Category Archives: poems, writings, ideas

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Seattle Girl’s Crew Memories

Terri Wade Bonow January 8, 2024

My Introduction to Crew and Rowing

At 16 I was strong, agile, and able to hike, ski, row, and walk miles; I really did have great youthful strength as did my other two teenage Wade sisters. My Junior High School, Eckstein, and High School Roosevelt in Seattle were about a mile or sometimes more from our homes in Seattle. I always had to walk to school since my struggling single Mother had four daughters and she was busy working at the University of Washington as an administrative secretary to cover the costs of raising her daughters. She often was without a car. I was encouraged by a friend, or it could have been the high school had a bulletin, about joining Girl’s Crew at Greenlake which is a beautiful and popular lake in the Northern part of Seattle several miles from the University of Washington, near Phinney Ridge, Woodland Park, and Wallingford neighborhoods. It is a desired destination to this day for boating, and walking around the 2.8-mile paved pedestrian pathway.

I joined the Greenlake Girls Crew which was organized by Seattle Parks and Recreations, and I was involved with daily practicing and racing in regattas for several years. My sister and I did well and actually won races or came in second in pairs, four boats, and eight boats. We raced in the famous George Pocock boats which were works of art and were renowned for agility and balance. George Yeomans Pocock (March 23, 1891 – March 19, 1976) was a leading designer and builder of racing shells in the 20th century. We were coached by a dedicated coach who I remember being called Les who later helped me matriculate into the University of Washington with financial aid. Our crew competition was usually university-level women whom we traveled to compete with in Philadelphia, Oakland, California, and on the famous University Lake Washington cut in Seattle.

The Boys in the Boat

Currently, there is a popular movie out called “Boys in the Boat” which depicts the journey of a scrappy University of Washington men’s 8-boat crew showing how they built their skills and racing during the 1936 Olympics and ultimately powerfully won. It is based on the book called The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown who delved into the history of the University of Washington team and its winning examples. The history and story bring back so many girls’ crew memories for me which took place 30 years later in Seattle around 1966.

The Workout

Daily or three times a week I would walk over to Greenlake after school from our rental home in the University District on 52nd Street. It was a little over a mile, so for the workout, I would walk about 3 miles including walking home from school and then rowing around the lake in our crew sometimes 4 times around the lake. I was moving actively through my environment and was strong as a result. My older sister Cindy was a mountain climber and hiker who spent time hiking in the Cascade Mountains with her partner and later husband. She was one of the first strong young women mountain climbers and rock climbers in the Pacific Northwest. Her husband was very good too. Lyn my younger sister by two years rowed with me at Greenlake and was strong, lithe, and a good match for me since we were similar heights and weights. She was an excellent rower and always encouraged me to be stronger and work harder when she rowed port and rowed starboard. She later went to the California Institute of the Arts on a scholarship to graduate as a dance major. To this day she remains strong-willed and physically powerful.

Racing

One of the races I remember vividly when we were racing on the Lake against older university women, Sister Lyn and I were in a sweep pair with me clutching the starboard oar and her behind me holding and rowing with the port oar. We started out behind in a regatta on a 1.3-mile course. Lyn told me we were winning when we actually were 6th. I pulled so hard and slid my seat back and forth rhythmically to stretch out and give it all my strength. We were balanced and of equal strength. We pulled into second place almost first with our herculean efforts and were cheered and praised when we returned. I slumped over my oar breathing hard and really tired from the sprint. Unfortunately, I was injured for life with a painful slipped disc -5th lumbar which I suffer from still to this day. However, the crew experience taught me discipline, cooperation, achieving honors from hard work, camaraderie, and how to know my own limits.

Philosophy of Crew

Life leads us on challenging paths. These walkways or waterways appear easily and often and match the energy and abilities of one’s youth, middle years, and older days. The beauty of life is found in these adventures and roads that are followed at different eras in life in hopes of learning, joining, loving, or sharing life’s challenges and rewards.

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Christmas Poem

The snowflakes fall, the night is still, The stars twinkle, and the air is chill. The world is calm, the world is bright, The world is waiting for Christmas night.

The children sleep, the fire is warm, The stockings hang, and the tree is adorned. The cookies are baked, the presents wrapped, The carols sung, the spirits are apt.

The bells ring, the choir sings, The angels smile, the joy it brings. The love it spreads, the peace it brings, The hope it gives, the heart it sings.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, may your hearts be filled with love and more. May the season bring you peace and cheer, And may you have a happy new year!

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Fall time poem!

