"Dash Point Adventure" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

 Jenna found out a month before school was over that her parents were going on a "Second Honeymoon" to Europe and that she was going to stay with her Aunt and Uncle near Tacoma, Washington until her parents got back.

Jenna tried to be supportive, but she couldn't help but  think of all the things she was going to do with her best friend Michelle this Summer.

The day after school was over, Her parents took Jenna to the airport. Jenna felt so grown up getting on the plane by herself. In a about six months, she was going to be sixteen.

Several hours later, the jet landed at Sea-Tac Airport and Jenna looked around the crowded luggage pick-up for her Aunt Terri and Uncle Bob.

After about twenty minutes, Jenna spotted them. They looked about the same as they did the last time she had seen them at a family reunion the year before.

"How was the flight?" her Aunt asked.  "At first, I was scared being on the plane without Mom and Dad, but after about an hour I got used to it." Jenna said honestly.

"How would you like to get something to eat?" her Uncle Bob asked.  "Sounds good. Jenna replied. After leaving the airport, they stopped at a small Cafe' and had hamburgers.

After eating, Uncle Bob took a narrow road that partially followed the Puget Sound shore. Being from Iowa, Jenna loved the inland sea that cut deep into Washington State's western half.

Her Uncle eventually stopped at an old house that sat directly on the beach. "Can I stay in the room that I had the last time I was here?" Jenna asked her Aunt. Her Aunt Teri smiled. "I spent the last few days getting it ready." she said. 

After entering the home, Jenna offered to help  with dinner, but her Aunt suggested that she should go to her room and rest for a while. Jenna had to admit that she was tired.

Her room was on the second floor with a big window that looked right out on the Sound. Jenna collapsed on the big bed and in a few minutes she was asleep.

The sound of thunder woke her. Jenna was fascinated by the view from her window. Lightning lit up the water followed by the crash of thunder.  For a few seconds, Jenna watched  as an old sailing ship was illuminated by the lightning flashes. After a few seconds the ship disappeared.

The next morning, Jenna went downstairs to find her Aunt in the kitchen. "You must have been really tired. You slept right through dinner." she remarked.  "I was." Jenna admitted. "Did the storm wake you.?" her Aunt asked putting a plate of pancakes in front of her niece.

Jenna nodded. "The thunder was really loud." She decided it was best  not o mention the disappearing ship. 

"Any plans for today?" her Aunt asked. I think I will just do some exploring if It''s ok with you." "Just be back for lunch." Her Aunt said.

Outside, the sun was shining. It was hard to believe that just a few hours before a storm had been raging. Jenna sat on a smooth rock on the beach and texted her friend Michelle everything that had happened so far including the ghost ship. Jenna also texted her parents tot tell them that she had arrived safely.

Jenna was watching the antics of a flock of Seagulls when the hottest boy  that  she had ever seen strode out of the surf. For once, Jenna was tongue-tied. The boy took a towel from behind a gym bag hidden behind a log and began to dry off.

"The Sound is a little chilly this morning." he remarked. Jenna could only nod. " Do you live around her? he asked.  "I'm visiting my Aunt and Uncle, Jenna said pointing at the house. "The Bakers? They are good friends with my parents. The boy held out his hand "I'm Matt Fischer. We just live just down the beach." Jenna took Matt's hand"Jenna Ryan" she said releasing his hand.

"How would you like to go sailing sometime? Matt asked. "You have a boat?"  Jenna asked. Matt looked down. "Well, it's my parents' boat, but they let me use it sometimes." he answered sheepishly. "I'll have to ask my Aunt and Uncle first, but if they say yes, I would love to go." Jenna answered. Matt's face broke into a huge smile. 

Jenna's Aunt and Uncle approved of the sailing trip as long as she always wore a life jacket and they stayed in the area. Matt brought the sailboat by the next morning. Jenna had never seen a sailboat up close. "The Islander" was about twenty feet long with multi-colored sails that were furled to the mast.

Matt handed her a life jacket as she stepped on the boat and he showed her how to strap it on. As Jenna took a seat, Matt pulled a lever and the boat slowly headed out into the sound. The weather was beautiful and the water was calm. "When do we use the sails?" Jenna asked. "Unfortunately, there isn't enough wind right now to use the sails." Matt answered. 

Matt kept the sailboat close to the beach and at one point, he let Jenna operate the tiller. Around noon, Matt turned off the engine, dropped the anchor and they had lunch.  "You are so lucky to be able to live here." Jenna commented. Matt laughed "You probably wouldn't say that when it rains month after month during the winter." After lunch, Matt took "The Islander" back to her Aunt and Uncle's dock. "Did you have fun?" he asked. "It was great." Jenna said truthfully and gave Matt a light hug.

