The Rambling Writer: New Year Hope and Record-Breaking Polar Bear Plunge

Our funky nearby community of Birch Bay pulls out the stops for New Year excitement with a Ring of Fire and Hope and a rousing shot at breaking a Guiness World Record Polar Bear Plunge!

Growing up in our “far corner” of the Pacific Northwest, I loved our family outings to Birch Bay, which boasts one of the few actual sandy (not rocky) beaches in the area, with sprawling tide flats for playing when the waters go far out. Thor, who grew up on the East Coast, loves to sneer at our version of a resort town – “You call that a beach?” — but now that we’ve moved nearby, he’s grown attached to the eclectic vibe.

During the summer, when the tide comes in over the warm, sandy flats on a sunny day, I enjoy a swim without shivering. And the winter high tides bring exciting storms and community celebrations to lighten the dark days. This year, we enjoyed the annual New Year’s Eve Ring of Fire and Hope, when crowds flock in the evening to plant red flares around the perimeter of the bay and ring in the new year.

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You will find The Rambling Writer’s blog posts here every Saturday. Sara’s latest novel from Book View Café is Pause, a First Place winner of the Chanticleer Somerset Award and an International Pulpwood Queens Book Club selection. “A must-read novel about friendship, love, and killer hot flashes.” (Mindy Klasky). It’s also a love letter to the stunning beauty of her native Pacific Northwest wild places. Sign up for her quarterly email newsletter at www.sarastamey.com