We taught ours to wipe his feet on the doormat when he comes inside. Not only is “wipe your feets” a crowd pleaser of a trick, our floors are awesome.

https://maps.apple.com/?ll=47.740054,-122.372697&q=Dropped%20Pin&t=h

Sure, everything has moss here . Highland area is old money and big houses with big fences and large areas for each house. Its near shoreline area just a little west on the water , Mega rich are in Medina area and have high fences and large lots also.

Tacoma down near Va hospital on American lake has some of that also but at a millionaire level not billionaire. If you scout the maps any areas on the puget sound or lakes can have wrought iron and a rural feel.

Also some of the islands are interesting and have larger plots of land Vashon or Bainbridge island of your looking for hermit feel the islands are interesting.

https://www.mtbaker.us/

All info is there; Baker doesn’t do advance or online tickets. Parking better on weekdays/non-powder days, or just get up there early.

WSDOT’s mountain pass website has the best up to date info on if chains are required. If you have AWD you’re (generally) good in any case. See WSDOT site for what the various pass restrictions/advisories mean.

The drive should be easy for an AWD, there’s plenty of parking and you can buy tix at the window.

Beacon Rock… its a nice drive and hike . There is also a copy of Stonehenge on the columbia same direction but other-side of the river thats pretty cool … I think its a ww1 memorial if memory serves.

Astoria is pretty. It’s about a 2 hour drive though.

Big giant golden retriever. 1) hard floors and a roomba. 2) Mats at the doors. 3) Towels to wipe dog's feet at the doors, when he's muddy. 4) Washable slipcovers on the couch. 5) I started using the furminator and it gets his shedding downy undercoat really well

Unless you are driving up the mountain in the middle of the night, when the plows aren't running, you won't need chains.

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We use Earthrated wipes for our dog anytime he’s been outside. Our vet thinks it’s good to remove allergens from his paws anyways

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Be sure to check expiry dates. I had one expired document and had to go back a 2nd time.

You might get more specific info on r/Bellingham

I haven't been in awhile, but generally chains depends on the weather.

Actively snowing? Yeah you might want/need chains.

Bluebird day? Probs not so much.

Although I am fully vaccinated, I think all these people should be rehired and be given back pay. Bodily autonomy is a fundamental civil right, and no one should be forced (yes, a mandate is force) to undergo a medical procedure to keep a job or be in public spaces. That is simply not in line with the values of a liberal democracy.

Additionally, their choice to not take the vaccine feels reasonable given that the infection fatality rate from COVID is (and always was) low for anyone under 50, the fact that the vaccines do not stop transmission anyways, and since recent concerns about side effects have triggered new studies and investigations into safety, even from the CDC. In the end, everyone is responsible for their own health, and cannot force their desire for low risk onto others. If someone is concerned about a disease with a low fatality rate, they should quarantine themselves instead of forcing a mandate on others. After all, the vaccine won't give them full protection from transmission or the disease anyways, so what difference does it make, if they are worried about the risk? Are they really trying to make the vague claim that a low risk has now turned into a slightly lower risk and somehow that changes everything for them in terms of their risk assessment? That makes no sense. If you're worried, stay indoors or wear lots of PPE. But I don't think it is OK to violate others people's rights to make you feel just slightly more safe.

As for the folks saying that these people are not "civically minded" - I don't think their personal medical choices have any relevance or impact on their ability to do their job. That phrase doesn't mean what you think it means. Additionally, holding such a notion as a purity test feels authoritarian.

All that said, I think the MRNA vaccines are a tremendous scientific innovation and if you weigh all the risks, the best choice for most people is to just get the vaccine and boosters, because you probably face more risks from not getting it.

Rotation of washable ruggables by the door and treats when they come in so they stand on the rug to get toweled off. Have not figured out the solution to shedding yet tho. Fur, everywhere.

I have 2 cats and one lab-staffy mix with a pebble walkway that catches every single pine nettle that drops. I sweep every morning and vacuum every week and have just accepted that it's a never ending cycle. Living minimally helps, and less rugs (easier to sweep). Blankets on the couches are a must as well. I have one room (the office/guest room) they're not allowed in, i need ONE space not covered in animal hair and pine nettles and weird dirt (dirt or poop? dirt or poo???) and drool - it helps!

Setting up to be robot friendly can help them be more effective. Think about where they get lost/stuck and make sure you don't have carpets with tasseled edging. Consider upgrading to the ones that can dump their dust collector at a docking station and go back to work.

This is hilarious! My dog is scared of it, so I only run it when we leave, but he still gets nervous about the activation tones it plays as we’re walking out.

Fircrest is no longer dry as of 2015 or something like that, but is incredibly resistant to bringing in commercial business. Spring Lake Cafe and the Sammy’s Pizza serve beer, and good luck to anyone pushing for hard alcohol.

My mother has a lab that loves to be in rain and roll around in mud/dirt. The only solution she found was instead of cleaning up or implementing some sort of dirt protection was to actually train the dog to let her wipe them down. Basically she trained her dog to sit when coming through the doggy door so she could wipe them off with a towel. Was incredibly better than cleaning after, half the time, and not bad to train considering the dog already knew sit! If you have the time and ability that’s an option that might help out!

Bissell Crosswave ftw. Water proof blankets on furniture/couches. Pros: your stuff stays clean. Cons: may resemble a homeless encampment. Also, get carpeting and sub it with hard flooring and use ruggables if needed.

Yup our friends got one some years ago. I watched that thing many times and we finally got one. We have 3 herding dogs so while it was doing a gret job it also takes a beating from being herded.

I'd use the Roomba but with 3 herding dogs you can guess where that goes. Chaos Roomba herding !!!!