SEATTLE - Good Bye Viaduct - Hello Tunnel

WSDOT plans a celebration of the old and new Feb. 2-3  

Mike Lindblom  Seattle Times Reporter

Check out the demolition to Seattle's Cityscape by clicking here. 

Attractions include free public walks, a paid bicycle ride and an 8k run along both the viaduct and tunnel. There will be children's science activities, musicians and food trucks at each end.  

Seattle under construction - portal to more awesome pics

Crowds of 50,000 people or more are expected to say goodbye to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and hello to the Highway 99 tunnel during weekend events Feb. 2-3.

The viaduct closed permanently Jan. 11. The party falls in February, when connecting ramps to the tunnel are finished. Tunnel traffic will start during the week following the party, about the same time major deck demolition of the viaduct gets started, said Dave Sowers, Highway 99 deputy administrator for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The viaduct’s allure is well-established. Back in October 2011, a commemorative walk attracted 3,200 people to watch the beginning of a nine-day demolition of the structure’s southern half. This April, 7,000 people joined a Cascade Bicycle Club ride on the viaduct and Interstate 5 express lanes, under drizzly skies.

February weather won’t be much of a deterrent to bicyclists, said Brent Tongco, marketing director for Cascade. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

Saturday, Feb. 2, events include:

• An 8-kilometer fun run and walk through the new tunnel, the viaduct and the old Battery Street Tunnel, at 7:30 a.m., sponsored by engineering firm HTNB. Registration fee is $35.

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony with elected officials at 11:30 a.m. at the south portal, next to Royal Brougham Way South.

• a life size mural of tunnel-boring machine Bertha’s front end, and Lego model at the north Life-size mural portal, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Exhibits about the geologic formations along Seattle’s waterfront, and earthquake-safety technology, at Pyramid Brewery near the south portal, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• Exhibits about the geologic formations along Seattle’s waterfront, and earthquake-safety technology, at Pyramid Brewery near the south portal, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

• An art festival on the viaduct, near the Seneca Street ramp in mid-downtown.

• 12.5-mile bike ride Sunday, Feb 3 at 8 a.m. Shorter routes are available. Registration is limited to 10,000 riders, at $40 for ages 13 and over, and $20 for people 12 and younger.

Everything You Need to Know about the SUPER BLOOD WOLF MOON

Many are marking their calendars for a FANTASTIC even set for Sunday, January 20, 2019. In addition to being my baby girl’s 20th birthday a “Super Blood Wolf Moon” will put on a show all across the Western Hemisphere.  While the name sounds like something straight out of the Twilight series, each word has a significance of this rare lunar event.

This is everything you need to know about the special celestial show. What Is a Super Blood Wolf Moon?  According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it is a total lunar eclipse, which occurs at the same time as a trifecta of other designations for the moon, which is where the words “blood,” “super” and “wolf” come in.

During the total lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, which casts a shadow that blocks our view of the moon.  Blood Moon: describes the dark red color the moon glows when it’s in the Earth’s shadow. Super: means a full or new Moon which occurs when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, which can make it appear larger and brighter than usual. Wolf: is a term -which originated from Native American tribes and early colonists -for a full moon that occurs in January.

How Can I see it? No special devices are needed to view this event in the nighttime sky. According to the Almanac, the moon show should be visible to everyone in the Western Hemisphere - weather permitting. The National Geographic reports that the partial eclipse will begin at 10:33 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 20, and will take over 3.5 hours to go through all of its phases. During the first hour, the Moon will turn orange and red — almost resembling the planet Mars.  

At 11:41 p.m. EST, totality begins, meaning that the moon should give off the dark red glow it’s famous for, but that can vary based on the atmospheric conditions and may appear in the sky as dark gray with the moon “barely visible.” The eclipse will last until 12:44 a.m. EST on Monday, January 21, hovering in the highest section of the zodiac. When Will the Next One Be? This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2021, and there’s no guarantee the cosmos will align so that the next eclipse will fall during a super moon, so it might be the last time you hear the words, “Super Blood Wolf Moon,” all together for some time.

A Supermoon Solar Eclipse on Friday the 13th?

How about the Longest Total Lunar Eclipse of the 21^st Century?

The skies are a busy place this summer.  Whether your interest lies with scientists and astronomy or the astrologist’s zodiac there’s plenty to read about and watch overhead with Several Eclipses of the Sun and Moon; a Supermoon, New Moons, a Blood Moon and well, check it out...

The partial solar eclipse is the first of 3 eclipses in a row. Let’s start with today, Friday the 13th, a date that has long been considered a harbinger of bad luck by popular culture.

A new moon that's as close to Earth as it gets for the rest of 2018 will pass in front of the sun July 13. This eclipse is particularly rare because there hasn’t been a solar eclipse on Friday the 13th for 43 years – since December 13, 1974, according to NASA. And the next one won’t be for another 62 years – Friday the 13th September 13, 2080.

Astrologers are forecasting humans to become ultra emo with this double Whammy supermoon. check out one forecast here.

A supermoon occurs because the moon’s orbit around Earth is elliptical, so sometimes it's closer, creating the optical illusion that the moon is suddenly much bigger and brighter.

The ultra-rare occurrence will be viewable from South Australia, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. People in Tasmania, an island off the southern coast of Australia, will most likely get the best view of the Friday the 13th eclipse, which is expected to last one hour and four minutes.

