Tag Archives: Washington State

Aug6

AQI (Air Quality Index)

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AQI (Air Quality Index)

Here in East Wenatchee the smoke has been relentless. There are several local and regional wildfires. The Little Giant Fire just northwest of Leavenworth seems to be having the greatest impact.

The AQI was over 850 the other day when I returned to Wenatchee from Cashmere. Link Transit shut down all public transit and they’re threatening to do it again today.

A member of our writers group is a retired doctor and he passed out masks at our meeting yesterday. Being outside for one hour is akin to smoking six cigarettes. He has advised that the real damage to our lungs may not be seen for another ten years if we continue to go outside unmasked when the AQI is so high.

I miss the view of the mountains. The air is too thick with smoke.

My heart goes out to the more than 65,000 who have been evacuated from the Spokane area.

Highways are closed and activities are canceled.

Washington State is on fire.

Jul25

Church Shopping

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Church Shopping

One of my closest friends is Catholic and refers to all non-Catholic churches as Protestant. She is also amused by all the Protestants who go church shopping. Apparently Catholics don’t tend to do this.

The other day we were talking and I was telling her about my quest for a new church this summer. When I’m in Mexico, it’s strictly online church for me, although I occasionally attend a mass at one of the Catholic churches nearby. But I admit that online I do frequent different churches.

This past winter, I tuned in to Church of the Rock in Winnipeg for Christmas and Easter services. This is where I was baptized in December of 2009. But my regular Sunday church was North Coast, which a friend from California had recommended.

But back to church shopping in Washington.

I first arrived in Leavenworth in the summer of 2016. Steve attended the Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene so it was only logical that this become my church too. And it was indeed my church until 2019. I volunteered at Light The Night, VBS and did children’s ministry.

When Covid reared it’s ugly head in 2020, I was finally able to return to Leavenworth from Mexico in September that year, rather than the usual April. I then moved to Dryden where one of my housemates attended Sage Hills Church in Wenatchee. I switched churches as I was disillusioned by the politics at the church in Leavenworth.

While I enjoyed the preaching, Sage Hills was a huge church with little opportunity for me to meet people and get involved. Everything was winding down when I returned in the spring and it was just starting up again when I left for Mexico in the fall. I next tried out three churches in the Cashmere and Dryden areas. As I was living in East Wenatchee, I wanted a church closer to home.

In the fall of 2024, I discovered Breath of Life Church in East Wenatchee. It fit the bill. When I returned in the spring of 2025, I had the opportunity to meet people and then volunteer at VBS in the summer.

But when I returned to East Wenatchee this year, Breath of Life Church had politics going on. But mostly the preaching had lost its verve after the amazing sermons I’d watched from North Coast. Also, Breath of Life didn’t stream in Mexico although every other church in Washington State did.

Growing increasingly frustrated, I finally made the move. I now attend Columbia Grove Covenant Church in East Wenatchee. I am most impressed with the sermons I’ve heard, and the people are very welcoming.

I’m done shopping.

May29

Birthdays

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Birthdays

A few months ago my friend Joanne had her 79th birthday. She commented to me that she was now celebrating her 80th year. A few days ago I turned 74. And she reminded me that I was now celebrating my 75th year.

The celebrations actually began two days before my actual birthday. A friend took me out for lunch that day. And my life group celebrated members with May birthdays, where I helped blow out candles on a cake with three others. And then the day before my birthday my granddaughter surprised me with a video call.

And then there was the actual day. I went to a movie with a friend in the afternoon and then went out for dinner with other friends that night.

I’ve celebrated birthdays in several places in the last few years; Culiacan, Mazatlan, Tlaquepaque, Aguascalientes, Leavenworth and East Wenatchee to name only a few. But the most memorable ones were the days when my kids were young and we were all together. These are far more memorable than my own birthdays as a child.

So what else have I been doing since I’m back? Mostly spending time with friends I haven’t seen in seven months. And I’m back volunteering. Then there’s writers group and book club. I’m back at church and I also attended a Memorial Day service. It goes without saying that I’ve been enjoying the warm weather here after freezing in Winnipeg for a month.

This weekend is going to be more of a musical one. But more about that in my next post.

Have a great weekend!

Feb10

WAY TO GO SEAHAWKS!

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WAY TO GO SEAHAWKS!

Around the world people are excited about the winter Olympics. But I’ll leave that for another post. This post is dedicated to my Seattle Seahawks.

