iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 25/09/2026

Ah, so much better. All that summer sunshine in the Pacific Northwest is such a drag.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 08/09/2026

Sun was in my eyes at work and I turned to see the sign of hope I keep hanging there backlit. Fingers crossed!

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 28/06/2026

28 June 2026 Smith Cove Park Seattle, Wash. An absolutely glorious Junuary morning here on Puget Sound: temps in the low 50s and a cloud deck that will likely burn off late morning. Probably the last week we'll see such lovely weather until at least September as our summer sun sets in.

A root-beer brown bicycle leans against a picnic table. Behind it is Puget sound, a marina, and a cloudy sky, with the Olympic mountains just visible in the distance across the water.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 25/06/2026

The forecast temperatures aren't really showing it, but we've got a nicely strong marine push developing. The Hoquiam—Seattle pressure gradient is at 3.8 and lower temperatures are nearly to Olympia.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 12/04/2026

12 April 2026 Seattle, Wash. The botanical gardens at the Chittenden locks in Ballard made a nice spot to stop on another cool Seattle spring morning.

A root beer brown bicycle with mint green accents, stainless steel mudguards, and black bags leans against a moss lined concrete wall.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 03/04/2026

03 April 2026 West Seattle, Wash. The Olympics are looking especially photogenic today from West Seattle.

A Washington State ferry crosses Puget Sound. Behind it is Bainbridge Island. Further in the distance, the Olympic mountains rise behind it all, cloudy and snow covered.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 28/03/2026

If you live in an old house or building and ever wondered about that rail below the cove moulding on plaster walls, this is why it exists. OK maybe they weren't thinking of snowboards, but you get the idea. Nails in plaster are always a gamble.

A corner shot of a room with plaster walls and molding at the top of th wall shows a snowboard and several pictures hanging from cable descending from a picture railing. This is how paintings used to be hung so you wouldn't need to attempt to nail into plaster walls.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 24/03/2026

Peak blossom is always nice.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 07/03/2026

07 March 2026 Elliott Bay, Seattle, Wash. There's a real magic to cool, misty, spring days in the Pacific northwest, though stopping to clean mist droplets off your glasses every few miles does get a bit old.

A root beer brown bicycle with mint green head tube leans against a white metal fence along the Elliott Bay waterfront trail. Behind it, Puget Sound is gray and slightly choppy, and in the distance, West Seattle is obscured by mist under a silvery gray cloud deck.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 20/09/2025

20 September 2025 Don Armeni Park West Seattle, Wash. A lovely dawn ride today let me grab the rebuilt bike at an old favorite photo spot in West Seattle.

A metallic brown bicycle with black saddle and bags, and silver hardware leans against a concrete wall. Behind it, Seattle's skyline rises over the opposite side of Elliott Bay while a diffuse rosy dawn glow reflects off smooth waters.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 19/09/2025

07 July 2018 Natchez Trace Parkway Tenn. With a 50MPH limit, no trucks, and extremely limited access, the Natchez Trace is a dream to use bike touring. It feels strangely disconnected, and though you can sometimes hear traffic and daily life, the heavy tree cover makes it feel remote.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 28/08/2025

05 November 2023 Sammamish River Park, Wash. It's warm again this week in the Pacific northwest, but last week there was a morning just an oh-so-wee-bit more brisk than the usual summer fare that reminded me autumn is on its way.

A maple tree with bright yellow autumn leaves leans out over a placid Sammamish River. To its right a mixed use path can be seen following the river's curve.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 13/08/2025

That moment of existential despair when you realize your playlist sounds like the fucking grocery store.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 12/08/2025

09 March 2017 Seattle, Wash. Looking out from the waterfront towards West Seattle on a cool and drizzly day.

The Seattle ferris wheel dominates the left side of the photo, which looks out over a placid Elliott Bay towards the West Seattle shoreline, somewhat obscured by misty rain.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 08/08/2025

27 May 2023 Pioneer Square Seattle, Wash. Snapped just before hopping onto the AmTrak Empire Builder train to Spokane and then riding back to Seattle. Never did warm up to this bike's color, but being forced to replace it because of some tool on their phone running a red still stings.

A salmon colored bike with cream colored head tube leads against a brick wall. Its hardware is silver, with black panniers on the front and both a black saddle and handlebar bag as well.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 06/07/2025

06 July 2025 Harbor Island Seattle, Wash. First time back through here since getting run down over on Marginal Way. I've taken lots of variations on this shot over the years, but this one resonates.

