Decembers big event was the HUGE wind storm... we were without power for almost a week... and we live in the city's metro area!  Parts of Mercer Island were without power for 12 days!

The sun was kind to The Mountain this morning. A small steam plume rises from the hot rock of the new dome, which continues to grow at an amazing rate.

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Normally shrouded in clouds, today the Mountain was on display, for all to see.  Its snowcovered flanks make for an amazing picture from the light of the early morning...

I haven't been there in a LONG time... I think a trip to the Mountain is in my future...

The windstorm is STILL being felt on some parts of the Island - its been 14 days, now! Here's an update from our town's website - I think its funny they harp on the "don't go hogwild on the trees"...

Storm Recovery Update

12/28/2006

Puget Sound Energy crews were able to restore power to almost the entire island on Friday, December 22. There are still a few homes without power due to damaged connections. If you are still without power, please report your outage directly to PSE.

84th Avenue SE near Luther Burbank Park will be closed for sewer pipe repairs.  A temporary bypass pipe will be built around the damaged line, enabling King County's contractor to repair or replace the pipe.  For public safety, King County is asking people to avoid the site.

Tree Disposal Site Closed
If a tree on your property has fallen, it is your responsibility to have the tree removed.  A list of tree removal businesses is available by clicking here or at City Hall.  If a tree has fallen on power lines running from the pole to the house, a tree service might be able to remove the tree since these lines are insulated. If they do not feel safe, PSE will need to be notified.  PSE will need to turn power off to that house while work is taking place.  If a right-of-way tree has fallen on your property, please contact the City and it will be added to a list for possible inspection.

 What about the trees that are still standing?  It is important that people avoid overreacting after a storm.  Standing trees should be evaluated by a Certified Arborist (http://www.pnwisa.org/) before a removal decision is made.  If a tree is still standing after such a severe storm, it is very likely that it is a very healthy, strong tree.  Trees provide critical services: they filter pollutants, provide oxygen, give shade and hold soil on steep slopes.  Additionally, hastily hiring a tree service without checking credentials could cause more problems in the long run if trees are improperly trimmed or cut.  The Washington State Department of Natural Resources offers these tips to consumers seeking a tree service company to deal with downed or damaged trees from this week’s storms:

Hire a company that is licensed, bonded, insured and employs ISA Certified Arborists.  Although Washington requires tree service companies to register with the state, they are not required to adhere to proper pruning standards or even demonstrate pruning knowledge in order to obtain a license.

Beware of door-knockers; their low prices could prove costly.  Most reputable companies have business cards, truck signs, and even uniforms that represent a professional level of service.

Ask for references, and take your time to select a reputable company.  Avoid hiring anyone who will top a tree.

Other resources:
Plant Amnesty 206.783.9813, http://www.plantamnesty.org/
International Society of Arboriculture 1-800-335-4391, http://www.pnwisa.org/

 

President Gerald Ford died earlier today. Not a great president, but not a bad one either. He was the right man for the right time; he was in a tough spot and made the best of it. Here's a clip from the Seattle PI:

 

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. - Former President Gerald R. Ford, who declared "Our long national nightmare is over" as he replaced Richard Nixon but may have doomed his own chances of election by pardoning his disgraced predecessor, has died. He was 93.

RIGHT: President Gerald Ford

The nation's 38th president, and the only one elected to neither the office of president nor vice president, died at his desert home at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

"His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country," his wife, Betty, said in a statement.

Ford was the longest living former president, surpassing Ronald Reagan, who died in June 2004, by more than a month.

Ford's office did not release the cause of death, which followed a year of medical problems. He was treated for pneumonia in January and had an angioplasty and pacemaker implant in August.

Funeral arrangements were to be announced Wednesday.

"President Ford was a great man who devoted the best years of his life in serving the United States," President Bush said in a brief statement to the nation Wednesday morning. "He was a true gentleman who reflected the best in America's character."

 

Our lights came back on late Sunday night. Cable was back a few hours later. We had hot water again fairly quickly, which provides our heating, and hot showers... it was nice!

We had managed to grab a room at a hotel, primarily because we got there right after power had been restored. I got to give it away to a nice-looking couple with a 5 month old baby.

