Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Saying that I spent two summers working at a shrimp cannery in Bay Center doesn't fully explain my connection to Willapa Bay. The full explanation is that I grew up there. Much of what is good and bad about me stems from my time spent there. While I worked there for two summers, I didn't work there for six more. In fact, I spent every summer, from age 11 to 19, living on the bay. And I do mean living. For two months each year, I was free to explore. I explored the bay. I explored the forests around it. I explored the streams that flow into it. I learned about fishing, geology, girls, and drinking. I learned to play softball and win. Many firsts occurred in Bay Center. I drove a car. I got drunk. I got laid. After a summer on Willapa Bay, I could spend the rest of the year being my calm, normal self. Now that I don't have those summers, being calm and normal is much harder. But the memories still calm me. When I need to, I still sit on the bluff, watch the sun fade beneath the bay, listen to the wind, and ponder the future. 2:31:35 PM     Comment []

Tidepool.org reports that the Dept of Fish and Wildlife is eliminating two research positions at the Willapa Bay Field Station. The cutback will undermine research that helps maintain the oyster fishery. Willapa Bay is a remarkably pristine estuary on the southern Washington coast. It is a major producer of oysters on the west coast. I once spent two summers working in a shrimp cannery in Bay Center, WA. 1:18:14 PM     Comment []

One of the reasons that I have been quiet the last couple of days is that I have been busy. ES Designs is hosting three more websites. Gustine City Band Bark in the Park NCSF Alumni All three were existing sites, but they were moved to Manila to make them easier to update and maintain. 2:18:43 AM     Comment []