The Fruits of Seattle Summer 2024

Summary of Seattle Summer 2024 Breakfasts with Berries

Being away from Seattle for a bit we forgot the summer bounty of fruit. We especially enjoyed the berries we found at the Ballard and Queen Anne Farmers markets. Every morning we’d make up a different dish of fruit for breakfast with one or more berries. Some of the types of berries we used the most were blueberry, blackberry, tay berry, raspberry.

Amorphophallus bulbifer (Voodoo Lily) Check-in

Amorphophallus bulbifer growth in a four day span from June 26th to June 30th.

We moved back into our Seattle house for the month of June. One of the first things we did is check on our outside Amorphophallus bulbifer. The location is described in these posts: 2009: Growing Amorphophallus bulbifer in the Pacific Northwest – Outdoors and 2012: Rise of the Amorphophallus.

This year's schedule for our A. bulbifer is something like this: through the first half of June, nothing is visible. We worry that we had lost them. Then by mid June, the first leaves start to poke up. By June 30, the biggest plant is almost 2 feet tall, from ground to tip of unfurled leaf. They survived! Looking back at our past notes, this growth pattern is pretty typical.

We dressed the area around the plants with another layer of hazelnut shells, our go-to ground cover, and left them alone. They survive with no watering other than what comes from the sky.

We have two groups of A. bulbifer. One group (group 1 in the photos) is more exposed to the elements and seems to exhibit slower development. Exposed here means more rainwater and open sky. The other group (group 2) is under an overhang of the house and gets less rainwater and open sky. It would be great to measure leaf sizes when both groups are leafed out and see if there is a plant size difference.

Both groups have about a dozen or more plants. We assume the leaves fall over in the Fall and drop their bulbils to give rise to new plants. (The smaller plants are further out away from the house as the leaves would lean that way?) Unfortunately, as the house is rented, we haven't been around to see this new-plant-creation in action, but it must be the case because there are more plants than we originally had.

One of the clumps has a Arisaema consanguineum mixed in that is easy to tell apart from A. bulbifer when all the plants are leafed out. We don't see the A. consaguineum in these photos and wonder if it died or was "weeded out" by a gardening crew that we had come through. From our past notes, the A. consanguineum comes up a full month to 2 months earlier and it should be visible and it isn't.

Until next time A. bulbifer, stay well and avoid the errant gardeners.

June 24th. Left group 1 and right group 2.

June 26th. Left group 1 and right group 2.

June 27th. Group 2.

June 28th. Left group 1, center group 2, right group 2 from inside house.



June 29th. Left group 1 and right group 2.

June 30th. Left and center, group 1 and right group 2.

The Return of the Space Cowboy(s) and the Couch

Left: A brown couch on a green lawn in Seattle. Right: The Return of the Space Cowboy by Jamiroquai.

Back in Seattle! It's so good to see the explosions of untamed green, clean blue skies, old friends, and of course … outdoor furniture. Within days we were back in our old haunts noticing abandoned furniture like this brown couch in Fremont. Immediately, the lyrics of Jamiroquai's 1994 "Space Cowboy" came to mind. (We are partial to the David Morales 'Classic Club Remix' of the song.):

Everything is good and brown
Oh I'm here again
With a sunshine smile upon my face
My friends are close at hand
And all my inhibitions
Have disappeared without a trace, I'm glad
Oh that I found somebody who I can rely on
This is the return
Of the space cowboy

We feel like space cowboys dropping into Seattle after being away for some time. So much and so little has changed. We love the newness of something that was once old and familiar. One of those old and familiar things is furniture on the streets. It's not something we see that often in our corner of Italy.

It was just over 2 years ago that we posted on The Couches of Summer, which also included a beautiful, outdoor, brown couch.

I'm Free To Do What I Want

"I'm Free" is a 1965 Rolling Stones song that appeared on their American release December's Children (And Everybody's). The song became a hit again in 1990 with the Soup Dragons cover, which appeared on their album Lovegod. Some of the lyrics are:

I'm free to do what I want any old time
I'm free to do what I want any old time
So love me, hold me, love me, hold me
I'm free any old time to get what I want

If the free furniture pictured here could sing, it would surely be singing this song.



Left: Free furniture in Fremont. Center: The album cover of the Rolling Stones' December's Children (And Everybody's). Right: The album cover of the Soup Dragons' Lovegod.

Outdoor Sofa - Happening All Over Again

We spotted this abandoned couch just east of State Route 99 (above the Fremont Troll). The sofa looks so perfectly matched for its surroundings.

Outdoor sofas can break your heart. Believe me. Here one day, gone the next. So for this little number  - who knows what its tan cushions have see and endured - I give you Lonnie Gordon's 1990s hit "Happenin' All Over Again" (video).

I've taken you back before 'cause you told me you've changed
Looked in my eyes and said
Believe me, then you
Broke my heart and deceived me, when you
Said you never could leave me
But its happening all over again (no, no, no)

Welcome Back (Couch)

Having spent a chunk of time in Italy the last few years, I can't think of once when we saw a couch out by its lonesome, alongside a thoroughfare. However, back in Seattle in less than the time it takes to say couch pillow shams sale, we caught glimpse of an abandoned couch.

But why? Do Americans, or more specifically Seattleites, have so little regard for their couches? Do they think that couches can fend for themselves outside? I believe it's relatively easy to give a couch away or donate it, so I'm not sure why people think it's okay to just leave them around. This couch in particular has been on its Fremont Ave location for several days with rain and snow. At least it has company with that mattress. Two-for-one.

You don't believe me about Seattle and abandoned couches? Ha, check it out for yourself.

Abandoned furniture always brings a song to my mind. (It doesn't for you? I'm sorry.) For me, this couch conjured up the theme song to the 1970's show Welcome Back Kotter with the lyric "welcome back, welcome back." (youtube).
 

Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket out
Welcome back, to that same old place that you laughed about
Well the names have all changed since you hung around
But those dreams have remained and they've turned around
Who'd have thought they'd lead ya
(Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Back here where we need ya
(Back here where we need ya)
Yeah we tease him a lot 'cause we got him on the spot
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back, welcome back
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back

The song was written by John Sebastian.

Bye Bye Seattle Street Art

Here are two last bits of Seattle graffiti and street art -- at least for a while -- before we head off to Italy. We snapped these photos from a car speeding around town frantically getting ready for our departure.

We covered this lot near the corner of Eastlake Ave E and Harvard Ave E before in Street Art in an Abandoned Lot. I suppose when we return to Seattle, a building will be occupying the lot.



This shot was taken on Dexter Ave N where development is in full swing. Appropriately, the artist chose the Notice of Proposed Land Use Action sign as the canvas.

September Mural and Graffiti Grab Bag

A collection of images taken around Fremont and Greenwood. The most enigmatic is the "Stay Posted" found scribbled on the side of a dumpster. What does it mean?

Left: Fremont Alley Garage Door. Center: Dumpster in Fremont “Stay Posted”. Right: Greenwood Mason Lodge Mural (of Seattle).

Phinney Market Pub and Eatery North Wall

Random Tags in Fremont Burned Building

September Morn (Couch)

Early, on a crisp September morning we saw this couch in upper Fremont. It was humming:

September morn
We danced until the night
Became a brand new day
Two lovers playing scenes
From some romantic play
September morning
Still can make me feel that way

From Neil Diamond's 1979 album September Morn.