Other places, including Geelong, Australia will also have a partial view of the eclipse on July 13, but they will see less than 25% of the sun blocked out by the moon, meaning it could look almost like a regular sunny afternoon.

Watch it: https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/space-astronomy/supermoon-solar-eclipse-friday-the-13th

The next eclipse is just 2 weeks away and will also be very special!

The Next Lunar Eclipse

The next lunar eclipse is in two weeks, on July 27, 2018 will be a total lunar eclipse, or Blood Moon (click here for video) and a very special one because it's the longest of the 21st century. While on most occasions, the moon passes into the Earth's shadow for an hour or so, on July 27, 2018 it will do so for 1 hour 43 minutes. However, once again it's not observable from North America; the best views are from India, the Middle East and East and South Africa. In the U.K. it will be possible to watch a totally eclipsed moon appear on the horizon at dusk.

The Next Solar Eclipse

August’s New Moon on August 11, 2018 causes another partial solar eclipse, this time visible only from the extreme north of North America, Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe and Scandinavia, and much of Asia. The north Siberian shore will experience a big 73.6-percent eclipse of the sun as it sets

What an Honor! Speaking at the 2018 NNA Conference in Las Vegas!

check out my workshop here - http://ow.ly/MFfz30jHHxH 
Weathering the Storm as a Notary Entrepreneur

speaker bio: 

An award-winning meteorologist, Julia Von Bargen worked as a TV weather anchor for more than 21 years using her maiden name, Julia Sandstrom. A few of the cities she’s forecasted for are Seattle, San Francisco and most recently, Indianapolis. Julia holds seals of approval from both the American Meteorology Society (AMS) and the National Weather Association (NWA). She earned her Indiana Notary commission and title producer’s license in 2012. Her current projects include serving with the Indiana Notary Association (INA) and identity protection/restoration education. She also enjoys voice acting as well as camping and fishing with her family.  #NNA2018

How Long Until Our Days Get NOITICEABLY LONGER?????

Unless you're a pagan and you plan to do some dancing and drinking at the famous Stonehenge monument in England, you probably won't even notice when the 2017 winter solstice arrives.

In any case, the solstice occurs in the northern hemisphere on Thursday, Dec. 21, marking the official start of the winter season and also the shortest day of the year — the day with the least amount of sunlight. After that, each day will gradually grow longer and the nights will grow shorter. (See, there is a reason to celebrate, after all.)

In case you're not up on your winter solstice facts, here are a few bits of information that can get you prepared for astronomical conversations at the family dinner table or holiday cocktail parties.

When does the winter solstice occur?

This year, the winter solstice arrives at 8:28 a.m. (Pacific time) Today (12/21) For people in the northern hemisphere, Dec. 21 will be the shortest day and longest night of 2017, with exactly 8 hours, 35 minutes, 20 second of daylight for those of us in the Lewiston/Clarkston Valley.  Check out the chart below for other locations around the Inland Northwest.
Today 12/21  Sunrise 7:29 am Sunset 4:04 pm

Friday  12/22 Sunrise 7:29 am Sunset 4:05 pm

 

 AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CHART ABOVE we're only gaining a few seconds of daylight on Friday - the first full day of winter.  The rate will increase and the length of day will increase noticeabley...but not for a couple of months. 

What happens on the winter solstice?

The winter solstice is an astronomical event, when the Earth tilts to a position where the northern hemisphere is farthest away from the sun, causing less light to reach that part of the planet. 

Full 'Beaver Moon' This Weekend will be Massive

No. This is not made up.  We’re heading into that time of year with tons of weather lore attached.

This month's moon, which is also known as the Frost moon or the Hunter's moon, will be full on Nov. 4th and appear bigger and brighter than usual, but miss being a supermoon by just one day. 

To be designated a supermoon, the moon must be full on the day it is at its perigee, or closest distance to the Earth, according to Space.com. This month, the moon will reach its perigee on Friday, missing the supermoon classification by just a day. But since it is still very close to Earth, it will appear bigger and brighter than usual. Only December's supermoon will be bigger.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the Beaver moon gets its name because it came at the time of year when the early colonists and the Algonquin tribes set their beaver traps before the swamps froze. This would ensure they had a good supply of warm winter furs.

 *Beaver Moon Saturday, then don't forget to "fall back" on Sunday to end Daylight Saving Time. 

Hurricane Jose Expected to Steer Clear of Land! Check out the latest pics from the NHC!

Good News! The latest track maps from the National Hurricane Center steer the 3rd hurricane in as many weeks away from land. Giving the tropics a much needed break to assess damage from Harvey and Irma - which is still pounding the southeastern US.

On the current track, Cat 1 Hurricane Jose is still spinning in circles and should continue to move in a clockwise loop over the next 3 days.

The latest update from the NHC put Jose at week Cat 1 Hurricane with maximum sustained winds at 75mph and a forward motion to the SE at 8mph.

At last report, Jose was located between the Bahamas and Bermuda. To be more precise, it was 505 miles east of the Bahamas and 435 miles south of Bermuda.

The cones on the top graphic show the probable path of the storm center. To the left are the probable wind speeds as it barrels toward the East coast.

Early Thursday the spiral shaped track should enlarge and take aim at the Eastern Seabord. If these current forecasts hold true, the storm will weaken to a Tropical Storm Saturday and shift northward toward the icy waters of the North Atlantic to fizzle out and give the tropics a chance to assess damages.