While all my Mexican friends were watching soccer on Sunday, I was watching the Super Bowl. I’d watched the NFL playoffs in Spanish. To my surprise and delight, ESPN streamed here in Mexico in English! What a treat!

It was a great game and I thought the choice of Walker as MVP was appropriate. Of course once they won, it was a bit of a letdown to be here in Aguascalientes while all my friends were celebrating back in Washington. Oh well. Maybe another time.

I can’t even begin to describe the team spirit for this beloved football team. On game days when I was in Washington, everyone in church was always decked out in their Seahawks jerseys. And I expect it to be the same next season.

But for now, I’m content to talk about Sunday’s game with my friends back in Washington on my cellphone.

Dec18

First Washington Now Winnipeg

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First Washington Now Winnipeg

This morning I wandered down to the tianguis on my street. It was a tad chilly, a mere 60 degrees. But the sun was shining brightly. And I’ve gotten used to seeing Mexicans wearing ski jackets and scarves in this weather. Lots of hats and gloves too. Me? A short-sleeve top instead of a tank top.

Washington was hit with a second atmospheric river. Once again the wind toppled trees and downed power lines. Lots of evacuations on the west side. And now there are blizzard and heavy snowfall warnings out across the state.

Winnipeg is completely shut down today as a massive blizzard attacked the city and the surrounding areas. Glad I’m not there either, although I do recall blizzards in the past when I braved those Winnipeg winters in my younger days. The good thing about a Winnipeg blizzard is that it blows in and blows out fairly quickly. While it does cripple the city, plows are usually able to clean things up fast. And the highways are not destroyed as is the case in Washington.

Highway 2 west of Leavenworth is closed. That is huge! Not only is this the most direct route to Seattle, it is also one of two main mountain passes between Leavenworth and Seattle. Landslides, mudslides and flooding have taken their toll. A fifty mile stretch of highway no longer exists. Barring any more inclement weather, it is predicted that repairs will be complete and the highway passable hopefully by the end of February.

The only other option is Blewett-Snoqualmie, a more scenic but less direct route also notorious for harsh winter weather. Delays are already all too common and now it will definitely take much longer to travel to Seattle with the increased traffic on this route.

I’m thankful that I’m here in Mexico, although I admit I do occasionally dream of a white Christmas.

Dec11

This Is More Than Scary

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This Is More Than Scary

There is an emergency alert statewide. No. Not here in Mexico. In Washington State. I’ve been following the news and seen some really devastating photos. Landslides, mudslides, flooding, downed trees, downed power lines. Everywhere!

My friends in Leavenworth have been warned to stay home and stay off the roads. Wicked winds have felled trees and power lines. They have also been without power for more than twenty-four hours. The power outage extends to Peshastin. Blackbird Island has been flooded. Icicle Road and East Leavenworth Road are flooded and closed.

It’s mindboggling to think that trees that are hundreds of years old have crushed homes and that winds have torn off roofs. I thought only tornados do that.

Cashmere is also flooding. The river is rising and the waves are almost lapping up onto the bridge. It’s predicted to rise another three feet. Sandbagging is underway. A Red Cross station is being set up.

Landslides and torrential rain have caused extensive damage in Snoqualmie Pass and there is not talk of it reopening anytime soon. US 2 over Stevens Pass is also closed. Bad news for anyone headed to Seattle.

Please keep Washington in your prayers.

Dec1

Have You Heard The News? What Did It Say?

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Have You Heard The News? What Did It Say?

Yes I’m on Facebook. And I am quite aware that a great deal of false information is easily spread. I disregard most of it until I have a chance to check out reliable sources. I’m amazed at just how much is exaggerated or enhanced by those who love to gossip. And I have no patience for this.

Here in Mexico the farmers continue their blockades on the highways. They are protesting the new water law. They are protesting the price of corn. They are frustrated and angry. And so is anyone attempting to travel on the highways.

However that seems minor compared with what’s going on in the news in East Wenatchee, Washington. I’ve called this city home for the past three summers. And it has changed drastically in three years, and not for the better.

Spacious single family homes are now being subdivided into duplexes. In conversations with my neighbors during this past summer, I learned that many homes are being rented out as the market is down. Even plummeting prices have not encouraged people to buy. It is common for four or five college students to share a house. My neighbor even told me of one house down the street which three married couples are sharing.

