With COVID Over Is It Time To Build A Sandcastle With Theo?

I almost lost something valuable, to me, today, returning books to the library.

I almost forgot to retrieve that which I use as a bookmark, before sliding the book into the "RETURN" slot.

My bookmark is getting a bit threadbare. It has been in use since early on in the time of COVID.

I do not remember the reason, Birthday, Christmas, Halloween, or what, but an envelope arrived in my mailbox. And in that envelope, among whatever else was in that envelope, there was a note from my Favorite Nephew Theo, also known as my Favorite Theo Nephew.

The note said...

When COVID 19

is over I want

you to come

over to build

a sand castle

Theo

Just a sec, I shall go find a photo which shows why Theo was thinking of sandcastle building with his Favorite Uncle.

In August of 2017 I spent several days at Birch Bay with Theo, his big brother, David, twin sister Ruby, parental units, Michele and Kristen, and Theo, David and Ruby's other favorite uncle, my little brother, Jake.

On one of those days at Birch Bay, when the tide was low, exposing a lot of sand, Theo, Ruby and I had a mighty fine time building a sandcastle. 

In the photo documentation above, Theo has not yet given up in the battle to stop the incoming tide from breeching the castle's walls.

The next morning, I discovered the elevator, accessed near the door to the rooms we were staying in, went up a few flights, to a rooftop deck, with a view. I elevatored back to get Theo to take him to the view from the rooftop deck.

From whence the remains of our sandcastle could be seen, in the center of the sandbar, to the left of Theo.

Now, just looking at this photo of Theo, you can tell this is one fun kid. 

Hard to believe it has been 8 years since I have been in Washington. Since COVID I have only been out of Texas once. And that was just to go across the border to Oklahoma.

Time flies by way too fast.

Just yesterday something caused me to calculate how old my Jason nephew is. The last time Jason and Spencer Jack went to Disneyland, Jason told me he now gets why I said it wore me out the last time I did Disneyland.

Well.

Yesterday I figured out Jason is now five years older than I was the last time I did Disneyland, Christmas Day of 1995. I stayed til Disneyland closed that Christmas Day. It was fun, but exhausting, even with a mid-day break back at the motel...

COVID Is Over So Time To Build A Sand Castle With Theo

That which you see here I have used, for years, as a bookmark, marking what page I am on in a book being currently read.

This 'bookmark' was part of a folding card, which, yesterday, after years of use, split into two pieces.

I'd long forgotten the message on the card sent by my Favorite Nephew Theo...

"When COVID is over I want you to come over to build a sand castle.

Theo"

It was way back in August of 2017, at Birch Bay, in Washington's Whatcom County, that I had myself a mighty fine time making a sand castle with Theo and his twin sister, Ruby.

I think the exact date of the sand castle building was August 13, 2017, a Sunday.

I can remember the date because two days prior was my birthday, with that day starting off with the Tacoma Trio of David, Theo & Ruby singing me happy birthday, in Tacoma, before the long, laborious, traffic-jam ridden ride north to Birch Bay, where that night, at a restaurant next to our lodging location, happy birthday was again sung to me, along with a cupcake with a candle lit up in the middle of the cupcake. 

The morning after the sand castle building, I took the elevator to the roof of the lodging location, from whence I could see the remains of the sand castle which Theo and I made the day before. So, I elevatored down to the lodging location's floor to get Theo to take the photo you see below.

Theo was six or seven when we were at Birch Bay. I am fairly certain Theo is now a teenager. I have not seen David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units since March of 2019, in Arizona.

The COVID nightmare has mostly faded into history...

Remembering Birch Bay Sandcastling With Theo & Ruby

Continuing on with this week's Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day, which I remember, from a week in August, way back in 2017, several days of which were spent at Birch Bay, a few miles south of Washington's border with British Columbia, Canada.

Whilst the tide was still way out, Theo, Ruby and I started building a sandcastle.

In the above photo, I cannot tell if that is Ruby or Theo shoring up the sandcastle as the tide starts to threaten the wall of our castle.

The Birch Bay tide eventually breeched our wall defenses, after a long, valiant effort.

The morning after sandcastling Theo and I elevatored to the roof of the place in which we were staying.

Theo was quite pleased to see that we could make out the remains of our sandcastle, still visible, after an incoming and now outgoing tide.

You can see those sandcastle remains pretty much at the dead center of the photo documentation.

That week up in Washington, back in 2017, was one of the best times I had had in a long time. From the moment I exited security, at Sea-Tac, to see David, Theo and Ruby, for the first time, and the days which followed, getting to be uncle to kids was something I thought was history, but almost instantly, upon meeting the Tacoma Trio, I found myself in full uncle mode.

