The Emerald City. Rain. Coffee. More rain. Starbucks. Tully's. Cafe Ladro. Good eats. Lots of bakeries. Still raining! Lush flora. "Rain City." Pike's Place Market. Fish throwers. Street musicians. Pioneer Square. Jazz Alley. Lots of bicycle commuters. Avid outdoor activity despite inclement weather. "Damn, will this rain NEVER end?!" Diverse cultures. Space Needle. Mariners, Seahawks, Sounders. Technology firms -- Microsoft. Adobe. Google. Symform. Air travel industry -- Boeing, Alaska Airlines. Puget Sound. Ferries. Elliott Bay Book Company. Comfortable neighborhoods. Funky neighborhoods. Greenlake. Queen Anne. Magnolia. Wallingford. Fremont. Ballard. Craftsman houses and mossy rooftops. Hills - lots of 'em. Drawbridges. Boats. Heavy auto traffic. Glass blowers. Artsy attitude. Street people. "Seattle Freeze." And the glory of it all (when she's available) -- lovely Mt. RAINier. (Damn again! Can I never escape the rain?!)

Seattle Center Dusk + Mt. Rainier

It's not really my city, but it's where we live. Daughter and granddaughter have something to do with it. My creativity is encouraged, but I'm sometimes irritated by the throngs of people, especially those who ignore animal leash laws and turn their dogs loose to dominate in parks where lots of children are playing -- even when there are abundant city park signs saying "No dogs allowed" or "Dogs must be leashed at all times." Through living there, I've also discovered that I need much more sunshine in the winter, even though my optimism in moving there told me that I'd be able to adjust to the long periods of winter dark, cold, and wet. Travel southward to warm sun.