Kingdome Cam

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you get a really big version of today's photo!

New Year's Day, 1:45 p.m. - A whole new year! Not a thing going on at the stadium site except for some of the bigger puddles are drying up and getting smaller. Yep, it's like watching paint dry today. But, it is interesting to conjur on what it's going look like this time next year...

Tuesday, January 2, 4:15 p.m. - I took today's photo about noon but had to come home and get something late this afternoon and the sky was so neat looking, I decided to see if I could capture it. Well, the sky doesn't show as good as it looked in person but the photo sure turned out to be one of the better ones. I wish I knew more about photography and could get a photo like this every day! Notice we got more seats today, too!

Wednesday, January 3, 2 p.m. - I caught them lifting up a wooden frame, presumably for concrete pouring - see red circle. Best I could tell it was destined for the west wall which I cannot see. But, I do see that we got even more seats today. Over the past few months I've gotten several requests for photos zooming in on detail. Sad to say, my photos are zoomed as far as my camera will zoom.

Thursday, January 4, noon - Today I nearly caught a set of seats in the air... but, the circle does show where they were putting them in. Tony sent me a note saying that First and Goal has new pictures up. They are good, check 'em out! And, Rikketyrik came up with a really good idea. Starting this weekend, I'll add a Big Picture option every day. That way you guys can get more detail even if I can't zoom more! So you'll have the thumbnail, the regular size and the big size. Wonder why I didn't think of that myself! Glad I have all of you! Oh, and Richard noticed that the rock pile has really shrunk... it sure has!

Friday, January 5, noon - Ok, I'm trying out a way to present the new Big Picture version... I'm open to suggestions. The first thing I noticed about today's picture is that Safeco Field was totally missing! My first thought was that the north wall had gotten a big extension. But, a second look determined that for some reason, they had the roof closed today. Whew! 7 p.m. Just minutes after I posted today's entry, I got a note from Bret with exactly the idea I needed for the graphic to click on for the big photo. Thanks, Bret, and have a great time in Australia... Check in often!

Saturday, January 6, 3:15 p.m. - Well, the sun just refuses to go behind a cloud and let me get a decent photo. So today you get some too light spots and some too dark spots. I can't really see much progress today but I can sure hear it. There's a welder working on some stuff just under my terrace and making a heck of a noise. And, the parking lot has been filling up with boats for the boat show at the Exhibition Center. Every time they bring one in, they have to back it up and I get to hear the backup beep beep beep. It feels like it's been going on all day. At least I have the door closed!

Sunday, January 7, 3 p.m. - Sean discovered a new section of seats in yesterday's photo - I've put an arrow to them in today's. And, Safeco Field is back! Thanks to the sun, as well, for hiding a while so I could get a decent shot!

Monday, January 8, noon - Some have noticed that the Christmas trees are still up on that final tower. Actually, I think they have been recycled into Topping Trees. Traditionally, when a construction site reaches it's highest point (like the top floor) they hoist a tree up. In this case, the towers won't exactly be the highest point but then the roof arches might be hard to set a tree on!

Tuesday, January 9, 4 p.m. - I got a really clear photo today - just got lucky. They are adding in the next section of seats on the east side. You can barely see the first couple of rows. Oh and Rikketyrik discovered that Charpy has some nifty new close up photos up.

Wednesday, January 10, 4:30 p.m. - Circles and arrows galore today! Many of you saw what I didn't yesterday... more rusty thingies have been placed around - see the arrows! The consensus is that they are in place to help with the roof placement. I don't understand how that's going to work, but I'm sure we'll see soon. They are slapping those seats up fast! And, the northern scoreboard tower is also growing... Wooden frames were taken off some of the posts already. Tony found even more of Charpy's cool photos that have a wider view. Tony says, and I agree, our little project is really looking like a stadium in these photos!

Thursday, January 11, 4:30 p.m. - Ok, even I can't miss today's changes <grin>. Check it out... I got one of the seats 'in flight'! And they've filled a bunch... But, all of you who predicted that those rusty thingies were for roof installation got a boost in your credibility... they made one of them twice as tall today. This is making sense even to me! New photos up at First and Goal (Thanks, Tony!). Things are happening!!

Friday, January 12, 1:30 p.m. - There is a lot of noise and action going on out there today. It's like listening to a sound effects recording of construction! I thought they would 'grow' another rusty thing today but not yet.

Saturday, January 13, noon - Check out the farthest rusty thingie! It's really grown. Rikketyrik, send me a link to the Mainers site that clearly shows identical rusty thingies used to hold up the roof while it was being constructed at Safeco Field. He thinks, and he's been right so far, that they may well be the exact same ones!

Sunday, January 14, 1:30 p.m. - This is the first Sunday in a long time that there have been people working onsite. And, they are working on the rusty thingies. I forgot to mention yesterday that the ones making up the tallest sections were moved from right under my nose. I circled there they used to be. The arrow points to where there is a guy right now doing some welding. There are some construction noises out there but aside from the welder, I can't see where they are working. I did notice yesterday, when I drove by, that while nearly all the seats are in place on the east side, the supports for them haven't even been finished on the west side.

Monday, January 15, 4:30 p.m. - The stadium crew obviously had the holiday off today... not a thing going on - not a soul to be seen. But, I did manage to get an interesting photo with the sun and shade.

