Today is Monday, May 29, 2023
On this day in history…
1942- American singer and actor Bing Crosby recorded the holiday classic White Christmas, which became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Spotlight Photo
One thing Rachel loves about spring in the Pacific Northwest is new growth on the evergreen trees. She can’t help but to touch. The new growth is very soft.
Quote of the Week
“Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different.”
– Indra Nooyi
Mira’s Photo of the Week
https://www.everafterphotographypnw.com/
Rachel’s friend, Mira, shares her art each week to help beautify the My Monday Memo.
A Few Good Facts
Cauliflower can grow over an inch a day. Its florets pressing on each other emit a creaking sound that some farmers liken to the popping sound of Rice Krispies.
During the transition to the George W. Bush administration, outgoing Bill Clinton staffers engaged in prank vandalism that cost about $14,000, including stealing the W’s off White House keyboards.
Plants produce caffeine as a pesticide. It distorts the behavior of insects that would feed on these plants, in some cases causing paralysis or death.
This section is an add-on from Britannica.com. Each day there is a new fun fact in their All Good Facts section. These are a few that Rachel found interesting.
Fabulous Furry Friends
Bad luck when I cross your path? Pshhh… I am a damn queen. I also recently gave birth and cannot thank the human photographing me for getting me at such a great angle.
Bathroom Stall Wisdom
Jimmy’s Journeys
Jimmy is Rachel’s first cousin, and fellow adventurer, who lives in New York. They have shared adventures of all kinds together over the years. Jimmy will at times grace the pages of the My Monday Memo. Enjoy his journeys!
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada
Jimmy’s recent journeys have taken him to Collingwood, a town in Ontario, Canada. Collingwood is a small town with plenty to see, including several hiking trails to enjoy. Below are photos from Jimmy’s walk around Collingwood. Scroll down for his favorite part of Collingwood, Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay Islands National Park. To get to Beausoleil Island, Jimmy had to take a private boat. He was one of only a handful of people on the island the day of his visit. Enjoy those photos at the bottom of Jimmy’s Journeys.
Beausoleil Island, Georgian Bay Islands National Park
Where in the World?
This week’s adventure kept Rachel close to home, 12-miles, with a trip to Dupont, Washington. The top right blue dot is Rachel’s home.
Word of the Day
Will you find it?
As a fun challenge each week, Rachel visits Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day when she sits down to write her weekly story. Whatever the word of that particular day happens to be, she must find a way to fit it into her story. Will you find it?
GAMUT
Merriam-Webster Word of the Day on Sunday, May 21, 2023
Meaning
A gamut is a range or series of related things. When we say that something “runs the gamut,” we are saying that it encompasses an entire range of related things.
Story of the Week
Dupont Cement Shipwreck
On Saturday, May 20, 2023, Rachel re-visited a local trail in Dupont, Washington, the Sequalitchew Creek Trail. The goal, to explore a shipwreck that is only available at low tide. Saturday’s conditions were perfect for this adventure. There are two paths that will allow one to reach the shipwreck, one via the Sequalitchew Creek Trail and shorter option via a path with an extremity steep climb. Rachel opted for the 5-mile roundtrip path via the Sequalitchew Creek Trail.
She had previously visited this shipwreck a couple of years ago when the tide wasn’t as low as Saturday’s tide. Her hike to and from the shipwreck were fraught with danger and struggles on her first visit. This is not to say she didn’t have a fantastic time, but this second visit would yield safer conditions and many more interesting views due to the lower tide.
The Sequalitchew Creek Trail begins at the Dupont City Hall building. There is a walk through a forest, which is in large part protected from the sunshine by tunnels of trees. Once you pass through an old set of railroad tunnels, you have reached the beach.
At low tide, you can see the shipwreck in the distance. Next is the hike along the beach and out to the shipwreck. On Rachel’s hike Saturday, there was a section in which she had to use caution due to slippery rocks, but this was much easier than her previous visit.
Once she reached the shipwreck, she made her way around this massive structure and noted all of the creatures making the walls their home. Saturday’s finds ran the gamut of sea creatures. She saw things she has never seen before and had no clue what she was seeing. On one side, the water was a bit high, which meant she would have to bend down and walk under the end of the ship. The creatures hanging above her caused her a bit of concern, as her irrational brain told her that she was basically in a scene from a horror movie in which something was about to spring from the wall and insert itself into her mouth and take over her body. It could happen, right?
Another find during her exploration were a handful of moon snails (just discussed in issue #156). She located several moon snail egg casings, as well as a live moon snail and a few empty shells.
Rachel contemplated climbing inside of the shipwreck to explore but quickly decided that would be a no go due to her fear on potential injury and solo status. She was able to get a photograph of the inside, which will have to suffice for now.
She spent a bit of time enjoying the views and watching a bald eagle circle the area, and then made her way back down the beach to finish her hike. Saturday’s hike was only the beginning to a very adventurous weekend for Rachel. Stay tuned to learn what came next. Until next time, be well.
