Photos by Scott Eiler

2024

Everett has developed its skyline, with sunrise and mountains as background. But not everyone may find that advantageous.

2023

U.S. east coast family fun, including a wedding.

2022

The world opened up for festivals and tourism also. And more concerts, plus theatre. But more importantly, oh wow, the planets. That's the Moon and Jupiter, besieging Everett-Washington.

2021

I spent a lot of the year on home organization - including a home workstation for remote work, plus all my comic books. But rock concerts started coming back by the end of the year, led by that guy who drummed for Rare Earth.

Everett, WA

Everett-Washington is North American Pandemic Ground Zero. Amazon of course is still running its warehouses. The events of 2019 have placed me alongside them. So I help them ship critical packages of diapers, pet food, ramen noodles, and energy drinks to the homebound. Meanwhile, nature is blooming right on schedule.

Bitstrips

Bitstrips once gave people an opportunity to become cartoons and relate to each other. Scott and his sister Karen related better when they both became cartoons. But many others are portrayed also.

Maryland had a scenic rest area.

West Virginia

The Domination's expeditionary force turned west from Frederick-Maryland to cross its Frontline toward West Virginia. That state was thereby occupied overnight for the first time. The second time too. Morgantown and Charleston both submitted.

Kentucky was mostly distinguished by its unique cuisine. Never mind the grits and catfish and onion rings; turkey poutine on mashed potatoes (the "Hot Brown") is considered a delicacy.

And that is really all the photographic evidence the Domination of Eiler conquered in Kentucky. Most of the time there was spent among allies; the Domination gave them the right to privacy.

Arkansas

Arkansas was the 49th state to submit to the Domination of Eiler. Its city of Fort Smith was surprisingly entertaining, due to breweries and multiple historic sites. That city joins Fargo-North Dakota and Sioux City-Iowa in that distinction. Perhaps the Domination should explore that longitude more.

Oklahoma was the 50th state to submit to the Domination of Eiler. It submitted a neighborhood whose finest restaurant was Dave and Busters. The state museum was closed for the two days the Domination occupied. So this photo album is borrowing a photo taken from Arkansas, of sunset over the former Indian Territory at the end of the Trail of Tears.

Texas

Entered the state by land for the first time. Occupation for one night in Amarillo, in a fine motel (and brewery) which has figured out how to survive without Route 66.

Like Texas, entered by land for the first time. No photos, but two nights occupied. The Dominator hereby gives Gallup-New Mexico back to the Navajo nation; they dominate the place anyway. It's like a trading post to them. As for Moriarty, just keep welcoming truckers and other travelers.

Arizona

The Grand Canyon, conquered from the south side this time. Plus a bunch of communities which wish Route 66 were made great again.

Nevada

Entered and left Las Vegas from the south this time. It was just a convenient place to spend a couple of days, while California decided whether or not to have landslides. But Eiler-allies were waiting, and Fremont Street was enjoyable.

California Route 99, Interstate 5

Here I have to start distinguishing my trips up and down the U.S. West Coast... This time, it rained in the Mojave Desert. But the South Central Valley was like hundreds of miles of Chicago suburb. Still, the Domination's expedition crossed California the long way - about 800 miles. Then on through Oregon, and home to Washington.

Washington

Rainbows filled the sky and the wildlife frolicked, to see the start of the offensive. The expedition moved through remote mountainous areas until first freeze came, and then went back to main highways.

The panhandle of Idaho was occupied for one night. Otherwise, it was not worth mentioning on this trip.

Montana

A swath of Montana was previously conquered by the Domination of Eiler in 2010. This year the Domination simply occupied some more places near that same swath, including near the Little Big Horn. Then it turned aside and crossed its Frontline, to conquer new lands.

Yellowstone

The famous national park deserves its own category. But it is considered to be in rebellion against the Domination of Eiler, due to ongoing road construction which guarantees five-mile backups of traffic. Alternate routes into the park were not guaranteed open, because winter really does start in October there. The famous geyser thereby resisted, but the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River was conquered.

