The Yellow Church Cafe.

Lunch today at the Yellow Church with vacationing friends, on a gorgeous fall day in Ellensburg.

Farmland within the city limits.

One neighborhood advantage to the end of the residential building boom is that areas on the edges of the newly expanded city limits now lay undeveloped. There is farmland in the city, so to speak. 

Fitterer's Furniture, since 1896, Main Street.

Quality furniture. This chair featured at one of their recent sidewalk sale events. More about this store in upcoming posts.  

Restored Coke sign, downtown, East Third Avenue.

On the side of the building that use to be home of the Palace Cafe.

Red sky on Sunday morning.

Nice red Ellensburg sky this AM. I nearly fell over myself running outside to take the pic so early! No enhancements added to the photo.

The sarah spurgeon gallery, CWU Campus.

The 10th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition opened last night at the CWU Art Gallery. 81 pieces from around the world by highly talented artists. It is a traveling show, originating at the University of Hawaii. I was impressed! Look for it in an area close to you in the coming months. 

The Clymer Museum and Gallery.

The Clymer is located on Pearl Street, downtown Ellensburg.

Welcome CWU Wildcats.

Ellensburg, home of the CWU Wildcats. University colors are red and white. This building is on Pearl Street, downtown.

Flirt on Main Street.

Today is the first day of classes at Central Washington University.  The flirt stores on Main and Pearl Street have all of the latest fashions for the college coed.

We're a long way from Waikiki, Toto.

But in Ellensburg we can still swing and sway with Willie K!  

News and comment from the Pearl Street Bull.

Mr. Bull has an announcement...

It's a girl baby!

The Ellensburg Farmer's Market.

Every Saturday during the summer you can purchase locally grown fruits and veggies. It happens right in the center of town on Fourth Avenue at Pearl Street. Gourmet bread, soaps, handmade cedar furniture, jewelry, photographs and other items are available. It's a party...and the peaches are marvelous!

Paint Ellensburg, 2010.

An artist painting plein air for the annual Gallery One Benefit Auction and Dinner. Reserved seating at $40.00 per person was sold out early this morning. Dinner and Live Auction of the paintings at 6:30 at Sue Lombard Hall on the Central Washington University Campus.

Sugar Thai Cuisine.

306 N. Pine Street. Click the photo to see the historic building reflections. Ellensburg is a great combination of the old and the new.

Mostly, the bulls won...

The last event of this year's Ellensburg Rodeo was the bull riding--should I say the attempts at bull riding. The regular rodeo circuit bull riding finals (not to be confused with the extreme bull riding, televised earlier) pitted the best riders against some mighty tough bulls. Of the 12 final attempts I think only 2 riders lasted the full 8 seconds.  

Milking a wild cow at the Rodeo.

Teamwork and timing. The cowboy on the horse ropes the wild cow while the running cowboy moves up to get a little milk in the plastic container, (which is not easy at all) then runs to the judge to be timed.

A proud member of City Daily Photo.

Barrel Racing stirs up a lot of dust!

But if you are good at cutting corners...you can make a name for yourself on the rodeo circuit. And the three cowboys in blue? The chewed up turf makes it difficult for the next horse to dig in, so the cowboys rake the dirt after each contestant takes her turn.

Calf Roping at the Ellensburg Rodeo.

Riding a bucking bronco at the Ellensburg Rodeo.

Ellensburg Rodeo 2010.

Opening ceremonies of the day. This is one of the top 10 Rodeos in the country. Click the photo to make it larger.

Ellensburg resident wins Best Of Class at the County Fair.

Best of Class, Hand Knit category goes to Katharine Whitcomb.

Ellensburg residents win blue ribbons for knitting at the Fair.

Part of the crowd at the County Fair.

Kittitas County Fair 2010

The County Fair and the Rodeo is one of the largest events during the year for Ellensburg. The CWU students have mostly gone home, the faculty and staff are on vacation. The town is now full of folks from all of the rural areas. My photos will jump around between these until the big Paint Ellensburg event on September 18.  

Yakama Native American style at the rodeo parade.

A royal wave to the crowd at the Ellensburg Rodeo Parade.

Ellensburg Rodeo Parade 2010

Ellensburg could have been the State Capital of Washington State, but...

The town burned down in July of 1889!

Ten city blocks and over two hundred homes were lost in the fire.

Five cent Pepsi on Fourth Avenue.

This restored sign is seen at eye level on the side of a building on East Fourth Ave.  

The China Inn Restaurant.

This property now available for lease with 10,000 hungry college students about to descend on Ellensburg this month!