Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Shuffle...


A beautiful morning in Friday Harbor today...

 We were up early, getting ready to roll: one last early morning to get the truck on the ferry.  No question that little Izzy was going to miss us...

 Joan checked on-line to see what the status was with the first morning ferry: only 10 minutes late.  I was surprised by the number of vehicles already in line (on a weekday in late September)...


We parked the truck and went up to the passenger area.  I still enjoy this trip, especially when we aren't on a tight schedule.  Nice light this morning...


 And always pretty scenery...


Plenty of running to get done once we unloaded from the ferry: made arrangements for a slip, arrangements for an RV site, double checked the arrangements to get the boat bottom powerwashed.  Worked in a supply stop (Wally World), a lunch stop (Carino's), and a recon mission at a music store.  A lot accomplished in a relatively short time.

Back in Anacortes, we stopped at the marina to visit our friends, Herb, Wilma and Jake, and meet a new friend, Ray.  We visited in the cockpit of Willie's Tug; solved some high level world problems, traded some stories, and laughed a bit.  Herb and Wilma graciously gave us a ride back to the ferry landing, where we walked onboard.

We are on our last ferry trip for this season right now - the truck is back "in America" and we are going back to spend our last night in Friday Harbor.  I kinda have some butterflies in my stomach, in anticipation of this next chapter.  Assuming all the ducks line up getting the boat out and the bottom powerwashed... oh, and going over the trailer, checking brakes and bearings... and then hauling another 1,300 plus miles, we're planning to head to Lake Powell for some more boat cruising.  Lake Powell is another amazing place - with the changing water level there, and the main portion of the lake over 200 miles long, and the endless arms and canyons extending off that... well, it's never the same experience twice.

So, two more days of shuffle, clean, grease, check, and shuffle some more... and, we're off.

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On edit:

Back in Friday Harbor, another shuffle: while one Washington State Ferry pulled out and moved over to the next landing so the ferry we were on could have the vehicle lanes.  We walked off and turned towards the marina.  One of the first things you see: the boats we worked on this summer.  Joan said, "Say good-bye to Kittiwake."

"See ya, Kittiwake.  Hasta la vista."

We could hear marimba music coming from the marina park - yep, their last time playing outside this year.  And coming up right behind us, a troupe of jugglers and dancers...

"Circus show at Brickworks tonight!"


See those juggling pins at the right side of the photo?  Not a planned part of the marimba band performance.  Nor the dancing...


Joan describes life in Friday Harbor as "ecclectic."  Well, even after "the season," it isn't dull around here.  Yep, I'm going to miss this place.

Tomorrow, we, and all our stuff, should be back in America.


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