Carl Setzer

  holding back the dawn  grey skies resisting sunlight grace of rain-soaked leaves It's a classic Seattle autumn morning. One that I delight in. I hope your autumn is off to a good start. 

rain's grace clouds hiding the sun's face beloved fresh air Seattle is getting our well-needed rain right now. The air feels so much better, breathing so much easier. Tis a good day, my friends!

jays shriek their protests an uncaring hawk nearby this hazy morning

scent of old books espresso machine’s song hints of jazz piano    Thinking of Beat poets while listening to jazz this hazy, smokey Seattle morning.

In today's haiku I'm listening to rain upon my roof, remembering this sound I've heard so many times. Rain speaks to the Seattleite in me, to the many, many times of gentle rain. For me, it's calming and tranquil. 

Darkness has now come Watching snow flurries shadows Dancing under lights

Being the Seattleite, I have a natural dislike for heat. Pushing 90 is well past the zone of comfort. And, even with the abrupt temperature drop of evening, I find it hard to sleep, even in the low 80s. So I'm looking forward to today, with a not quite 10 degree drop, and Thursday/Friday where we drop back into the 70s.

Saw this photo on KEXP's homepage today. This wall of cassettes! OH.MY.GAWD! Ah, the musical history therein. Memories of siting by the play button waiting for my favorite songs, of the awesome feeling once I got a double cassette recorder, so I could create mix tapes. And sharing my tapes with my friends, introducing them to the music I loved. Oh, and crafting mix tapes for those I loved. A custom blend of music as a gift. For someone who loves music, I couldn't think of a better gift. There were groups of my friends that would swap these tapes, with meticulously detailed liner notes. The purpose was to connect friends with music, musicians they hadn't heard before, but would certainly love. The best were getting tapes with great bands that got no air-time. Fulfilling the ultimate proto-hipster delight of knowing a band before they became famous. As for this photo: she is Jen Cloher , an Australian musician. I'm now streaming her self-titled album via Googl...

So many years here Dramatic changes flowed past Much lost with the gains If you enjoyed this haiku, please take a look at the others I've written , or more of my writings about Seattle . And please subscribe to get my posts via email. 

Darkness shrouds my windows Cool air slowly dissipating  The day's heat All my house asleep Though voices drift in Through the open windows I should sleep, but know the  Vanity of such endeavors At least at the moment So I stare at this screen Type a poem Envisioning the coolness Soon to come Please come check out more of my poetry at Questionsall.net

A few weeks ago, one of my local grocery stores rebranded.  After Safeway and Albertsons merged a few years back, the writing was on the proverbial wall. The Safeway branded store across the street was shuttered. A few months back, I noticed the start of a remodel. While talking with friends there, I was told the store would become a Safeway soon. That's now done.  A few days ago I noticed I felt somewhat sad looking at the sign. Well, the store has been an Albertsons as long as I can remember. Went there with my mom, watched the changes of the area, yet it was there. No longer, though.  Lynnwood, this little suburb north of Seattle, hasn't been as radically transforming as Seattle or the Eastside. Well, until recently. Stalwarts of my childhood have closed, buildings getting torn down, land redeveloped, vacant lots becoming neighborhoods. Housing prices sprinting upwards.  Change. Pretty rapid change, too.  Communities consist of these institutions, and the...

My most recent blog posts are over at Not Just Seattle . This Weekend: Camping at Camano Island State Park and an Edmonds Area Podcast: AquaCast Thanks for reading!

Perhaps you’re familiar with  Gary Snyder . Most famous for his affiliation with Beat poets like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, he work is really it’s own beast. One of my favorite writers, I read his work quite regularly. He’s quite influential on me. I find the way he combines such things as zen, Chinese literature and nature poetry with geomorphology and geology simply fascinating. And his eye keeps looking at the west coast, with him spending a great deal of time in the Pacific Northwest. His seminal work, Mountains and Rivers Without End covers a great deal of ground topic-wise. There are several poems with Pacific Northwest themes, but one strikes me most: “ Night Highway 99 “. (The link will take you to the Google Books edition of book.) I remember when I first  really  read the title. “Really” meaning “attentive, aware, awake (in a zen-sort-of-way). The connection was instant. Growing up in Lynnwood just a few blocks from Highway 99, i...

