Seattle

What should I say about Seattle that most of you already don't know? It is grey and overcast in the winter and sunny and hot in September. It seems that I am always here in September! 

I have a ritual every time I come here and it never seems to vary. I have a dozen oysters and whatever is on the special at Elliots and a dozen oysters and whatever fish is on special at Brooklyn's. Why oysters? Well, for one I like them and secondly, they are so fresh at either of these places. 

When I was in Charlottestown on Prince Edward Island the oysters at Cladagh Oyster Bar were identified by the bay and region then separated on the menu by bay.

 

For instance the Malpeques were separated by the bay they were farmed in. When you order them in PEI you order by the bay, not by the region like you would in Denver, Houston or New York. In each of those places you would order Malpeques and get whatever of the bays they had on hand... they could come from any of the 12 or so bays that consist of the Malpeque region, but each bay has a distinct flavor and just as the the Kumamotos might have a, firm texture and a rich creamy flavor with a finish that is buttery-sweet and mildly fruity and just a hint of briny flavor, while a Penn Cove oyster might be crisp, have a briny flavor and a fresh finish. Anyway, I think you get my feel about fresh oysters. Unfortunately, all oysters are not created equally. While in Sonoma I had some fresh bay oysters and while nice, sweet and briny, they were barely more than a thin slime on a shell. Tasty, but not all that complex.

WOW! Enough on the oysters! 

What is the main thing that Seattle is known for? Well, you'll have to settle for the Pike Street Fish Market sign and accept that I realize that everyone knows what the Space Needle looks like and then move on.

Damnit! Would someone put the stopper on the plug that fills the Puget Sound? I seem to have taken this photo at an angle that makes it look like this ferry will slide into the drain.

There is something about a sunset over the Olympic Peninsula that can make one's evening complete. What a spectacular evening. Too bad the whole year doesn't offer up this faire - there might be less depressed people in Seattle during the bleak, grey winters.

I found this sculpture immensely intriguing. It was created from a myriad of motorcycle parts from all brand, makes and models of motorcycles. The artist even threw in a pistol (I think it is a Magnum "Baby Eagle") along the opposite jawline.  Look at all the pipes, cogs, tanks and fenders that might look at home on any bike on the road. The creativity of people never ceases to amaze me.

Nor does the destruction of man... The clear cutting in Washington was worse than I have ever seen it. It is also worse than what I saw in Quebec and Ontario. For some reason the Canadians seem to be less invasive when removing timber.