The April-cember weather has convinced fowl invaders to settle parts of the UW campus previously reserved for pedestrians, such as flooded pathways.

It’s been a busy week for Washington in Washington DC. On Monday, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell introduced S. 668, the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2009. Now referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, this bill creates (or, more accurately, re-creates, since this is an effort to reauthorize the 1998 bill. In any case…) a 14 person Commission that includes a representative of 7 counties, two tribal representatives, someone appointed by the governor to represent the Puget Sound Partnership, and four civilians. The goals of the Commission would be to protect and restore marine habitats, populations, and water quality, and to promote these goals to the public and relevant organizations through education and research. [FULL TEXT]

Tuesday, March 24th was the 20th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez spill. To mark the occasion, Senator Cantwell cosponsored S. 684, the Oil Pollution Prevention and Response Act of 2009, with Senator John Kerry of MA. The bill would strengthen the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, and give the Coast Guard and NOAA additional powers, to deal with the rise in oil polution over the last 16 years– although the number of vessels actually spilling oil into waterways has declined, the volume of oil spilled has increased. This bill has also been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. [PRESS RELEASE]

Also on Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell introduced S. 672: A bill to amend the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978, and the Federal Power Act “to modify provisions relating to enforcement and judicial review and to modify the procedures for proposing changes in natural gas rates.” S. 672 has been referred to the referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The title of the bill is a little confusing, but basically S. 672 puts some muscle behind previous legislation, allowing for investigation of violations and enforcement of cease and desist orders. [TEXT] Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Seattle Representative Jim McDermott introduced H.R. 1683, the Clean Environment and Stable Energy Market Act of 2009, in conjunction with 3 other representatives, on Tuesday. The resolution would revise IRS codes to require a permit for gas emissions, something like a cap and trade mechanism, if I’m reading it right. [TEXT] Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee.

Not to be left out of the Tuesday fun, former governor Gary Locke was confirmed as Secretary of Commerce, which occasioned blessedly brief speaches from Senators Cantwell and Murray. [TEXT] The rapid confirmation of Locke only reinforces my belief that the man is so squeaky clean that you could… suddenly what I was going to write seems a trifle naughty. Never mind.

Finally, on Wednesday Congress passed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (H.R.146), a huge win for Western states. This bill has been a year in the making, facing significant opposition from Republican lawmakers, who objected to the measure because it blocks energy development on public lands, and protects an additional two million acres of wilderness, and a thousand miles of river, including some of the most beautiful and pristine territory in America. Thanks to this act, some of that protected territory is now designated the “Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail”: the trail is 1200 miles long and runs from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Coast, through the Rocky Mountains, Selkirk Mountains, Pasayten Wilderness, North Cascades, Olympic Mountains, and Wilderness Coast. It passes through three states, crosses three National Parks, and through seven National Forests. [TEXT] Hip, hip, hooray!

[EDITED: Photo caption updated with apologies to the photographer. Bad proofing on my part. Great photo on his.]

Ok, so the St. Patrick’s Day Dash isn’t exactly ON St. Patrick’s Day. It’s 2 days earlier, on Sunday. But that’s just an excuse to get out and drink some beer a little early. Go for a 3.75 mile run on the Aurora Bridge.

Afterwards there’s a post dash bash at the Seattle Center. Live music, free food, and a beer garden. Current weather is forcasted to be 49 and showery.

After 21 years of showcasing the best of Northwest garden design, Duane Kelly is finally hanging up his bucket hat. Who’s Duane Kelly and why should you care? Glad you asked!

Duane Kelly is the founder of the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, the second largest flower show in the US, and tomorrow opens what may be the very last show, unless a buyer can be found. Kelly’s company, Salmon Bay Events, is a small family affair: seven people working in a small Ballard office, along with a couple of people down in San Francisco (Salmon Bay Events also produces the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show). True to their commitment to Seattle and the Show, Salmon Bay Events have surpassed themselves: this year’s show is truly a labor of love.

I got to take the Media Sneak Preview Tour of the display gardens, this morning, and I plan on going back at least twice more, once on my own and once with friends. The designers took this year’s theme, “Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places.” and used it to build gardens and outdoor “rooms” that take advantage of our mild climate, environmental sensibility, and native plants. Every garden features elements made of recycled, reused, or renewed materials, from a raised-bed salad garden made from an old trunk to a recast concrete cube as a water feature. Display gardens contain ideas for any class of gardener: there are three balcony gardens, showcasing what apartment and condo dwellers can do to grow food, flowers, and herbs, or just to bring nature a little closer to the urban home. Thrifty dilettantes like me will be heartened by the many low maintenance, but attractive ground covers, and creative reuse of found objects. More well-heeled or dedicated visitors might take notes on the solar cabin or the bonsai garden, which I can only drool over.

