Issaquah Undressed

Last Issaquah Farmers Market Oct 11th Saturday

It’s the last Farmers Market of the season. I will miss the fresh veggies, flowers and events. BUT Saturday there is a Big Pumpkin Raffle and a Pre-HOLIDAY Craft Show. 9am-2pm.

Come Rain, Come Sleet, Come Snow, Salmon Days is Still a Go!

People and dogs were movin’ a little fast but the crowd was enthusiastic and they were there!

The Parade:

Artists (the one below is a section of a large painting by Oluf Nielson)

Craftsman:

Two little boys get to see the inside of a real fire truck.

Some lucky children get to have storytime inside a large salmon.

The Sounds of Many Cultures captivate their audience.

Festival Spectacle, “It’s a Wonderful Whirled”. Jeroen Mourik leads the students of Newcastle Elementary in a production of activities, dance, music, and gymnastics so that they could learn and then teach us to be good stewards of our wonderful world. The King of the Landfill laments that humans are beginning to see the light and are deciding to not create so much garbage, but he wisely realizes that if they don’t make any garbage he will be out of business so he decides to help them be more aware of how to reuse, recycle and take care of the earth.

That’s the End of Festival Spectacle but not Issaquah’s Salmon Days. It’s on tommorrow. There are more booths than ever, and more good smelling, good looking food than I ever remember. The salmon on the ladders seem bigger this year. One thing is certain, this Salmon Days is bigger and better than ever.

Seattle Art Museum - Inspiring Impressionism

September 21st is the last day for the exhibit Inspiring Impressionism. I went Thursday with friends. Loved it. Some paintings have never been on tour before. I would show you what it was like but they take a dim view of people taking photographs (not tolerated at all)! You will have to go see for yourself.  

ISSAQUAH HIGHLANDS FAMOUS GARAGE SALE SATURDAY 9AM - 4PM

We always tell our married kids about the issaquah Highlands garage sale. They come away with the best stuff!

YOU CAN TOO! Saturday Sept 20th 9am - 4pm.

It Looks Like Edmonds Has Some Fun Events Also

Our new blogging Tracy Cobbin just started Edmonds Undressed. Take A Look at their Belly Flop Contest. Issaquah doesn’t seem to be the only fun place in the Pacific Northwest.

From Tracy’s site, click here to see the full article:

Last Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending the 29th annual cannonball and belly flop contest sponsored by Big John Griffith of Re/Max real estate. This was an all age event and I mean all ages!!

My Oh My, This Is Good News For All Communities

North Korea destroys nuclear reactor tower, click the photo for the AP article.

South Korea’s nuclear envoy Kim Sook speaks to the media during a news conference in Seoul, on the demolition of North Korea’s cooling tower reactor at its plutonium-producing reactor, June 27, 2008. North Korea toppled the cooling tower at its plutonium-producing reactor on Friday in a symbolic move to show its commitment to a nuclear deal that comes a day after it submitted an inventory of its atomic program.

Visit the site there are several photos and comments.

Mountains To Sound Greenway

The mountains to Sound Greenway is a 1.4 million acre scenic recreation corridor along I-90 between Seattle and Central Washington.

Since 1991 the non-profit Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust has worked successfully to set this dramatic landscape aside from urbanization so there will be wildlife habitat and breathing room for generations to come.

This weekend, June 28 and 29 they celebrate Greeway Days. They ask you to take the Greenway Challenge: to visit 5 or 10 Challenge sites. Take photo proof of your visit. Submit your photos for a chance to win great prizes such as K2 Snowboard with bindings and a family hiking package from REI.

Click here for the Greenway site for more information.

Click here for Snoqualmie Pass Undressed which covers the Pass as well as Greenway.

Updated Real Estate Sales Info, Mapped For Your Convenience

Since March I have been updating and posting real estate sales information on this blog. It is in map format. I amposting it this way for those who want a quick look by neighbhorhoods. To me, looking a a list of homes for sale or homes sold is a bit cumbersome. I like the map and hope you do to.

The map includes sales of both condominiums and homes.

Because these are closed real estate transactions I can post both the listing price and the sales price. Check the balloon icon to see that info.

Click Here For the Map of Issaquah Highlands Sold Homes, and let me know if you want me to expand this to all of Issaquah.

Note the different colors represent different months.

Larry Cragun

Microsoft Brings Us The Universe

Chilling, thrilling, amazing – not microsoft, but the Universe. As a young teen age boy in Pocatello, Idaho I spent the summer nights sleeping out. When I wasn’t out with the boy scouts I was in my sleeping bag, on the lawn.

Thanks to Microsoft, I can show you what I saw:

Often the Pocatello summer nights had waves and levels of clouds going by. I concluded over and over, there must be a God in charge of this all.

Today I discovered the new microsoft World Wide Telescope. It opens the Universe to us all. I went on amazing tours of the galaxies. The chill is still there.

Experience the Solar System, the planets, our planet, and a world that confirms to me my beliefs.

Whatever yours are, go to: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/experienceIt/ExperienceIt.aspx

download the application and prepare to spend some time in the Universe.

These are some of what I saw. The images were copied from my screen by the Jing Project tool.

Happy Mothers Day! You Have Only One Flaw!

The One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
‘Why are you spending so much time on this one?’
And the Lord answered, ‘Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything
with only two hands.’The angel was astounded at the requirements.
‘Only two hands!? No way!
And that’s just on the standard model?
That’s too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish.”But I won’t, ‘ the Lord protested.
‘I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days.’The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
‘But you have made her so soft, Lord.”She is soft,’ the Lord agreed,
‘but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.’
‘Will she be able to think?’, asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
‘Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate.’

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman’s cheek.
‘Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.’

‘That’s not a leak,’
the Lord corrected,
‘that’s a tear!’
‘What’s the tear for?’ the angel asked.

The Lord said, ‘The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride.’
The angel was impressed.
‘You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing.’

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take ‘no’ for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give

However, if there is one Tiny Flaw in Women,

it is that they forget their worth.

PLEASE pass this along to your women friends and relatives
to remind them just how amazing they are.xoxoxo