POST 1518; BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON; 01-22-16

BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON ....... ONE OF THE FINEST SMALL CITIES IN AMERICA.

Population growth from 35,000 in 1987 (when I first arrived - to 80,000 + in 2016.

A depressed neighborhood is not to be found.

A trail IS found to lead wherever one may wish to go.

Tranquil lakes are fed by tranquil streams of crystal waters in all directions.

Want to meet Indigenous residents ....?   We share a common town boundary.

Desire SCUBA DIVING ... SAILING ... SKIING ... KAYAKING ... MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ...

EXCELLENT CUISINE ... TRAVEL BY CRUISE SHIP (10 minutes from downtown)  ... BY AIR (10

minutes from downtown) ... BY CAR ( 30 minutes to CANADA)

 ... GLACIERS ???   Ten Glaciers grace the tops of our nearby OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS

 ... EXPLORE INLAND SEASHORES ( Begin downtown and keep going for hundreds of miles ...

picking CLAMS, OYSTERS, and how 'bout a few varieties of CACTUS for good measure on theway

TO SAY NOTHING OF BIG GAME HUNTING and EXTREME FISHING in SALT WATER and

FRESH a short WALK from your FRONT DOOR !   and in our DESERT a 2 - hour DRIVE distant.

OH YES,  TWO Active VOLCANOES are VISIBLE from our modest in-town hills .

How to find such a bountiful place ???

From ANYPLACE in the LOWER 48 STATES of America ...

      - Drive - or walk North to the CANADIAN BORDER ...

      - Hang a Left Turn

      - Follow the Setting SUN until reaching Salt Water

      - YOU HAVE ARRIVED IN BELLINGHAM !

BELLINGHAM is a SEAPORT.  We are, in fact, the last undeveloped DEEP WATER SEAPORT on the West Coast of America.

YACHTS - Motor and Sail crowd our constantly improving and expanding Pleasure and Commercial MARINAS ... Yes we have many in various locations.

Not to worry about BOATING SEASON.  Boating is a YEAR-ROUND pursuit, with hundreds of miles of uninterrupted waterways and 172 of our own idyllic ISLANDS chock full of Marine Life  ...

Marine Life of the kind to EAT and to ADMIIRE up close and personal.

One of our city POLICE Boats.  WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON STATE, USCOAST GUARD, and US NAVY are plentiful with latest technological equipment to keep us all protected and tranquil at night.

These Folks call BELLINGHAM "HOME" Too.

Above image is a tiny piece of just one of our local high-tech Marinas.
The shaded distant mountain is our local VOLCANO, Mount BAKER.

Mount RAINIER is 150 miles South and a bit to the right.  Three more Washington State Volcanoes, including the recently EXPLODED Mount St. HELENS, lie some 200 miles South of us.

We have some rather classy Hotels gracing our Town, Sea Shore and International Airport.

If you wanna, you can WALK all day in town and our waterfront without covering the same ground more than once.

"ISLE A'HOY "

LUMMIE ISLAND, one of the largest , but by no means the closest to BELLINGHAM.  This small Island lying in front of LUMMIE Island sports it's own airport and is a treasure Store for DUNGENESS CRABS (in SEASON, of course)

BELLINGHAM BAY looking WEST and a bit South ... or as we mariners say ..."a heading of South West...";   which just happens to be the direction from which the "Prevailing Wind" blows ... called by locals "...The PINEAPPLE EXPRESS."

Another view of BELLINGHAM BAY.  the City extends to include that distant Peninsula of land.

RIP RAP Rock forming the SEA WALL protecting our yacht Marina.

Winds in excess of 100 miles per hour are not uncommon on BELLINGHAM BAY.

MONUMENT Dedicated to BELLINGHAM Commercial Fishermen. 

BELLINGHAM Commercial Fishing Fleet.

These "BOATS" are "GILL NETTERS" which spread floating nets around migrating SALMON as they cross BELLINGHAM Bay on their way to local rivers in which they spawn after spending 3 to 5 years in the deep Ocean Waters ... often traveling to waters off the East Coast of RUSSIA's SIBERIA before returning to the river in which they were hatched ... often, to the exact spot they began life.

BELLINGHAM's New FIRE BOAT.

