Archives for September 2008

Hop on the bus, Russ, indeed.

King County Metro wants to help you out of your car.

Join their Northeast Seattle In Motion Program and you can earn rewards and qualify for prize drawings as you bike, walk, bus and carpool your way around town.

The program runs through mid-November.  You need to live south of 65th and east of 25th to qualify for the Northeast Program (here’s Metro’s nifty map of the area), but you can still use their tips on your own (the Do It Yourself kit is here).

In Motion has been around since 2003 (other neighborhood programs here), but this fall is its first time in our neck of the woods.

I’ve a friend on the Eastside who’s been using the program.  She says that logging her efforts and receiving the transpo-treats have really encouraged her to save rides and look for alternatives to get around.

Thanks to Linda T. for the press release.

Let the sunshine in.

Autumn is upon us.  Never mind that it’s supposed to be 80 degrees today, or something.  The trees are turning, there’s lots of football on TV, school is in session; thus, autumn.

Walked to Third Place Books yesterday, after a bit of a hiatus from doing so.  Good timing on my part, as the mural on the outside of the building facing 20th had just started undergoing its extreme makeover:

Much more is gone today.  Two large holes are now visible.  Too bad about the mural, but the windows will be sweeeet.

It’s hot!

We just got back from a carbon-free walk to Whole Foods, and we’re kinda sweaty.  However, a big THANK YOU to Mama Nature for giving us back the June she took from us.

Aside from more sweaty walks, this heat wave could also mean that the local tomato crop might actually have a chance to become red before the first frost.  We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for our fellow urban farmers.

Your Saturday is very busy.

First we’ve got you pulling invasive weeds out of the Ravenna Ravine from 10 am until 12:30 pm.

Now we’re telling you that after all that you should go hop in your car, pull off the work gloves, and get to the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center by 1 pm for the Ravenna-Eckstein Wildlife Habitat Celebration & Plant Sale.

It looks to be quite the to-do.  There’s a native plant sale, children’s activities, honey for sale, and lots of good info on making your yard friendly to critters.

For more information, call 200-0189 or email NESeattleHabitat at gmail.com.

No soup for you! Unless you’re in Fremont.

Nana’s Soup House has left its longtime home on 55th and 35th and will soon reopen in Fremont, across from the Taco Guaymas.

The move was first reported by the My Ballard Blog Group back in mid-August.  Reader Chris D. reminded me of the loss, hence the post.

We’ll let you know when the new location has opened.  And then it’s all aboard Route 30!  Next stop: Delicious.

Body found

Body found at Ravenna Park this morning.  Looks like a suicide.  A few details about it on the Seattle Times website and the Seattle P-I’s.

Hope this doesn’t put people off the invasive weeding in the ravine on Saturday.

Thanks to reader Karl N. for the info.

Weeding with extreme prejudice

There’s a Ravenna Ravine work party coming up on September 13, thanks to Friends of Ravenna Park and the Green Seattle Partnership.

You, your work gloves, and your invasive weed rage can head to the kiosk at Ravenna Park at 10 am this Saturday.  Bring some water, too.  If you get dehydrated, the invasives will win!

For more information, contact Ann at 547-1255 or email frr at 98115.net.

You may now commence the fun.

Some moments from the Ravenna-Eckstein Playground Dedication on September 5th:

The place was PACKED with kids and parents.  The weather was perfect, and the picnic dinner fare had a dog for every diet (beef, chicken or tofu).

This is Deputy Superintendent Christopher Williams of the Seattle Parks Department, I believe (please let me know if I’m wrong).  He did a little speechifying before the ribbon cutting.  But not many people were sitting down to listen.  Some were playing on the equipment, of course, but where was everyone else?

Standing in line for balloon animals, of course!  Where else?

Here’s Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen cutting the ribbon on the newly renovated park, along with some of the community members who were a big part of making it happen.

And here’s the surprise hit of the party.  I don’t know where it came from, and I don’t know what it’s called, but this was the fewest amount of kids on it all evening.  They’d jump up on it and bounce other kids off.  They’d roll on it and run over other kids.  I’m pretty sure that I desperately need one of these for my own home.

Now, I realize that not everyone out there has kids, and may think that a new playground or any playground is no big deal.  To those people, I ask, when’s the last time you pumped your legs in a swing?  Because the joy that comes from flying through the air on a plastic seat under your own power never goes away.  Go try it!  Tell me if I’m wrong!

Well, come to think of it…

So, we’ve been in the neighborhood since November.  And I have to say, I love the signs that The Herbalist puts up.

Case in point:

You can check out the Detox-It Kit here.

Gelato spoon at the ready?

Da Pino Italian Cafe is now open at 65th and 22nd.  We went there last weekend for lunch and forgot to tell you.  Our apologies.

We will further admit at this point that the last charcuterie we lived next to was Salumi, and a finer cured meat we have yet to eat.  But the Da Pino salami in our sandwich was right up there in tastiness.

The specials board that day included a few dishes with wild boar that we will definitely be going back for — how often do you get a chance to eat wild boar?! — and we have yet to try the pasta.

But nothing says autumn like boar meat and carbo-loading for the winter, eh?