LOCALS ONLY (all others turn back now!)

By Tom Scanlon

I’d like to begin this column by boldly stating:

“I heart Dave Creighton!”

I’ll get back to that, and explain why, after meandering around a bit. 

Now, I’d like to clearly mark the above as “opinion,” and note that this column is, indeed, a column. As opposed to a News story.

and you thought he was a pessimist . . . he passed on this Miami Herald story

Fewer vacationers could add up to fewer shark attacks, expert says

BY EVAN S. BENN

ebenn@MiamiHerald.com 

The bear market may be taking a bite out of the number of shark attacks on humans, according to a University of Florida researcher.

Shark attacks worldwide in 2008 sank to their lowest level in five years, and shark expert George Burgess says it’s because fewer people are spending money on beach vacations.

From one of the nicest places in Ocean Shores:

“We’ve completed an extensive remodel of The Cellar Wine Shoppe. The new look offers a rich, relaxing, adult environment for guests to enjoy while discovering and drinking incredible wines and beers. Stop by, say hello, taste some wine and purchase your favorite adult beverage.”

Gary Iversen photographed this otter out for a leisurely Duck Lake swim yesterday:

As all days are not like this:

By Richard Cherry

Photographers living in the Northwest have one common problem: Rain. Last year I was conducting a photography workshop. Naturally, that day it was raining.

It was wet and cold as I headed out to the meeting area,  I assumed no one would show up. But when I got there I found out that northwest photographers are tough. Just about everybody was there waiting for me. 

For photography equipment rain can be more than just an inconvenience. Today, most cameras are electronic and more vulnerable than ever to the environment. But there are things a person can do to help prevent rainal abuse.

Reasons To Play Video Games

By Matthew Thomas

For almost my whole life, I have played video games.  This has provided me with years of entertainment, storylines that are thrilling, and thoroughly formulated characters that I can relate with. There are video games that offer a variety of teaching tools. A person can learn how to do yoga, formulate a diet plan, sharpen their reflexes, cook meals, and even learn different languages. These games are mainly offered on the Nintendo DS hand held console. The DS is a very portable system that has a huge amount of games with these teaching tools and more basic forms of entertainment, like the popular Mario games. I believe that some video games have helped enrich my education.

Gary Iversen photo (much better in color, here, than in the black and white version in the paper):

Thanks for the great photo, Lucy Vestal.

Big crowds at low tides this weekend, as the nice weather brought out the clammers. Photo by Tony Byers, who remarks “It’s like the 4th of July in February!”

Why do they insist on calling it the antiquated “Copalis Beach” and “Mocrocks,” rather than what-everyone-knows as “Ocean Shores” and “North Beach”? It’s just the way the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife does it . . . anyway, here are the dates and evening low tides for this weekend’s clam dig: