New Year's Eve

Help Fund The Maple Valley Pocket Park

There is a kickstarter campaign to build a Pocket Park in Maple Valley, the plan is to build it in the Lake Wilderness Shopping Center between QFC and Starbucks.  This blog has contributed to the project.  If you would like more information or maybe you already wish to contribute, you can read about the concept and watch a short video here.

Seahawks Earn Number 1 Seed In Playoffs

After going scoreless in  the first half, the Seahawks roared back in the second half to defeat the St.Louis Rams 20-6.  Marshawn Lynch scored a 4th quarter touchdown and Bruce Irvin took an intercepted pass to to the end zone in the 4th quarter.
The victory earns the 'Hawks a first round bye in the playoffs and home field advantage throughout.

Barers Of Maple Valley Sets Record

The previous record for posts in a year was 314, set in 2008.  This will be the 322nd post for 2014

Holiday Light Show In Issaquah

We found a similar house to the Woodinville  one off Issaquah-Hobart Road.

Woodinville Wonderland

One thing that is not hard to take a picture of in the dark is the Woodinville Wonderland.  Located just a couple miles from where my in-laws live, it has become an annual visit for us.  Usually, we are able to chat with the home's owner, however this year, he is recovering from injuries from a fall, while he was decorating.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hollidays

Snoopy's Christmas vs. The Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen

The Royal Guardsman, an American group, made songs inspired by Snoopy the dog in the old Peanuts cartoon.

Joe Cocker Dead

Sadly, 2014 couldn't end without the death of a rock legend. British rocker Joe Cocker has died at 70.

This Year's Hutch Award Winner--Alex Gordon

Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon has been selected as this year's winner of the Fred Hutchinson Award.  The award is given to the player who best exemplifies the courage of Fred Hutchinson, a Seattle native and Major League manager whose life whose life was cut short by cancer.
Gordon, whose Royals made the World Series and where the Cinderella story of 2014, won his 4th consecutive Gold Glove.  He also won the American League's Platinum Glove Award as the best defensive player in the league.
Gordon will be presented with the award at a luncheon at Safeco Field on January 29th.  Dave Winfield will be the keynote speaker.

Seahawks Are In Playoffs

Without playing a down, the Seattle Seahawks are assured a playoff spot by virtue of the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Indianapolis Colts.

"White Christmas" - The Drifters

Bellevue Youth Theatre Construction In Final Stages

The construction of the Bellevue Youth Theatre  in Crossroads Park behind The UPS Store is nearing completion.  The facility was dug into a hill and the construction has taken a year and a half.

Adam Sandler - Hanukkah Song Part 2

Now for a little fun...

Happy Hanukkah!

Seattle Sportsnet Laments "Death Of A Rivalry"

One of the Seattle area's favorite bloggers, Alex of Seattle Sportsnet, speaks of what he sees as the fall of the San Francisco 49ers.     Media sources are all predicting the end of the Jim Harbaugh era.   Harbaugh of course, the Niners controversial coach, whose rivalry with fellow former Pac 12 coach Pete Carroll fueled local talk radio and sports blogs.  You can find the story by clicking here

The Great Shell Casserole

Cousins Linda Woods and Karen Dinino let you in on a pasta recipe that has been in our family for generations.  Click here

After 52 Years, Heisman Returns To Pacific Northwest

Marcus Mariota quarterback of the Oregon Ducks has been awarded the 2014 Heisman Trophy as college player of the year. Although there have been many winners of the trophy from what is now the Pac-12, he is the second Pacific Northwest player to win the trophy and the first since Terry Baker of Oregon State was award the trophy in 1962.  Since there is intense rivalry between the 4 Pac-12 schools from Washington and Oregon, only Duck fans and maybe a scattering of Oregon State fans see this as a victory, the way I see it though, as a graduate of Washington State and a lifelong Washingtonian, the two most sought after football trophies, the Heisman and the Vince Lombardi (World Champion Seattle Seahawks), at this moment, rest here in the Pacific Northwest.

Mary Ann Shows Up On New Day

 I had planned to go to the  Dawn Wells book signing at Black Rapid in Seattle, Wells of course played the iconic Mary Ann on the TV classic Gilligan's Island. However, just like the stranded crew, bad weather was predicted and the thought of navigating Seattle streets at night on a windy rainy evening in terrible traffic just did not sound worth it. Wells did make an appearance on KING 5's New Day, so I watched this clip and posted it here.