Steve Hill, “the eagle whisperer,” branching out to photograph a young local lounging by the Ocean Lake Way approach:

This weekend, it’s the last razor clam dig of the season. But not in Ocean Shores, which has been closed for the season. There is digging allowed Friday through Sunday at “Mocrocks Beach,” which is north of the Copalis River and includes Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.
Low tide times:
Friday, May 20, 9:23 a.m., -1.7 ft;
Saturday, May 21, 10:09 a.m., -1.1 ft;
Sunday, May 22, 10:56 a.m., -0.5 ft;

According to the budget amendment that will be presented at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Ocean Shores is paying labor dispute settlements of nearly $200,000 for: 1) settlement with former Fire Chief Jim Hodges, $72,000; 2) settlement over ambulance billing, $25,446; and 3) furlough/COLA settlement, $99,721.

See you tomorrow, same place . . . Debbie Wells photo of our long-lost friend:

From Bill Black: Here is a picture of a Coyote I took yesterday, May 18 at about 5:45 PM. The coyote had caught and ate a squirrel in my yard and was walking away in this picture. The location was near Bass Ave at Overlake. Little dogs and cats beware.

Q1 2011 Windermere Gardner From Tom Quigg/Windermere Real Estate: Attached is your copy of the Windermere Real Estate – Gardner Report for the 1st Quarter 2011.   It provides analysis and commentary on the Western Washington real estate market.  . . . This month’s Gardner Report has mixed news for Grays Harbor, when compared to the counties reported.  In the first quarter, we were the worst county in percent change in annual employment, and second to the highest in rate of unemployment.   The good news is that our county has been steadily adding jobs because of the SR 520 Pontoon construction, the start-up of Cosmo Specialty Fibers, and other projects.   This should continue.

On the real estate side with respect to percentage changes in closed sales, and home price growth rate, we are in the mid-range of the counties reported.  In the median home price escalation rate, we fare better than most of the counties.

Press release just in, from the National Weather Service on the Copalis Beach radar station:

Construction on the new coastal Doppler weather radar continues with great progress!  This is an update on what is expected in the next couple of weeks.

This afternoon (click here for photos):

- the tower is raised – the legs and bracing making it ready for the radome floor

Courtesy of Tamzin Seaborne, and camera:

A reliable (more or less) source told me he saw “a 600 pound black bear, biggest I’ve ever seen” yesterday near the east end of Chance a la Mer.

Here is what you should not do, when seeing a bear: Say “here, kitty kitty” as you extend a sandwich.

Here is what you should do, when seeing a bear: From a safe distance, take a photo and send it to tscanlon@northcoastnews.com.

Here (Ray Horn photo, last June) is what a local bear looks like: