Boating, floating logs & oil trains on a warm Mother's Day

Multnomah Channel, Oregon - The wet, chilly weather cracked open to nearly full-on summer for the last few days, prompting all manner of aquatic activity - including dunking in the 50-degree Multnomah Channel river water.

I'm serious.

I didn't take a plunge, but two brave neighbors did. And another amigo regularly dips in the river water regardless of temperature. Not this sailor. Not until the water hits at least 60 degrees. An even 70 degrees Fahrenheit would be even better.

Biscuit and I did take the maiden voyage in the latest addition to our fleet of boats - Evermore, a vintage, 10-foot long Gig Harbor Navigator dinghy. When we cruised Mexico we owned one which we used as a dinghy for our 48-foot every time we anchored. Evermore has a sailing rig that will make for some fun scooting about, too.

I had forgotten how tippy these small dinghies can be when you step in. I almost dumped it at the dock as we departed. Small dinghies are like aircraft - takeoffs and landings are the most  risky.

The warmer weather came after a long stretch of rainy days that helped feed  a hike in the water level of the river. Because our floating home, well, floats, a rising river is no big deal. But with a concomitant increase in river current, we had lots of miscellaneous debris floating by including logs. Among the miscellaneous debris were pieces of furniture, including an intact drawer from a dresser. 

One of those logs to avoid 

The warmer weather also cleared the clouds, making for some good star gazing, (including the Aurora Borealis for two nights) and brilliant daytime views of Mt. St. Helens to the north.

All this warm weather and fun for me evaporated when I heard the distant sound of a freight train. Train whistles reminded me the diesels were likely pulling tank cars to and from a terminal called the CEI Hub - an industrial facility environmentalists believe presents serious danger to residents. 

Activists have demanded the state legislature create a law to require companies to update local officials and emergency responders about petrochemicals and toxins transported and stored at the Hub. They also are asking public officials at various levels of government to make serious inquiries about all areas of concern.

They ended a letter to officials with this: "We are all just one earthquake, one train derailment or one human error away from tragedy."

I enjoyed the day on the water. But thinking about the potential environmental disasters waiting to happen, I need to ship the oars on Evermore and suit up in my journalist's uniform to check it out. Sooner rather than later.