photo by Ballard Avenue

Over on 30th Avenue is a relic of the past—a US Mail relay box. Ballard's letter carriers used to do their routes without vehicles. They'd walk or ride the bus to their route, and their mail would be stashed for them in green boxes like this located every few blocks along their routes. The boxes haven't been used in years and most were removed, but somehow this one survived. Are there any letters inside?

photo by Ballard Avenue

The month's photographic layoff means no cat pictures in the can, but I do have this picture of a bumblebee bellying up to the lavender bar last week.

photo by Ballard Avenue

It's been a rocket ride these past five years as Ballard has morphed from sleepy backwater to the Hottest Neighborhood in town. We've scarcely had time to catch our breath, and now it appears we have jumped the shark.

photo by Ballard Avenue

They're protecting the little ones in the center of the plate.

How to make penguins: Cut a wedge out of a jumbo olive. Stuff the olive with cream cheese. Carve a small slit in a small olive. Cut a slice off a carrot, then cut a pie slice out of the disk. Thread a toothpick through the small olive, then through the larger, then into the carrot disk. Wedge the carrot slice into the slot to make the penguin's beak. And now the success of the party is assured...

photo by Hohner Musikinstrumente GmBH

She's not the only reason I haven't been posting this past month, but she'll do as a scapegoat. We ran away and well, we've been making beautiful music together. She's a Hohner Amica 72 and I love her dearly.

But now it's time to take up the tools and see if there's still some blogging to be done around here...