Invest in A/C Companies in Seattle

If I had spare cash floating around, I'd invest it in air conditioning companies in Seattle.  Every summer it seems to get hotter and hotter for longer and longer periods.  This past week it was 85-90 every single day, same today, same tomorrow, might cool off by Wednesday.  There is only so much that floor fans and window fans and wading pools can do.

The future goldmine of the Puget Sound is A/C.  You'll make a fortune.

Meanwhile, the birds were out, along with other critters, down at the Montlake Fill.

Pied-billed Grebe

Connie Who Practically Lives There told me that during the recent Fill renovation, which was massively mishandled by the State, she came upon a worker with a truckload of stumpy logs out of which spiky brush was growing, and he was placing them randomly around the meadow.

"What are those for?" she inquired politely.

"They're for the critters," he replied.  "Critters love them."

"What kind of critters?" she asked.

"Oh, you know, just critters."

"Amphibian critters?  Mammal critters?  Avian critters?"

He merely stared at her, because he'd been hired by the State to put random brushy logs about the place and his knowledge of biology and ecosystems was apparently nil.

"Just, you know, critters," he said firmly, perhaps by now wondering if Connie was a bit on the dim side.

I won't bore you with the plethora of mishaps and misguided management that occurred during that year-long renovation/mitigation project.  Instead, I give you CRITTERS!

These otters were frolicking at Yesler Cove (part of the Fill) last Wednesday.

I did not see any stumpy brushy logs lying about in nearby Yesler Swamp, nor did the CRITTERS evince any interest in seeking them out.

But I'm sure they'll be good for something.  Probably for fouling up the giant lawn mowers that are used on those meadows every summer.   That could be fun.

Mostly, as mentioned, it was far too hot to do anything outdoors (and often indoors, too).  I took the Hounds for walks every day at 7:00am.  Occasionally I ventured out later in the heat of the day to zip them down to the lake for some quality wading.  They are surviving.  I am not.

On Saturday I tootled over to the Ballard neighborhood, where I got to be one of the working artists at the 17th annual "Art in the Garden" festival at a local community garden.  Luckily, I'd signed up for just two hours, in the morning, so I didn't suffer from the heat that much.

I did two drawings during those two hours.  There was music and food and artist booths, and quite a few people came up to see what I was doing and to chat.  One garden plot attracted me for its aquatic theme, with colorful paper fish decorations:

After I finished it, the owner of the garden asked if she could buy it.  Oh, yes, she certainly could!  The organizers also sprang for my lunch, so it was a fun and profitable outing.

On Sunday morning I went back to the Fill, where I admired this Great Blue Heron preening:

There was also a Merlin WAY way off in the distance:

I walked a half-mile or so to get to the other side of the tree it was in, where I managed to get a slightly closer view though from the back and without good lighting:

As for the Ospreys, they originally had two chicks, but one has not been seen for at least four or five days.   The likely culprit is a Bald Eagle.  Well, you know, eagles have to eat, too.  I did get to see the surviving youngster, who seems to be doing well:

I hope the kid makes it!

So that's the update from the Pacific Northwest.  Stay cool out there, and if it's cool where you are, please send some our way.  Thank you!