It’s that season again, the Spring holidays. I’m busy preparing my menu for Passover seder. Easter is just around the corner. And we are in the heart of Ramadan month. The kitchen’s a mess with stacked detritus from preparing annual favorites including broth for matzah ball soup, chopped fruits and nuts transformed into haroset, and the huevos – eggs hard-boiled with onion skins to appear as if they were baked.

While rustling around my notes for something to share this week, I decided on observations from a trip Constant Companion, Daughter, and I took to Seattle for a family celebration a few months ago, our first post-Covid trip together.

Artwork frequently stands out to me wherever I am, whether I seek it out or not. I could not help but notice some of the public art in the Seattle airport as we ran through on the way to the rental car. Journey’s End by Larry Kirkland captures images of nature and the great ocean-going boats Native Americans in the Northwest are known for.

Eyes of the World by Richard C. Elliot reminded me of quilts pieced together by the hands of many women.

One of my brothers has lived in this area for many years. He treated us to a tour of sites in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula. Among the amazing Victorian buildings filling the downtown, these two (of 5) sculptures made of reclaimed old growth fir made by Jonah Trople scattered around Fort Townsend stood out as something quite unusual.

Even the ferries that take travelers from Seattle to the islands are venues for public art and historic photos including this prints by Marvin Oliver, Quinalt/Isleta Pueblo.

One place my brother took us to was historic Fort Worden along windswept Puget Sound. What a beautiful day of clear blue skies.

Art could be seen in nature … This is bull kelp attached to a rocks that washed ashore from the sound. They are known as “hold fasts. Art in nature, all around

Along the way back to Seattle from Port Townsend, we stopped in the historic Nordic town Poulsbo. Vikings were everywhere – their ships and their swords.

Many years ago while attending an international museum conference, I saw the original sword sculpture near Stavanger (not my photo) while on the way to a community dinner for Natural History Museum professionals.

All along the way, during our trip, I found an old friend who continues to pursue me – the intelligent octopus (see 5-4-22 and 11-1-22 posts to be introduced)! Several species of octopi inhabit the waters in the area of Seattle. Maybe next trip I’ll try to find one in the flesh. Here’s some of the places where they in their appearances …

On a bench on the sidewalk in Poulsbo.

Creatively represented in artwork by local artist, Jerry King (https://www.verkstedgallery.com/jerry-king-140)

Decorating serving ware and an inventive Nordic Ware cake pan (https://www.nordicware.com/products/octopus-cake-pan/).

They continued to follow when we returned to Seattle …

And finally, when the octopi visit the museum here’s their observations …