THIRD ANNUAL WOMEN'S MARCH

In Celebration of Women and Issues Important to Women

These are a few of my favorite signs

I'll let the signs speak for themselves.

I love the alliteration. (This was in response to a FB post before the march
that threatened attending with open carry.)

CITY DAILY PHOTO-THEME DAY-JAN 1, BEST OF 2018

I missed posting for the November 1 CDP Theme Day because I was still traveling home from my 21-day safari in Tanzania, Africa; therefore, I am choosing to make up for that by posting a few of my favorite photos out of the 10,000+ photos I took from that trip. 

As you can imagine, choosing the BEST photo was difficult, so I include a potpourri of special moments of the safari.

If you are interested in seeing more photos of the people, animals, and sights of the Serengeti and East Africa, I invite you to click on the link to my other blog as I relive and reflect on that trip of a lifetime. Aseenbysusan.blogspot.com 

An Ostrich family on parade.
We saw many single Ostriches, but seeing this family of  mama, papa, and seven babies was unusual.

Of all the animals we saw, the giraffes are my favorite. 

This lion is definitely well camouflaged. 

It's an impromptu photo like this taken from the window of our moving vehicle
that really tells a story of the people. Two Maasai warriors are bicycling to market
as the driver talks on his cell phone and the rider holds on to a young goat.
Also notice the two wooden walking sticks which are iconic Maasai.

Another impromptu "stop the Land Cruiser" moment was visiting with
and learning about a group of  Maasai males who are in their 4-6 month
post-circumcision ritual of becoming a warrior.
The self-applied white face paint is to frighten away evil spirits.  

Children love to play ball, and these Massai children are no different.
In this case, their ball is the nest of a Social Weaver bird,
and the ball-tosser is my partner Doug.

A sleeping leopard

Four young lion brothers

Of only 30 rhinoceros living in Serengeti Park, we were fortunate to see these two
which in turn allowed us to check the Big Five off our list of must-sees.

If you are interested in seeing more photos of the people, animals, and sights of the Serengeti and East Africa, I invite you to click on the link to my other blog as I relive and reflect on that trip of a lifetime. asseenbysusan.blogspot.com

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018: JOY

I missed last month's CDP first of the month Theme Day as I was still away on a month-long trip to Africa and was not able to post a photo for November. Even though I may not be a daily poster person, I have tried to keep up with the monthly theme days. Oh well, I'm back for December's JOY.

What JOY is it to be three and six years old? 

When contemplating this month's theme, this image of my two grandchildren kept popping into my head. Their exuberance and simple joy of making a gingerbread turkey is palpable. 

For more images of JOY from other CDP bloggers, follow this link: 

http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY, OCTOBER 1: CHANGE

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

--Margaret Mead

The first of the month is theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers. This month's theme is "Change."

In a little over a month, mid-term elections will be taking place in the US. For many voters, it portends a change in the balance of power in both local, state, and national governments. Voting is one way US citizens can affect change, and as a concerned citizen of Walla Walla and Washington state, I am doing what I can to visibly support the candidates and issues that will bring about change.

 To see what other members around the world have posted, click on this link: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

THERE'S A NEW GUY AND GAL IN TOWN

H A T T A W A Y' S On Alder

First of all, let's make it clear upfront that I am neither a foodie nor a restaurant reviewer. But I like good food, comfort food most preferably, and going out to dinner so that I don't have to cook. The way I see it, I cooked enough for a lifetime as a wife, mother, and deli owner. So when I saw the name of a new restaurant pop up on my Facebook timeline, I thought we'd give it a try.

HATTAWAY'S on Alder renovated the space where Saffron used to be. The result is light and airy incorporating clean lines and natural materials. 

As early diners of that certain age, we arrived promptly at 5:00, the hour of opening.

Sunlight poured in the west facing windows giving the crisp, clean lines of the interior a soft, warm welcoming glow. 

The plaid cushions along with plaid shirts worn by the servers also spoke to my own down home plaid persona.

The house-made thick cut chips with sour cream and a salmon egg arrived gratis from the kitchen. Yummm!

Although not listed on the menu above (a photo I borrowed from their FB page), the seafood corn chowder split between the two of us was superb. 

