Life at Ground Zero

I came across an old journal that had some entries in it from when I first moved into the cabin on Hood Canal, about which I have written blogs in the past at this site. I thought this entry was interesting enough to share with my readers. It is dated February 11, 2005, two days after I first moved into the cabin.

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It's strange to think that in the midst of all this natural beauty and wonder, there sits a nuclear submarine base. The same view that grants me free and easy access to a breath-taking panoramic view of snow-capped mountains and an enticingly meandering canal also reveals the docking place for the nuclear submarines that call this place home. It is a truth that feels neither menacing nor comforting. It is a given in these parts. People grow up here, knowing and accepting that we live at Ground Zero. Never has that felt so real to me as it does now that I live in sight of one of the reasons why this place in the world as Ground Zero.

Ultimately, that concept feels less threatening to me than the thought of surviving a nuclear holocaust. Much better to be obliterated instantly than to survive to face the nuclear winter of human history. To be in heaven or try to make a life in hell? Ground Zero is probably the best place to be. Let the subase be. I'll take the mountains and water today and heaven for the "day after tomorrow."

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Sunset at the Cabin on Hood Canal


Nuclear Submarine Passing the Cabin on Hood Canal

It was nearly a daily thing to have submarines going in and out. It wasn't as frequent when I first moved in, but as more subs relocated to this subase, the activity increased greatly. I knew some of the people who worked on those subs because they came to the book store I managed in Silverdale to buy lots of books for the long hours underwater when they went out on extended tours of duty. They were my customers and my friends. This is a way of life here. I sometimes wondered, when a sub went by, if I knew any of the submariners on board. Below is a shot of the canal with Bangor subase in the shot. It was taken from my yard too looking in a northerly direction. The photos above were shot in a southerly direction. In the photo below, the brown dock sticking out into the water is actually a submarine dock. I'm guessing that they used that for repairs because in two years of living, I saw them dock a sub there only one time.



Bangor Nuclear Submarine Base on Hood Canal

Beth Mitchum is the author of five novels, one collection of poetry, and one music CD. Her works are available at Amazon.com through the following link:

http://tinyurl.com/bethmitchumbooks