The other night there was an armed home invasion down the street from where I’ve stayed. A couple of weeks ago a teenager in the neighborhood was arrested for possession of illegal guns and threatening neighbors and police. Last winter I read about meth labs that were busted close to where I was staying. And the high speed car chases aren’t limited to Wenatchee. There are also incidences of gangs fighting, especially near the mall. And there was more than one murder in the area last summer.

People in East Wenatchee are quick to blame the gangs for spilling over the George Sellar Bridge and into East Wenatchee from Wenatchee. And of course they take it further and blame the immigrants, particularly the illegal ones. However I believe there’s a lot more to it than that. I don’t think the kids in East Wenatchee are all the innocent darlings their parents believe them to be either.

And I wonder what I’ll read in the news about East Wenatchee in the coming months before my time in Mexico comes to an end this winter.

Oct19

Last Post From Washington in 2025

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Last Post From Washington in 2025

I love fall. It’s my favorite season. The trees are in all their glory. The snow glistens high up on the mountaintops. But it’s also bittersweet as my time here has once again come to an end for this year. Washington is such a beautiful state. Every time I return I am in awe of the beauty; the views that most Washingtonians take for granted.

The past few days have been a blur of goodbyes with friends as well as last lunches and dinners together. Thursday was my last Life Group for a while. Yesterday was one last movie at Gateway. And this morning was one last church service here in East Wenatchee.

This afternoon the sun is shining brightly outside although the temperature has dropped. I have a Lifetime movie on in the background while I pack. But at the moment I’m taking a break to write this post.

I received a message from my daughter in Canada. She is into Powerlifting and tomorrow she is off to Panama to compete in the Internationals. Very exciting! I hope to watch her online as I’ve done before. Maybe someday I’ll get to watch her in person.

I fly out of Pangborn on Tuesday. Three flights and a bus trip and I’ll be home in Aguascalientes.

But the packing cubes are calling. My next post will be from Mexico.

Saludos!

Sep24

Smoke And Ash

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Smoke And Ash

It’s a little late this year but it’s time to get out those M95 masks. Washington State is on fire. Wildfires are raging everywhere. Blewett is closed and traffic has been rerouted through Stevens Pass. Several areas have received evacuation notices. And I’m hibernating inside as much as possible.

Autumn Leaf Festival happens this coming weekend. I usually go to Leavenworth for the annual parade. But not this year. The air is saturated with smoke and ash. I follow the air quality warnings and they are far from encouraging.

As I sat outside yesterday waiting for my ride, I could hear the drone of aircraft overhead, but I could not see them. As I write this, I’m looking out the window at the dreary sky. It’s a good day to stay in and write. The smoke is worse than it was yesterday. And I haven’t heard the sound of helicopters today. Not a safe day to fly.

Please keep all the firefighters in your prayers.

Aug23

More Memories

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More Memories

August 23, 2009. International Peace Gardens. Murals in Boissevain. Morden Corn and Apple Festival. I’m exhausted just thinking that I did all that in one day. Solo too. But people who know me are well aware that if I want to travel somewhere, I don’t always wait to find someone who wants to go with me. I just go.

I had always wanted to visit the International Peace Gardens. When I was a child, some of my friends went to a music camp there in the summer. I envied them. I actually auditioned, was accepted but never did go. My parents were not in favor of it. Growing up in the shadow of an older sibling, their expectations were that I would do what he had done. And attending this camp was never anything he had done. I think that maybe this contributed to my urge to be a non-conformist and somewhat of a rebel. At any rate, it has definitely influenced my determination to explore and seek adventure in life.

Here it is, decades later, and I am able to spend a few hours at the Peace Gardens. Aside from the beautiful flower gardens, I found tranquility in The Peace Chapel. There was a monument to 9/11. The Peace Tower and The Bell Tower were rather formidable. I hope that someday I will have an opportunity to revisit this area.

I drove through Boissevain admiring all the murals I’d heard about. And then it was time to lighten the mood at the Corn and Apple Festival, an event I’d attended on previous visits to Morden.

Since 2010, most of my August 23rds have been spent in Mexico or in Washington. But there is one August 23rd that stands out in my memory and it happened years before 2009, years before I had Facebook to remind me of memories. It was a celebration in Winnipeg that actually filled the entire weekend. It involved one of my kids and sadly many people who are no longer with us today. I do have photos that are backed up on an external hard drive. Think I might just go and check them out.

Enjoy your weekend!