S/V Wand'rin Star: January 2024

An Exceptional December 2023 in Seattle

December 2023 was the warmest on record in Seattle. Lots of Sunny days and lots of outside time.

As a young boy growing up in West Texas I often heard West Texas as being "Gods Country". I lived on top of Scenic Mountain in Big Springs, Texas. A mountain in West Texas would only be considered a foot hill in the Pacific Northwest. They called them mountains because the terrain all around West Texas was flat. From our house we had a 360 degree view of West Texas. Park Hill Elementary where I went to school was just 400' down at the base of Scenic Mountain, now known as Big Spring State Park. see https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/big-spring, be sure to watch the video!

Now as a young boy who wondered around with my trusty Collie dog Lady, I wondered if this is Gods Country, what does the rest of the world look like? Cactus, rock, tumble weeds, scrub brush, mesquite trees. The most exciting things were the Jack Rabbits, rattle snakes, and Horny Toads. Well if West Texas is Gods Country, the Pacific Northwest is his Home.

West Texas is a semi-arid portion of Texas seen here dark tan area. As you can see there are few other places like it in the whole of the US.

We could drive about 8 minutes from our Air BB and walk along Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

The Bluff has some resident Eagles.

And about 10 minutes away is Discovery Park

You can see the radar Dome from all around Seattle so just head toward the dome to get to the park.

see: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/allparks/discovery-park

If you click on the picture you can enlarge it to see the three Passages that enter the Sound at Seattle from the South, to the right of center is Rich Passage that you can travel by boat or ferry to Bremerton and Port Orchard or Poulsbo, WA. To the left of center is Colvos Passage that takes you to Vashon Island and beyond to Olympia, and to the left of Colvos Passage is East Passage that will take you to Des Moines, Tacoma, Gig Harbor and beyond.

All the homes are now occupied by families, the last time we were here they were all empty.

We got to see our grandson score a goal at his indoor soccer match.

Serious tree trimming

Our dock neighbor, Paul, told me he made an offer on this boat, I had to go see it!

These guys show up in November and hang out a few months.

So after reading a bit about AI I wanted to try Microsoft's Copilot AI out for myself so I asked it to draw an image of a Catalina 36 sailing the Salish Sea. It got the Salish Sea right but that is not a Catalina.

So a week later I asked again, this time I specified a Catalina 36 Mark II, Well that is more like a Catalina 36 Mark I, but it seems to be learning!

Sunset Hill Park is on the bluff just above Shilshole Bay Marina, Lee Youngblood a great Dock friend told us to drive up there to see the boats lit up with Christmas Lights.

You can see the whole marina but still not high enough to get a picture of the entire marina in one shot.

Its good to learn all the Peaks names, all the locals know them.

Dedicated to the Men of the Seattle Fishing Fleet

That little speck out there is a paddle boarder, the water has been so calm in December, very little wind except for the occasional rain storm. That other little spot to his left is a navigation buoy.

I could zoom in and see out boat, 4th from the top on the left.

Back to Golden Gardens

Sunlit Mast

SEE: https://youtu.be/DrkXE5uuTjQ

The Olympic Mountains after a snow as seen from Shilshole Marina

Watch this video of the decorated sail boat departing Shilshole Marina headed through the Locks to Lake Union to participate in the Christmas Parade of Lights. https://youtube.com/shorts/ei2xArVurJE

Some of the older sidewalks have these sections where it would be safer to walk if there was snow or ice

I saw this little park on the road map of Magnolia Park, so we drove down this long single lane neighborhood street that descends down the bluff to the water front.