September 15, 2024
Birch Bay, Washington
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Birch Bay Sunsets over the San Juan Islands
Several readers have asked me, “Why did you move to Washington State from your hometown of Los Angeles?”
A number of reasons, actually, the first being FAMILY.
I have a son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren living in Seattle, a ninety-minute drive from my home in Birch Bay, Washington.
I have a second son, his girlfriend, and their new baby, my granddaughter, who lives in Bellingham, just twenty-five minutes away from my home in Birch Bay, Washington.
So, now, I get to see them once a month or more rather than once every year or two. Seeing them is Numero Uno. It has been great these past two-plus years.
Also, as an Octogenarian, I doubt there are any more books left in me. (Well, maybe one or two? We’ll see?)
A second reason is that moving from a rented apartment in “The Valley” near Studio City, with its congestion, high rents, and “no dogs allowed,” to a rural life with open space, privacy, and reasonable prices allowed me to buy a home again.
I found a new 1200sqft manufactured home, a 3bdrm, 2bath on a private lot with a view of the bay and the San Juan islands, for sale for $330,000. (You can’t buy a “fixer-upper” apartment in Studio City for anywhere near that.)
Then there is the countryside. It is rural, with no traffic and quiet. Black Bears are occasionally seen nearby on the county roads. Squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, and possums are all very polite, and the river salmon hardly make a ripple.
The third reason, once I settled in, was the hunt and finding of a new love! It didn’t take me long; she was just one county away at Skagit Rescue. Rima, a one-year-old (Chorkie, Chihuahua/Yorkie mix, now three), was waiting quietly behind bars for me. I sprung her, and we have been best buds ever since. Strong bonding. As soon as I got her home, she checked out the place and suggested I add a good-sized desk off the back with a view of the Bay and Islands.
Done! Now, that has become our favorite room. (See photos below.)
There were other reasons, but these were the main ones. A Quiet Life, before existing stage left.
And the great part is that I’m just a Zoom away from my good friends and other family in Los Angeles, Da Valley, Santa Monica, Long Beach, and Rancho Palos Verdes.
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Rima (middle) inspecting construction work on the new deck
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