A bicycle with old-school geometry and black handlebar and saddlebags leans against a railing. Behind it is a glimpse of Pugest Sound with Seattle's skyline and maritime waterfront infrastructure under a dawn sky.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 29/06/2025

29 June 2025 520 Floating Bridge Seattle, Wash. I seem to be getting in a lot of dawn rides this summer. No complaints, it's always nice to have the trails to oneself and wrap up 40+ mile rides before 9 a.m.

A metallic brown bicycle with black saddle and handlebar bags, stainless steel fenders and silver components leads against railing on the 520 floating bridge trail. Behind it the sun is just rising over the trees and water, tinting the horizon of a pale blue sky in golds and reds.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 24/06/2025

21 June 2025 Elliott Bay Trail Seattle, Wash. Cool and drizzly days are almost certainly at an end for the next few months as we're heading into July and August's dry season, but Saturday was as perfect a Junuary day as you could hope for. It made for a great morning waterfront walk.

A freighter is moored under a cloudy sky at Seattle's waterfront grain terminal. In the distance to the right of the terminal, the Space Needle is visible. Seattle's skyline is visible rising in the distance behind the ship.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 08/06/2025

08 June 2025 Elliott Bay Trail Seattle, Wash. The day may end up hot, but an early ride made for a pleasantly cool time. Getting in a two-hour ride before 7 is always nice. After pulling a ligament in it last month, the robo-knee is again mostly behaving and mileage is slowly ramping back up.

A brown and mint green bicycle with black saddle and handlebar bags leans agains railing at sunrise. Behind it stretches a calm Elliott Bay. A Washington state ferry is visible in the background, silhouetted against the snow-capped Olympic Mountains and western shore of Puget Sound.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 14/05/2025

29 May 2023 Electric City, Wash. A memorable birthday ride, this one down the Columbia River south of the Grand Coulee Dam, part of a multi day tour riding back from Spokane to Seattle after taking the Empire Builder train across the state.

Under a cloudless blue sky cracked tarmac winds downhill through cleft craggy rock. The right side is bare, and on the left sparse pines grow. In the distance between the rock faces the Columbia river is visible, with a sheer-sided coulee to one side of it. Guard rail runs along the right side of the road, and a sign is visible promising Northrup Pt in one mile, with recreational facilities.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 04/05/2025

04 May 2025 University Bridge Seattle, Wash. From this morning's ride, great reflections on glassy water in the pre-dawn light, looking east from the University Bridge.

Pre-dawn light fills a partly cloudy blue sky, mirrored in glassy water looking out from the University Bridge in Seattle. Lights shine in houses and boats lining the shore.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 02/05/2025

13 April 2025 520 floating bridge Lake Washington, Seattle If you're not from here, this gives you a good idea why Rainer/Tahoma is simply referred to around here as "the mountain." It towers over the rest of the Cascade range.

A heavily snow-capped Mt Rainier looms over Lake Washington, lit with a hazy, rosy glow by the dawn light. Lakeside trees and housing are visible on the shore.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 22/04/2025

02 July 2018 Grand Rivers, Ky. Spotted in a restaurant in Kentucky. Southern snark is fun snark.

A sign hanging in a restaurant that reads; "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 13/04/2025

13 April 2025 Lake Washington Seattle, Wash. Early morning rides are just the best.

A bicycle with black handlebar bag and silver fenders leans against a fence overlooking the SR 520 floating bridge and Lake Washington. Below it the lanes are almost empty, and the bike is backlit by a rising, golden-red sun in a cloudless morning sky.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 06/04/2025

02 July 2019 Stevens Pass, Wash. A four day tour from Seattle to Leavenworth and back across Stevens Pass started out hot and sunny, but by the time I was descending the pass it had turned just the way I like it, cool and gray. I camped that night at Wallace Falls before returning to Seattle.

A touring bike with dark green panniers leans against a guard rail. To its left a highway descends a mountain pass through dark fir tree under low clouds.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 25/03/2025

22 March 2025 520 floating bridge Lake Washington, Wash. Completing the north circuit of the ever-popular Lake Washington Loop was a bit ambitious for my first longer ride since getting hit by a car, but I managed to pull it off, if slowly.

A metallic brown bicycle with black saddle and front bags leans against railing. Behind it a cloudy skies rises over Lake Washington, with the visible in the distance.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 19/03/2025

18 March 2025 Myrtle Edwards Park Seattle, Wash. Nicely dramatic lighting this afternoon along Puget Sound in Seattle. It is very nice to be able to take 10-20 mile jaunts again on a whim. Been a long time coming since getting hit by the car in January 2024. I look forward to much longer rides.