I have not seen the Tacoma Trio, or their parental units, since March of 2019, which was another fun week, in Arizona. And then in 2020, COVID hit.

I do not think I have had a mighty fine fun week since COVID, that I remember...

Fondly Remembering Birch Bay Driftwood & Other Things Like Slotemaker Road

Apparently, this week's Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day are going to be ones I actually remember, due to the fact these photo memories are from a memorable week in August, back in 2017.

It was Saturday, August 12, 2017, when the Tacoma Trio of David, Theo & Ruby, their parental units, mama's Kristin and sister Michele, and little brother Jake, were staying in a large condo type place located near the middle of Birch Bay.

Birch Bay is a super popular touristy location located a few miles south of the border with Canada.

Growing up in Washington, with many relatives located in Whatcom County, where Birch Bay is located, going to The Bay was a frequent occurrence.

Often camping at the state park located at the south end of Birch Bay.

Birch Bay is shallow. When the tide goes low a large expanse of sand is exposed. That sand heats up, then when the tide rolls in the water gets heated, making Birch Bay, when the conditions are right, almost a tropical-like swimming venue.

As kids we would spend hours playing on the Birch Bay beach. At the state park part of the beach there was a big chunk of driftwood which we would climb on, over and over again.

That Saturday, back in 2017, we were scheduled to be in Lynden, at the Monumenta Cemetery, that afternoon. Brother Jake was my ride to Lynden that day. We decided to leave Birch Bay early so as to try and see some of the locations which were such a big part of our lives as kids.

Starting with me asking brother Jake if he thought that big driftwood still existed at the state park part of the beach.

There is one way to find out, said my little brother.

And so, we drove to the south end of Birch Bay to find ourselves pleased to see that all these years later that chunk of driftwood was still there. 

But, somehow, all those years later, it looked way smaller than it seemed when we were little kids.

That is the driftwood you see photo documented above, in the photo I took that day.

After leaving the driftwood we continued on to find a location we simply called the Van's. A farm we frequented frequently, with the Van's being our cousins. We often camped and vacationed together with the Van's. I remember the Van relatives relatively fondly.

Continuing on we made it to Lynden, to Grandma Vera's house. Grandma Vera was my mom's mom. The house seemed HUGE when we were kids. Did not seem so huge in 2017.  And then it was a block to the north, to Grandma Slotemaker's house, the one we most associated with that grandma, though there were several others. It was at Grandma Slotemaker's I first learned of The Beatles and saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Then Jake and I tried to find our way to Slotemaker Road, the location where our ancestors first settled in Washington. We gave up after a while.

Later, will a couple hours later, when Jake and I verbalized our inability to find Slotemaker Road we were told its location, and how easy it is to find, barely out of town.

Eventually Jake and I ended up following David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units to the Slotemaker Road location.

And here we see Ruby Slotemaker, on top of me, almost reaching the top of the Slotemaker Road sign.

Ruby's cousins, Jason and Joey, somehow managed to come into possession of the Slotemaker Road sign, a time, or two.

At my ripe old age, I sometimes wonder if I shall ever see Whatcom County and Slotemaker Road, again.

That and Birch Bay....

Spencer Jack & Jason Take Us To Birch Bay With Loretta Lynn & Bing Crosby

That is Spencer Jack, on the beach at Birch Bay, looking at the view through binoculars, or maybe his phone.

Yesterday Spencer Jack's dad, my Favorite Nephew Jason, emailed me asking if I knew Loretta Lynn got her singing start whilst living in Whatcom County. That being the county where Birch Bay is located. 

I replied to Jason's email and made mention of the fact that there is a movie telling the Loretta Lynn story, called Coal Miner's Daughter, based on Loretta Lynn's autobiography titled Coal Miner's Daughter.

I also made mention of the fact that Bing Crosby owned a mansion type home, slightly south of Birch Bay, overlooking the water. Bing Crosby was way before Jason's time on the planet. He probably had never heard of Bing Crosby, til I mentioned the name.

Any, below is the email text from Jason which arrived with the photo of Spencer Jack at Birch Bay...

FUD----

I've always liked country music. Wasn't aware a movie on Loretta Lynn existed. Perhaps I will watch it sometime. And next time I'm up in Birch Bay with Spencer, perhaps we will search for the Bing Crosby Mansion.  That's news to me.  Perhaps he moved out because of the "Birch Bay odor."  I was just talking to a guy who lives there yesterday about that smell.  But I kind of like it. Smells like Summer fun times. Spencer and I did enjoy a sunset there this July following a wedding. I can see if I have a photo.

Hope all is well in TX. Summer is not yet over here in the PNW. Heat records are still being shattered and we desperately need rain. I am very surprised we haven't had more California-like wild/urban fires.  If the current trends continue, one will soon be able to wade across the Skagit River. Large sand bars have formed in the middle of the river between the two Burlington/Mount Vernon bridges.  