Yesterday was an interesting one. While sitting in a clock hour class up above downtown Everett, our region's windstorm made it's presence well known. Quite the bluster! Even in the 6th floor of a modern high-rise, we could hear the wind. My friends and family came through reasonably unscathed, most injurious were power losses and fence destruction. With the storm, traffic was significantly eventful and my poor instructor quite late. I took the opportunity to chat with many of the good folks at Everett's First American Title office. Such great people! A few folks I've known for years, but have never met. Such is the nature of modern business! Our class covered the Escrow Process, where we focused on several key changes and issues facing this sector. One of the biggest: cyber-fraud. I've been hearing an amazing number of cases of spoofed, or near-spoofed email addresses where funds are redirected. With this, we covered ways in which our business is responding t...

I am concerned about the current steep rise in overall housing prices. The sales prices are rising quickly, but that's only part of the equation. Rental prices are rising faster. Demand keeps rising and inventory is nearly constant: thus prices climb. Part of my concern is simply access to affordable housing. As this is a fundamental human need, issues with access deeply trouble me. Another concern , though, is on first time home buyers, those just starting out. In this kind of marjet, it's hard to keep up. And the rising rents eat away at your ability to buy. Ultimately,  though, markets balance out. Patience is crucial, I guess.

Rolled semi spills load of bees at I-5 and I-405 interchange Well, this made for some real fun for me this morning. Fortunately, I have tools to notify me when traffic's getting ugly and was able to leave early to compensate. Thus I was expecting "issues". So, as I crossed I5 via the 196th street overpass on my way to the northbound onramp, my lord, the backup was immense! Bee that as it may (sorry for the pun, I just had to...), looking at the pictures, I feel sad for the bees. With bee populations are declining , seeing the massive bee kill was deeply disheartening. However, there clearly are dedicated professionals on site making sure the impact upon our buzzing friends is minimal. For that, I'm thankful.

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 live...

Oh, my poor Seahawks! Second guessing that last play; so terribly easy, especially facing bitter disappointment. Yet, I question it's value. I wasn't part of the discussion nor choice. And, most importantly, no amount of hand-wringing or recrimination will undo the final score.  I admire bold choices in the face of risk. That's a hallmark of greatness. More importantly, I adore the people who are Seattle's Seahawks. Just a few thoughts: Russell Wilson's amazing giving heart, Marshawn Lynch's playful tweaking of the press, Pete Carroll's deep dignity; all of these, and more, give me great pride. They played well, didn't give up, fighting with tenacity to the last second. I also love hearing Mr. Wilson and Mr. Carroll each take responsibility for that last call. And, I'm willing to bet each member of this team would do so as well. For they are a team, through and through. Class and spirit, what's not to love?  Ultimately, I'm proud of th...

My son requested I download Minecraft at some point in history; I'm not sure when. The months (years perhaps) of watching him engage the game impressed me. This game engages creativity in a deep and significant way, in ways no shooter one can. With his current creation, he's taking into account architectural details like work and room flow (currently building a bakery). Then when I mentioned to him about how Boeing camouflaged their Seattle plant during World War II (built a fake neighborhood above), he announced that he was building his own Boeing factory. It delights me to see his brain working like this. And the standard gaming side-benefits (most noticeably better hand-eye coordination and dexterity) are nice, I love the creativity. His right brain is getting brilliantly stimulated. For that, I'm grateful.

Reading this piece about John Legere and T-Mobile's marketing drove home several thoughts that have been lurking in my mind. First, creating a unique brand presence in a saturated/commodified market is very, very hard. How do we make these boring items sexy? Working in real estate, I've been struggling with that for some time. Having a flamboyant leader, one who doesn't shrink from the limelight nor controversy is critical. How does one rise to front of mind in today's media landscape? Uniqueness is key. A certain eccentricity, and self-love of that, really helps. It also helps having gobs of cash to spend. I think the next wireless sector winner will be a fierce competitor. T-Mobile matches that.