A bicycle with a front bag leans against a metal fence along a concrete path. Behind it can be seen Puget Sound with clouds in the distance glowing with afternoon sunlight.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 13/03/2025

11 May 2018 Railroad Tunnel Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. Day 2 of the cross-country tour started off quite chilly. Camping in the clouds may sound romantic, but it is also wet and cold. The tunnel was chilly also, but the other side two miles further east was sunny and warm.

A gravel bike path leads to a fog-shrouded tunnel entrance in the distance. Fir trees line either side of the path.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 04/03/2025

01 March 2025 Elliott Bay Marina Seattle, Wash. Just north of the Elliott Bay Marina is a tiny park which looks out over Puget Sound. Saturday the fog lingered quite late in the day over the water, making for a wonderfully atmospheric bike ride down the waterfront trail.

Looking south from just north of Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle, shafts of sunlight stream down over open water through swirls of lingering fog. To the left, a ship is at dock, partially obscured by the fog.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 01/03/2025

19 May 2018 Lochsa River Idaho A little over a week into the cross-country tour, I was through Washington state and heading into the Rocky Mountains on U.S. Route 12 in Idaho. The next day would see me entering Montana, which took nearly 2 weeks to cross.

A mountain river flows to the right, surface rough, while a two lane blacktop road runs to the left hand side. Firs line the road and riverside, and a string of low clouds in an otherwise clear sky hug the trees while the sun scatters light across the upper right the image.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 23/02/2025

23 February 2025 Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill Seattle, Wash. A break in the weekend rain let me get in a short ride. This bike is such a dream to ride I'm deeply grateful the badly damaged right kneed continues to improve and tolerate pedaling more and more.

A metallic brown bicycle with black saddle and front bags leans against a rain-wettened concrete wall. To its left, a large black doughnut-shaped sculpture rises a couple of meters higher. Behind it under a cloudy silver sky, the Space Needle is visible in the distance rising over the trees.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 16/02/2025

25 May 2018 Tobacco Root Mountains Twin Bridges, Montana Another photo taken on bicycle tour at nearly the same time as the previous one. Montana took nearly two weeks to cross, but offered lots of great views. Was lucky enough to cross through late May/early June, with nearly perfect weather.

A sunshaft angles down from the upper left of the lens across a blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds hanging over a distant line of mountains. Railroad tracks cross green farmland near the camera, which stretches off towards the distant mountains.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 13/02/2025

25 May 2018 Twin Bridges, Montana Unless you've been through the American west, it is hard to convey just EMPTY it all is. I had all the time in the world to set this shot up. From the Cascades to the Mississippi, traffic off the major highways is sparse outside of cities and towns.

A camera at road level sits on twin center lane stripes which head off to the vanishing point on silvery-gray tarmac. On the horizon, low hills occupy the left, and farmland to the right of the road. The blue sky is mostly clear, with fluffy clouds peaking out over the hills on the left.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 09/02/2025

26 April 2015 Don Armeni Park West Seattle, Wash. Didn't even know this spot had a name, but location data tells me it's a boat ramp/park. West Seattle has lovely views of the city.

A light blue road bike with handlebar bag and silver mudguards and hardware rests against a concrete wall in West Seattle. In the distance, Seattle's skyline can be seen across Puget Sound.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 05/02/2025

24 October 2003 Capitol Hill Seattle, Wash. Hard to believe I've digital photos going back over 20 years now, but here we are. I'lll have to track down the sunset photo with the clouds that look like something from a Maxfield Parrish painting.

A clear sky banded with blues, and lighter purples fades to white and gold as Seattle's tall buildings come alight in fading light, windows glowing.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 01/02/2025

30 June 2019 Palouse to Cascades Trail Snoqualmie, Wash. Views in the western Cascades aren't always foggy and cool. You can usually count on at least July and August to be warm, sunny, clear, and often cloud-free. It is—and I'm not joking—my least favorite time of year up here.

A dark blue touring bicycle laden with dark green canvas panniers and saddle bag leans against a chain link fence on a trail bridge. Behind it a cloudless sky rises over fir trees and distant mountain peaks.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 30/01/2025

28 November 2023 Green River Tukwila, Wash. There were a string of days in November 2023 that had fog lingering all day down in the Renton/Tukwila area. They provided some atmospheric—if chilly—autumnal shots on the commute home.

Fog obscures the Green River, the water curving and fading into the distance as the fog gets thicker. Brown leafless trees line the river banks.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 26/01/2025

25 January 2025 Capitol Hill Seattle, Wash. This was my first ride further than a block from home since getting run down by a car in January last year. Was immensely pleased to find the problematic right knee did not much complain.

