Two Churches, Two Towns

 

 

Did you realize that the lovely old church in Port Gamble, Washington (which you see on your way to Port Townsend or Port Angeles), was built in 1870 by two homesick Bostonians? They patterned their church after the 1836 church in Machias, Maine (right). See the similarities?

 

 

The Straits of Juan de Fuca. You’ve read about it, been on it and been by it many times, no doubt. But ever wondered where such a Spanish-sounding name got tagged onto this body of water?  In 1592 (100 years after the discovery of the New World by Columbus) the entrance to Puget Sound was first seen by Juan de Fuca, a Greek mariner in the service of the Viceroy of Mexico. De Fuca had been commissioned in that year to explore the west coast of the New World and claimed that he sailed along the California coast until he came to the latitude of 47 degrees and there, finding that the land tended north and northeast with a broad inlet of sea, he entered and sailed for more than twenty days. De Fuca was firmly convinced that he had discovered the “fabled Straits of Anian,” the connecting link between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The explorers who came after, the English especially, sought to discredit the performance and claims of de Fuca. He was pronounced a myth…his discovery a fable. Even Capt. Cook, while attempting to discover the illusive passage to the Atlantic Ocean entered this notation in his log book: “It is in the very latitude where we now are, that geographers have placed the pretended Strait of Juan de Fuca. But we saw nothing of it nor is there the least possibility that any such existed.”

The Green mariner was vindicated after all; the strait now bears his name even if it is not the “Strait of Anian.”

 

What is a “megacity” would you guess? The answer is: any city with a population of over 10,000,000 people.  And how many are there? You’d be amazed.  Asking Goggle’s help for “world most populous cities,” I browsed through a list of 1000 cities from all around the world.

Most populous city in the world? Tokyo, Japan. Followed by Delhi, Shanghai, Dhaka (in Bangladesh), Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Cairo, Beijing, Mumbai and Oskaka.  It makes sense that the majority of bigger cities are in China and India which are the two most populous countries.

The U.S. doesn’t make the list until #41: New York City. Next after that is Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia………. And that last is #323!  Seattle is #750. Frankly, I’m glad that we don’t have “megacities” in America.

China has six megacities; India has five. The source found by Google stated that “of nearly 8 billion people on Earth, 7% live in megacities (where population exceeds ten million).”

Point of the story: Be thankful for where you live.

Pullets in the Newspaper?

 

Newspapers..... Voice of the Community

 

FIND 2-Inch Nail In Baby's Throat - Spokesman Review, 5 Nov 1921

Cut Child's Windpipe and Use Magnet With Success

A nail two inches long as been removed from the lung of a 15-month-old baby at the Deaconess hospital. The child, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Dahlin of Nine Miles, swallowed the nail October 29th, and the mother did not discover the trouble until X-rays four days later disclosed the nail.

At the time the child choked (sic) until it was black in the face, but when Mrs. Dahlin was ready to start for town the trouble seemed to depart and the baby appeared normal. Later the lungs of the baby began filling with mucus and the mother brought the child to Dr. T.E. Hoxsey. On October 24 the child's condition seemed alarming and an operation was decided upon. Dr. O.M. Rott, a through specialist, assisted Dr. Hoxsey.

An incision was made in the neck through which the windpipe was cut. But inserting a powerful magnet the nail, which was two inches long, was drawn out. The parents of the baby report that it is well on the road to recovery. 

Grave Blankets ..... Something Old or New?

 

What Is a Grave Blanket?

A grave blanket is a handmade or commercially made evergreen arrangement that covers the ground of the grave. They are made of evergreen boughs and can be decorated with ribbons, bows, flowers, pine cones or baby's breath and are available in a variety of styles and sizes. Grave blankets are most often found in colder, northern regions of the country where traditional flower arrangements would not withstand the cold temperatures or snow. There are many reasons why grave blankets are placed on the graves of loved ones. The symbolic meaning is that the blanket will keep your deceased loved one warm for winter. Another reason is to honor and remember your beloved family member or friend.

** To Forget Is Vain Endeavor. Love's Remembrance Lasts Forever. 

Confederation Bridge: Connecting Canada

 In April 2023, I was blessed to take a deep dive into the history, geography, geology and culture of the far northeast corner of America,  the Canadian Maritimes and the St. Lawrence River and Seaway. Con su permisio, as they say in Spanish, I would like to share with you some of what I learned in these blog posts over the next couple of months. Hope you benefit and enjoy!

The Confederation Bridge was and is a very big deal for the Canadian Maritimes. Under the terms of Prince Edward Island's entry into the Confederation in 1873, the Government of Canada was obligated to provide "continuous" and "efficient" year-round transportation for people, goods and services between P.E.I. and the mainland.  Before the bridge, ferries were the only transportation to the island.

