Our Fair City

Seattle is known for many things — rain, coffee, and the Space Needle among them. While I experience the rain (though not a lot this summer, just gray skies) and I often smell the coffee, the Space Needle is a rarity on my walks. I mean to see the Space Needle requires that we drive to certain parts of the city or, if we wedge ourselves onto cornered hilltops or staircases, we might see the top of it floating in between all the tall buildings.

Yesterday, I got to walk on Queen Anne Hill and from there you can really see the Space Needle up close and personal, only you can’t see it on my website from yesterday because Gretchen climbed the great big hills without her camera.

That’s a pity.

Still, I marveled at the sight I rarely get to see and vowed that when the Space Needle next came into view and Gretchen had her camera, I’d make certain she got a photo of the odd shaped tourist attraction.

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t think I’d see the Space Needle for a long time. Especially since the first walk of the day took us in the opposite direction. I did get to walk around Seward Park with Ollie and while it’s one of my favorite places in the city, you can’t see the Space Needle at any point on the walk. Ollie didn’t seem to mind and since I never intended to really see it today, I didn’t mind either.

When Gretchen set off on her walk with Rosie I instructed her to take photos of the Space Needle if she saw it. She kind of laughed at me and said, “Oh Rubin, I doubt we’ll see it today.” Instead, she saw flowers and hummingbirds (look closely on the red Lucifers)…

…and of course, Ms. Rosie!

Next, Gretchen picked up Gemma who came by to get me at the house only I was I was in the middle of eating my brunch — yes, I’m back to eating brunch, but that’s beside the point. While we got to play some, our real intent was to walk over to Saber’s house so that he and Gemma could have a mini-romp if the tennis courts were open. They were, but since I’d just eaten, I was only allowed to sit on Monty’s bench (the one he loves to spend time on whenever we’re at the courts) and watch with intrigue as Saber fetched the ball and then lost it…

…how Gemma retrieved the ball and then played keep away…

…until finally Saber stole it back and all the while I sat patiently and watched.

Ironically, the Space Needle can be see from the tennis courts if you stand on your tippy-toes on the bench, but you can only see the top of it and since I was in a sit stay command, I wasn’t allowed to go up on my tippy-toes.

We dropped Gemma off at her house and then Saber and I got to go for a nice long walk down to the lake (though we weren’t allowed to go in) and then up over the hill where we posed for a photo on top of I-90 — and no, you can’t see the Space Needle from there either.

But remember, I never expected to see the tourist attraction today. Nope, I just kept hoping that soon we’d wander into a neighborhood that would allow for a photo opportunity of me with the Space Needle pointing up behind me. Even when we went to Paige’s house and headed out on a nice long walk, I never imagined that over the fences and ports, over the grassy knolls and ships the Space Needle was lurking.

Not until we got around the bend at Jack Block Park did I see it and then and only then I insisted that Gretchen take our picture with the Space Needle in the background. Paige was a bit confused as to why the Space Needle intrigued me so, but that’s because she gets a view of if far more often than I do. Still, it made for a great photo because 1) there was the Space Needle (however faintly) in the background and 2) I got hang out with Paige and have my photo taken with hers (big sigh!).

I’m not sure why I’m so intrigued by the Space Needle, but maybe it has something to do with how much I love our fair city. Yes, even when it’s gray and rainy, yes even when the mountains are hidden behind the clouds, and yes even when I can’t see all the tourist sights. Seattle is a great place to live. Seattle is a great place to be a dog. And more importantly, Seattle is a great place to be a dog walker!

Until tomorrow,

Rubin