Record Washington Heat Wave Has FN Jason & Spencer Jack In Nephews In Danger Mood

The west coast is having a HEAT wave, including my old home zone part of the west coast, as in the Pacific Northwest part, where there are predictions the temperature may soar to a record breaking level above 100 degrees for the first time, west of the mountains, as in west of the Cascades.

East of the mountains, also known as Eastern Washington, regularly goes over 100 during the HOT time of the year.

Incoming email from my Favorite Nephew Jason and his first born, Spencer Jack, today, documenting the HEAT wave and the effect it is having.

As in Jason and Spencer Jack have closed their Fidalgo Drive-In til Monday, because, as is the case for much of Western Washington, the Fidalgo Drive-In has no air conditioning.

I am assuming the three day closure is based on the PNW norm of a HEAT wave only lasting three days, then cold air arrives from the Pacific, cooling things down, often with thick, refreshing fog.

Today's email from Jason and Spencer Jack including three photos along with some explanatory text.

"Thought you'd enjoy these photos---I have decided to close down my restaurant for the next 3 days, as the PNW is about to experience an historic heat wave.  I imagine there may be many deaths, as I just read that Seattle is the least air-conditioned large city in the U.S.   My restaurant is not air-conditioned."
 

"Spencer and I spent Wednesday and Thursday making the Cascade Loop, overnighting in Leavenworth."

Leavenworth is a Bavarian themed Washington tourist town. One of my favorite places when I was an in state Washingtonian.

I believe that is Liberty Bell Peak behind Jason and Spencer Jack. They are standing at an overlook vantage point at the east end of the North Cross State Highway, also known as Highway 20. This highway passes through North Cascades National Park.

I can't remember if this location is in the National Park. I suspect it is. It is a great view, looking down on the highway as it quickly descends to Eastern Washington. It can be a scary stretch of road to drive. I last drove it a month before moving to Texas. Hard to believe this type scenery used to be a short drive from my home abode.

Heading for a beach or the mountains is how Western Washingtonians get some relief from a HEAT wave. An option I do not have at my current location. But, I do have air conditioning, which is blowing cold on me even as I type.

"I made sure to stop at my favorite Nephew in Danger location: Spencer Jack Not The Nephew In Danger Crossing A Rickety Methow River Suspension Bridge and snap a photo for you."

I can remember it like it was yesterday. Jason and his brother, my Favorite Nephew Joey, took me on the Cascade Loop. That is what it is called when you make a loop of going over the North Cross State Highway pass to Eastern Washington, then Stevens Pass to return to Western Washington. The reverse works too. Or you can make it a way longer loop by making Snoqualmie Pass your way over the mountains.

Anyway, you leave Highway 20 around the tourist town of Winthrop. That's a western themed tourist town. You then head south along the Methow River, heading towards where it meets the Columbia River. There are several rickety old suspension bridges across the river. The nephews convinced me to stop at one, and then asked if they could cross it. I rarely said no, irresponsible uncle that I was. The river did not look too treacherous if one or both happened to fall in.

It looks like the bridge has greatly deteriorated since Jason and Joey tried to cross it. I am surprised that after all this time even remnants remain.

The email also included news about Jason paternal parental unit, also known as Spencer Jack's grandpa, or my little brother...

Your brother is currently visiting, and my hope is this heat makes him feel right at home.   He is currently staying with a pair of neurotics at some camp near the Olympics.  He is due to come visit this upcoming Monday.  Brother Joe and I have advised him that Monday is not an ideal travel/visiting day due to the forecasted 100+ temperatures, however, he is insisting on leaving the camp that day.  Your brother has a very hard time taking reasonable advice.

Wish us all luck.

GOOD LUCK!!!

Spencer Jack Not The Nephew In Danger Crossing A Rickety Methow River Suspension Bridge

I think it was Tuesday Spencer Jack's dad, my favorite nephew, Jason, emailed me pictures of Spencer Jack throwing rocks in the Skykomish River and skiing on a patch of snow near the summit of Stevens Pass, before continuing on to spend the night in Leavenworth, Washington's extremely popular Bavarian themed tourist town.

In addition to the emailed pictures, on Tuesday Jason also emailed a message, commenting regarding my Sunday Father's Day blogging, with a question or two, along with the tentative itinerary of Spencer Jack's drive around the Cascade Loop, including mentioning a stay in Chelan before continuing on to Winthrop.

Continuing on to Winthrop meant Spencer Jack would be driving up the Methow Valley. That had me replying to Jason's email, the germane part of which is the next paragraph...

Doing the Cascade Loop sounds fun. I don't think I've done that since you and Joey took me. Ironically I had a scary flashback to that yesterday when something caused me to remember you and Joey climbing out on a rickety old suspension bridge above the Methow River. Do not let Spencer Jack do that on your way to Winthrop.

Well, this morning in my email inbox I found fresh photos from Spencer Jack's dad, with those photos being pictures of the aforementioned rickety suspension bridge about which I clearly imparted my uncle wisdom regarding not letting Spencer Jack play on that bridge.

The text in the email accompanying the suspension bridge pictures simply said...

FUD-

Found this bridge for you today.   

-FNJason (not in danger)

To translate, FUD is Favorite Uncle Durango. One might look at the picture above and think, what with Jason indicating Favorite Nephew Jason is not in danger, that that is Spencer Jack making his way across the bridge. And in DANGER.

Well, that is not Spencer Jack, that is Spencer Jack's dad in the aforementioned incident from the last century, where Jason and Joey did not listen to their favorite uncle's suggestion that walking out on this bridge might not be a good idea.

It actually looks worse than the reality. The water, while moving fast, was not very deep. Had the bridge tossed them into the Methow River I'm sure I would have been able to fish them out, downstream a few miles, where the river calms down.

If I remember right the above photo documents the moment when I clearly indicated they were to go no further, which had Jason pleading that they wanted to continue to cross the bridge. However, I was able to successfully use my powers of persuasion to get the boys back on land.

And now, Jason photo documenting that this bridge is still presenting an attractive nuisance tempting tourists touring the Methow Valley.

That is Jason below, not Spencer Jack, taking what is known as a selfie with the rickety suspension bridge behind him.

I wonder if Jason was mortified when he returned to this bridge yesterday, realizing how he and his brother must have terrorized their uncle by trying to cross it.

These type adventures became known, over time, as Nephews in Danger episodes, never revealed to the various parental units til the following century.

I think I webpaged the Nephews in Danger episodes, but I'm not in the mood to try and find it. I'll try and remember some of the Nephews in Danger episodes.

Well, there was the time my nephews Christopher and Jeremy took me exploring the Ice Caves one accesses via the Mountain Loop Highway on the west side of Washington's Cascade Mountains. I don't know if exploring the Ice Caves is still allowed after someone met an untimely end from a falling big chunk of ice.

A Nephew in Danger episode I clearly remember involved only Spencer Jack's Uncle Joey. Joey convinced me it would be fun to climb up Sauk Mountain in a snowstorm with the switchback trail covered with a coat of ice. This Nephew in Danger episode was a bit scary.

One fun Nephews in Danger episode with Jason and Joey happened when they took me to Las Vegas. The nephews thought it sounded fun to drive to Badwater, that being the location of the lowest elevation below sea level in the Western Hemisphere, in Death Valley. The nephews had read that there was a possibility that that day might break the world's highest temperature record. By the time we got to Badwater it was only 124 degrees. No record. Little danger.

I just recalled the episode with Christopher and Jeremy on Tabletop Mountain by Mount Baker. Suffice to say sliding at high speed down a glacier could have gone all sorts of sideways. But it didn't.

Enough with the Nephews in Danger............