A dark brown low-trail bike with a teal head tube and black randonneur and saddle bags leans against concrete steps, In the background, art deco doors are partly visible.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 21/01/2025

16 January 2022 Harbor Island Seattle, Wash. Daily commuting gave me so many versions of this photo that I've jokingly referred to them as my future photo book of the "Many Moods of Harbor Island."

Glassy smooth green-tinted water is framed by docks. On either side of the waterway, steel container cranes vanish into distant fog.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 18/01/2025

08 November 2016 Seattle, Wash.

A nearly cloudless sky dominates this picture looking out from Capitol Hill to Seattle's Queen Anne Hill. The Space Needle is visible to the far left and part of Lake Union is visible down low in the center.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 15/01/2025

13 July 2018 Milton, Fla. Just east of Pensacola in Florida's panhandle

A long, faded tarmac bicycle trail stretches straight off into the distance, the path lined with green foliage. A bicycle laden with touring bags leans against a near tree.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 08/01/2025

28 May 2018 Cardwell, Montana These long and empty state roads out in the western U.S. are a joy to tour along. Car traffic is sporadic, and in places like Montana they'll usually slow down and wave to the crazy cyclist out on tour.

A straight run of road disappears into the distance, green farm field stretching to either side. In the distance, low mountains seemingly reach towards the road under a silver sky.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 24/12/2024

29 May 2023 Coulee City South of Coulee City on the Columbia river, this is from a cross-state bicycle tour. Took the Empire Builder train to Spokane, and rode back to Seattle over a few days. Washington's scablands are all the more impressive when you know the bonkers story of their creation.

A guardrail and road disappear in to the distance under a nearly cloudless blue sky. The Columbia river is to the left, and visible on either side are sheer-sided walls of the canyons of the Washington scablands, carved by catastrophic floods from Montana at the end of previous ice ages that ran across the state.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 20/12/2024

Cycling’s Rule of 3: Any car approaching from behind on an otherwise empty road automagically manifests a second car traveling towards you such that all three of you must pass simultaneously.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 19/12/2024

10 May–19 July 2018 The cross-continental bicycle tour ran 4,570 miles from Seattle through Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.

A map of the contiguous United States showing a bicycle tour route meandering from Seattle across the northern states of Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota, where it bends south to go through Missouri, Tennessee, and other states before ending on the east coast of central Florida.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 19/12/2024

23 May 2018 Big Hole Valley, Montana On the way out from Wisdom towards Dillon, Montana on bicycle tour. The grassy scene obscures the fact that Big Hole is quite elevated; the pass here is over 7,000 feet. Even in late May it was quite chilly.

A cloudy sky sits above low grass and sage looking back from Big Hole pass in to the valley below. Mountains ring the valley in the distance.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 13/12/2024

01 May 2015 Pike Place Market Seattle Between the locale, the ferry that happened to be perfectly placed behind the sign, and the subdued late afternoon lighting from the low cloudy sky, this is possibly the most Seattle picture I've ever taken

Looking down across brick street into Pike Place Market under a cloudy sky. The original Sur La Table store is on the right, and the low roof of the market stalls stretch across the photo. Above them the eponymous red “Public Market” sign rises, and behind them is Puget Sound, with low forested hills in the distance. Centered in the photo on the water behind the market is a large, white, Washington state ferry.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 11/12/2024

16 May 2015 Interurban Trail, SeaTac 1990 Trek 420 I rebuilt this one and had it powder-coated. Call it my 'poor man's rando,' but it is in fact extremely comfortable for long rides of a century or more. And though I'm a disc brake convert, I have a soft spot for those gorgeous center-pull brakes.

A light blue bike facing left against a stone wall, with silver hardware and a Berthoud randonneuring bag on the front.

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 06/12/2024

25 July 2021 West Seattle It's been over 3 years since I noticed this sign, and my inner 9-year-old remains quite cross that this was never mentioned to him as a career option.

Photo of a yellow sign beside railroad tracks that says: ATTENTION
REMOTE CONTROL LOCOMOTIVES
OPERATE IN THIS AREA
LOCOMOTIVE CABS MAY BE UNOCCUPIED

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PNW Douglas @epistolaria.net · 04/12/2024

27 March 2003 Detail Snapped on a whim because I thought the contrast of moss against blue-gray metal looked neat. It ended up a long-term favorite detail shot for over twenty years now.

Detail of the left half of a manhole cover. The steel is a blue-gray blend mottled with brown spots. Along the outside left edge, bright green moss grows.

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