It is a glorious day at the beach.  Of course, it’s always a good day at the beach.  But then there are days like today, when the sun shines brightly and the sky smiles down in blue wonder.  I’m not really sun-obsessed.  I’m sun-starved.

There have only been something like 8 days resembling today’s glow and warmth in recent memory.  This summer just hasn’t really shown up.  So, days like today are downright magical.

Bless the City of Long Beach for planting along our roadsides this year.  Aren’t the results beautiful?

I didn’t think it was going to happen.  I really didn’t.  And then *poof* the sun made a showing today!

Honestly, weather is one of my favorite things about driving through the Chinook Tunnel (roughly WA milepost 3 on Hwy 101).  That’s the tunnel that goes beneath Fort Columbia State Park and somehow separates two worlds.   It is absolutely eerie, in a very cool way, how the weather can be bright and sunny on one side and overcast on the other.  It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re driving toward Ilwaco or Astoria.  It works both ways, making it kind of like unwrapping a little weather present on each drive through.

I like little surprises like those.  Don’t you?

I forgot to snap a picture of the tunnel today, darnit.  So, instead, let me share a few facts I found on bridgehunter.com:  Built 1932, the Chinook Tunnel is 799.9 feet long and carries a traffic of approximately 4,440 cars daily.  Don’t you feel smarter now?

I am totally jamming on “Street View” in Google maps:

Today was Jake the Alligator Man’s Birthday Jam.  Holy gators, Batman!  Event coordinators Gayle Borchard and Wendy Murry put together a day that had something for everyone.  I had the pleasure of being on the cake serving team.  The Cottage Bakery created a cake to beat all cakes!  8 full sheet cakes in size, 180 pounds and serving 400, with Jake himself the full length of the chocolate and vanilla wonder.  It arrived at the City of Long Beach pocket park in front of Marsh’s Free Museum by police escort, carried by four strong men like a woman on a palkhi. Ice cream was donated by Scoopers and the Big Dipper and both were served to the enjoyment of all after a rousting round of the Happy Birthday Song in Jake’s honor.

Don Nisb

Nisbett, of Ilwaco’s Crew House Gallery, did an outstanding job on the poster art.  I think Gayle and team are putting the original artwork up on eBay.  The t-shirts and sweatshirts bore the artwork and looked great (zap a note to jake@funbeach.com if you want to buy one), but the art posters are the really impressive part.  Don signed a limited edition of 400 and they’re only $25!

Things heated up in the evening with Wendy Murry’s adult program.  There was a body art show, quite the burlesque show (at least one City Council member was seen with blushed cheeks…), music by the Portland’s own psychedelic garage punk band “Snow Bud” and then there was Dingo… I’m not sure how to describe that delightful freak of nature.

Jake has been a favorite of visitors to Long Beach for as long as I can remember.  I see Jake bumper stickers all over Portland and even saw one in Los Angeles last month.  It’s great to see him getting his due.  Thanks, Gayle & Wendy, for putting together such a great event!  If you didn’t catch Jake’s interview with the Chinook Observer, or see the photos of him visiting friends around the Peninsula, it’s worth a click.

Photos of Jake’s birthday Jam are on funbeach.com/events/jake.

I love Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula.

I spent today in Long Beach, enjoying two fabulous birthday parties.  First, it was off to the South Pacific County Humane Society, for Luigi’s birthday:

Most visitors to the shelter know Luigi, our beloved shelter mascot. He came to the shelter over 10 years ago as a young tom cat, and just kept hanging around… Luigi supervised the building, and “helped” the workers with their lunches. It wasn’t long after the shelter opened, that we noticed that we seemed to be receiving an unusual number of little “Luigi look-a-likes” as strays from the area surrounding the shelter. It seemed our young tom cat with the great mustache was a big hit with the local kitty ladies. We weren’t sure if Luigi belonged to anyone, but we figured if we had him “tutored” he might get mad and go home…

Well, Luigi didn’t leave- he loved the shelter and has remained with us throughout the years. He still “helps” with staff lunches, and meets and greets our visitors. He is also an avid hunter, and often brings us “presents” from the wetlands.

These open houses are also to show our appreciation for our loyal supporters. Without you, our doors would not still be open, and we would not be able to provide good care for needy animals. Please join us so that we can say “thank-you” in person. And, oh, Luigi says you can bring him presents if you want…

I’ve got to say, the shelter volunteers did an outstanding job decorating the place.  Everywhere I turned there were photo boards with stories of Luigi.  Hot dogs were being served amongst a flurry of cat-print balloons.  Raffle tickets were being sold in a colorful display out front.  Happy people wandered beneath festive crepe paper streamers, meeting animals and remarking on recent remodeling projects.  And the food!  Geez Louise!  Those folks really outdid themselves with trays of goodies everywhere.  Throw them a bone if you have an extra lying around.  They are a completely community-funded no-kill shelter.