Completed in 1977, the 12.9 km (just over 8 miles) bridge was built by 2500 men and women, most having no experience to work on a project of this size in such often often harsh, frigid weather. 

It took our bus about ten minutes to cross the curved 8-mile bridge; curved "to ensure that drivers remain attentive and reduce the potential for accidents that experts believed happen more often on straight bridges."

The red (iron-rich) soil of Prince Edward Island (named for the son of King George III) is known world-wide for potatoes. Over 80 different potato varieties of spuds are grown on over 800 acres. The residents of P.E.I. are nicknamed "Spudheads" for good reason. 

F.Y.I. Spokane County is 1781 square miles; P.E.I. is 2185 square miles. "Our island has 200 churches, many big stone churches built in the 18th century. We either are very good or very bad," quipped the tour guide. 

YES, Anne of Green Gables is a premier tourist attraction on P.E.I. but I opted for the bridge.  

Lobsters By Degree

 In April 2023, I was blessed to take a deep dive into the history, geography, geology and culture of the far northeast corner of America,  the Canadian Maritimes and the St. Lawrence River and Seaway. Con su permisio, as they say in Spanish, I would like to share with you some of what I learned in these blog posts over the next couple of months. Hope you benefit and enjoy!

"Everything about lobsters depends on temperature!" taught David, the history presenter on our ship. He then explained that in the day, lobsters were so plentiful off the coast of New England that prisoners complained that they not be fed lobster more than three times a week! William Bradford wrote: "The best dish they present to us was a lobster without bread or anything and only a glass of spring water." But they soon became looked down upon and fed to prisoners. By the mid-1800s, lobster in New England was cheaper than chicken so the turn-around began. 

Lobster must be cooked in boiling water, 212o F.  The perfect temperature for a cooked lobster tail is 140o. 

Lobsters must be kept alive for once dead they spoil rapidly. Temps between 32o and 40o is the water temp ideal for keeping lobsters alive during shipment. And they are shipped around the world. (And you wonder why lobster is so expensive?)

Optimal seawater temp for lobsters is 59o; waters of this temp are found in the Atlantic from Labrador to Cape Cod. Lobsters are cold blooded and lobster larvae grow proportional to temperature. If the temp is just right, they grow rapidly and when mature enough the floating larvae sink to the bottom to grow up. It takes 7-8 years to grow a mature lobster. They are cannibalistic so farming them does not work. (And you wonder by lobster is so expensive?)

If the water temp rises to 68o (or above) the lobster experiences "psychological stress" (taught David). The Gulf of Maine has warmed faster lately than 99% of the world's waters (taught David). So as the southern water warms, the lobsters migrate north into colder water and the fisherman must move with them.  David said that a 7.7o temperature rise in bottom ocean waters is expected by the year 3000............what will Maine do?

Anyone who visits Maine likely craves Lobster Roll sandwiches the rest of their life; I know I do. Fairly expensive, a typical "roll" contains one pound of lobster meat. I can taste it even now!! 

Speeches of Two Chiefs

 In April 2023, I was blessed to take a deep dive into the history, geography, geology and culture of the far northeast corner of America,  the Canadian Maritimes and the St. Lawrence River and Seaway. Con su permisio, as they say in Spanish, I would like to share with you some of what I learned in these blog posts over the next couple of months. Hope you benefit and enjoy!

Some things have never changed throughout history; this is a sad-story truth. Two speeches, by two First Nations chiefs, separated by 3000 miles, reflect the same sentiment. (Seattle on the left.) 

In 1871, Chief Sweetgrass, a Cree, responded to Lt. Gov. Archibald regarding a treaty: "Great Father, I shake hands with you and big you welcome. We heard out lands were sold and we did not like it; we don't want to sell our lands; it is our property and no one has the right to sell them. We want you to stop the Americans from coming to trade in our lands and bringing firewater."

Everybody conveniently forgot a 1763 Royal Proclamation: "Lands which not having been ceded to or purchased by us, are still reserved for the Indians." 

In 1854, Chief Seattle, Duwamish tribe, spoke these words (the full speech printed out on four pages): "The great, and I presume, good, White Chief sends us word that he wishes to buy our land but is willing to allow us enough to live comfortably. This indeed appears just, even generous, for the Red Man no longer has rights that he need respect and the offer may be wise, also, as we are no longer in need of extensive country."

Chief Seattle's words continue:  "Your God is not our God! Your God loves white people and hates mine! He folds his strong protecting arms lovingly about the paleface and leads him by the hand.... but he has forsaken his red children, if they are really his. Our God, the Great Spirit, seems also to have forsaken us. Your God makes your people wax stronger every day; soon they will fill the land. Our people are ebbing away like a rapidly receding tide that will never return. The white man's God cannot love our people or he would protect them." 

How can we not be moved to better empathy and understanding by these words??