Autumn is the crowning glory of the year
When the trees adorn themselves with jewels
And the sky is clear and bright
I marvel at the stories that unfold

Autumn is a season of metamorphosis and creativity
When the old leaves fall like rain
And the new ones sprout like flowers
I appreciate the spectrum of colors

Autumn is a season of bliss and gratitude
When I reflect on my abundant blessings
And the grace of nature’s mood
I enjoy the caress of the gentle breeze

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Summer Solstice

June 2023

The bright rays of sunshine linger longer while the sun sinks into the western sky. Sunset colored red, orange, and golden light persists as the day progresses on these solstice-time-long summer days. Golden light comes into my west-facing house and deck, and I savor the sometimes hard-to-find sun rays in the foggy and temperate coastal climate we live in. They call these often occurring misty overcast June days, “June gloom,” or “Junuary.” As the sun and climate change heat up varied environments in areas of the world, we stay in a cool and consistently mild climate on the Pacific Coast of the North Coast of California. My Mother who lived in Oakland some 260 miles south of us for 20 years used to complain as she got older about how cold it was in the San Francisco Bay areas with the constant fog and humidity due to living next to a Pacific Coast climate. I think we are still cooler than some Alaskan cities and the Seattle area where I grew up. However, I will savor and enjoy the longer days, celebrate Solstice and the brighter slant of the sun, the vegetables growing in the garden, and the fruits on our trees. It is a pleasure seeing the bright green growing onions, broccoli, garlic, artichokes, the red fruits of pears and apples, and beautiful tasty blueberries.

I feel like our society is tentatively but joyously manically coming out of a difficult 3 years with Covid19 lockdowns since March 2020. It seems we all had to relearn societal accepted behaviors, and how to interact with people when previously we had to stay 6 feet away from them or be concerned about the airflow in a room, or whether their or my mask would protect us from the dreaded Covid virus. I had to gain confidence in feeling secure in greeting people up close, asking questions, and learning to chat with strangers and neighbors. I have received 5 vaccinations for Covid19 including the newest ones redesigned for fighting the emerging strains. I never got the virus and have steadily tested for it. However, millions of people have died worldwide, and I am very grateful for staying healthy. My husband never contracted the horrid virus but my son, his wife, and two children got sick. Luckily they are healthy today.

I worked locally part-time in two libraries Humboldt County and College of the Redwoods as a librarian fully masked and socially distancing; sometimes I would work from home during the pandemic. I have worked locally part-time since 2013. During the pandemci many people were attracted to books and information during the pandemic, they were isolated and gravitated to libraries for their varied collections. I was fortunate to have librarian work and enjoyed the questions and help I could offer the diverse public at the college and public library. But I have retired since December 5, 2021. Retiring created a relaxed freedom, but I personally struggle with validation and self-value issues, I feel like a forgotten generation. On a positive note, I try to be grateful, read, cook, garden, enjoy the grandkids, stay active and busy, and be thankful for what life now offers.

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Spring into Summer

“Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length, the season of summer does come.” Thomas Carlyle

Artichokes are flourishing next to my deck, and it brings me a lot of joy to see them return year after year, spreading their branches and producing charming green bulbs that eventually turn into beautiful purple thistle flowers. We savor them before they bloom and eat them with olive oil, butter, yogurt, or simply plain. After a long, cold, and wet winter this year, their sweetness is a treat. Our garden is also home to other lively vegetables such as fava beans. Fava beans are a tasty and healthy addition to any diet, but for some, they can also be a source of allergic reactions. This is due to the presence of a specific protein in fava beans that can trigger an immune response in certain individuals. The severity of the reaction can vary from person to person and can be triggered by consuming fava beans or products that contain fava beans, such as falafel, hummus, or bean-based flour.

Other vegetables growing in my side and backyard raised beds and gardens are garlic, parsley, lettuce, potatoes, and various herbs. In the greenhouse, we have tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and multiple plant starts. The apple trees and two pear trees are showing blooms and fruits growing, and I am excited about fresh fruits right in my front yard. It’s amazing to see what a little care and persistence can grow in the springtime in Humboldt County. In front of our kitchen’s doorway, the large and ancient rhododendron is in full bloom, covered with big and plentiful purple flowers. It’s a delight to walk up the kitchen steps past these blooms.

Springtime’s arrival and early summer are celebrated each year around Memorial Day weekend. The Humboldt County Kinetic Sculpture Race, widely known for its whimsical and fantastic bikes that can float and travel more than 50 miles over challenging terrains in several days, is a prominent event. Participants are said to do it “for the Glory” of winning. I can’t help but laugh at the wild and original sculptural designs in the costumes, usually featuring team efforts. Dozens of teams from across the USA will battle through 50 miles of Humboldt County’s Bay, roads, beaches, dunes, trails, hills, rivers, and towns.

