Tag: washington

A PNW Gem: Morten Lauridsen

Carl Setzer

Morten Lauridsen is one of the great musical products of the Pacific Northwest. Born in Colfax (roughly 1/2 way between Spokane and Pullman), he then grew up in Portland, went to Whitman in Walla Walla, then landed at USC. I’m sad to say I only discovered his music quite recently, as he has been helping the good folks at King FM raise money for their abrupt and mandatory relocation. I’ve been exploring his work throughout the week. Spotify has a nice collection of his work.

I also discovered this interview where he discusses his Magnum Mysterium. Listening to him talk reminds me of the joy I felt when I studied music. I have many moments where I regret stopping those studies. I expect I should write about that at some point.

What do you think of his music? Is there anyone you like? That you would recommend? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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The 2018 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Is In Full Bloom

Carl Setzer

The festival started back in March, but there are events going all through April. This is an iconic event in the greater Seattle area. As such, traffic can be a bit of a monster. Just plan to be stuck in traffic, and your life will be better. If you want to avoid crowds go mid-week. It helps a lot. However, for the next few weeks, many school districts will be on spring break, so it won’t be perfect. But far fewer cars.

I’ve biked the fields before, which is great especially when the weather’s nice (don’t bank on that during spring in Seattle). A great bit of advice is to park at a park-and-ride and bike from there. I’ve parked at Washington Elementary School, but I don’t know if that’s sanctioned, so I risked tickets or towing.

Getting hungry? In Mount Vernon one of my favorite places to eat is the Calico Cupboard. It’s a favorite for most everyone who knows anything about the region. So, budget plenty of time. At last check, they didn’t take reservations. It’s first come, first serve. It’s worth the wait, but, especially if you have younger kids, you’ll want to strategize that. Or you could head to the one in La Conner, which isn’t that far.

If you’re thinking of a treat, and you’re not too frozen from the tulip fields, check out the Big Scoop Ice Cream shop. A regional classic place and just a lot of fun.

If you want something warm and caffeinated, Mount Vernon does have it’s share of Starbucks, but you should check out Woods Coffee, though it’s pretty small. There’s also Ristretto Coffee Lounge which has been on my list of places to try.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has pulled together some great tips. Definitely take a few minutes and review these. It’ll eliminate a ton of aggravation. And don’t forget to check out the interactive map before you go. It’s quite well done.

May your tulip excursion be delightful!

 

When Washington’s Small Town Of Concrete Intersected With Orson Welles

Carl Setzer

While running errands today, this came across my radio (thanks for great radio KNKX!):

“How ‘War Of The Worlds’ Caused Double The Panic For One Small Washington Town“

Here are the basics of the story: during the infamous ‘War Of The Worlds’ broadcast in 1938, a transformer blows and a town loses power. Panic and pandemonium set in.

The ‘small town’ in question is Concrete, just north and a smidge east of Mt. Vernon. A town I have connection with. My grandfather, and his sisters, were born there. By 1938, though, he was living in Seattle. Yet, it’s quite rare to hear Concrete mentioned in any kind of public forum. It’s a small, rural town rather far from everywhere. But a wonderful place, nonetheless.

Give the article a listen; it’s not too long (under 9 minutes). A fun tidbit of Washington history.

A Thought About Today’s Real Estate In Greater Seattle

Carl Setzer

When we agents log into the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), we’re presented with some key market stats. The first one shows how many homes have been listed in the past 24 hours. When I logged this morning, there were seven. Yesterday, though, there were over 800. Today’s total inventory is 14,244, so over 6% of the listed homes for sale were listed in one day.

So, great news for our home buyers struggling to get an offer accepted: looks like the summer sales season has started. This burst of inventory should really help things stabilize.

For people interested in selling their homes, expect the price increases to calm. I expect that we’re near the highest point we’ll reach in awhile. If you’re waiting for THE peak…well, that’s a dangerous game. You only know where the peak WAS; retrospectively.

Anyway, I’m expecting those discouraged buyers will be heartened and get back into the work of home searching. Great news!

Hard to see the future well enough to game the system. But the signs point to good things.

To Be A Seattleite

Carl Setzer

I consider myself a western Washingtonian, even though Mr. Ron Rudd might not.

“If you weren’t born in Seattle or the Northwest, you’ll never be one of us.”

Though born in Rhode Island, my parents were born in Washington, as were all my grandparents. My father and his mother were  born in Seattle. Next: my parents met at UW. And I was supposed to be born in Seattle, but my timetable was a bit off-kilter. The family was in Rhode Island as my father attended the War College. So, I guess if I must be disqualified from “one of us” status, I’ll accept the consequences of my father’s service with pride. 

Deeper: why do I consider this place “home”? Well, the biggest reason was that we always called it home. Flying out to Seattle was always “going home to visit grandma” (sorry grandpa, but it was always “to visit grandma”. 

Lastly, this is the place we moved when my dad decided to retire from the Navy. And where I’ve lived the vast majority of my life here. Lastlyiest lastly, there’s the simple fact I love it here. 

Please note: I’m hardly offended by Mr. Rudd. Actually, I find him quite witty, and the piece is quite clever. It did give me pause to consider, though. Which is worth a heap of oysters, shucked by hand along the Edmonds beach: my happy place.

Beginnings

Carl Setzer

I hail from Lynnwood, part of Snohomish county, just north of Seattle. My life has been dominated by news, etc, focused on the city ~20 miles to the south. I knew the mayor of Seattle before I knew that Lynnwood had a mayor. Living in the shadow of such a large city has made me wonder how to break free.

Washington is a large state, but you’d think it entailed one city: Seattle. Yet we’re so much more. Bellevue is just across a floating bridge, and quite a different place. Then there’s Spokane, or Yakima, or Walla-Walla, or Everett or Bellingham, or….

These differences are significant. Politically, socially, culturally, even ecologically; each region is different, and dramatically so. The main differentiator, in Washington, seems to be east/west of the Cascade mountain range. Climate-wise, west-side has the rainy disposition that Seattle is famous form. Yet, on the east-side, we have desert; some of the driest places in the country. Economically  the east is predominately agrarian. West is subdivided by Seattle’s influence. The Puget Sound basin is mainly industrial and post-industrial urban work. The rest seems a balance of extraction (timber, mainly) and fishing.

My goal is to expand on the stereotype of this region. Show how diverse we are as a state in all manner. I’m glad to have you join my journey.