Yellow umbrellas dot the landscape in Seattle's University Village, available to shoppers any time, 24/7, throughout this open air shopping center. We're a city of hardy souls who rarely grab an umbrella to dash from car to store, or shop to shop. On days like today, when the sky opened up to pour down a record 2 inches of rain in six hours (link), umbrellas were much appreciated...
... appreciated, that is, until the winds gusted and swirled, turning umbrellas inside out...
... threatening lift-off, with or without any human accompaniment.
The yellow umbrellas were far more decorative than useful today, like alien yellow blossoms opening to November's moisture and gray clouds. They seem better suited to gentle showers, not serious storms, but any umbrella is considered a friendly gesture from the U.W.Village management team.
Lunch with a friend at Sonrisa was a treat, as usual, but later on I had more fun watching the umbrella-wielding shoppers than I did actually doing any shopping. (Mary Poppins would have been right at home in The Village today.)
