ESCAPE TO THE SEA

Third Week, August 2008

This weekend while Michael Phelps was breaking swimming records in China we residents of Geekatopia were breaking heat records (Which serves us right for complaining so loudly about our frigid Spring). I woke well before dawn, flinging every window open, turning the fans to high - praying that the previous day’s stale heat would find its way out before the sun once more turned my house into a pizza oven. This is the Pacific Northwest - generally speaking only Bill Gates and his pals have household air conditioning. I have learned that if I can bring the house’s temperature down to seventy, then close things up tight, draping damp sheets or towels over every window I have a better than even chance of survival. Of course it’s like spending the day in a dripping cave but . . .

Hiding from the heat in my sheet shrouded cave I have had the chance to continue revisions on RV-GO Down to the Sea. Still have plenty of work to do before I can send it to you - it’s plenty rough even for a rough draft.
But it has been pleasant, during this heat wave, to mentally transport myself out to the misty coast. So pleasant that since I have a bit of vacation time coming to me I have decided to escape wilting Geekatopia for the prospect of cool, drizzling walks on the beaches of Westport! I’m getting out of here to cool off and (just coincidentally) flesh out my research into fishing trawlers and charming charter boat captains.


It will be interesting to see how Westport is weathering these blustery economic times. When I visited last Fall, condos were going up and heavy equipment was tearing out the wind-blown dune pines to make way for a golf course. Since then I have heard that hard times have pulled the plug on many of those ambitious projects - so sad if the pines died needlessly. And what happens to the denuded dunes? Probably nothing good when the winter storms hit the coast. I’ll look into it and send you a full report. In the meantime: more photos from Westport.