That night, Jenna had a nightmare about the ghost ship sinking in a terrible storm. The dream was so realistic that Jenna remembered the next morning where the sinking occurred.

Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day with a light wind and Matt asked her if Jenna would like to take the boat out again. This time, Matt was able to open the sails and "The Islander" flew across the water.

Later in the afternoon, they approached Vashon Island and the area suddenly seemed familiar to Jenna. This was the place from her dream. Jenna asked Matt to anchor the boat at a spot on the west side of the island. Jenna looked into the clear water and sure enough she could see the remains of something resting on the bottom. They spent the rest of the afternoon cruising around Vashon Island and Jenna learned a little about  how to work the sails.

Jenna was having so much fun that she forgot that her parents' trip to Europe was just about over. On her last day at Dash Point, Matt let her be the skipper of "The Islander" and he played First Mate. They cruised most of the day and had lunch near the city of Tacoma. 


The next morning, Jenna was packed and ready to go. Dash Point almost felt like home and she hated to go, but her parents had suggested that Jenna might be able to come back again. She could hardly wait.

Short Story- "The Pet Part Two The Hunter" by Craig Zimmerman

The Hunter's life was told in the many scars scattered across his body.

A few years before in Siberia, a massive  Bear had nearly killed him. In Africa, a pack of Jackals took two fingers from his left hand. In Texas, a wild Boar was able to sink its tusks into The Hunter's shoulder.

Long-distance killing did not appeal to The Hunter. Anyone could look through a rifle scope and shoot an animal from a hundred yards away. The Hunter wanted his quarry to have a chance to kill him.

The Hunter was resting at his cabin in Montana when one of his friends sent him an e-mail about the sighting of a large beast in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State.The Hunter trusted his friend enough to plan a trip to Washington.

The Hunter rented a small cabin near the small community of Greenwater and pretended to be just another tourist.The day after his arrival, The Hunter unobtrusively began searching for any sign of the beast mentioned in the newspaper articles.

For several days there was nothing, but then one of the locals told him that the beast had recently been spotted near the house of a Mr. Mike Hessler.

The Hunter decided to concentrate his search around Hessler's property.

For three nights, The Hunter  patrolled the forest around Hessler's house, but there was no sign of anything. On the fourth night, he saw something massive exiting what he assumed was a basement door. Using infra-red binoculars, The Hunter studied what appeared to be a seven foot, two-legged animal covered with a layer of thick fur. He estimated  that the beast  weighed at least three hundred pounds.

Using infra-red binoculars, The Hunter followed the animal into the hills. Eventually he noticed the animal heading towards a point of light on a bluff that was probably a campfire. The Hunter checked the crossbow that he always carried on hunting trips and rushed towards the unsuspecting campers.

The Hunter arrived at the campsite to find the massive beast attacking a man and a woman. The Hunter immediately put an arrow into the leg of the animal. The Beast, turned away from his victims and in a flash of speed he ran at The Hunter. A second arrow from the crossbow went into the animals shoulder before he could reach The Hunter. 

Bellowing with pain and rage, The beast uprooted a tree and threw it at the Hunter. The impact of the tree destroyed The Hunter's shoulder and crossbow.

The Hunter drew his ten inch Bowie and stared at the furious animal. "|Cmon and get it you son of a bitch" he said quietly. The animal approached sure of its victory. Just then, one of the campers, tossed a rock at the animal to distract it which gave The Hunter just enough time to sink his knife into the belly of the beast. The animal screamed in pain and clutched at the knife. The blood loss from the other wounds had weakened the animal and the fight was over.

From the woods, a man  that The Hunter recognized as Hessler emerged and stood over the dying beast "You didn't need to kill William" he said with tears streaming down his face. 

Book Review- "The Fox Island Cup" Gene L. Nihart

Having lived in Western Washington for most of my life, I don't understand why so few writers locate their works in this magnificent area.

The young adult novel "The Fox Island Cup" by Gene L. Nihart is set in the South Puget Sound near the city of Tacoma. Fox island is a not far from the Narrows bridge with connects Tacoma with Kitsap County.

Twelve year old Sammy loves sailing her boat "The Gull" through the waters near Fox island and dreams of beating the rich kids in The Fox island cup race.

Even for those who know little about sailing(like myself) you will enjoy the strong, likable characters and exciting story of The Fox Island Cup.

