Pineapple Express (Very Wet Weather!)

I'm going to post two pictures since I haven't posted a new picture for awhile! It's been very, very rainy here, and it's been warm for this time of the year. The heavy rainfall has been due to the Pineapple Express. Wikipedia has this to say about the Pineapple Express:

Pineapple Express (also known as Pineapple Connection) is a non-technical, shorthand term popular in the news media for a meteorological phenomenon which is characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated heavy rainfall from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location along the Pacific coast of North America.

Here are two pictures from Sunday afternoon:

Outside the Lakewood Target

One Year Ago

One year ago, on Sunday, November 29, 2009, Lakewood police Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, and Greg Richards were gunned down and murdered by Maurice Clemmons at the Parkland Forza Coffee Co. shop. May we never forget. We will never forget.

The pictures here were taken before the dedication this afternoon of the memorial to Lakewood police Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens, and Greg Richards at the Parkland Forza Coffee Co. shop on 11401 S. Steele St.

The Due Dates Notice at the Lakewood Library

I took this picture last Sunday.  I was feeling a little in need of cheering up that afternoon, and seeing this "due dates" notice did that for me.  LOL

Leaves in Ice

picture taken on 23 November 2010

I thought the leaves looked so amazing encased in the ice. This picture was taken at Fort Steilacoom Park on the path around Waughop Lake on Tuesday.  It was very cold that day.  It's warming up now, and it's supposed to get up to 41 degrees today.

Sun Shining on Waughop Lake

This picture is for Tuesday.  It's a little after 12am here, so I'm just a tad bit late!  It was taken on Tuesday at Fort Steilacoom Park.  Monday night we had another windstorm, though the wind wasn't as strong as it was the previous week.  This time, though, we had snow, too, and it was really cold.  Tuesday it was wonderful to see the sun and experience peacefulness after the storm.

This post is linked to Watery Wednesday.

Snow at Waughop Lake

We had snow today! It's beautiful!

Snow at a 76 Gas Station

So maybe this is why the sky had such a wintry look to it yesterday! We got a little snow late last night and it mostly melted. Then a little after noon today it started snowing again and has been snowing steadily since then, but it was warm enough outside that it kept melting. Sometime around 3-4 pm it finally started sticking some places, such as on roofs, but not on the road (yet). This picture was taken at 4:17pm. It's the 76 gas station at the of Bridgeport Way and Custer Road.  I took this picture from our car while we were waiting at a light. 

It's Starting to Look Like Winter at Waghop Lake

We went for a walk tonight at Fort Steilacoom Park, and there was a very cold breeze.  We reached the lake as the sun was going down, and the reflection of the late sun on the water was beautiful!  Even though it's still autumn, there was a wintry feel to the air and a wintry look to the lake and the surrounding trees and sky.  We had a lovely, refreshing walk.

Lakewood Water Tower

This is a water tower in Lakewood.  Our family calls it the giant, upside-down flashlight.

Picture taken on 6 November 2010

The Little Church on the Prairie

Picture taken on 14 November 10

This is "The Little Church on the Prairie." It was called "on the Prairie" because Lakewood was known as "The Prairie" in the beginning.  The building used to be a store before it was purchased in 1937, and it was redesigned into this pretty little church.  The Little Church on the Prairie became an official church on  September 18, 1939. You can read more about it's history here.

Remaining Tree Trunk

Here's what is left of the tree I posted a picture of yesterday.  

Picture taken a Fort Steilacoom Park on 17 November 2010.

Fallen Tree at Fort Steilacoom Park

Due to Monday night's windstorm several poplar trees fell at Fort Steilacoom Park.  The tree in this picture fell across the pathway around the lake and crushed a bench.

Lakewood Theatre

My husband remembers going to movies with his family at this theater when he was a child.  He said there is a balcony inside that is really neat.  He thinks that it was in use as a movie theater until sometime in the early or mid 80's.  As far as I can tell the theatre isn't currently in use, although I read somewhere that it can be rented for  $7,000 a month. This theater is a great piece of Lakewood history, and I hope that some day it will be renovated and used again!

Cafe' Elite

Cafe' Elite

10903 26th Ave S, Lakewood, WA 98499

I've never had their coffee (yet), but their building caught my eye!

Rainy, Gray American Lake

American Lake last Saturday.

Contrail above Waughop Lake

A contrail and its reflection on Waughop Lake on Friday (12 Nov. 10).

Contrails (short for "condensation trails") or vapour trails are artificial clouds that are the visible trails of condensed water vapour made by the exhaust of aircraft engines. As the hot exhaust gases cool in the surrounding air they may precipitate a cloud of microscopic water droplets. If the air is cold enough, this trail will comprise tiny ice crystals. (from wikipedia)

This post is linked to Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday.

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Maple Tree at Fort Steilacoom Park

Picture taken on Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Peace Tree

This picture was taken back on 13 February 2010 at Seeley Lake Park in Lakewood, WA.

Section of a Huge, Old Tree at Lakewood Library

At the Lakewood Library there is a section a very old Douglas-fir tree on display. The tree was cut back in 1946 and was 597 years old when it was cut. It was cut because it had been struck by lightning and was rotting from the inside. You can read more about it on signs near the tree at the library, and there is more detailed information at these links:

http://search.tacomapubliclibrary.org/images/dt6n.asp?un=5&pg=1&krequest=subjects+contains+Tree+stumps+Tacoma+1940-1950&stemming=&phonic=&fuzzy=&maxfiles=

http://www.lakewoodhistorical.org/news_090130.php

There are reflections on the window, so I'm linking this post to Weekend Reflections.

Yellow Fire Hydrant

One of Lakewood's many yellow fire hydrants.

Waughop Lake in Autumn

The trees and the reflections are very beautiful.  Unfortunately, Waughop Lake has a problem with algae, so the lake is a little green at times, and pets and humans are advised not to come in contact with the water.

(I'm a little behind now, so this picture is for yesterday.)

This post is linked to Weekend Reflections.

Nearly Full Moon

The sky was clear and gorgeous last night giving a spectular view of the nearly full moon.  The moon will be full on October 23rd and will rise that evening shortly after 6pm.

This post is linked to Skywatch Friday.

Old Dock on Waughop Lake

As you can see, the dock is not in use anymore, by humans, that is.  It's a nice place for birds to perch, and this seagull sure likes it!

This post is linked to Watery Wednesday.

The Trail Around Waughop Lake

The 9/10 mile paved loop trail around Waughop Lake at Fort Steilacoom Park is one of the best places to walk in Lakewood.  The path trail is wide, the area is peaceful, and the scenery is beautiful.  It often has gorgeous sunsets that reflect on the water of the lake.  There are many birds there--mallards and coots and Canadian Geese (though not the geese so much recently) often swim on the lake, and you may even spot a wood duck.  We've seen cormorants there, and a couple times we've even seen bald eagles perched high in black cottonwood trees near the edge of the lake.  Beautiful plants and trees surround the lake--willow, black locust, black cottonwood, coast redwood, douglas fir, and more. 

Way back until a little over 30 years ago it used to be a one-way road that cars could drive around.  My husband fondly remembers he and his sister, when children, taking turns sitting on their father's lap while driving around the lake.  They would put their hands on the steering wheel with their father and steer around the lake together.

Though the time when cars could travel around it is long past, these days the paved trail around the lake provides a wonderful place for families and people of all ages to travel around on foot or bicycle.

This post is linked to
Outdoor Wednesday.