4-24-19

Cooling tower for the never-finished Satsop nuclear power plant, near Elma, Washington state. This was one of 5 nuclear plants under construction by what was then the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS--yes, "whoops!") in the late 70s-early 80s. (The name was later changed to Northwest Energy.) Gross mismanagement, huge cost overruns, and lower than expected electricity demand led to abandonment of 4 of the reactors in the early 80s, and in turn to what was then the largest municipal bond default in US history. (So much for a "widows and orphans" investment!) See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Northwest Obviously, the unfinished cooling tower was not demolished. It remains as a surreal centerpiece in an industrial park--which also rents the area out as a movie set! Presumably that helps with maintenance costs.

In the Columbia River estuary on the Washington (state) side, just off US 101. Probably a North American river otter ( Lontra canadensis ), but it may be a sea otter ( Enhydra lutris ) outside its usual current range. I'm not sure how to tell the difference! The inset is a view of the animal swimming.