I don't think this global warming thing is a hoax like the stolen 2020 election and the China flu.  Lol.

FNJ

_____________________

I need to see some photo documentation of the shrinking Skagit River. I did not know my old home zone was in drought mode, like my current home location is.

I have never heard of the "Birch Bay odor" before. Birch Bay smells like saltwater. Same as Jason, I have always liked that smell. And when it is combined with smoke from campfires, well, that is a real good thing.

Jason has been several people's number one suspect being the Birch Bay Postcard Bandit. For multiple reasons Jason has not been on my suspect list. Now I wonder...

Birch Bay Postcard Bandit Strikes Again

The Birch Bay Postcard Bandit strikes again.

All summer long I have been getting Birch Bay postcards reminding me that I was supposed to be heading northwest, to Washington, this summer, with the highlight being a multi-day stay at Birch Bay, with all but one of my siblings and most of my nephews, and all of my nieces.

But, that did not happen.

I did some amateur handwriting analysis, again, to see if I could find a clearly obvious match to other incoming mail, so as to identify the Birch Bay Postcard Bandit.

I came to no for certain conclusion.

But, I have suspicions. 

What confuses me, this time, regarding coming up with suspects, is the fact that this Birch Bay postcard was addressed to "Mailing Dr. Durango".

I do not know of any of my relatives, particularly any of the siblings, who knew I came to be known as Dr. Durango, back in the 1990s.

My first website was called "Dialing Dr. Durango".

That is real close to "Mailing Dr. Durango".

Trouble is, I do not believe my number one suspect has any knowledge of me being Doctor Durango.

It's all so mysterious.

Birch Bay Postcard Bandit Strikes Again

Last Saturday a reunion I thought I might be attending this summer, took place, at a reunion convention location in the Skagit Flats.

I also long thought that this summer I would be finding myself at Birch Bay with a select group of my siblings. But that Birch Bay plan never came to fruition.

Today the mailbox contained another Birch Bay postcard, unsigned, with no message text.

However, as you can see, above, this time the perpetrator drew what looks to be an arrow pointing from Texas to Washington.

Previously I said that I compared the print on these postcards to a collection of Christmas cards, and found no matching handwriting.

Today I again compared the printing on this postcard to printing on cards I received last December.

And this time I found a match.

The "W" in Moose Jaw on the postcard, appears to match the "W" in PNW on the card.

I have previously asked the person who wrote the card with the suspicious "W" if she was the Postcard Bandit.

This particular individual, over the past many months, has asked many times if I had yet learned when I was going to be heading to Birch Bay. No other person in contact with me has shown that level of interest in the Birch Bay visit.

This particular person knows that the name "Moose Jaw" is associated with my name. 

I am not naming the suspected Postcard Bandit, because there is a slight chance I may be wrong. I await hearing a confession from the culprit...

Birch Bay Postcard Bandit Strikes Again

Late last month I blogged about a Mystery Postcard From Birch Bay Washington.

That postcard was a mystery because there was no information informing who it was who sent the postcard.

Or why.

And now, this second Saturday of the 2022 version of July, I found another mystery postcard from Birch Bay in my mailbox. Actually, the postcard is about Birch Bay, it was from, or mailed from, Seattle. Just like the previous mystery postcard.

That is both sides of today's Birch Bay postcard photo documented above.

Previously I said I wish I had not discarded last year's batch of Christmas cards, because I figured I could find a writing style match.

Well, this morning I found that I had not discarded this year's batch of Christmas cards.

I found no penmanship match. Not even close.

Is the reason for these Birch Bay postcards something to do with the fact that the past two summers, well, last summer and this one, I thought I was going to be having fun at Birch Bay with all my siblings, except the un-fun one?

But, no Birch Bay plan became known to me. I do know that the ones I was most looking forward to seeing, and building sand castles with, David, Theo, Ruby and their parental units, are going to the other Washington, this month.

I think it is closer for me to go to the other Washington than the Washington with Birch Bay. Maybe I'll make a surprise trip to D.C. to see the Tacoma Trio...

Mystery Postcard From Birch Bay Washington

Above is the front and back of a postcard which arrived in my mailbox yesterday, sent by a mystery sender.

Spencer Jack and Hank Frank's grandpa, Jake, who is also my little brother, is currently escaping the HEAT of Arizona by visiting his old home zone of Washington.

But, the handwriting on this postcard does not look like brother Jake's.

There is some element of wanton cruelty in sending me a Birch Bay postcard.

Up til a month or two ago I was fairly sure I would be having a get together this summer with the majority of my siblings, at Birch Bay, a long planned event that was thwarted by COVID.