We are looking forward to traveling 217 miles to McCloud, California north of Redding off the I-5 interstate freeway and near Mt. Shasta to celebrate Tim’s 73rd birthday and our 43rd wedding anniversary June 1-5. We found a historic old hotel McCloud Hotel with comfortable beds and a fine dining option at the Sage restaurant. The area is historically significant being it was an historic mill town, and is close to Highway 89 known for traveling the scenic Mt. Shasta and Lassen Volcanic parks. I am interested in the three McCloud Falls hiking areas.

In springing towards summer, every day can be a beautiful day and I feel blessed to daily see God’s beautiful creations. I strive to keep my positivity going, to treat others well, and keep my body and mind in a good state.

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Winter Interlude

The heavy wet snow fell in big globs silently except for an almost unperceivable hiss as they hit the earth. The damp, freezing cold seeped in and I felt it undeniably on my head face, and limbs, as I opened the gate and peeked out at the garden, and trees and noticed my early-to-bloom daffodils, were soaked down in snow that was beginning to accumulate in the front yard. I thought this is really unusual weather for a coastal northern California community.

My cat scurried to the door wanting to escape the confines of a warm front room with a fireplace burning. She peeked out the door and turned to go back in since she had never seen snow before, confused about what the wet white stuff was. Later, she ran out and had adventures in the snow, I saw her bounding over the build-up of 1-2 inches of snow with ease. Eventually, she slept for hours in my back bedroom.

The next day my 12-year-old grandson, and 8-year-old granddaughter came over and shouted for joy with squeals of delight when they had a snowball fight and made a snowman in our front yard. They had never seen snow falling or accumulating in their neighborhood so the new weather experience was a total thrill for them. They gazed in wonder at the snow falling and picked it up with glee from the front yard. It made me remember being a child and the wonder of it all.

My husband and I took a walk in the neighborhood and found it bitter cold with a winter wind on our faces and back. We trudged on for a neighborhood visit to Henderson Center. Generally, we try to walk every day for at least 1/2 hour for counteracting retirement ease, sitting, and lack of fresh air access in the Winter. Today we will go and explore the beauty of nature either at the beach which got snow too, the forest, or at a park.

Snow today is gone tomorrow. Next week maybe we will get more. Now I enjoy a bit of sunshine. Each day I am grateful to be able to view this infinitely beautiful earth we call home.

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Christmas Musings

Christmas Time

By Terri Bonow

Jolly old saint nick

said he’d arrive

Christmas night

I look forward to that big elf

arriving all red in stealth

But I feel the cold

yet know well wintery tales

so old

Somehow the cycle turns a-new

each year- it’s so true

With short days, comes

spiritual ways

and yearnings

They announce

the briefest days

longest nights

The power of Jesus

the birth so righteous

brings us around

To the fold, to hold

all that is true in our

souls

We gather together

eat, hug, share

feel the magic forever

With green trees so fragrant

lights so very pleasant

Packages colorful and bright

shared with such delight

The songs played purely

so together so surely

With Christmas time

We love, adore, and celebrate kindness

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Fall Time in Humboldt California

“Life starts all over when it gets crisp in the Fall” F. Scott Fitgerald

I always find it fitting that Humboldt County is named after Alexander von Humboldt the famous botanist who was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, and explorer. He worked on Botanical geography and lived from 1769 until 1859. Humboldt County area could not display more interesting diverse geography and botany and is so well known for the giant Redwoods. It seems like an honor to discover varied botany here in Humboldt County so aptly named after Alexander von Humboldt.

Small mushrooms sprouting up from the forest floor, herald in the Fall time in Humboldt. Eatable King Bolete, Oysters, Chanterelles, and more are hiding under leaves, next to trees, and along paths. The local redwoods have a plethora of codependent plants growing in the forest that end up on the decomposing forest floor where mushrooms are and thrive on the ocean of plants decomposing. There are mushrooms like Amanita Muscaria and more that are dangerous to eat. In Fall time the woods and ocean dunes show a rich array of beautiful greenery and plant life that for me, is a constant curiosity trying to figure out what they are, or being inspired and wanting to say “isn’t that pretty or amazing how it grows.”

The coastal mountains rising up from the Pacific Ocean with local rivers running west to its shore gives a person many wonderful opportunities for exploration ventures, and yesterday we found a new spot to discover. The Ancient Cheatham Grove, a State Park is situated along the Van Duzen River up highway 36 about 13 miles from highway 101, and is an easy hiking venture around old-growth redwoods and along the banks of the Van Duzen River.

I was awed and astonished by the years these giants have lived, probably hundreds, and if left untouched they grow until a windstorm or other trees crowding falls them. Then they become fodder, nutrients for the other trees. Unfortunately, many of the ancient grooves are gone, logged heavily during the 1890s-1930s. Still today I see the logging trucks bring in younger, more durable, and beautifully colored redwoods. Luckily the State has preserved some lasting stands.

This hike was only about 1/2 mile long but it was like going to a church and being infused with awe and wonder at God’s creation.