Reader, let's hit the Lake Union Trail. We'll stop here and there to catch up on our neighbors.
This Waterlog is from the
Spring 2009 Newsletter
Bigger versions
of this story's photos in the
Newsletter Album Spring 2009.
The first stop is Tui Tui. Robby Rudine tells us some sad news. "Mom had been living in touch-and-go condition with my sister in Brazil for the last three and a half years. Miraculously she recovered around the time of her 87th birthday just enough to be able to and want to travel back to Texas one last time. Janet (Yoder) and I organized a reunion in Texas. The event was magnificent and Mom was the beaming belle of her own ball. But the trip ultimately cost her life and she died on native soil on February 1." Robby and Janet spent almost two months in Texas and are happy, but also sad to be back afloat in Tui Tui. "We also lost our dear friend Vi Hilbert at the end of 2008. Janet was working on a book of essays and interviews with this treasured elder. She was able to leave Texas on Christmas morning and attend Vi's funeral at the Upper Skagit Indian Reservation under the big snows." Congratulations to Janet who has had her piece Eight Days with Dave; True Treehouse Tales of Seattle's Squirrelman accepted for publication by Chautauqua Literary Journal. (See Summer 2008 Newsletter issue for more about Dave.) In 2008, Robby put out new Tui Tui portrait stamps honoring his and Janet's two Goddaughters. Last year, "we welcomed Deb Narine & Larry Sunde to live on our dock. It's not quite a houseboat but it keeps their toes dipped in the water. They sweated out and masterminded a beautiful remodel of their space in the historic Garney Harris house - built in 1912 and placed on pilings above Lake Union in 1959. They make wonderful new neighbors along with their cat, two dogs and entourage!"
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Mallard Cove: Birthday Boys, Jake and Elwood. |
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Stan & Barb Lorenson (Log Foundation) |
Very proud Giff Jones reports, "Mallard Cove Floating Homes, once the bastion of owner turnovers and instability during the uplands condo battles of the 90s, boasts a cohesive community of no rental, 100% owner-occupied-houseboats for most of the current century." Mallard Cove News: Angie Weber admits, "The only excitement we've had is taking Jake and Elwood for their annual vet visit". The cats, born on Election Day, 2004, were the pretext for a double-themed 4th birthday party last Nov 4th. The celebration was such a smashing success that Angie and hubby, Jim Caputo want to keep the felines equally healthy for their election day/BD party in 2012! Steve & Laura Strockbine, apparently admiring of the other one on the dock, signed up for a Mercedes SmartCar drawing, and WON. They'll use it at their place on Maui. Do they plan on sailing their new C&C 33 to Hawaii? What recession?? Ed Buchwald, resident septuagenarian, perpetual vacationer, and no mincer of words, reports getting "nailed by an out of control snowboarder" while skiing at Alta/Snowbird/Solitude in Utah. Details? "Back hurts a little. Need to get a hair cut". Beating the winter blahs nearly beat Giff & Mary Jones, as they drove south on December 20 under the advancing snow storm that left ice and snow on the docks and cars in the ditches.... all the way to Salem. They did make it safely to Santa Barbara for the holidays with relatives followed by 16 days in Bucerias, Mexico and coastal "car cruising" until late February. Sadly, Mallard Cove lost our long-time rich-on-life resident of Mallard Cove Susan Dearborn, on January 31. (See obituary article in this newsletter.) Lee Bourdeau and 16 year old daughter, Monique just returned from China where they, "extended our grip on history by about 5000 years... seeing 8000 terra cotta soldiers thousands of years old, to viewing the tallest buildings in the world... was quite a contrast". Oldest son, Connor, of parents Diann Barry & Mark Guy, is a Junior this year at Whitman college. Casting Walla Walla aside, Connor is spending the rest of this semester studying in France. Diann reports, "he is living with a French family in Paris and working very hard (yeah, right!) to improve his French." Mark and Diann plan to visit Connor in May for a personal guided tour and to see how much English he remembers. After 32 years of ownership and a years-long renovation saga, Gus & Janet Schairer have finally completed the transformation of their once funky little 85-yr-old Vashon cabin into a pied-a-terre-a-grandeur. "Now Gus has a wonderful studio equipped for all his sculpting projects", says Janet, while she revels over radiant heated floors that don't shift, walls with insulation, and a roof that no longer sheds rainwater…inside. Now, only the mice are homeless.
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New additions, Tazmin & Flinder source of constant amusement to Julia and Ed. |
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The Lake Union: Wisteria,Lites and Snow. |
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Blizzard on Lake Union, December 2008. Log Foundation Channel. |
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Politically Incorrect Sugar Bear asks Jann and Sid for Fish (preferably Chinook) dinner. |
Tenas Chuck Dock. Electra Sheldon was born on Nov 3, 2008, new daughter of parents Michael and Paulene and sisters Marlena and Tessabell, on 2339.
The Lake Union. Members of "The Lake Union" at 2031 Fairview Ave. E. have been doing a bit of international travelling reports Tiff McNamara. Mike Linus and Sandi McQuirk-Linus went on a fourteen-day cruise through the Panama Canal to celebrate Mike's August retirement from his 39-year career in the Merchant Marines. It was their first experience as "cruisers." Sandi reports, "We had a great time, but we were glad to get back to Seattle in time to shovel snow off the roof, twice!" Ethan Lowry, Nicole Halabisky and their one-year old daughter Paia went to Thailand and Japan to visit with family in the month of January. Paia is already a world traveler!
