's our right, almost our duty to complain. It rains a lot around here, so we gripe. But when the stars align and we get some good weather, then we smile and know why we endure all those battleship gray days. Because when it's nice around here, it's a slice of heaven.

This evening it was like that. Dragonflies and bees buzzing, hummingbirds zipping around us, a magnificent eagle up in a tree, three big bull elk wandering through - and there we were enjoying dinner out on the grass. Oh yes, there were smiles all around.

Yes, our weather can suck for weeks or months at a time. But when it's nice...it's sweet.

Ghost Rabbits

Out for a walk at dusk. Heard some scurrying in the bushes. Just barely managed a couple of shots of our diminutive furry friends that share The Orchard Compound.

We see these guys running on our road sometimes, but rarely see them while walking. And with the approaching darkness and the dense foliage this time of year, it's hard to spot them. They're like tiny, furry ghosts.

I love how they blend in. I could spot them with my eye, but by the time I got my eye focused in the viewfinder it was very hard to make them out again. Clever little guys.

I call them wild rabbits, but are they really a type of hare? Do we even have hares in the Pacific Northwest? They have short ears and never grow very big. Whatever they are they're fun to watch.

Gated Community, Grudgingly

It's a sad day on The Orchard Compound. We've been forced to start locking the gate again.

We installed this gate almost a quarter century ago. At the time it was to keep our livestock IN. Now it's to try to keep humans OUT.

A recent burglary was the first hint of crime in our little patch of paradise. Now, after several days of strange cars pulling in and out of here quickly very early in the morning, we decided something has to be done. So, the gate is closed again.

The Orchard Compound is only 30 miles from Seattle, just 11 miles from downtown Issaquah and about seven miles from Maple Valley. But once you get inside the gate you feel a million miles from civilization. We thought, naively, that we were immune from all the troubles everyone else has been dealing with. Uh...so much for that.

Folks who live out here have to deal with a bunch of crap: high taxes, zero representation in government, sanctimonious city dwelling environmentalists, and more. Now this.

God, I'm feeling like a survivalist. Excuse me while I tweak my motion sensing cameras and oil up my shotgun.

Hummingbird Patriot?

This Memorial Day weekend started off sunny but turned battleship gray on Sunday. I was trying to capture some of the colorful hummingbirds that swarm around our feeders this time of year. Instead, the colors of the flag came through while this little guy remained in the murk of the day. Maybe he didn't want to upstage the flag just now. Is that a salute?