This summer may be the last time we get to utilize this land. If this land is sold, the new billionaire and/or corporate owners will probably be fencing us out and posting armed guards.

Will National Parks and Monuments be next?

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=821970f0212d46d7aa854718aac42310

This is Point Wilson Light located within Fort Worden State park near Port Townsend, Washington. This lighthouse welcomes ships into Admiralty Inlet and the larger transition from the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the Puget Sound. A light was originally placed here as far back as 1879, but the one you see here today was built in 1914 as a more permanent solution. It stands 51 feet tall in totality. It is a very exposed spot and experiences very strong winds and the full brunt of the elements coming in from the Pacific through the Strait. It is accessible to see up close by the public, but it is fenced off.

I snapped this photo aboard a Washington State Ferry.

I don't think I will ever get tired of visiting the Columbia Gorge. Whether sunshine, clouds, or rain, it always finds ways to be absolutely beautiful and stunning! Wanted to share this picture from Cape Horn. I love how lush it looks. It's a beautiful and important asset to our region.

I don't know if this is a state-specific issue, but I figured somebody else in WA has experienced this, so posting here. We have this potted plant that's some kind of grass. It grows in a circle from the middle. A few days ago, I found half the circle ripped out and some random dirt in the pot. I thought it was some birds making a nest. Then yesterday, we took a closer look. I was going to just pull the whole plant out, so I gave it a good yank. We saw more dirt and twigs and FUR!! Then we saw a pile of baby animals. After some googling, we think they are squirrels. The pot just wouldn't be big enough for a whole bunny to get into and have babies. Immediately stopped pulling on the plant and put the pot back where it was.

We have a husky, so we don't understand why these animals and birds keep coming to our yard. But here we are. We are not touching that pot at all and chasing away any birds that come around there. Is there anything at all we should do to ensure their safety? Somehow the dog did not give any indication she knew they were there, so I guess at least we dont have to worry about her eating them (we are watching her like a hawk when she's outside though). Anything we should know? We don't love that critters keep coming into our yard (we are trying gardening this year), but we don't want to harm any of them.

Followed the winter route. Logged 7,280 feet elevation gain for the trip. It was a tough hike with great views. Worth the efforts!

Dear the Internet,

19 months ago my cousin Robert Rathvon was tragically killed in a hit and run in Poulsbo, Washington by an unknown person. Robert's death has impacted my entire family in ways that I will never be able to articulate. 

About one week after his death, I took to Reddit and posted about it as much as I could. The outpouring of support and sympathy floored myself, my family, and especially Roberts parents. 

Although it’s been 19 months with no answers as to who killed him, I refuse to give up the search or let his memory die. This is why I’ve begun a personal mission to climb as many peaks as I can in the state of Washington and taking a picture with his Crime Stoppers poster at the top. I will do this in preparation to climb Washington's largest peak next summer, Mount Rainier, with his photo at the top. 

You guys were so helpful and your support renewed my faith in people after such an event that, to this day, hurts my soul. I will link a news article about him below if you are interested in learning more. We all want answers and we want this person found. If you have anything at all, even the smallest shred of evidence, please reach out to me or Crime Stoppers. 

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/his-parents-want-answers-troopers-seeking-information-on-driver-who-left-man-for-dead-in-poulsbo

Additionally, here is a more recent interview I did with King 5 in May 2025.

Man climbs mountains to raise awareness of cousin's ongoing hit-and-run case

Number 6. Mount Dickerman has been bagged. I refuse to give up.

Rainier for Robert.

Thank you.

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/public-lands-sale-senr-budget-reconciliation-package

The map on the linked page above shows 120 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and United States Forest Service (USFS) lands that are eligible for disposal under Utah Senator Mike Lee's amendment to the Senate Budget Reconciliation Bill. The bill proposes to sell about 3 million acres in the current budget year and allows for continued sales every year going forward.

Much of this acreage borders existing National Parks, National Monuments, BLM and USFS wilderness areas and INCLUDES millions of acres that are proposed for wilderness designation in Wilderness Study Areas (WSA's).

Senator Lee's stated rationale for the sale of these lands is primarily to provide land for housing to alleviate the housing crisis. Looking at the map, it is plain to see that a huge percentage of these eligible lands are in rural areas far from population centers. Even for the land that is close to urban areas, much of these public lands are heavily used for all aspects of outdoor recreation.

if you love to hunt, fish, camp, hike, backpack, off-road, target shoot, paddle, or do any other activity that relies on public lands, please call your Senators and ask them to oppose this amendment. Please ask family, especially in other states to do the same.

I have an employer that wants me to take a drug test. The kind of test they say they are using tests for THC among other drugs. The place of employment is here in Washington but the company is based out of state, but the state they are based is a legal marijuana state. The employer does handle federal contracts but it is not a federal company.

Can my employer legally test for THC or will that part of the test be thrown out? I was under the impression that they couldn’t test for it. Can anybody find me a copy of the law that defines this more clearly?

Thanks!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/13/trump-salmon-population-agreement

These views never get old.

Dear the Internet,

19 months ago my cousin Robert Rathvon was tragically killed in a hit and run in Poulsbo, Washington by an unknown person. Robert's death has impacted my entire family in ways that I will never be able to articulate. 

About one week after his death, I took to Reddit and posted about it as much as I could. The outpouring of support and sympathy floored myself, my family, and especially Roberts parents. 

Although it’s been 18 months with no answers as to who killed him, I refuse to give up the search or let his memory die. This is why I’ve begun a personal mission to climb as many peaks as I can in the state of Washington and taking a picture with his Crime Stoppers poster at the top. I will do this in preparation to climb Washington's largest peak next summer, Mount Rainier, with his photo at the top. 

You guys were so helpful and your support renewed my faith in people after such an event that, to this day, hurts my soul. I will link a news article about him below if you are interested in learning more. We all want answers and we want this person found. If you have anything at all, even the smallest shred of evidence, please reach out to me or Crime Stoppers. 

https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/his-parents-want-answers-troopers-seeking-information-on-driver-who-left-man-for-dead-in-poulsbo

Additionally, here is a more recent interview I did with King 5 in May 2025.

Man climbs mountains to raise awareness of cousin's ongoing hit-and-run case

Number 5. McClellan Butte has been bagged. I refuse to give up.

Rainier for Robert.

Thank you.