And now, this summer of 2002, other issues arose which back burnered going north to Washington to Birch Bay.

I don't think this postcard was sent by the Tacoma Trio and their parental units. It's not their style. That and they have been totally pre-occupied with issues in their Tacoma domicile, which makes it unlikely they have ventured as far north as Birch Bay.

I am sure I will eventually solve this mystery, perhaps via handwriting analysis...

Eye Witness Birch Bay Driftwood Confirmation

Over the years I have mentioned, a time or two, including a mention or two via a blogging on this particular blog you are reading right now, a chunk of driftwood on the beach at Birch Bay State Park in my former home zone of Washington.

Over the years I have asked various Birch Bay visitors if this chunk of driftwood still exists. I have received a photo or two of a chunk of driftwood located on the Birch Bay State Park beach, but I was unable to determine via the photo documentation if this was the chunk of driftwood which lingered in my memory.

So, the morning of August 12, David, Theo and Ruby's Uncle Jake drove me to Lynden, with our route taking us along the full crescent of Birch Bay, including entering the now restricted access state park area.

I soon saw the chunk of driftwood which haunts my memory. Uncle Jake stopped the vehicle allowing me to exit and snap the photo you see above.

The chunk of driftwood of my memory appears to have greatly shrunk. Or maybe I have grown greatly bigger.

This chunk of driftwood is the stump of a cedar tree. Cedar lasts a long time, even when sprayed regularly with saltwater.

A day later I was able to relatively confirm this chunk of driftwood has been at this Birch Bay location for well over a half a century.

That relative confirmation came from Aunt Judy, after I mentioned Jake and me seeing the iconic chunk of Birch Bay driftwood the day before.

Aunt Judy told us that Uncle Mel had told her about playing on that driftwood when he was a kid. What with Uncle Mel having been born in, I think, 1940, hence the fact this chunk of driftwood has been being played on for well over half a century.

I told Aunt Judy that when one Googles "Birch Bay Driftwood" a photo shows up of Aunt Judy's two eldest offspring, Jeff and Sheryl, sitting on a log in front of the chunk of driftwood.

Moments ago I repeated this act of Googling to discover it is via me that this photo shows up when Google searching. In one of my ubiquitous bloggings about this chunk of driftwood, titled Birch Bay Driftwood Confirmation From Lynden Via Tacoma I wrote the following...

Then this morning my little sister, Michele, emailed me the photo you see here, gleaned from our Aunt Judy's Facebook page. My best guess as to the identity of the two little kids is that those are my cousins Jeff and Sheryl.

So, it was from Aunt Judy, via sister Michele, I got the photo above which now shows up when one Googles "Birch Bay Driftwood".

I pretty much have almost zero regrets regarding my latest week in Washington.

But there is one regret.

I regret that our plan to have a picnic at Birch Bay State Park did not materialize. It's not the lack of a picnic I regret. What I regret is not getting the opportunity to get a picture of me on this chunk of Birch Bay driftwood with David, Theo and Ruby onboard with me.

Perhaps there will be a return to Birch Bay at some point in the relatively near future. There was some talk about buying a timeshare in the appropriately named Sandcastle Resort...

Theo's Birch Bay Sand Castle Building

This morning I found the flash drive upon which I placed a lot of photos during my recent visits to Washington and Arizona.

This recent trip was the first time this century I have traveled without bringing a computer along with me, which rendered me only able to do the blogging, emailing, youtubing, internet thing when I had access to my sisters' computers.

The sister computer in Arizona was easy to get into use mode. The sister computer in Washington was a bit more challenging.

Among the many things I anticipated having fun doing at Birch Bay was anything beach related. The bay at Birch Bay is extremely shallow. When the tide goes low and the sun shines bright the tidal flats get HOT, which heats the water when the tide decides to roll back in.

This particular Birch Bay phenomenon occurred only on the day we arrived, August 11, with Mother Nature delivering the best birthday gift of the day.

A warm saltwater swim.

David, Theo and I ventured far off shore, to the horror of the parental figures, back on land, who did not realize how shallow the water was. The deep water illusion may have been exacerbated by an uncle suggesting his nephews create the illusion they were up to their necks in deep water. After a few minutes of hearing screaming from shore the nephews stood to their full height with the water depth instantly dropping to waist deep. Calm eventually was restored on shore.

Two days later, on Sunday, the tide was once again out, but not too far. We decided to do some sand castle building. A wall was built, with a moat around the wall, and a mountain of sand constructed inside the wall.

Only three sand castle builders stayed with the project til its final flood.

Myself, Theo and Mama Kristin.

Ruby helped for awhile, digging a ditch to connect the moat to the nearest body of water, figuring this would help drain the moat when the tide came in. But, the sand castle building engineers miscalculated from whence the main flood threat would come. As in, Ruby's ditch turned into a back door flood as the tide reached the previously isolated body of water.

