Tag Archives: washington

Deception Pass Bridge Maintenance

While on our trip to Whidbey, we made a short stop at the North beach in Deception Pass State Park. This is the beach that is closest to the bridge across the pass. I was hoping it might be possible to get a nice shot of the bridge but I was disappointed to realize that the maintenance work underway on the bridge has resulted in the structure being covered in a ton of material. No chance to get anything exciting from that. If you looked closely, you could make out some of the maintenance team up on the bridge in their hi-viz clothing. That is not a job for which I would be well suited.

Malta Max

Leave a Reply

I was running some errands in the Renton area one weekend so it seemed inappropriate to not pop to the airfield to see what the latest 737 customer aircraft were. There were several jets scattered across the field with Malta markings on them. None of them were very convenient to get a shot of but I managed to get some from the trail and some longer shots across the field from the park. Quite a nice looking livery I think. I have read that they are a Ryanair operation and these are Max 8-200s

Bonsai in Bloom

Leave a Reply

We have been to the Bonsai Garden in Federal Way before and this was not a full visit to the collection. However, at the entrance, they have a cherry tree bonsai and it was in full bloom while we were passing by. Everyone was stopping to take a look and to get a photo. It was absolutely stunning. Sadly, photos do not do it justice – well, at least my photos do not do it justice.

Hot Tub on the Lake

Leave a Reply

Renting a boat seems like a fun thing to do. Having a hot tub is something people like a lot too. I had never contemplated the idea of renting a hot tub boat, though. Apparently this is a thing in Seattle. We passed these people in their hot tub. It sat very low to the water and I assume that waves lapping over the side is not going to result in them sinking but it still seemed like a very odd idea. They seemed to be having fun, though.

Alaska and Southwest on Test

Leave a Reply

The return to airworthiness of the 737 Max was first given in the US so there was a focus on getting airlines deliveries if they were under FAA jurisdiction. I guess we didn’t realize at that point that there would be some follow on issues that resulted in these jets getting grounded but such is the life of the Max watcher. Southwest started taking jets very soon after it was possible and Alaska soon followed with their first delivery – the grounding having come into effect before they had a chance to take their first jet.

On one day when I was watching the activity at Boeing Field, both airlines had aircraft out on test. They were operating under Boeing flight numbers but it wasn’t possible to tell whether they were production flight tests for Boeing or customer acceptance flights. No doubt I shall see a lot more of both operators with these jets in due course – once Boeing sorts out the latest issues and they become a more reliable part of service!

Boats Look Better At A Distance

Leave a Reply

When photographing the ferries at Edmonds, the sun was very low in the sky and was coming on to the boat at an oblique angle. This shows up something that is not obvious about ships from far away but is really obvious when you get close to them. Take a look at a large ship from far away and it may look like a smooth sided creation. However, ships are constructed from plates of steel being welded together and, when you get close to them, this becomes a lot more apparent. The individual panels are far from smooth and the joins where they are welded together are a bit “agricultural”. Get the light on them at a shallow angle and this is pretty clear.

Long Time Since I Shot an MD-11 Touchdown

Leave a Reply

MD-11 freighters are still a big part of the UPS fleet. In visits to Boeing Field before I lived up here, I got to see them quite often. For some reason, my more recent visits have not included many MD-11s. However, one nice evening with pleasant light, a UPS MD-11 was due in. They were on a northerly flow so a touchdown shot was not a problem. The bigger issue is that the 100-400 is fine for most of the sequence but, at the closest point, it is a bit too much lens. Still, nice to get one of these again. No idea what the long term plan is for UPS and the MD-11 but I hope they hang around for a bit.

Chickens

Leave a Reply

Chatting with a work colleague recently, we were talking about Molbaks Garden Center in Woodinville which we have visited many times. She asked if we went to Flower World too and I had to admit I had never heard of it. It is in Maltby, about ten minutes from home but I had no idea it existed. It not only is a nursery but it also has a farm with a farm shop. A visit seemed in order.

There are a lot of chickens at Maltby Farm. There are a bunch of them roaming the park areas around the garden center. Within the farm ground, they have a large enclosure full of chickens and the eggs are sold in the shop. Chickens are interesting creatures since they come in such a wide variety of sizes and plumages. When the light is right, it really pulls the colors out of the feathers. They are also amusing to watch with the little battles that break out with surprising regularity.

Life Flight Bell 429

Leave a Reply

Life Flight Network operate a lot of movements at Boeing Field. They have a Bell 429 that is there regularly. The thing I like about this airframe is that it has a metallic looking paint finish which looks great on a sunny day and can really catch the light. Here it is heading out on a mission from a while back.

Fishing in the Surf

Leave a Reply

I spent a little time at North Head Lighthouse looking back down the beach I had been walking along earlier in the day. It is a vast area so the people down below were but specks against the sand. However, one person did catch my eye. He was fishing in the surf and standing out in the shallows as he cast into the water. Not sure how successful a location it is for fishing but it didn’t look like the easiest way to catch your dinner!