The base was creamy and flavorful and was filled with a seafood melange along with bright yellow kernels of crisp, fresh corn. 

My mustard crusted salmon with a tarragon potato cake satiated my palette

with the crunchy exteriors giving way to perfectly cooked salmon and a soft, smashed potato interior.

At the same time Doug's halibut cheeks on a bed of creamy grits and barbecue butter 

satisfied both the Pacific Northwest man and the Missouri-bred boy in him.

Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of our dessert--bread pudding--which was nothing like the sloppy, mushy stuff of the all-you-can-eat buffets of my childhood. 

You'll simply have to try if for yourself. 

The service all around was friendly and attentive, and we enjoyed meeting the owners Richard and Lindsay Hattaway themselves. As recent transplants from Savannah, Georgia, Richard chuckled when I asked, "Why Walla Walla?"  Besides the usual wine, friends, and reputation answer, he quipped, "Well, it had to be in Washington state in order to use the underline in our logo." Good answer!

CITY DAILY PHOTO: THEME DAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2018-TEACH

Like Mother, Like Son

I was a teacher for 24 years. It was a second career that I began when I was 39 years old when I returned to school to earn a second BA in Education. That was about 20 years after I had earned my first BA in Art followed by marriage, two children, and moves from Seattle to the Methow Valley in North Central Washington state and finally to Walla Walla in the SE corner of the state.

For two years I commuted the 45 miles to the near-by TriCities to take evening and Saturday classes to turn this former school bus driver/UPS delivery person/deli owner/and full-time wife and mom into a teacher of middle school students, a career I would cherish until I retired in 2014.

Now, my 37-year-old son is undertaking a similar career change to become an elementary school teacher. Up until now he has worked in the restaurant industry while being the primary caregiver of his two young children from their births to being the 3 and 6 year-olds they are today. And he's doing it all simultaneous to going through a blind-sighted and painful divorce. 

So I dedicate this month's CDP topic, Teach, to my son John who is teaching his children well as a parent, and who will eventually teach other children as a certified teacher. 

This is John playing with his children to his left and right along with the other children on this Frog Jump ride at Silverwood Theme Park. It is clear from this picture and the video below that he enjoys being with kids and engaging with them, all traits of a good teacher.

For photos from other CDP bloggers, follow this link: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/

City Daily Photo Theme Day, August 1, 2018: Music

WHAT DO FEET HAVE TO DO WITH MUSIC?

When they are the toes of flutist Sarah Brady who is keeping time to the music she is playing at the Portrait of an Artist performance at Pepper Bridge winery. Sarah was one of 30+ musicians from around the country who participated in the 11th annual Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival during the month of June. 

Although it may be difficult to see in this photo, my front row seat allowed me a unique vantage point to watch her toes move rhythmically to the sound of her flute and the piano accompaniment. 

Which is why I chose this photo for this month's CDP theme--music. 

And scroll down further for more music-related photos from Sarah's performance as well as the final Festival Series 4 performed at the GESA Powerhouse.

I don't read music, but this looks like a seriously difficult piece.

As noted in the WWCMF program, Sarah Brady is known for her commitment to pioneering modern music as a member of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She is also a devoted teacher at the Boston Conservatory. In addition, Sarah plays with the Boston Symphony or at a music festival in Italy, depending upon the time of year and her schedule.

This Portrait of an Artist 3 performance was held at Pepper Bridge Winery located in the wine district south of Walla Walla. Beyond the vineyards, the Blue Mountains can be seen along with gathering clouds on this summer solstice evening of June 21. 

The spaces used at the wineries are actually the guts of a winery's production unit. But for these WWCMF performances, the huge stainless steel vats are removed and replaced with seating and miles of electrical cable for the sound and lighting. It's not an easy task, but the result is an intimate setting in which to experience wonderful music.

The final performance of the Chamber Music Festival--Festival Series 4--was held at the GESA Powerhouse theatre which seats 300 people. It was the cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae for me, and left me anticipating the week-long festival in January, 2019, as well as the month-long festival next June, 2019.

For more theme day photos from other CDP bloggers around the world, click on this link: http://cdpbthemeday.blogspot.com/