Ocean Adventures, Part 2: The Tsunami Evacuation Route

This is my second New Year's Resolution ocean adventure this year. My plan is to go to the ocean at least once a month and go to a different beach, harbor or port each time. Although most of the beaches will look alike, this one is different from the last one.

The beach got hit with snow, hail, torrents of rain and wind storms all last week so it's pretty beat up with logs, litter, and dead things. Water all the way up to the dunes. It can get very dangerous out there in bad weather. I remember once on my way to the ocean stopping in to see my grandparents. My grandmother was frantic, "Stay away from the water! The logs will get you!" She had just seen it on the news. Every now and then someone gets killed by flying logs being tossed about by the waves.

Still, beautiful and surprisingly sunny, although those blue skies are deceiving. It's very cold.

I tried out my new beach boots today. The water was so cold I couldn't tell if my feet were wet or just freezing. 

Lots of sea shells scattered over the sand, mostly from scallops and clams. My favorite are the sand dollars. They make me feel rich. Years ago before all the environmental legislation, it was rare to find whole sand dollars on the beach due to the water pollution. Now if I walk long enough I can fill a whole bucket. I bring them home, wash them, dry them, empty the sand out of them, and display them in bowls and planters.  I love sand dollars. I remember coloring the flower patterns as a kid.

One of the best memories I have from childhood is camping at the ocean. I loved the dunes. We'd pretend we were on safari, or crossing a desert, or we were wild horses on an island running through the trails. Great fun.

I love how being at the ocean peaks your senses: the salty smell of sea life, the crackle of shells under your feet, the constant roar of the waves.

These tsunami signs always make me laugh, although I know they are NOT funny. This one means turn around and run like hell!  See, that's me in the picture running very fast up a mountain. I know as loud as those ocean waves are, if they get quiet that's your cue to start running, but would I really be able to outrun a 200 foot wave? Not likely. And how much warning do you get? That's why I laugh because it seems so absurd. I suppose if I were already in my vehicle maybe I'd make it, but I think I'd need to see the water approaching to know what's happening and by that time it's probably too late. I see these signs all over and although my town actually does tsunami drills using horns as warnings, we all just stop what we are doing, look puzzled and think what the hell is that? I've never really taken the time to learn what I should do and where I should go. I figured I'd just head for the hills. Or my roof. I am a very bad citizen! Doomed for sure.

On the way back from the beach, another tsunami evacuation sign caught my eye. Maybe it's time to be a good citizen?  Why now? Heck, maybe the universe is giving me a warning. I've learned NOT to ignore warnings from the universe. So I followed it...

Initially, it took me parallel along the beach for about a mile. This doesn't seem like a very good plan if I'm not going away from the wave. Then another sign instructed turn right and off I went away from the beach.  I continued down the road and ended up in the cranberry fields of poison. Not sure if this is a safer plan.

Over the river, through the fields to Assembly Area Lucky Number 13 we go. Hmmm...maybe not such a lucky plan, but the view is spectacular:

I guess it's better than no plan. Can you see the ocean in the distance? Beautiful. (Pretend those cranberries aren't toxic....).

To Be a Bee: Where to Live?

The bees are disappearing. Hives are collapsing. It's an international crisis. Without bees, there is no pollination. Without pollination, there is no food. Without food, well...you get the picture.


WHY are the bees leaving? Bees are smart AND chemically sensitive. It seems researchers in France have found they are being poisoned by herbicides and bees are not happy about it. Of course, chemical companies in the United States are denying this and, in fact, controlling research to their advantage, but the French don't give a rat's ass about American money and have been filing lawsuits against some of the big international chemical companies in hopes of getting these chemical poisons banned. If the bees don't like the environment, they leave. They are smart.

Leaving, however, means going somewhere else. The question is WHERE? Where is it safe to live? Escaping environmental pollution is nearly impossible but you can make better choices to minimize exposure with a little research. Here are some issues to be aware of:

City  Living in a city with the overpopulation of people smells, vehicle exhaust, and industry is a health concern for everyone not just MCSers.  That brownish-yellow haze on the horizon is your first clue. There were days when driving on the freeway for no more than ten minutes would make me so ill I would have to exit, go home, and go to bed for the rest of the day!    Now that I live in the country, just driving into the city limits during the summer on the freeway makes my lungs and head hurt.  I've met other city transplants who moved to the country and their lifetime of headaches disappeared. Cities are quagmires of poison.

Moving out of the city is often the goal for anyone who is chemically sensitive, however, the country is no longer the safe haven we imagine:

Agriculture  Unless it's certified organic, expect any agricultural business will be spraying toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers several times a year. When I was shopping for a safe place to live I found this beautiful five acre property with a little house, barn, a field of blueberries and a little grove of forest. It was perfect. As I peered through the trees, just beyond the forest I could see a cranberry bog. Oh, how delightful!  I love cranberries! Then my brain kicked in, kicking and screaming, hoping against all odds these were organic cranberries. I drove down the road and saw one of the neighbors in her yard with her young children playing nearby so I stopped and asked about the property. "Oh, they only spray three times a year, but they send around letters to everyone so we know to stay inside for two weeks."  She was so nonchalant about it.  I have driven by cranberry farms as they are spraying. The sprayers are decked out in orange bio-hazard suits. Not a pretty sight! Besides vegetable and berry production, be aware of turf farms, golf courses, livestock ranches or factory farms, and tree farms, too. No one ever considers the dangers of a lovely apple orchard or a sweet Christmas tree farm nearby.

Industry  This form of environmental pollution might be little easier to recognize with the bellowing air pollutants or smell, but in some cases the poisons are invisible contaminating the ground or ground water. The movie Erin Brockovich is but one example of how deadly toxic environments can be. I recently read Buffalo, New York, has the highest rate of autoimmune diseases which is thought to be caused by the local industry.

Water Sanitation  Getting information on the local water supply is like pulling teeth, but keep in mind, all public water works are treated with chemicals for bacteria, parasites, and mud. Yes, mud! There is a chemical used to break up mud washes during the winter.  Chlorine and fluoride are the most common additives. Check out their testing schedules and treatment methods. I've heard through the gossip channels the chemicals added to my town's  water supply aren't even measured...the amounts are just guessed and dumped in. I get the impression city water is much more regulated. If you opt for acreage, having your own well is ideal and there are safer options for private water quality treatments.

Nuclear Waste and Radioactivity This warning sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but there are unbelievable environmental hazards due to nuclear testing from years ago.  I've read about a desert in Nevada used for atom bomb testing and the movie The Conqueror was filmed nearby. The radioactive fallout is blamed for cancer deaths of 91 out of the 220 cast and crew. Among those who died were John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Agnes Moorehead. Property is really cheap there!  Amidst the greenery of the Northwest,  nuclear waste contaminating ground and water is well-kept secret and studies show breast cancer and multiple sclerosis in this area are the highest in the country.  Coincidence?

So many of these environmental toxins are invisible, but they are there. Do as much research as possible before you move anywhere and don't rely on government sources. Ask the neighbors what they know, but keep it mind most are fairly ignorant believing if it wasn't safe, it wouldn't be happening. Once you realize there is no truly save place to live, you may need to opt for the lesser of evils.

The MCS mascot is a canary. I think it should be a bee.  What do you think?