Short Story- Lahar by Craig Zimmerman

For centuries, Mount Rainier stood quiet, but over the years acidic water flow within the volcano weakened the rock that supported the massive summit of the mountain.

On one ordinary Monday afternoon, a massive earthquake shook the mountain and the weakened summit collapsed. Millions of tons of mud, snow, ice, and rock poured down the slopes of Rainier.

The earthquake did considerable damage to the roads and buildings of the small town of  Orting which was directly in the path of the mud flow now moving at 40 miles an hour. 

Thanks to an early warning system, Orting authorities immediately began an evacuation, but it wasn't easy moving thousands of residents away from the danger on damaged and already congested roads.

A few miles to the west was the much larger city of Puyallup. Even in the best of times, Puyallup has heavy traffic, now panicked Orting residents created instant traffic jams.

Less then an hour after the earthquake, the mud flow reached Orting crushing everything in its path. The city of Puyallup was now chaos with everyone trying to flee at once. Some people simply left their cars and started running away from the mud flow.

After burying Orting, the lahar slowed somewhat, but it still had enough energy to obliterate downtown Puyallup.  The mud flow continued on until it reached the Port of Tacoma and finally stopped not far from the Puget Sound.

A swath of destruction more then 50 miles long and 20 miles wide was left by the Lahar.

Book Review-" Breaking Blue" by Timothy Egan

"Breaking Blue"  by Timothy Egan is a true story of police corruption and an unsolved murder in Depression-era Spokane, Washington.

 I spent my first years in Spokane, so I know many of the places written about in the book, but even if you are not overly familiar with the inland Northwest, you will be fascinated by this story of crooked cops, gangsters, politicians, and a generation struggling to survive the brutality of the Great Depression.

Book Review- "Starvation Heights" by Gregg Olsen

"Starvation Heights" by Gregg Olsen is a fascinating piece of history from the tiny town of Olalla, Washington  which is across the Puget Sound from Seattle.

Doctor Linda Burfield Hazzard created the Wilderness Heights Sanitarium in Olalla in the early 1900s. Doctor Hazzard believed that extreme fasting was the cure to most if not all ailments. 

After Dr. Hazzard's fasting treatment led to the death of one her patients, she was charged with murder. Starvation Heights is a well-written and well-researched account of  what was a nearly forgotten piece of Washington State history.

Whiteout- Something hungry is coming down from the hills.

Julie Erickson looked out her kitchen window and marveled at the beauty of the Cascade Mountains. After years of saving and careful investing, Julie had finally been able to afford a cabin in the tiny community of Greenwater, Washington state.

  It was a long commute to her teaching job in the town of Enumclaw, but she never regretted it. Julie looked up at a sky filled with dark clouds. A bad storm had been forecast. Julie had lived in Washington state her entire life, but the fierce mountain weather could be frightening.

 After correcting  some papers, Julie settled in front of the fireplace with a good book. The warm fire lulled Julie into a deep sleep until a loud crash woke her several hours later. A terrible windstorm was tearing the branches from trees.

 Julie tried to see outside, but the wind and snow made visibility impossible. The power was also out. From past experience, Julie knew that the best thing to do  was just  relax and wait it out. She had plenty of food and the fireplace kept the cabin warm.

 Julie went back to her book. About an hour later, she became aware of a strange shuffling noise outside the cabin. Probably just an Elk she thought. Sometime later, there was a scratching on her door.

Julie got up and went to her landline phone. Cell phones were pretty much useless in the mountains. The phone was dead too. The scratching at the door grew louder. Her nearest neighbor was about a quarter of a mile away, but finding him in this storm would be difficult. A heavy thump on the door convinced Julie to put on her winter coat and boots.

 The next blow shook the door. Julie started for the back door as something smashed in her front door. Outside, the snow was so heavy that Julie wasn't sure which direction to go. Behind her,something growled and Julie ran blindly through the storm.

 The next morning, the only trace of Julie that could be found was one of her boots lying next to huge bloody footprints that led up into the hills.

   
      

Short Story- The Ghost of the Yukon Joy

Deena had been shocked to learn the week before that she had inherited her Uncle's house on Orcas Island. Deena had loved her Uncle Robert dearly, but she never imagined that he would leave her his home.

The old house stood on a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound. The house was over one hundred years old and it was said that a steamboat captain was the original owner.

For the time being, Deena would have to keep her job at the bank in Tacoma, but her long-term plan was to convert the  house to a bed and breakfast.

A month after her Uncle's funeral, Deena decided to clean up the old house. Deena accumulated an amazing collection of junk during her cleaning and planned for a garage sale.

