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Thursday, January 1, 2009

Polar Bears at the Olalla Bridge Continue New Year's Tradition


For New Year’s I opened my Simple Abundance to January 1st, read the reading and then took a long hot shower to wash off the old year and leave myself open to the possibilities of 2009. Everyone has their way of welcoming the New Year.


On the other hand, my husband Dave thinks that jumping off the Olalla Bridge into Burley Lagoon in Puget Sound at noon on New Year’s Day is the way to welcome in a New Year. The event that draws jumpers and watchers from all over the South Sound and beyond has been going on since it began informally amongst friends in 1984. At noon a cannon fires and the mayhem begins.

This year it took little to persuade Dave to dress up in the outfit he created for “Pink Day” at work. Here he is waiting for the cannon.


And here he is coming out of the frigid water to get his robe from our daughter-in-law waiting by the bonfire on shore.

5 comments:

Lorraine Hart said...

That's one craz...er...brave man!!

Thanks for "being in the pink" Dave!

Brrr...must go make warm cuppa....

Stephanie Frieze said...

You were right the first time. Sometimes in February he goes bungee jumping at Nanimo in BC. There's a weekend when the jumping is free based on the attaire, or lack thereof, of the jumper.

Jo said...

Dave, you are a unique, outrageous, totally secure, man. You are the only man I know who would jumb off a bridge, in winter, in pink! My hat's off to you. Happy New Year

Stephanie Frieze said...

I don't know about secure, but Dave does like to be outrageous. "Pink Day" at work was because one of his coworkers loves pink so everyone decided to wear pink one day just to make her happy. He will miss his cohorts when Seattle Flight Service closes.

JosephMcG said...

Go ahead, Dave... you are walking tall in that picture... cooooool!
Joseph