When Spencer Jack showed up he helped for a little while. And then Ruby talked Spencer into going swimming with her in the heated pool.

David also helped, but no one could figure out the method to his sand castle building madness.

Eventually the tide filled the moat and began to attack the wall. Theo directed a heroic effort to shore up the crumbing wall, but soon the effort proved fruitless.

The next day Theo's Uncle Jake went on an early morning walk during which he text messaged informing me the tide was heading out and the remains of Theo's sand castle wall were visible, surviving, somewhat.

After getting that message from Uncle Jake I located Theo. He and I then ventured via the elevator to the fifth floor clubhouse sunset viewing venue to check out the remains of Theo's Sand Castle. Theo then posed for the photo you see above, with the remains of Theo's Sand Castle in the center of the photo.

Theo is the funnest, best Sand Castle builder with whom I have ever built a Sand Castle....

Birch Bay Sand Castles With Theo, Jake, Cindy & Uncle Mooch

I have not been near a computer since last Friday. I have a back log of blogging material and photo documentation of that blogging material.

But I may not get around to having fun reducing that back log of blogging material for about a week.

Tomorrow I head south from the Great Pacific Northwest, to the HOT Valley of the Sun, to spend a week with my mom.

I have been a little busy since last Tuesday. Yesterday, Sunday, was my first semi day of rest.

Sunday brought about a scenario the likes of which I could not have imagined what could possibly bring about such a scenario, if you had suggested such a scenario, say, two, five, ten or twenty years ago. That being what you see above. Me, my brother Jake, and my favorite ex-sister-in-law, Cindy, walking on the tidal flats of Birch Bay,

The day began with a long awaited visit from Nurse Canecracker and Betty Jo Bouvier. I have known few people as long as Nurse Canecracker and Betty Jo, who delivered me a bag full of Northwest goodies, including smoked salmon, raspberry jam, sourdough bread and dozens of Canecracker cookies. Eventually Nurse Canecracker and Betty Jo took me to a seaside seafood joint where we had seafood in the form of cod in various iterations. The feeding was fine, but visiting Betty Jo and the Canecracker was excellent.

In the afternoon Theo, David, their uncle Jake, mama Kristin and myself headed to the beach with the goal being to build a sand castle whilst the water was in tide going out mode. The day before we had had ourselves a mighty fine time defending a giant sand alligator from the incoming tide.

We were in mid sand castle building when Spencer Jack, his dad, Jason, and grandma Cindy showed up. Spencer helped with the castle building for awhile and then opted to join Ruby in the pool, leaving just the original castle builders to continue building.

Eventually the tide grew close. Soon we had to fight to defend our castle. It is always a losing effort. After we surrendered we retreated to an interior space where we found Spencer Jack, Jason, Cindy and others. We had ourselves a fine time visiting and enjoying grandma Cindy's special Northwest type brownies.

After Spencer Jack decided it was time to head home Theo convinced me to go swimming with him and Ruby in the pool, not the bay. We did so for what seemed a long time. I quit first. Upon returning to the condo I opened the door to find the place filled with a fresh supply of relatives, including the infamous, much revered, Uncle Mooch.

We all had ourselves a might fine time visiting Uncle Mooch and the rest of the clan. Ruby had herself a lot of fun with Mooch's grandson, Kwan, dismantling my former bed and turning it into a giant fort.

The Mooch Gang left sometime after midnight, my time. After that Theo and David talked me into going back into the bay to experience what David calls 'bio-luminescence'. We armed ourselves with a flashlight and made our way to the bay. All we need say about this part of the day is we did not get wet enough to see the water glow.

I slept well last night. This morning we ventured to the rooftop for some scenic view photos of the remains of yesterday's sand castle. And then soon it was check out time. The drive back to Tacoma did not have the traffic jam nightmares of the sort which made miserable the drive north on Friday. In Seattle we left I-5 to go to Dick's by the Seattle Center and then drive by the HUGE Amazon campus, largely under construction. Ruby and I got out for a quick photo op at the giant Amazon spheres, then we continued our quick tour of way too busy downtown Seattle.

More on Seattle and the past few days, later. This may be my last time on a computer for several days.

David, Theo & Ruby Coronado Beach Combing For Soon To Be Favorite Uncle

Sometime around five o'clock in the afternoon, a week from today, for the first time ever, if all goes according to plan, I should be meeting the trio you see here for the first time.

From the left, in more ways than one, Theo, Ruby and David.

It has been a long time since I have had the fun of being an uncle to ones so young.

And this will be the first time I have ever gotten to be an uncle to a niece.

I am eagerly anticipating doing some heavy duty uncle time.

