My afternoon walk

Here's a visual tour of my walk to the lab today around easygoing West Seattle.


Our little house

The house in the next block where the nice family lives, with Bailey, the little girl who sells dog advice, 50 cents.

Another big new house going up down the street. I've already forgotten what used to be on this lot.

Nice little garden at a corner house that's been steadily improving.

The famous Husky Deli, a West Seattle landmark and our frequent ice cream cone destination

"The Junction," the intersection of California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street, the heart of downtown West Seattle.

The lot on California where last month arsonists burned down a half-finished apartment or townhouse complex. These new projects are going up all over the neighborhood, and sentiment seems about evenly divided between those protesting the travesty of new construction and those who can't get their deposits down fast enough.

One of the last of the old-school apartment courts, a block away from the above lot. I guess I don't share the protesters' sentimentality about these places. Markets clear, is what I say.

Andover Street. For most of the week, Gina and Franny live three blocks down the hill, at 48th Avenue, with my cool ex-wife Greta.

Why, who's this handsome fella?

Charlestown Street Cafe. Lunch story here.

It's starting to be fall.

The goat. The competition.

The clinic. Made it.

This is Fela. I asked her how to pronounce her name. "Filla. I'm named for my country, Felapinas." Doesn't she have a nice face?

I must have guessed my birthdate correctly. Walking back toward home on California.

Parade coming? Nopey, just free curbside junk.

Where I never am on Sunday morning.

Easy Street Records, in the Junction. Good record store. I stopped in today and picked up four discs on sale for $8 each: Donny Hathaway's Greatest Hits; Tom Waits, "The Heart of Saturday Night"; Curtis Mayfield's "Superfly"; and Joni Mitchell's "Blue." Most of these I used to have on LP back in the day. The Joni Mitchell is the only one I'm not positive I'll still love. Reviews tk.

Heck with Fela's lollipop policy. My policy is: Someone sticks a needle in your arm, you can buy yourself an ice cream cone.

Child-size Husky Flake on a sugar cone. Pretty yum.

Almost home. A block from our place. An old man just asked me if I'm the new mailman. First time for that one.

What a nice afternoon.