A Showstopper Storm Surge Slaps Waves at Seattle's Alki Point Statue of Liberty

During my many years of living in Washington I do not recollect ever seeing a storm  tossing waves to the level they were tossed during what is being called a Showstopper Storm, yesterday, Saturday, November 29.

In the picture you are looking at the Statue of Liberty at Alki Point on Alki Beach in West Seattle.

If my memory is remembering correctly, and usually it does, the Seattle Statue of Liberty is normally nowhere near the water's edge.

Apparently the Showstopper Storm's high winds came at the same time as a high tide, with the wind causing a storm surge, pushing the water far higher than the norm.

You can see more photos of what the storm at the West Seattle Blog, which is where I found the photo above. The West Seattle Blog also has a couple videos of the storm.

For those who did not know that there is a Statue of Liberty in Seattle at Alki Beach, the reason for Miss Liberty being at that location is interesting.

From the Wikipedia Alki Point article...

The original name of the settlement was "New York Alki," "Alki" being a word in Chinook Jargon (Wawa) meaning "eventually" or "by and by." The name "New York" may have been chosen because it was the state of origin of several of the settlers. However, the next April, Arthur A. Denny abandoned the site at Alki for a better-situated site on the east shore of Elliott Bay, just north of the plat of David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. This site is now known as Pioneer Square.

So, the original settlers thought that the town now known as Seattle would become another New York, eventually.

Well, Seattle did become a big city, eventually. I suspect much bigger than the original settlers ever dreamed it might become...

Is The Skagit River Getting Ready To Test Mount Vernon's New Flood Wall?

Two days after Thanksgiving the Skagit River is in flood mode.

In the photo that would be my great nephew, Spencer Jack, and an un-identified girl friend playing in the Skagit River, which is currently flooding Lion's Park at the north end of Mount Vernon's downtown.

I do not know if the Skagit is expected to reach a flood level high enough to trigger the first test of Mount Vernon's new flood wall.

For some reason I thought Lion's Park was also protected by the new flood wall. Clearly I was in error.

This would appear to be, currently, a very mild flood.

I remember a Thanksgiving Weekend Flood of the Skagit River, back in the last decade of the previous century. Hundreds of people, including the National Guard, worked through the night to build a sand bag flood wall to save downtown Mount Vernon from a record breaking flood.

But, just as the river began to crest, with a huge crowd on high ground watching the expected calamity, suddenly, just as the river began  to go over the wall of sand bags, it dropped a foot. A miraculous Act of God? I'm sure that is what some thought.

But soon sirens began wailing and the news spread that the Skagit River dike had breached downriver from downtown Mount Vernon, flooding Fir Island with a catastrophic wall of water.

When the flood subsided the breach was repaired. And then two weeks later it happened again. Another record breaking flood.

I hope Mount Vernon's new flood wall does what it is expected to do, which is keep downtown Mount Vernon dry.

Spencer Jack Taking His Snowy Thanksgiving Turkey To Leavenworth

This morning I learned, via Facebook, that my great nephew, Spencer Jack, has taken his dad, my favorite nephew Jason, on a pre-Thanksgiving visit to Washington's #1 themed tourist town, Leavenworth.

I did not realize til seeing the photo documentation that so much snow has landed on the ground in Washington, well before winter's arrival next month.

I have visited Leavenworth in the dead of winter, in the Christmas time frame, to find the ground covered with a lot of snow. I recollect cross country skiing on Leavenworth's cross country ski trails.

Til this morning it had never crossed my mind to wonder why Leavenworth is named Leavenworth. Why would a Bavarian themed town share the same name with an infamous prison in Kansas?

According to the Wikipedia Leavenworth Prison article that particular Leavenworth is named after Colonel Henry Leavenworth, who chose the site of the future prison to be a fort, which I guess he named after himself.

In the Wikipedia Leavenworth Washington article I learned  that the Washington Leavenworth is not named after the same guy who has a prison that uses his name....

The first route across Stevens Pass was built by the Great Northern Railway in 1892. The town site was across the Wenatchee River from Icicle and was named Leavenworth the same year the rail construction began. Captain Charles Leavenworth, president of the Okanogan Investment Company, purchased the land in the present-day downtown and laid the streets parallel to the new railroad tracks.

I have absolutely no memory of train tracks in Leavenworth, let alone a train station, which the Wikipedia article says is called Icicle Station.

I really think it would behoove Leavenworth to change the town's name to something more Bavarian, a name more suited to its Alpine look.

However, having said that, I am drawing a total blank as to what a Bavarian type name for Leavenworth might be....

Heading to Tacoma Today to Pour Wine at the Lost & Found Thriftique

Come on down, or up, to the Lost & Found Thriftique in beautiful downtown Tacoma for an Open House where I am expected to be attired like a waiter, complete with apron, so as to look respectable, whilst serving a variety of fine Washington wines to cold, thirsty shoppers.

As you can see the address for Lost & Found Thriftique is 118 North Tacoma Avenue.

You can find the Lost & Found Thriftique on Facebook.

Operating Hours are from 10 am til 5 pm.

Or til the wine runs out....

Elf's Warning Santa Not To Eat Brownies Left For Him In Washington Or Colorado

I saw this on Facebook and thought it was a bit amusing.

Santa's Elf giving the ol' guy pre-flight instructions well ahead of the upcoming Christmas, warning Santa that "No Matter How Tempting, Do Not EAT any Cookies or Brownies Left Out For You in Colorado or Washington!"

Probably good advice for Halloween trick or treaters too.