The picture you are looking at here is from a week or so ago, in San Diego. Judging from what I see in the background, Theo, Ruby and David are where some like it hot, Coronado Beach.  I make that judgment due to seeing a famous beach front hotel in the background which Marilyn Monroe used to like to play in.

Starting August 11 David, Theo, Ruby and I will be at another beach, though this one is not quite as famous as Coronado Beach, Birch Bay, way north, by Canada, not Mexico.

I highly doubt Marilyn Monroe ever played on the Birch Bay beach. However, I am fairly certain Bing Crosby and Loretta Lynn may have.

I was surprised to learn last night that I likely will not be seeing Spencer Jack or his uncle Joey when I am up in Washington this month. Apparently my nephew Joey will be fishing while Spencer Jack will be east of the mountains at Lake Chelan.

In Western Washington one refers to the the eastern half of the state as east of the mountains, due to the east side of the state being east of the barrier which bisects the state, known as the Cascade Mountains.

I also learned yesterday that much of Western Washington will be sweltering with record breaking HEAT this week, possibly going over 100, a degree which never happens on the west side of the mountains.

David, Theo and Ruby are rare Western Washingtonians in that their abode has air-conditioning.

At my current location currently the outdoors is being naturally chilled to a relatively chilly 76. Quite a drop  from the recent 100s. Rain is scheduled to drip, along with some thunder booming.

I am taking off now on a bike ride before the dripping and booming begins...

Destination Washington To Drag The Gut For Birch Bay Driftwood

I am going to be absent from Texas for much of next month, as in August.

On August 8 I am leaving Wichita Falls in plane mode to D/FW to get on a bigger plane in order to fly to Seattle.

After landing at Sea-Tac I will be chauffeured to Tacoma by my nephews David and Theo, and niece Ruby.

A couple days later, on August 11, David, Theo and Ruby are taking me north about 130 miles, not as a crow flies, but how I-5 lies, to Birch Bay to stay in a condo on the Bay til the following Monday.

Birch Bay is about 35 miles south of Vancouver, B.C. and about 100 miles north of Seattle, according to Wikipedia.

Tacoma is about 30 miles distant from Seattle, hence my 130 mile estimated Tacoma distance from Birch Bay, though I think that crow would have a lot fewer miles to fly than the 130 miles covered in vehicular mode.

A description of Birch Bay, from the aforementioned Wikipedia...

Birch Bay is a headland bay created by the refraction of incoming waves on the headlands that lie on either side of the bay. The headland to the north is Birch Point, and the one to the south is Point Whitehorn. The waves bend as they enter the bay and lose energy in the process. The result is a half-moon-shaped bay with a gentle sloping beach. 

Birch Bay State Park is at the south end of the Bay. That Washington state park may have been the location of more camping trips than any other location during my camping years with my primary family unit. A further description of Birch Bay, this time from the Birch Bay State Park website...

Low tide reveals a wide mudflat with a treasure trove of clams and other shellfish that can be harvested in season. Bring out the pails, shovels, mud boots and licenses, and start digging! If you prefer to swim, Birch Bay is known for its relatively warm water, and if you’d rather be on the water, the park offers excellent crabbing, windsurfing, sailing and paddling. 

The swimming is what I am looking forward to, if the tides are low and the temperature is reasonably high. Which in Western Washington means any summer temperature over 70. When the tide is low at Birch Bay the sun heats up the tidal flats. Then when the tide comes in the water gets heated, at times surprisingly warm. And then if the tidal timing is right, allowing for a swim in the dark, the phosphorescent phenomenon happens, making for a cool glow in the dark experience.

Mount Baker, along with other Cascade Mountains, hovers to the east of Birch Bay, though not quite as hoverish as the zoomed below photo indicates.

It has been nine years since I have heard a saltwater wave crash to shore. Or seen saltwater. Or crystal clear water such as one sees in multiple locations in Washington.

Apparently heading north to Washington has entered my sub-conscious, and thus my dreams/nightmares. Last night I had a troubling nightmare where my vehicle was unable to successfully board the ferry which takes one the short distance from Vashon Island to Point Defiance in Tacoma. My vehicle ended up in the crystal clear water as I watched the current slowly move it further and further away.

I think the Vashon Ferry was freshly in my mind due to it being mentioned a couple days ago during the course of a phone conversation with Miss Linda R.

I have no plans to be on a Washington ferry whilst I am in Washington.

I hope David, Theo and Ruby will take me on a walk across the new Tacoma Narrows Suspension Bridge for video documentation purposes, to show Fort Worth locals how in modern parts of the world something like a bridge can be built in less than four years over deep, swift moving water.

