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Now
you can buy from the Bunny Store - another way to help me raise funds!
Clothing, bags and hats, oh my!
Click here!
My Avon 3-Day page |
The
Seattle Particulars
"Now
in its second year, this is a gorgeous natural route — made more gorgeous
by the unbelievable display of humanity that will surround you. We begin
in Enumclaw, in the shadow of Mt. Rainier. The route will take you along
country roads, past fields and through green suburbs. On day 3 you’ll get
to see the Cascades — the incredible Cascades — off in the distance as you
walk along Lake Washington before your journey takes you into downtown
Seattle. There, cheering crowds and music for returning heroes will greet
you in your own version of a ticker tape parade. One you have earned. One
that will inspire all who see it." - from
Be
The People
Well, you may think this is just a good
example of marketing but to be honest it is pretty darn hard not to fall
in love with Western Washington during the summer before the monsoons
descend. (They don't call Washington the Evergreen (that's
ever green) - State
for nothing. It takes a lot of water to keep it that
green.) But having
resided here for almost three years I can tell you that on a clear, sunny
day with the Cascades looming on the horizon, you really do believe God
must have taken a little extra time on this stretch of His creation.
Now in other parts of the world August is
usually a rather warm month, but in Washington it can be an iffy - it
might be hot, but it could also be cold and damp. (Hence packing for the
Avon 3-Day will be a gamble considering each walker is only allowed 35
pounds of luggage, including their sleeping bag.)
One of the things I can
tell you about people and the country of Washington State is that they are different. There is simply no hiding the
fact. Here are some of truths I have learned:
-
Yes, they really do lie
about how much it rains here. It does rain more than say North Dakota but
we are also in a rain forest zone, so it would make sense that it
would...well, rain. But it doesn't rain every day. It does
get grey a lot and fog banks do park, but all in all it is not oppressive.
I have, over time, given up my umbrella and become a naturalized citizen
of Washington and acquired webbed feet.
-
Mt. Rainier really is
considered an active volcano and if the scientists have anything to say about it, it
might blow in our lifetime - preferably later than sooner. If it does blow
at some point, a great many of us will be toast but if you live in the
Midwest you will run into tornados too. It's all about trade-offs and for
most Washingtonians the beauty is worth the risk.
-
Tsunami's
(also known as tidal waves) are an inherent danger - particularly after
our earthquakes in 2001. But again, people seem to take this in stride.
-
Seattle is an interesting city - it was built on a
three different grids - by different pioneers in the City's history (Yesler,
Denny)
and it hasn't varied much since
the first settlers arrived at Alki Point. This explains why you can be
driving down a street and it will jog off to the right or left and
takes on an entirely new name. Even
Mapquest has a hard time with the Emerald City (Seattle's nickname.)
-
Not many Americans or citizens of the world are aware
of it, but the Center of the Universe is in the Fremont District of
Seattle.
Click here for proof.
-
Geoducks
are a rather strange clam-like animal that folks here have adopted as
mascots and dig up for dinner. They can remind you of parts the human anatomy
and they are not easy to procure. But in a seafood stew they are
delicious.
-
Yes, we are the town where
Starbucks lives and don't kid yourself,
we will kill for caffeine. They make a mean latte, they are have great
customer service and they put those
nice recycled paper wrappers around their cups so you don't burn your
fingers.
And there you have it, a
snapshot of my state and home , Seattle, Washington.
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