Mother-Daughter Day

I had a wonderful time in Seattle on Sunday with my daughter M! She met me mid-morning at the BoltBus stop downtown, outside the International District/Chinatown light rail/bus station, and helped me "load" my Orca card, which can be used on a variety of public transportation options in the Seattle area. 

We had a brief bus ride from there to the Seattle Art Museum, where I photographed The Hammering Man, seen above. This iconic 48-foot / 14.6 m high silhouette sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky has been outside the museum for more than two decades. The figure's left arm, holding a hammer, moves four times a minute (brief video), powered by an electric motor.

According to the artist, The Hammering Man celebrates the worker's contribution to society. He or she is the village craftsman, the South African coal miner, the computer operator, the farmer, or the aerospace worker--the people who produce the commodities on which we depend. Borofsky has several other hammering man statues in other parts of the world, include the largest, at 69 ft / 21 m, in Frankfurt, Germany.

M and I enjoyed a delicious brunch at Taste, the art museum's excellent restaurant, and then took the light rail to ACT (A Contemporary Theatre), where we saw their 38th-year production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Once again, I was reminded of the power of live theater, particularly theater in the round, to move and enchant me! Many of the actors, ranging in age from 8 years to well into their senior years, played multiple roles, and the 90-minute performance never lagged in energy, emotion, and clarity.

In the time remaining before my BoltBus back to Bellingham, M and I did some shopping, enjoyed the holiday spirit and decorations, and had a light snack. We're already talking about repeating this splendid day together next year!

Early Monday afternoon, Phil's daughter, her husband, and children are coming up for a brief visit, staying overnight, so I'll catch up with comments mid-week.