Pile of GILL NETS ready to load aboard the boats.

A Marina Waterfront Restaurant...one of many from which to choose in BELLINGHAM Marina District.

Private yacht fleet in "SLIPS" in front of the two Yacht Club Houses.

SQUALICUM YACHT CLUB HOUSE.  BELLINGHAM YACHT CLUB HOUSE is next door.

WELCOME to the FAIRHAVEN District of BELLINGHAM...

FAIRHAVEN is a true HISTORIC villige joining BELLINGHAM over 100 years ago.

FAIRHAVEN is today the WATER and LAND transportation HUB of the City.

The Airport is some 5 miles North of the more "Commercial" district of BELLINGHAM.

Following images are of FAIRHAVEN, which is growing like a young teenager ... retaining the historic image and culture everyone finds so desireable.

Took a few moments to visit one of BELLINGHAM' many Breweries...a good "Old German DARK Beer".

A HAWK Nest along the 3 - mile Marine ( over- the- water)"WALKWAY" connecting FAIRHAVEN with downtown and Marina District of the larger part of BELLINGHAM.

A MASS of BLACKBERRY VINES.

In JULY, one can pick a gallon of delicious Blackberries in as little as 10 minutes OR LESS !

Blackberry Vines grow profusely on EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE SUN DRENCHED BIT OF HILLSIDE ... literally trillions of berries for any who wish to pick them.

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POST 1517; TACOMA, WASHINGTON; 01-18-2016

A very pleasant visit has been shared with my SON RON, GRANDSON BRADEN, AND SHARON, MY # 2, ( MOM and GRANDMA) who treated us Boys to one of her delicious Sunday Dinners.

BRADEN is employed by WAL-MART, SHARON is a Nurse for the past 42 years (I treated her to  LPN Nurse's Schooling ... seems like two lifetimes ago ..., and RON is battling back injuries and DIABETES the past many years;  all in all, we are OK.

As the City of TACOMA is only 5 miles from RON's home in FEDERAL WAY, Washingto, I have used free hours to visit the Port of TACOMA.  From 1964 'til 1970, I was employed as Contracts Manager at STAR IRON and STEEL in TACOMA, a major World Class CRANE Manufacturing Company, .

Major equipment SIS designed and manufactured were CRANES, especially CONTAINER CRANES serving various Sea Ports Loading and Unloading Container SHIPS in the early days of Containerization and the LAND BRIDGE across America.

The PORT of TACOMA has evolved into a SUPER CONTAINER PORT since my absence.

Following Blog update depicts TACOMA's PORT, at this moment, in the throes of modernization and expansion. 

Among other achievements at the Port of TACOMA is development of technology of design and manufacture of massive CONCRETE Structural Beams, Girders and Vessels ... also introduced in this Blog Update.

Above is a massive "Gantry Crane working the manufacturing Plant of  ...

CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION ...

Concrete Beam Nameplate

Acceptance - APPROVED FOR SHIPMENT - by Washington State Department of Transportation - of a huge CONCRETE BEAM manufactured by CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY CORP.

In manufacturing of massive structural concrete beams, steel rods protruding from the Concrete Beam are known as "RE BARS"

RE BARS = Reinforcing Bars, an integral part of virtually all Structural Concrete creations.

Such construction methods are found in Sky Scraper Buildings, River and Freeway Bridges (SEATTLE's FLOATING BRIDGES are manufactured from CONCRETE), and ... 

...during World War Two, many ships and barges were manufactured from CONCRETE !

...example of large structural Concrete Shapes laced with RE BAR Steel Rods.

Gantry Cranes of a design and manufacture by my old employer, Star Iron and Steel.

Overhead Traveling BRIDGE CRANE at work in the Concrete Manufacturing Plant of Concrete Technology Corp.

As an aside ...

Employed by LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, Crane Division, SEATTLE, Washington - during my years before employment by SIS, we designed, built, and supervised installation of the TRAVELING BRIDGE CRANE for the MISSILE ASSEMBLY BUILDING at CAPE CANAVERAL (KENNEDY SPACE CENTER), Florida.

