Time flies when...

... you don't know what you're doing.  (one of my favorite sayings)

It's been 5 1/2 weeks since we left Texas.  With the boat as our home away from home.  Family and friends have asked, "How are you doing?", usually with a bit of concern in their voice.

We're doing fine.  On the rare occasion that the space on Wild Blue feels confining, it's easy to get off the boat and wander around.  Life in a marina is pretty much easier than cruising... you have facilities close by (restaurants, groceries, laundry, ice cream shop), so you don't have to dinghy in and walk endlessly.  Grocery shopping or laundry isn't an "all day" affair.

On the other side of the space issue: when we get back to the HitchHiker, it will feel palatial.  Getting back to the house (and the jacuzzi tub) will be down right decadent! ;-)  Izzy has found her "perch" (since there isn't room for her tower) on one of the dinette seatbacks; she has a great view of all the comings and goings on the dock.

The work has been interesting, but sporadic.  More for me than Joan, but we are both "on call" at times, which means you can't get too far away other than on scheduled days off; and the schedule hasn't been the same from one week to the next.  I enjoy the boat work - it is something different every day... a bit of a "hunt"... sometimes like playing chess, always anticipating what the next move might be.  As the third captain of our three-captain staff, I am more the fill-in guy, making my trips less predictable.  Most days, I work 5 hours, and I rarely have to go in much before noon.  That would be great if I were the type to sleep in, but I am usually up with the sun... and the sun comes up early here in the PNW!

The season is really just getting started.  Most of our bookings are well in advance, but there is some dependence on walk-in traffic from the ferries.  I anticipate it will get a LOT busier very soon.  So, ask me again in another month.