Tuesday, January 16, 11:30 a.m. - So sorry! Today's photo is the pits because of the photographer. Work had me swamped. My only window of picture taking opportunity was just before noon and not only had the fog not quite lifted but the light was totally wrong. I really meant to get back mid-afternoon to get a better shot and the next thing I knew it was 5:30 p.m. and dark as dark could be. I promise to do better.

Wednesday, January 17, noon - Ok, I think I've redeemed myself with today's photo. They took the wooden form off the northwest wall (see circle). And, obviously, the rusty thingie in the middle got a growth spurt. Since Rikketyrik was the first to speculate that these things were going to support the roof while it was being added, I gave serious thought to calling them rickketyriks instead of rusty thingies but I probably should stay with the technical term. However, there is no doubt now about what they are for!

Thursday, January 18, 4 p.m. - Yo! Another rusty thingie got a growth spurt! And even more seats went in in the far north east section... I discovered today that I can see where the west side seats will go from one of the conference rooms in our offices (yes, the meeting was way boring <grin>). They have a long way to go on the side we can't see from here.

Friday, January 19, 4 p.m. - They have put something on top of the far rusty thingie. Do you suppose they are building a little den up there? TV, computer for web surfing? Also the scoreboard tower took an interesting turn today - see circle. Nice looking sky, doncha think?

Saturday, January 20, 1 p.m. - Last night, just before I went to bed about 11 p.m., I looked out and they were working on the site! Trucks were moving dirt around and there were lights all over. Very strange. Today they are making a lot of noise but I can't see specific work. They added more seats yesterday.

Sunday, January 21, 3 p.m. - Today was a true Seattle day. Gray and rainy all day long. And, so, that's the photo you get today. It's really not the photographer's fault today! No action at all on the site. There's a chance that there will not be a photo tomorrow. I have a work commitment that goes through dinner. I'll try to break away during the day, but no promises.

Monday, January 22, 1 p.m. - I did manage to sneak home today and grab a quick shot. It's not the best but it's something. Tony noted that there are new shots up at the First and Goal site and that Turner has their webcam back on. And, Greg noted that the scoreboard tower includes some kind of 'grand staircase' which is what we might be seeing the beginnings of. You guys are great to keep me posted on this stuff. All this week I'm at an offsite meeting so if I miss a day's photo, that's why. But, then, maybe I'll get lucky an get a break like today.

Tuesday, January 23, noon - Today's picture is way substandard. My only window of opportunity was the worst time according to the sun. Sorry. As you likely have already guessed. This is a wild and crazy week. Come Friday, it will all be better.

Wednesday, January 24, 10:30 a.m. - Sorry about yesterday. I did get a crappy picture but I couldn't get it uploaded. Today was much better. The second tower now has the strange topping, too! My meetings are being held at Pier 66 which is across the bay from here and from there I can actually see the now so very tall rusty thingies! This stadium is also going to enhance Seattle's skyline...

Not sure when this was taken - But it's all I got for Thursday, January 25 - Ok, I really blew it today. By the time the fog lifted after lunch, I couldn't get away to get a photo. Tony rescued me with this great shot from Charpy's website. It has great perspective.

Friday, January 26, 4 p.m. - The third tower had a growth spurt and the northwest wall is getting higher and higher. But, the really big news is that today I got a tour of the site! Yep. I was right there in the center of the action - able to see everything up close and personal. Of course, for all of you, I took my camera and put it all on my new Tour Page.

Saturday, January 27, 3:30 p.m. - All of the goalposts on top of the rusty thingies are now in place and ready for the first truss sections. I learned on my tour that they do work every Saturday but not a full crew. And, they are working some in the evenings. This is mainly underground work and they have to tear up the site roads to do it so they do it at night so that they can get the roads back together for the trucks the next day.

Sunday, January 28, 1 p.m. - The site is still today but the sun, or lack of it, is perfect for the photo. For some reason that I don't quite get yet, the traffic to this page has been gradually increasing for the past month. I'd like to formally welcome all my new visitors and thank you for stopping by!

Monday, January 29, 4 p.m. - Today's circle shows that northwest wall getting ready to obscure more of my view! I learned on my tour basically what we've seen... first they put on the rebar which is what they did today. Next will go the fill and then the supports used to fill in with concrete. When it's done the wall will be the same height as the one to the left of that tower.

Tuesday, January 30, 1 p.m. - Today we have the top circle that points out something missing! One of the goalposts has left the building. Interesting. Also there is more action down where the grand staircase meets the north end seats. I got a note from Craig who says he and his friends are in favor of calling the new stadium The Clam until it gets a real name... Not too bad an idea. He further submitted that I could change the name of these pages to the Clam Cam and that I really like. But, you know what? I'm still not ready to let go of the Kingdome Cam... I know it's overdue but I can't quite get there yet.

Wednesday, January 31, 4:15 p.m. - Today is a first... overlapping circles! The horizontal ones show the truss sections in waiting for their lift. Rikketyrik let me know about the first section appearing in the photo a couple of days ago. The circled one is the second section to appear. And the vertical circle shows a pole that started growing a couple of days ago and got to its current height yesterday when the goalpost went missing. Peter Johnson discovered this little tidbit.