The Center of the Universe

Some say the "Center of the Universe" is just North of the Fremont Bridge in Seattle. I do not know if the science community would agree but the Fremont area is a special and unique area of Seattle. There has been a lot written on the web and print about Fremont. I will write about this community as well as Ballard, Magnolia, Queen Anne and the Green Lake area in future entries.

Fermont used to be make up of artist and free thinkers of all kinds. This was good, and it made the area a popular tourist stop. People wanted to see the troll, the Russian rocket, and the statue of Lenin. Yes, Freemont has a real statue of Lenin saved from destruction.

Now it not only is home to these free thinkers but the home of Adobe Systems, a large software company. The tech revolution has brought a change to Fremont - some good and some not so good.

One of the not so good changes is the limited parking, increase in restaurants and bars that have brought people into the area in the evening taking up the parking for those who live there. The city just changed the rules - be sure to read the parking signs and have the proper stickers if you park there between specific hours. The web site at the bottom of the blog entry will tell you all about the parking changes. If you are going to visit Fremont don't let the parking troll get you. Your car may end up like the VW bug under the bridge.

Some of the festivals that Fremont is known for are the:

Solstice Parade in June

Fremont Fair in June

J. P. Patches & Gertrude in August

Fremont Oktoberfest in September

Trick or Treat in Fremont in October

Fremont is a wonderful place to visit with small unique shops, places to eat, and things to do. The History House is a favorite for many.

Here is a web address to get the latest news on Fremont. It is well worth your time to explore this site. I will, from time to time, talk in more detail about Fremont as it is a popular place for people to move to and commute into downtown or to the nearby universities.

www.fremontuniverse.com

A Better Light Bulb

Reading one of my favorite blogs - The TinyHouseBlog.com - I found out that there is a new light bulb. Hmmm... I wonder if that is like a "better mousetrap?" Fortunately, one of my wife's brothers is a electronic genius and I have been made aware of LED technology for some time. I even have a flashlight that uses this new technology and see taillights on cars using them. Now we can use them in our home. Yes, I am talking about LED lights.

Ok, Why use them? Because a well designed LED will use over ninety percent less watts to generate the same amount of light than the old incandescent light bulb. This savings is really staggering and will have a great impact on the amount of electricity that we use. Guess what - less natural resources will be needed to to generate electricity. The new light bulb also does not generate heat. It is made in either 12 volts DC or 120 to 240 volts AC. Another advantage of these lights are for those who are interested in / or using solar lighting systems.

I would think that no matter the cost of the bulbs they will definitely save money by using less electricity. Will your builder use them - I don't know. Can we adapt them to our old homes - I hope so.

I just learned about them and I know I will be doing some research on them for my own use and I will blog about them more later on.