Log Foundation has a new author. Embracing the Edge is by Neil Peterson. Neil has "excelled as an entrepreneur, CEO, founder of Flexcar, and leader of the Metro transportation systems in Los Angeles, Oakland, and Seattle. He is the founder of the Edge Foundation, which provides professional coaches for young students with ADHD. Regardless of the situation -- making the team, securing a job, or even facing "certain death"- the tales from Embracing the Edge provide the inspiration to stay focused, persevere, and succeed." From book cover notes.
On the night the big snow storms began, Marty Greer says the 2460-66 Westlake Co-Op was having its first ever progressive dinner. What a fun event! The docks were decorated for the holidays, wreaths adorned our doorways and Christmas trees blinked and sparkled through the windows. We started with good old fashioned cocktails - martinis and manhattans, hiked to the next dock for hors d'oeuvres, then back up the dock for salad, back to the first dock for main course enchiladas, and finished the evening with the most delicious trifle at yet another home. But that night as we dreamed of sugarplums, the snow gremlins put a frightening list on neighbor Ingrid's house. So the next day we worked off our calories frantically shovelling snow from our roofs and decks, hoping to avoid the same fate. Only on a houseboat would you have folks who annually move from their warm and sunny home in southern California to freezing cold wet Seattle - FOR THE WINTER! Yes, every year on January 15th Mick & Judy McNulty pack up their car and drive north to spend the winter on our dock (2460 WL), renting Chris & Steve Nielson's cute little houseboat. They trade their tennis rackets and surfboards for skinny skis and raincoats - oh, and there are local relatives involved also… Mick loves hanging out at the Center for Wooden Boats and Judy loves spending time at Hilltop Yarn on Queen Anne and a Fremont yoga studio. We love having them here to share laughs and meals with.
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Snow on Lee's Moorings. |
Northlake/Lees Moorings. Sally Weems has passed her "waterlog correspondent" torch on to Karen Eckhart. Welcome Karen. What's happening? "Excitement abounds on our fun dock in the center of the universe (Fremont)! We welcome new neighbor Julia Finks!" The passel of raccoons who live on this dock have grown in numbers and especially love the Eckhart houseboat. " ...up on the roof, under the houseboat and snuggling atop our Chris runabout!" Wet paw prints are constantly tracing their ramblings from house to house. "Steve (Eckhart) and I were in San Francisco during the BIG Seattle snow storm but heard from our neighbors that shovelling that lovely white stuff became an ongoing ritual!"
The Trail ends, but we haven't visited Portage Bay. Let's cross the University Bridge, and head down Fuhrman Avenue East.
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Shelby Dock: Roof Snowman. |
Betty Swift says The Shelby Group dock is thriving in every way except, perhaps, their IRAs and mutual funds. "We have three babies that are here and on schedule, one engagement, and a wonderful recovery. Last October, Dorothy & Calvin Echodu welcomed the arrival of little Elie Rose right here in her own home (how's that for being a real houseboater?). At Christmas time, Penny Lewis became a grandmother when tiny Sam was born to her daughter, Karen Lewis & husband Kent Brookover. Many houseboaters will know Karen as the superbly talented illustrator of Robert Fulghum's new book Third Wish. And lastly, Barbara Sterling, who has been on the dock longer than almost all of us, will become a great grandmother next fall. Jim Gray has come back to his houseboat and to his enormous black cat after a long convalescence off dock. We're so happy to see Jim return with his lively humor and sprightly walk.
Rob Elleman & Carrie Lee, long-time house sitters in Molly & John Bailey's home, celebrated their holidays by becoming engaged. And Ann Schuh, our creative garden master, has our shore garden (which some folks say is really just an old beached barge) packed with flowers and shrubs ready to bloom.
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Brackett Dock: Laura and Andy Lowry in Mexico. |
Jeanette Corkery of Brackett Association dock reports that Laura Lowry and her boyfriend, Andy, decided on a whim to head to Mexico for five glorious days of sunshine, warmth, ocean, delicious food, fun and photography. They expertly calculated it was the warmest place they could visit for the least amount of dinero! They cooked their own meals with fresh ingredients and especially enjoyed the morning lobster catch from local fishermen. Jeanette had her own adventure in December. "My friend, Zenia and I went to Italy to visit her childhood friend, Elisa and to help her whip her 'casale' (farm house) into shape. Elisa was anticipating the arrival of a slew of in-laws (over the holidays) and needed help getting the yard (some 15 acres) in shape. She also had a number of indoor projects, especially a kitchen re-model (or 'semi' remodel, to be more exact.). Zenia invited me, because she thought it would be a fun trip/experience for me. We had been talking about going to Italy for the past five years, and finally got around to it when Elisa needed extra help this Christmas. Although the trip had its challenging 'moments', overall, it was a great adventure and I'm very glad I went." (See side bar page 12.)
Waterlog News: collected by Marilyn Robertson isobel.rob44@gmail.com