The past several years I have made multiple inquiries about a chunk of driftwood which during my younger years was located on the Birch Bay beach in the state park zone. Photographs of possible driftwood suspects have been taken by driftwood investigators, such as Spencer Jack and his dad. But none of the photos have matched my memory, including the one which comes closest, which is what you see above.

One of the many activities one enjoys at Birch Bay is called Dragging the Gut. Dragging the Gut involves joining the throngs of Canadians driving back and forth the length of Birch Bay engaging in a lot of people watching. One only needs to extend the Gut Dragging a short distance past the regular turn around to get to the location of that legendary chunk of driftwood.

I am hoping we get to do an extended Dragging the Gut whilst we are at Birch Bay.

The day after we arrive at Birch Bay, Saturday, August 12, we will be driving east to Lynden to Monumenta Cemetery to deliver our dad to his final resting place.

The following day, Sunday, will be a fun day, likely with visitors visiting who I have not seen in years.

Then on Tuesday David, Theo and Ruby are taking me back to the airport so I can fly to Arizona to spend some time with their grandma.

Questionable Washington Driftwood From Spencer Jack

Incoming email from Spencer Jack and my Favorite Nephew Jason.

Subject line: Driftwood Photo Request

The email including four photos of driftwood on a Washington beach, one of which is that which you see here, with Spencer Jack looking at you through a hole in a chunk of driftwood.

Do Texas beaches on the Gulf Coast get littered with driftwood? I suspect not, what with there not being a lot of streams flowing in from forested mountains.

Reading the following text in the email I eventually figured out that these particular driftwood photos were taken on Guemes Island, one of the smaller San Juan Islands, accessed via ferry from Anacortes, that being the town where Spencer Jack has his Fidalgo Drive-In with its world famous hamburgers and blackberry milkshakes.

I do recollect that last summer, my dad made me stop the car so he could take a picture of a lone piece of driftwood that he believes was the one you two enjoyed playing on as children. Spencer and I were looking for a larger pile in Birch Bay, such as the pile Spencer and I found today after school when he took me over to Guemes Island to beach comb.

That is a lot of driftwood.

Regarding driftwood, the majority of this particular text message regarded the search for a specific chunk of driftwood at Birch Bay, up north in Whatcom County, a few miles south of the Canadian border.

You have asked me on multiple occasions to send you a photo of Spencer playing on the Birch Bay driftwood.   Spencer and I attempted to locate at Birch Bay what I thought would be a massive collection of driftwood that one could not miss on multiple occasions.  

I believe I reported back to you years ago that I could not find the driftwood that you spoke of playing on as a child, only a chunk here and there scattered around the shoreline of Birch Bay near the state park.

My Favorite Nephew Jason is much too young to be having age related memory loss. How did he forget that he and his dad and Spencer Jack did find that chunk of Birch Bay driftwood, the finding of which he mentioned in the same email he says he and Spencer Jack were unable to find that illusive chunk of driftwood?   I blogged about the finding of this chunk of driftwood multiple times.

Awakened By A Thud Before Finding Photo Of Birch Bay Driftwood

Birch Bay Driftwood Confirmation From Lynden Via Tacoma

Going Down A Birch Bay Water Slide With Spencer Jack Looking For A Big Chunk Of Driftwood
Going To Birch Bay In Washington With My Nephew Spencer Jack

I will end this blogging with a look at that chunk of Birch Bay driftwood which I thought was fun to climb on when I was a few years younger, way back in the previous century....

Awakened By A Thud Before Finding Photo Of Birch Bay Driftwood

A couple years ago Spencer Jack took his dad up north near the Canadian border to go water sliding at Birch Bay.

Birch Bay is a bustling beach tourist zone in Whatcom County. Camping at Birch Bay State Park was the number one go to place when I was a kid going on summer camping trips every weekend with my parental units and siblings.

I remember Birch Bay with a fondness level I remember little else.

Well, there is Sun Lakes State Park in Eastern Washington which also provided a lot of fond memories, including going there well past my little kid family camping years.

So, when I was a little kid, on into my teenage years, and  maybe slightly beyond my teenage years, there was this chunk of driftwood on the beach in the state park area of Birch Bay.

After Spencer Jack took his dad water sliding at Birch Bay I asked about that chunk of driftwood down by the state park. Spencer Jack's dad said next time they were at the Bay they'd look for it.

I don't remember if I got a subsequent Birch Bay Driftwood Search Report.

Then last night, in the middle of the night, I was awakened by a concussive thud. I reached for my phone to see it was and hour and a half past midnight.

And that I had several text messages.

One of the text messages was from Spencer Jack's grandpa, also known as my little brother Jake. There was no message in Spencer Jack's grandpa's text message, just the photo you see above.

Is that the infamous chunk of Birch Bay driftwood I remember so fondly, still existing all these years later? I can not tell for sure. I suspect it must be. I am fairly certain my little brother would remember that chunk of driftwood as well as I do....