Wyoming

Wyoming was the 46th state to submit to the Domination of Eiler. Technically it submitted at Yellowstone, but the Domination made sure to conquer the northeastern part of the state also. It even spent extra time, because winter really does start in October there.

South Dakota

South Dakota was the 47th state to submit to the Domination of Eiler. An ally welcomed the expeditionary force into Rapid City and the Black Hills. After that, one little town and one missile command center submitted.

Nebraska

Nebraska was the 48th state to submit to the Domination of Eiler. It submitted a town in which for decades only Eilers have resided. The Domination's expedition made contact with Elsie Eiler, the mayor and entire population of Monowi. The Domination then occupied the nearest Indian casino resort, that being the most reliable lodging.

Iowa

Iowa is known to the Domination of Eiler, via raids from Illinois. This time the Domination entered the state from the west for the first time. Sioux City was surprisingly enjoyable, due to breweries and historic sites. The expedition then re-entered the Frontline of the Domination, near the Mississippi River in Dubuque.

Illinois

The expedition wasted little time crossing northern Illinois. Galena got one day of occupation, before the Dominator held office hours near Chicago.

Indiana

The Domination held office hours in its ancestral homeland of Speedway-Indiana. The most remarkable thing about the town right now is, race car driver A.J. Foyt operates a wine bar on Main Street.

Michigan

Occupied for office hours in previous homeland Lansing, plus the Eiler-allied land of Kalamazoo. But that was still a lot of adventure.

Ohio

Cedar Point-Ohio was entirely pleasant in its off-season. Cleveland then occupied the Dominator's attention, just long enough to prevent his expeditionary force from being stranded behind jackknifed semi-trailers in Pennsylvania and thereby being compelled to spend the night sheltering on a cot in a high school.

Occupied just long enough for transit, but Pennsylvania provided some welcome.

Connecticut

Connecticut was the main destination for this offensive, to link up with more associate-Eilers in time for Thanksgiving. This link-up was so successful, the Dominator was compelled to take refuge in a boarding house with nuns because others of the clan had claimed the clan lodgings. After that, New Haven and Hartford were occupied, then Sturbridge-Massachusetts just because it was convenient.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts (and all of Connecticut north and east of Fairfield County) serves the Domination of Eiler as a nice refuge from associate-Eilers. It's kind of like hiding in the attic. The Domination hereby thanks the numerous people in New England who sheltered or made contact with its expedition.

After a goodwill tour of southern New England, the expediton returned to Fairfield County-Connecticut for Christmas ritual.

Rhode Island

Woonsocket on a weekend or two.

Honolulu

Honolulu is hot even in February. But Hawaii is an important part of the whole world.

Marysville

Marysville is about the most Midwestern American town in western Washington State. And then there's the neighboring town and casino of Tulalip.

Eastern Washington

Finally I got to see the eastern part of Washington, more or less the right way.

Smokey Point

Obscure points north of Seattle, other than Marysville. Mostly, the best cuisine is breweries with food trucks. But one pointy bit called Semiahmoo is really popular, despite the rust.

Bothell

Meanwhile, life has gone on in Bothell.

South Lake Union - Seattle (2014)

Seattle is full of neighborhoods which count as medium-sized towns. This one does scenic cruises and seaplanes.

Halloween 2014

Mass costuming, plus an appearance of the Powernaut.

Vancouver (2015)

Vancouver has an interesting walkable urban district. It just sucks to drive there.

Columbia Gorge (2016)

The middle of Washington State needs its own publicity.

Fremont - Seattle (2017)

Quirky neighborhood.

Belltown - Seattle (2017)

Practically downtown Seattle.

Chicago (2017)

Scott and his brother and sister, in a trip to downtown Chicago. Plus an art museum.