Today is Monday, August 7, 2023
On this day in history…
1888- The first of the murders committed by Jack the Ripper took place in London’s East End.
Spotlight Photo
Quote of the Week
“If you think you can, you’re right; and if you think you can’t, you’re right.”
– Mary Kay Ash
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
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.
In Quebec a married person cannot legally take the last name of their spouse. When filling out official documentation (like a driver’s license or a contract), people in Quebec must use the surname they were born with (although socially they can use whatever name they wish).
In 1938 Swiss chemistry student Franz Greiter suffered a sunburn while mountain climbing in the Alps and set out to develop a way to prevent this. Eight years later he launched Glacier Cream, one of the earliest effective sunscreens.
Early visitors to Yellowstone National Park’s Upper Geyser Basin (where Old Faithful can be found) amused themselves by washing clothes and boiling eggs in the geothermal waters.
Forest Therapy
46.8800° N, 121.7269° W
Kitty Korner
13 weeks old
Ha, I get top this week, Brady, take that! My human has been trying to capture a picture of me sleeping but I hear her approaching every time. As you will see in this week’s photo, she is fascinated by the fact that I sleep flat on my belly with my legs and arms straight out behind and in front of me. I suppose if you have nothing else exciting in your life, this may be fascinating. She needs a hobby.
– Belichick (Beli)
Whatever, Beli, I will get back up there eventually. I was photographed during a play moment with my pink pom pom. My human couldn’t get a clear shot because I am a wild man but I gave her a break and froze for a moment to allow her to take a shot. She’s earned it this week. We both decided to get diarrhea, for days, at the same time. She’s been through the ringer.
– Brady
Alec & Zahra’s Adventures
Alec and Zahra recently visited Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. They enjoyed a 25-mile hike and two-night backpacking trip. They were fortunate to have no bear encounters but fortunate to get to see wild ponies. They ran into a herd of four and were able to get very close. Alec explained that they didn’t seem scared at all. One night during the trip they had set up camp atop the mountain when a storm came through so quickly that they had to ditch their tent and head for shelter. They were not alone, as other hiker/campers were also in tow for safety. They all hunkered down in a small shelter until the storm passed and then returned to their tents. Crisis averted.
Alec is Rachel’s youngest son, who is currently living in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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?
GUMPTION
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day on Friday, August 4, 2023
Meaning
Gumption means “courage and confidence,” or in other words, “initiative.”
Story of the Week
Harbor WildWatch Walk
On Friday, July 7, 2023, Rachel joined her friend, Mira, along with Mira’s kids, Aubrey and Zach, at Sunrise Beach Park in Gig Harbor, Washington for a low tide beach exploration with Harbor WildWatch. Harbor WildWatch is a local environmental education organization that was started in 2004.
During the summer, they host low tide beach walks and provide a Marine Biologist as a tour guide. The Marine Biologist teaches attendees all about the local wildlife and provides hands on education. Attendance is free and unlimited.
For this Friday Sunrise Beach Park walk, the Marine Biologist’s name was Rachel, who will be referred to as MB Rachel for clarity purposes. There was a decent crowd for the walk, and MB Rachel explained that her largest gathering had been roughly 200 people. Can you imagine?
The crowd was able to watch a couple of porpoises in the harbor during the walk, and thanks to low tide, there was plenty for MB Rachel to teach attendees. The kids in attendance showed gumption with no hesitation in touching everything that MB Rachel showed them.
What a fantastic service to offer the community. Along with the guided walking tours, the Harbor WildWatch also offers community science monitoring, junior naturalist camps, classroom, and field STEM workshops, as well as operation of a marine interpretive center. There truly are so many gems in the Pacific Northwest. Until next time, be well.