This CRANE was developed to assemble and load the SATURN ROCKET on the CRAWLER for the many MOON MISSIONS.  This Crane Statistics are:

300 TON LIFT CAPACITY - 150 Tonnes on each of two TROLLEYS.
300 FOOT CLEAR SPAN between the two main TRAVEL ASSEMBLIES
300 FOOT HIGH installation in the massive MAB - MISSILE ASSEMBLY BUILDING

... all before and without computer assistance ...

  ....with an accuracy of 1 / 64 inch at maximum load and reach ; i.e., 300 ton at 3oo feet elevation !

Another view of the CONCRETE Technology Factory Bridge Crane.

The above image is a good rendering of a CONTAINER PORT Activity.

Center distant sits an ocean going CONTAINER SHIP ... Containers being OFF - LOADED from the Ship by Traveling Horizontal Boom CONTAINER CRANE in the act of carrying a container to the waiting dock transporter parked between the legs of Container Crane.

The Shore side transporter can be a simple Highway Flatbed Trailer, a Mobile Container Transporter _ which is DRIVEN to any spot in the Container Yard, or on a railroad car equipped to receive containers.

Containers loaded on specially designed flatbed railroad cars.  Such cars join up to 100 similar flatbed railroad cars for transport from TACOMA, Washington to an East Coast Container port (called the LAND BRIDGE), where the containers are re-loaded on a Container Ship destined for a Container Port across another Ocean.

The LAND BRIDGE Concept saves time (Months) and $$  moving Containers from around the World across the USA by RAIL instead of through the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn.

Mobile Traveling Gantry Crane.

This steerable heavy lift vehicle has found employment in Container Terminals, in Marinas - to lift and transport BOATS - , and even in the CONCRETE BEAM Storage yard (see 6th image from the top above).

Mobile Container Transporter / Stacker.

This vehicle has an over-the-shoulder BOOM mounted "SPREADER".  The SPREADER latches on to the top of the CONTAINER which is carried cantilevered in front of the driver.

In addition to good driver visibility, this equipment, rated at 99,000 pound capacity, handles 48 - ton loaded containers.

The above vehicle is a "Fork Lift" design Container Transporter / Stacker.

Intended for light load duty, this machine handles ONLY "Empty" or lightly loaded Containers.

Level-Luffing Slewing (Rotating) Traveling Gantry Cranes:

As the LOAD is LUFFED IN or OUT (moved closer or away) from the Crane, it (the load) remains at the same elevation automatically.  A popular concept some 75 years ago.

A Container Trailer.

The CONTAINER Terminal imaged in this Blog Update was "WUT".

TACOMA claims "ownership" of the world -famous Mount RAINIER ... and with good reason.

This photo is taken from the PORT OF TACOMA. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Do not have an agenda to continuing our Walk ... at the moment.

Must once again dally ... awaiting next month Social Security $$ to catch up.

Previous difficulties reported threw us a major limitation.

We are recovering, but with caution.

POST 1516; FEDERAL WAY, WASHINGTON; 01-16-2016

We have once gain met with unwanted challenge(s) ... all having to do with our desire to help others

Of the 4+ years walking, we Volunteered eight months to help County and Residents of the OUTER BANKS, North Carolina to help recover from HURRICANE IRENE.  Details of our efforts are posted in prior blog updates, which included loss of SPIA's transmission.  We replaced the loss with a USED transmission @ something more than $2,500.00.  That transmission is now giving us fits , and may preclude continuing our SAGA.

We just concluded one year fulfilling the request of DALLAS to "care take" him and his home / property upkeep to - as DALLAS puts it -  stay alive in his battle against DIABETES.

It has been our pleasure to be of help to others, for which we have not suggested nor received  consideration.  MANY, however, have helped along the way ... for which SAM, SPIA and ME are forever grateful

We set out some 5 years ago to see if an old man with NO assets and without formal outside assistance could not only survive, but somehow contribute to society.

We have succeeded beyond our wildest visibility, as shared by virtue of this Blog's testament.

We must now face reality.  We have "donated" something in excess of $10,000.00 from my personal Line of Credit with American Express (Balance due is in excess of $5,000.00)... and are faced with maintenance demands of SPIA ... for which funds are not immediately available.

Do not jump to conclusions ...

This missive is NOT an appeal or plea for any but understanding of limitations incumbent upon our continued effort(s).  We WILL continue (!) albeit a bit constrained ...