Going Down A Birch Bay Water Slide With Spencer Jack Looking For A Big Chunk Of Driftwood

Spencer Jack's dad sent me a new video in Apple Quicktime .MOV format that I have to turn into a YouTube video to view.

In this latest video Spencer Jack is sliding down a water slide at the waterpark at Birch Bay. Birch Bay is a shallow bay between Lummi Bay and Semiahmoo Bay, just a few miles south of the Canadian border.

Birch Bay is not a town, but it has a population slightly under 10,000. This population swells during tourist season.

Growing up in Washington, with most of my relatives living in Whatcom County, that being the county due north of Skagit County, with Skagit being the county I grew up in, going to Birch Bay was a fairly common occurrence.

Way back in my memory my Grandma had a cabin at Birch Bay. I don't remember staying at the cabin, but I do remember having a birthday party there.

More often than not, if we were staying at the Bay, which is what locals call Birch Bay, we'd stay at Birch Bay State Park.

During the days of my youth and on into my older years there was a big piece of driftwood on the beach at the state park that lingers fondly in my memory. My nephew was tasked with seeing if that driftwood was still there, and if it is, to get a picture with Spencer Jack climbing on it.

On the driftwood subject, when he sent me the video, my nephew had this to say...

Had planned on getting your requested drift wood photo at the state park, however ran out of time and never made it that far.

The waterpark is on the north end of the bay, the state park is on the south end. It's a big bay, with very slow, very heavy traffic.

Birch Bay is a very shallow bay. Which is one of the reasons it is such a popular tourist attraction.

In summer, when Washington finally warms up, the tide goes out on Birch Bay, leaving a huge area of sand exposed. The sun then heats up that sand. Then, when the tide comes in, the water gets heated, making swimming in the saltwater of Birch Bay the warmest in the Western Washington saltwater zone.

I was going to say warmest in Puget Sound, but I think Birch Bay is north of Puget Sound. One would think I would know such a thing, but I don't.

Going To Birch Bay In Washington With My Nephew Spencer Jack

Spencer Jack's Sand Castle At Birch Bay

Today I have seen a thing or two that has me a bit homesick for Washington.

One homesickness inducer was reading a Facebook tale, with photos, of hiking last week from Lake Ozette to the Pacific Ocean on the Washington Coast.

I have only done this hike once. Much of it takes place on cedar planks through a cedar forest. It reminded me of where the Ewoks lived in the Empire Strikes Back. I think that is the correct Star Wars movie.

Lake Ozette is near the town of Forks. Forks has become a bigger tourist attraction, in addition to its pre-existing tourist attraction attributes, due to the town now being known as the town where the Twilight movies take place. You know, those vampire/werewolf movies that are inexplicably, to me, popular, with people way younger than me.

The other Washington thing I saw today, that made me homesick for Washington, was my Grand Nephew, Spencer Jack, with a sand castle at Birch Bay.

Birch Bay is a very shallow bay up near the Canadian border, in Whatcom County. In summer the tide goes out, the sun heats up the sand, and then, when the tide comes in, the water gets heated by the HOT sand. Resulting in an awful lot of people having fun in the water.

Birch Bay is a humongous tourist attraction, the likes of which I've not seen since I've been in Texas. I suspect, maybe, the beaches of Galveston may come close on a nice summer day. And maybe South Padre Island.

With Birch Bay you get a lot of Canadians. I don't think you get a lot of Canadians in Galveston. Or South Padre Island.

I like Canadians. They can be a tad annoying, but, for the most part, not. If only they could learn to not end every sentence with "eh". Like they doubt every single thing that comes out of their mouths.

Going to Birch Bay goes back as far as my memory goes. As a kid, more summer weekends were spent at Birch Bay than anywhere else. In my very early years my Grandma Vera had a cabin at Birch Bay. I can vaguely remember one very young birthday at that cabin.

Seeing pictures of Spencer Jack playing in the sand at Birch Bay induced instant melancholy in me.

I actually can not remember the last time I was at Birch Bay. I know I currently have relatives who have moved there since I moved to Texas. I vaguely remember driving up to Birch Bay to meet up with someone a year or two before I moved to Texas.

Birch Bay Driftwood

In all my decades of memory of Birch Bay there is a big piece of driftwood on the beach by Birch Bay State Park that haunts me in dreams. I used to have so much fun climbing on that big chunk of wood.

I must see if I can Google for an image of Birch Bay driftwood.

I think I may have found it. This picture is definitely from the state park part of the south end of Birch Bay.

Right now, at this current point in time, I really am in the mood to move back to Washington. I miss the diversity. And the scenery. And the saltwater.

The weather? Not so much.