Bill Mann

Geezer-riffic? PT and Jefferson County made Page 1 of the Seattle Times last week in a story about this state’s aging since 2010 — in all 39 counties.

And — quelle surprise — Jefferson County had the highest average age increase in that period.

We’re now one of the six oldest counties in the entire country (!),  with an average age of 60.7 years.

The Times also pointed out that Port Townsend is “a popular destination for retirees.” Confirmed.

All I can say about this is… “Hey, you kids … get offa my lawn!” (Sorry, couldn’t resist. )

— A somewhat younger group from here is now headed up to Ketchikan, Alaska after starting at the Maritime Center this week. And whomever has been doing the R2AK website has been posting funny stuff. One post, showing a racer on a paddleboard, read: “You might think that the bravest person in the R2AK is the guy who enters on a stand-up paddleboard. You’d be wrong. The bravest person is his insurance guy.”

And along with a photo of Team UnSalted Nuts, this clever caption:

“Team UnSalted Nuts hails not from the hallowed aisles of Trader Joe’s, but the pallid isles of the Great Lakes, and sails just about anything: tall ships, viking ships, championships, and whatever you call a hollowed-out mango tree. And these unseasoned, seasoned professionals are ready to get shell-shucked, maple-roasted, and salt-sprayed all the way to Ketchikan.”

And, If you haven’t yet streamed the “Race to Alaska” flick on Amazon Prime, you really should. It’s riveting and humorous, and makes you appreciate what these racers are enduring right now.

— Diane McDade, a fellow member of the JeffCo Aquatic Coalition, points out that not only is our proposed new swimming pool a major resource for us older swimmers, it will also serve many younger people, too — with swim lessons, athletic-team training and swimming just for fun and family recreation. The aging pool was built while JFK (oldsters remember HIM) was President.

I swim several days a week, and our aging pool is almost always near capacity — unlike the scarcely used golf course across the street.

And we are a maritime community, surrounded by water. So drownproofing kids is essential. The city has unveiled several plausible options for a new pool and we badly need one, for the reasons listed above. Plus, it’s an invaluable cardio resource for my fellow disabled citizens. Let’s support funding a new one.

— I like the photo KPTZ recently posted of a funny sign on a front door: “My Housekeeping Style is Best Described As ‘There Appears To Have Been a Struggle.’”

— Speaking of clever front door ornamentation, I like Seattleite/Italian exonoree Amanda Knox’s doormat, which reads, “Do You Have a Warrant?”

Knox will be a guest speaker at the THING festival here in August. So will “Jeopardy!” host and Seattleite Ken Jennings. He and partner John Roderick will do a show of esoterica called “Strange But True.”   THING’s comprehensive list of rules involving food, etc., also includes “No Drones.” Daily tickets to THING go for a paltry $130 a day.

— At this writing, the National Park Service says it will soon let drivers resume trips up to Hurricane Ridge, where the lodge recently burned down. Well-kept semi-secret: If you want to treat yourself or visitors to a view that’s almost as impressive, but looks north, try Deer Park Road, which may still be closed by snow for a few more days. Just turn left off 101 at the Port Angeles cinema multiplex. I often told visitors about this lesser-known, impressive viewpoint when I worked at the now-downsized Visitors Center here.

— People-Using-Speed Dept.: Sheridan and Hastings sure looks like an accident waiting to happen, with cars flying by coming from — or going to — Cape George. Please, PTPD: How about putting one of those radar speed monitors out there?

— Finally, continuing our senior-citizen theme today, this headline in The Onion over a photo of the nonagenarian ex-President: “Jimmy Carter Embarks On Quest To Eat At Every Taco Bell In America.”

— Finally, finally, a happy 55th anniversary today to my beloved, if long-suffering wife Jean.

(PT swimming humorist Bill Mann is all wet, but can be reached on dry land at Newsmann9@gmail.com.)