We have REFUSED ALL "entitlements" from Uncle SAM  - such as FOOD STAMPS, etc.

SOCIAL SECURITY is our ONLY income since 1995 ... a so-called entitlement ...  (NOT SO:  I have paid my SOCIAL SECURITY since I obtained my Social Security Card at the age of nine (9) years old).  Our Government has "misappropriated" my SSC. while charged to invest, protect and make it available to me in my old age.  Social Security is NOT AN ENTITLMENT.  SSC is MY MONEY, invested since 1944 for care by Uncle SAM ... this promised by President ROOSEVELT and our CONGRESS.

 

 

SEATTLE, Washington, USA ... The city of my birth ... on my MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER's Dining Room Table ... (Yes, I visited that stately home on CAPITAL HILL, expressing appreciation to the current owners for allowing ME a private moment in the room of my birth.

SKAGIT RIVER VALLEY - with our Volcano Mount BAKER in center distance - some 100 miles distant - Purported to be the largest concentration of commercial TULIPs outside of the country of HOLLAND.

We will shortly visit the city of LA CONNER, Washington ... a "destination" by vehicle or yacht.

SKAGIT RIVER VALLEY Estuary.

Images taken while driving, so may be a bit katiwampus.

LA CONNER CHANNEL ...SHIP CANAL connecting upper PUGET SOUND with that part of Central PUGET SOUND lying East of America's Second Largest Island ... WHIDBEY ISLAND.

Cross over the bridge to reach the local Indian village.

A 40 - Foot Yacht ... twin of PAUL G's Yacht which he rescued and reconstructed after being severely burned in the BELLINGHAM Shipyard fire.

  As an Historical Note ... This factory built many of the SOUTH VIETNAM River Boats  which fought in that unpopular War.

LA CONNER, Washington

LA CONNER Homes on the cliff overlooking the City and Canal.

Downtown LA CONNER on a wintry "off" Tourist day.

SEATTLE comes into view from I-5.

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SEATTLE's Lake UNION, and distant downtown SKY SCRAPERS.  SPACE NEEDLE in CENTER with OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS in the FAR DISTANCE.

* * * * * * * * * *

Will visit my SON, RONALD in the City of FEDERAL WAY, Washington this evening.  Battling DIABETIS, Ron has , as have so many, for many years, been battling DIABETES.  We both are eager to spend some time together.

We may go on to visit my Daughter, MONICA, living near BURNS, Oregon.  Among many achievements, MONICA has for years maintained the buildlngs of the MALHUER RESERVE recently invaded by gun toting farmers.  Monica was working at the Preserve Buildings when the perpetrators arrived to take control of the Preserve.  Monica was allowed to peacefully leave, but had to leave her personal equipment.

Monica has little time for such antics, so has gone on to execute one of her other non-related social responsibilities.

POST 1515; BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON; 01-12-2016

It is one week since our previous Post.

Our intention to climb HURRICANE RIDGE was denied by the National Park Service because of the great number of visitors coupled by heavy snow on the roadway and limited parking space at the top.  Vehicles waiting at PORT ANGELES were held at the bottom ... vehicles allowed up the mountain only as vehicles descended to make room for new visitors.  Then too. all vehicles were required to have Snow Chains to climb the steep twisting roadway ... which we did not have.

Rain and intermittent snow flakes remained for the past week, making photography marginal at best.

We continued our journey, arriving as the overcast skies darkened over BELLINGHAM.


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Looking South from PORT ANGELES WAL-MART, where we spent the final night of our Journey from West Virginia to Washington STATE following the outermost roadway ... the roadway closest to the Ocean ( or USA Border with MEXICO) ... we look longingly to HURRICANE RIDGE in the shrouded morning light.

A short drive through PORT ANGELES.  Not representative, however, as PORT ANGELES is a large busy city.  A few images were obtained - and posted here - , but it has rained hard and continuous making picture taking a bit difficult.

Anchored in the Inner Harbor - on the Shore Side of the 1/4 mile long RIP RAP BREAKWATER - is a large OIL CARRIER.  Much of the ALASKA NORTH SLOPE CRUDE OIL is carried by such ships to PUGET SOUND where the oil is off-loaded at one of the many REFINERIES, processed (REFINED) and shipped primarily by Pipe Line across America.