For kids, there is a new children’s area, with activities and demonstrations, as well as a scavenger hunt through the regular display gardens. The “Sprout Stage” (love the pun!) will feature kid-friendly demos from 10 AM until 4 PM on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The scavenger hunt asks kids to find the plushy (donated by a local company, and to be auctioned off for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the end of the show) in return for prizes. There is a children’s garden, and one of the display gardens even has a theme of “Nature’s Classroom” advocating outdoor learning (check out the blackboard!) for all ages. Finally, if your sprouts are too young to enjoy these offerings, free childcare by licensed providers is available on-site.

In addition to the new children’s activities, a special exhibitor section focuses exclusively on products that benefit the environment. There is the usual dizzying array of seminars, as well, but it’s worth pointing out that all seminars on Friday after 2 PM will focus on “Green Living”: 3 stages and 12 seminars about water management, soil improvement, container and organic gardening, salvaging…

Let’s hope that the Northwest Flower and Garden Show finds a buyer with the same commitment as Salmon Bay Events. In any case, whether you are an annual attendee or have never been to the NW Flower and Garden show, this is the year to buy a ticket, drop in, and show your love. It may be your last chance. And if you see Duane, be sure to say “Thank you!” for all of his years of hard work.

Northwest Flower and Garden Show
February 18-22, 2009
Convention Center, 7th & Pike, Downtown Seattle
[LINK]

Seattle’s drinking club with a biking problem (.83) is hosting its 4th-annual “FUCKING HLLS RACE” Feb. 22  on Bainbridge Island.

This premier cycling event draws cyclists from all over the region to compete for cash and  liquid prizes as well as some decent biking gear donated by top-of-the line companies.

The course is a knee-crushing, 33-mile ride around Bainbridge Island, but there’s an all-you-can eat chili feed (vegan and meat) at the end so it’s totally worth it. The race is $7 and it will also cost you $8 to ride the ferry to the starting line. Meet at Alaskan and Washington under the Viaduct at 8:30 a.m. (look for riders sporting the home-made, Elvis-themed pirate bibs).

“It’s really about the spirit of cycling and promoting unity within the community,” lied an extremely belligerent and noticeably intoxicated Derrick Ito, FHR Organizer.

“The prize lists includes cash, booze and a ton of great bike schwag from our great sponsors,” Ito said, while trying hard to maintain his balance and hide the fact that he was slurring his words.

Ito has a an expanding prize list that includes a lap dance from a local stripper, liquid prizes from Cafe Metropolitan and a complete Hammerhead 7 bicycle from Dahon. The bicycle will be raffled off with proceeds to benefit a locally-owned bike company.

For more information, visit point83.com.

I look out my office window and am reminded of…

I don’t recall ever seeing the Falls this full before. Washington is in the midst of some serious flooding, with 40,000 urged to evacuate their homes, I-5 closed, a landslide on Rainier Avenue, and avalanches closing I-90 and Hwy 2.

We currently have an inch of snow at the top of Capitol Hill and reports via LiveJournal, Twitter, Plurk, and neighborhood blogs show that snow has falled and stuck all over the greater Seattle area. Weather forecasters are predicting 1-3″, then rain around 9pm, but we all know how predictable that can be. If it sticks around, do you think we’ll see salted streets for the morning commute? Will school be in session on the first day back after Winter Break? Stay tuned!

If, like me, the street you live on is still an iced-over death trap, you haven’t received mail for a week and a half, and Santa didn’t visit this year, you can call the city at 206-386-1218, to ask (beg, plead, barter your first born child) that they send a snow plow your way. I spent an hour on auto-speed-dial, trying to get through, before giving up, so I can’t tell you whether you get to speak to a real, live human, but if you manage it, please do share. And let us know what happens! I’m a bit skeptical that a plow will arrive in my ‘hood (east of White Center), before our climate steps in to take care of it.

Update: I got through on the DOT line at 11:50 AM on Saturday. At 3:45 PM, a truck with a scraper attached to the front puttered up my street, scraping off just enough snow and ice that we were able to get the car out. We stood on the front porch and cheered – groceries!

Check out this You Tube Video that shows a drunk driver getting up close and personal with sledders on Queen Anne Hill. Thanks to stevem for the link.

Queen Anne Asshat