Northwestern Shoreline

My memory has been playing tricks on me this week, drawing out all of these reminiscing-like observations for the blog. This morning, I awoke with a strange song playing in my head -- Christopher Cross' "Sailing." Now, where did that come from? I haven't heard that song in ages.

Besides being a devotee of Cat Stevens, my father always loved the singer, Christopher Cross. What do both of these singers have in common? They are both singer-songwriters who had huge careers during a particular decade -- Stevens in the 1970s and Cross in the 1980s -- and then fizzled out.

Growing up on an island, my Dad spent a lot of time on boats and so the lyrics of "Sailing" was very relevant to his life. While he is not a yachtsman, I know he misses being near the water and enjoying the freedom of sailing.

Perhaps today I'm longing for that freedom as well, which is why the Christopher Cross song popped into my head this morning. On the commute to work today, as the bus crossed over the Potomac River into the city, I admired the people kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and sailing on the river. Being out on the water would be a great way to start the day.

"Sailing"
by Christopher Cross

It's not far down to paradise
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find tranquility
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me

It's not far to never never land
No reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy
Of innocence again
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me


Sailing
Takes me away
To where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free


Fantasy
It gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie
Every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me


It's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And when the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
The canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see
Believe me.

Olympic Iliad in Seattle

Modern art still confounds me, however there is something about Alexander Liberman's "Olympic Iliad" near the Space Needle in Seattle that speaks to me. Perhaps it's the red giant steel cylinders against the green grass or the sculpture's conflicting appearance of disorder and balance at the same time, that draws my attention. Whatever the reason, this public artwork has always stayed with me since my visit in 2005.

Liberman, known for his use of industrially manufactured materials, assembled the red cylinders, cut at varying angles and lengths, to form an immense structure than one can walk around and underneath. While one might suggest its form resembles a spider, glazing at it does not fill me with dread. An unusual response, since I intensely dislike insects, particularly spiders. Rather, "Olympic Iliad" makes me feel free. I wonder if that was Liberman's intention since his design makes some cylinders appear to be floating in the air.

Big Blue Sky

Silhouettes of trees against a bright blue sky. What a combination! While in Seattle, I happened to look up at the sky and was struck by the juxtaposition of these darkened trees against such a clear, bright blue sky. The sun shining through the wispy clouds in the left top corner of the image adds "a touch of God" to the photo. How I wish our days were filled with more skies like this one. It's the kind of sky that makes you want to find a nice piece of grass to lay on and just watch the sky all day long.

Rocks, Water and Flowers

Falling water is so soothing and beautiful. In Seattle, water and nature was present everywhere just like this fountain made up of rocks, water and flowers.

Space Something

UFO? Nope, it's just the top of the Space Needle in Seattle. Another one of my photos from a great day exploring this interesting city. It's challenging to photograph a well-known structure or location and make it look different, not like a "Wish You Were Here" postcard.

Seattle from the Island

I've heard that Seattle is gray. So when I visited Seattle for the first time a few years ago, I was surprised that I was greeted by its blue skies and lush greenery. Another surprising discovery in Seattle? Islands for exploring just a ferry away. During my last afternoon in the city, I traveled to one of the Puget Sound islands and took a photo of Seattle from this unexpected vantage point.