Gone American yet?

The National Pastime

God, guts and guns - the three G's that make Murica great. I don't believe in the first, and I don't have any of the third (and support the strict control of them), which leaves us with the middle. Let's just say I had mine thoroughly checked out recently and won't need to do so again for another five years.

Home Leave continues - following are a few photographs of some of the things I've been doing to keep myself busy prior to the start of training early next month. Of course that includes spending time with my family, including my father (still going strong at 90 years of age!) and  sister:

Miniature golf, in which my daughter edged her old man by a single stroke in a closely fought contest. Unlike Bull Meechum (aka Robert Duvall) in The Great Santini, I accepted my defeat in the spirit of sportsmanship and a willingness to pass the torch to the next generation. Hopefully Amber will remember this when it comes time to take care of me in my old age:

Gazing out over the waters of Dyes Inlet:

Having lunch at the Airport Diner, located at Bremerton National Airport. Amber takes a video of the only flight that took place during our meal (see video below):

The restaurant is noted locally for its fish and chips:

This was the only action we saw at the airport:

After the meal, we drove to the Theler Wetlands for an afternoon of hiking. The Wetlands Project Center was closed, but Amber was still impressed with the gray whale skeleton suspended from the outside rafters:

The wetlands include a network of 3.2 miles (5.1 kilometers) of trails on the shores of Lynch Cove, at the southeastern edge of the Hood Canal. We spent several hours exploring the estuary:

Looking for signs of wildlife. There were a lot of swallows flitting about in this section:

Apples hanging overhead:

Lots of birds, but alas no bald eagles on this afternoon:

Black twinberries:

Animal tracks, probably deer, in the muck:

On the way home we stopped off at the local Farmers Market, where my berry-crazed daughter insisted on picking up a variety pack of fresh berries:

While my wife relaxed at home, Amber and I drove into Seattle to visit the city's most iconic sight:

Referring of course to the Space Needle, erected in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair. Expensive to enter, and not the highest structure in the city (that distinction goes to the Columbia Center, which at 933 feet/284 meters actually looks down on the Space Needle! It's the black building on the right in the photo above), the landmark is still a must-see for most visitors to Seattle. And seeing as my daughter hadn't been, a visit on this trip was compulsory:

A look of renovation work as been carried out since my last visit in the early aughts. The old observation windows have been replaced with floor-to-ceiling glass panels, providing for more expansive views from a height of 519 feet (158 meters):

A ferry pulling in from either Bainbridge Island or Bremerton:

The old revolving restaurant is in the process of being converted into a revolving glass-floor dining establishment. The tables and seats haven't been installed yet, meaning visitors like us have a clear view to the ground below. Note the two elevators passing each other:

Amber was a little reluctant to step onto the glass panels:

Back up to the top deck for another look around. Queen Anne Hill:

Lake Union:

Downtown:

The obligatory souvenir photo, included with admission:

Back at ground level, the two of us had lunch at a Scottish-style meat pie restaurant, where my little one was reunited with an old friend:

After dropping Amber off to spend the weekend with her aunt in Mill Creek, I took the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston:

What's more American than going to a baseball game? Last Sunday Shu-E and I met up with my sister, nephew and our daughter at Safeco Field to see the Seattle Mariners take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ken Griffey Jr. eyes one of his 630 home runs:

The view from our seats in the top tier:

There were a lot of Japanese fans in the rows behind us. My guess is that, like me, they purchased their tickets a few months ago in the hopes of getting to see Ichiro イチロー play. Unfortunately for them (and for my wife), he sort of retired in early May of this year (they may have also had hopes of seeing Kenta Maeda 前田健太 pitch, but Clayton Kershaw started for the Dodgers on this day):

This being Seattle, I had a fish sandwich from Ivar's at the start of the game (Amber coerced me out of my clam chowder by claiming to be hungry). Later on, Shu-E ventured down to none other than Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 on the first level to buy me a milk tea:

There were a surprising number of Dodgers fans at the nearly sold-out game, and they went home happy as the Mariners were thumped 12-1. I've been to a lot of ball games, but this was my first blow out, and it wasn't pretty, as Seattle's pitchers gave up a total of 17 hits. I grew up rooting for the Dodgers, but I was hoping the local heroes would prevail in this contest. For a report on the game, go here - I didn't realize that Zac Rosscup had tossed an immaculate inning until after I'd gotten home:

Amber was bored by the Mariners' dismal drubbing, but after the game we were allowed down onto the field for the kids to run around the bases:

The kids took off from first base. That's my daughter on the extreme left below tearing around the bases in record speed:

The Mariner Moose high-fived the runners going by, Amber included:

My daughter prepares to cross home plate:

Being on a major league playing field was a dream come true:

Holding up proof of her accomplishment:

The weather that day had started off on a sunny footing, but things quickly deteriorated due to wildfires to the north in British Columbia. Thanks Canada!:

The air quality in our area steadily worsened in the ensuing days, with a China-like pall of smoke hanging in the air up until today (Thursday), when the prevailing winds presumably started blowing in a different direction. Not exactly the pristine Pacific Northwest conditions I was hoping for on this visit, but having grown up with brush fires in southern California, and driving through equally gloomy conditions on our previous Home Leave three years ago (not to mention late last month on our drive to California and back), I'm not surprised by the climatic conditions.

And so Home Leave goes on...