Situated on the STRAITS OF SAN de FUCA, PORT ANGELES is home base to U.S. COAST GUARD SHIPS and HELICOPTERS.

The CONTAINER SHIP pictured above is actually ten or so miles away, transiting the STRAITS OF SAN de FUCA.  From there, that ship has the option to turn South to a United States Seaport, or North to a Seaport in BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

From 1962 until 1980, I was employed as CONTRACTS MANAGER for sequentially :  LOCKHEED - CRANE DIVISION, Seattle; then STAR IRON and STEEL, Tacoma; and finally Germany's KRUPP, GMBH - KRUPP INTERNATIONAL DIVISION, New York.  One of our primary items designed, manufactured and Installed in Seaports around the World were "CONTAINER CRANES" which Load and Unload the CONTAINERS seen on the DECK of the ship above.

From PORT ANGELES, we drove through a pounding RAIN to the city of PORT TOWNSEND, Washington, a city at the North East Corner of the OLYMPIC PENINSULA at the juncture of the STRAITS OF SAN de FUCA and PUGET SOUND.

From PORT TOWNSEND, a WASHINGTON STATE FERRY carries Vehicles and  Foot Passengers to WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON - after LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, the second largest Island in the Continental UNITED STATES.

The PORT TOWNSEND PIER where the WASHINGTON STATE FERRY loads and unloads Vehicles and Passengers.

PORT TOWNSEND is built on two levels .  The image above shows BOTH levels

The PIER for the Car FERRY is behind the CAMERA.

The CLIFF consists of the CLAY found on the PACIFIC OCEAN Coastline stretching some 800 miles to SAN FRANCISCO.

PORT TOWNSEND was once a major shipping Seaport.  In mid 1800s, the Continental Railroad construction STOPPED in SEATTLE, which became the center of International Ocean Shipping.

Beautiful PORT TOWNSEND has retained its Seaport vibrancy from 150 years ago, being a "Destination" for private Yachts and vehicles from the "Inland Sea"

FERRY about to load for the 40 minute run to FORT CASEY on WHIDBEY ISLAND.

The World's largest OCTOPUS ... measuring some 32 feet in DIAMETER ... was, I am informed, captured at the WHIDBEY ISLAND FORT CASEY FERRY DOCK.

Largest OCTOPUS I have seen, was 19 foot in DIAMETER, taken by hand by a "FREE DIVER" during a competition  in 100 foot deep waters under the OLD BRIDGE "GALLOPING GIRDY" in the city of TACOMA, some 60 miles South of SEATTLE.

GALLOPING GIRDY fell into PUGET SOUND in 1935 after being subjected to high winds.  Bridge DESIGN created a "FOIL' ... subjected to high winds, the FOIL began to "FLY" causing the bridge to twist and jump about until is fell. 

There is a video of the bridge in its Death Throes ... vehicles were caught on the bridge in the video.  The vehicles also fell.

As an aside, I, not yet one year old, crossed GALLOPING GIRDY with my parents some 30 minutes before her destruction.  We lived some 30 miles from the bridge.

LOPEZ ISLAND is in the Middle Ground.  WHIDBEY ISLAND is in the FOREGROUND



LOPEZ and WHIDBEY ISLANDs together are two of 172 islands making up the SAN JUAN ARCHIPELAGO.  Crystal Clear Waters, the SAN JUANs are home to three families of ORCA "KILLER WHALES" (about 50 individuals)
 

F-18A U.S. NAVY Standard CARRIER FIGHTER JET on "FINAL" Approach to land at Whidbey Island, a long time A-6 Training Base.

TREES in the front yard of "BOB",  Sailing Friend of many years, with whom we are staying for a few days in BELLINGHAM.

Bob!  of many PHD type friends I asked for guidance while building SAM, only BOB offered to help; and has from the beginning of our Senior Walk, been "THERE" for us.

Thank You, Bob 


* * * * * * * * * *

In two days. SPIA and ME will once again walk !

SAM is back in our rented Storage Room/

Will visit ERIC, My GODSON, living in SPOKANE, Washington, some 300 miles distant - at the border with the State of IDAHO.  Plan to walk to PORTLAND, OREGON from SPOKANE.

From there, I am not sure.