During the sale, an older woman approached her and held out her hand. "I'm Laura, your next door neighbor." the woman smiled. Deena shook her hand "I'm Uncle Robert's niece" Laura
nodded."We met when you were a little girl." but I wasn't sure that you remembered."  Deena shook her head "I'm sorry I don't. I wish that we had visited the island more."  Laura looked at the house. "I knew Robert for more then thirty years, but I only saw him a few times a year.That's just the way he was."

Laura abruptly changed the subject. "Have you seen the ghost ship?" she asked Deena. "Ghost ship?" Deena asked. Laura smiled, "a hundred years ago, the steamship "Yukon Joy" went down in these waters.The legend goes that the ship appears to those who are doomed." Deena shivered. "Is that true?" Laura grew serious for a moment. "My father saw the ship when I was a little girl. not long after he was killed in an accident." Laura shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't know why I brought that up. Just an old woman rambling about the past." Deena suddenly felt sorry for Laura. She was probably very lonely now that one of her friends had died.

"How about if we have lunch tomorrow?" Deena asked. The tragedy of the past left Laura's face. "That would be very nice. I better be going now." Deena watched the old woman walk to her distant home.

 Deena made several hundred dollars at the garage sale. She decided to place it in an envelope in her Uncle's desk before she took it to the bank on Monday. When Deena opened the main drawer, she found a book that she hadn't noticed before. The book was her Uncle's journal. Deena flipped through it and found that most of the entries were about weather and other mundane topics. The last entry was different:  As usual Uncle Robert recorded the weather and then this: " I saw the ship last night." Her Uncle died a few days  after that last entry.

Deena refused to believe in superstitious nonsense, but a feeling of dread would not leave her. To make things worse, a heavy rain began before she left on the ferry to go back home.

All that week, rain pelted the Puget Sound region and it was still storming when Deena returned to the island the next Saturday. Deena stayed indoors all day reading and went to bed early. The rain woke Deena and she got up and walked to the window overlooking the sound. A ship was making its way past the island. Deena looked closer. The ship was an old-fashioned steamer and it was transparent! Suddenly, Deena felt the house move and heard a cracking noise. A few moments later, the movement was more violent. Something was terribly wrong and Deena knew that she had to get out.

Deena just made it outside, when the heavily saturated foundation gave way and the house began to slide down the hill to the sound. Deena looked to the sound and watched the ghost steamer slowly fade away.

Favorite places-Wilbur, Washington

wilburwa.com    The town of Wilbur,Washington is located on old highway 2 in Lincoln County about 70 miles west of Spokane. Wilbur is one of those genuinely, friendly small towns that you  don't see very  much of anymore.So much of America has been franchised that one city looks just like another.If you are tired of endless look-alike strip malls and tourist traps, travel to Wilbur and have a nice breakfast at Doxie's Dine IN and then take a walk in the desert. The desert of eastern Washington is a place of rare beauty and you will see many bird species as well as other wildlife species.

Lahar Danger

Mount Rainier rises above the town of Orting, Washington. Around Orting are signs warning about the danger of a "Lahar" and giving directions to the evacuation route. A  "Lahar" is a fast moving mud flow from a mountain or a volcano. A Lahar may be caused by an earthquake or an eruption. 500 years ago, a mud flow from Mount Rainier devastated the entire area reaching all the way to what is now Tacoma.

Trip to Dash Point

The other day, I took a trip to Dash point to gather some driftwood. Dash Point is a Puget Sound Beach park in Federal Way, Washington. Not far from Dash Point is Dumas Bay wildlife sanctuary. Dumas Bay sanctuary  is primarily for Great Blue Herons. At one time, Dumas Bay park was clogged with English Ivy and Blackberry bushes, but I noticed that volunteers have removed a great deal of the invasive plants.

   The beach between Dumas Bay and Dash Point was littered with debris, including the usual cans and  various plastics. Someday humans will learn to stop using our waterways and wetlands as a garbage can.

Don't Feed Wildlife

The following item appeared in the June 30, 2010 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune: "Washington state wildlife officials say five black bears being fed by people on the Long Beach Peninsula had to be euthanized  because they were too used to people.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday that agency officers and biologists relocated five other bears to Mount Rainier National Park. Meat from the euthanized was donated to an area food program.

Officials say most of the feeding was done at one house in Oysterville, where the resident told officers about spending $4,000 a year on dog food to feed the bears.

Neighbors called for help when increasingly more bears showed up looking for food.

Officials say that bears that are too habituated to people are potentially dangerous and cannot be relocated."


 My comment: The lesson from this story is: Don't Feed Wildlife, and teach your children the same