Here's the updates from our home town's website:

POWER OUTAGES:  All three substations have been repaired. However, many connections to the substations have been damaged. There are pockets throughout the island without power. The City of Mercer Island will post updates to this site everyday at 11 am and 5 pm, as well as record updates on the City's main voicemail. For further updates, please call PSE directly. Several areas have power lines down in yards and across roadways. These power lines must be treated as active and should not be touched or moved except by PSE workers.  

TAKE CARE OF NEIGHBORS: If you are reading this information and your neighbor does not have power, please tell your neighbor. It is difficult to get information to neighbors who do not have access to the web, radio or television. Mercer Island citizens are encouraged to check on neighbors who are elderly or dependent on life-sustaining or health-related equipment such as a ventilator or respirator. Two facilities have offered to help medically needy senior residents on the island during the power outage.

Thankfully, all of our neighbors have power.

Its funny how much you miss something that you normally rarely give a second thought about.

We're still without power at our place.  We're doing fine, though... so no worries there.

Early this morning, they FINALLY got the main power line to the Island from the mainland back online, and electrified the downtown area.  They were supposed to have the North end of the island powered up by tonight, but as of 4pm they hadn't gotten it up yet.

They're going to work in sections heading south to get the power flowing again, but they said the southern and eastern portions of the island are so damaged that it could be "several days" before the power is back to normal.

It is a mess... here's how it looked just down the road from us...



It'll be a while.  Its supposed to drop into the 20's tonight, so we decided that the 'camping at home' thing had gone on long enough... and we got a room at a hotel.  They're all full, but we happened to be near one that had just got its power back, and signed up for a room before it got filled.

We'll sleep in a warm room, and be able to take a hot shower, and watch the news... all for the first time in 3 days!

We had an exciting bit of weather yesterday and last night.  A storm, stretching from Southern Alaska to Northern California and sporting hurricane force winds - Category 2, no less, swept over the Pacific Northwest yesterday afternoon and overnight, really tearing up the place.  I have come pictures on my "Currently" section showing early morning impressions of the storm...

Around 1pm yesterday, this was the scene... the storm was just beginning, and low clouds and fog swept over Seattle, blanketing everything in a damp film, just before dumping more than 2 inches of rain in one day, a record for a December 14... The Space Needle stood above the fog layer, and looked quite incredible...



This morning, after most of the storm had passed (as of 8AM, we were still having gusts reach 40mph), the same view looked far more tranquil... it was an awesome sunrise this morning!



Today is supposed to be blustery, but the worst of it is over.

Here's the view I had heading in to work the other day... I'm a consultant, and right now, I'm in downtown Seattle, so that means I get to drive across the I-90 floating bridge to head to work.  A couple of days ago, I got to enjoy this image.



God's handiwork in all its Glory!

My job has some perks... one is that I get to work in different locations from time to time.  I have an awesome laptop - a DualCore screamer that is only slightly slower than my desktop (It cost more than 3 times as much, though... but its NICE) - which lets me work pretty much anywhere I can get a connection to the Internet...

Today, I'm working in "the tower".  I got here earlier than I had to be, so I have a few minutes to enjoy the view... I'm more than 40 floors above Seattle, and today's sunrise really made it nice...

The batteries on my camera are dead, but even with the camera on my phone, you can tell the view is pretty outstanding!




What a great way to start a day!

Last night, I had the opportunity to take in the following view, when walking to where I parked Gar... I worked until past 5pm at the coffee shop, and the sun had already set...



Yep, even heading home is more fun!

When we were driving to go to the Redmond Town Center, the Shadow Lady noticed this interesting pattern in the sky...



we had our own star, of sorts, to guide our way... 

To me, this billboard is just plain wrong...

There are people who find the Lottery in general to be "wrong".  There are others who have a problem with gambling, and it - including the lottery - has caused these people considerable amount of grief.

I'm not in either of these camps, but I do think that this campaign is in poor taste...

The TV comercials are even worse!  Hopefully, this campaign will end before too long.

 

We got our first Christmas Card in the mail this weekend.

The cool thing is that its from George and Laura Bush...



I guess we're special or something...

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