Linda
Lancaster, 64, sits on a bench on the pier at Boulevard Park with a smile on
her face. Lancaster is at her happiest when along coastal beaches, and she
swears there’s a scientific reason for that.
“If
you spend the day at the beach, you know how relaxed you get?” Lancaster asks.
She believes that the molecular makeup of the atmosphere along the water
physically relaxes the human body.
“I
like the waves, the smell, the negative ions,” Lancaster said.
“I
like having a good day,” Western student Terra Ramsey, 22, said, “I like having
a good adventure.” Ramsey is at her happiest finding spots out in the woods to
hike. This last weekend, Ramsey found herself walking along the train tracks in
the Chuckunuts, a popular outdoor destination for Skagit Valley locals.
“This
is what I love, this here,” Leroy Carlson, said, referring to his figurine
adorned hat. Upon closer inspection, these little figures are actually turtles,
made up of shells, stones, and old bottle caps.
Carlson gathers material from Lake
Whatcom, along with other local beaches and parks. He pulls out his wallet and
takes out a crumpled piece of paper, torn with age. It is an artist’s release
form. His proudest moment was when director Steven Spielberg approached him and
asked him if his turtles could be used in one of his films.
“They
are dead when I find them, I just bring them back to life again,” Carlson said.
