Family Fun at Boulevard Park

The three jumpers in this photograph are father, son and daughter. Helena and I watched this family make a series of jumps off the boardwalk into the cold water at Boulevard Park, a favorite place in Bellingham to go for a walk. It was buzzing today there in spite of the thick smoke that is still blanketing this area. I just looked at a map of the fire activity and it does look like the smoke is diminishing. Unfortunately we are the ones who still have most of it coming our way right now, along with our Canadian neighbors to our north. 

Helena helped me work on Arvin's study today, sorting things to keep vs things to stay for the sale. There were very few keepers. In the last couple of years Arvin decided to collect old calculators. I didn't pay much attention at the time. Today we found hundreds of them, all not working, all plastic and honestly, not very interesting. Helena took on the job of putting them in bags and carrying them up to the garbage pail. We both realized that Arvin's health issues were going on for some time before anybody really noticed. 

Otherwise, there was some quite interesting stuff in Arvin's room, proving again what wide ranging interests he had. There was a whole treasure trove of haiku books. And saved calendars with Japanese prints, highlighting his interest in Japan and Japanese culture. And books on adventuring and homesteading, something he had often talked of doing. He wanted to take off on a wander when he was young. He never did but at one point in his Alzheimer's he came to think that he did go off when he was 13, taking the subway to its end and then traveling in the country, sleeping in barns and exploring the area. At the time I started to correct him and then realized, no, don't do that. He always wanted to do this so let him have the memory that he did. That went on for about six months and then the whole subject disappeared.

There were some pens and toy Porsches he had collected, a few pipes and many interesting tidbits including pen show pins, toys and puzzles. Our estate sale should prove to be fascinating when it all gets put together. It looks like the sale will happen at the end of September.

Helena and I had a good day working together. I took her home after our walk and when I got home I took a long nap. I think all the smoke, and the work, is making me tired. I really would like to see the smoke thin out and go away, for my sake and for the sake of those living near the fire and north of here.