Timing, good friends, and cutting it close...

It was a tranquil start to the day...

Joan's alarm went off, but we didn't have to hustle around getting ready for work.  The plan for the day: take the ferry to Anacortes.  We were going to have lunch with our friends Joe and Ruth, stop for some groceries that you can't get on the island, then maybe have time for a twisty ride.

We rolled up to the Friday Harbor ferry landing just as the ferry was pulling in - we're not going to have much of a wait.  Onto the ferry and up to the galley level...

We were laying out our plan for the day, when some movement out the window caught my eye... turned out to be a harbor porpoise.  I need to stop looking on my days off.  An older couple at the table across from us asked, "Is there something we should be looking at?"

We visited with them... turns out they have a cabin on Mitchell Bay.  They first came to the San Juan Islands in 1954; whew, 60 years ago.  Joan said, "You must have seem some real changes around here over the years?"  They told us about how there used to be a passenger ferry (no cars) from Bellingham to Olga; and how the first car ferry they took here was made out of wood and had 5 cars on it.  Yep, some real changes.

We were first on and one of the first off the ferry.  King's Market in Friday Harbor hasn't had their usual selection of bakery goods (that come from the Donut House in Anacortes), so we made a quick stop in Anacortes for a morning treat.

The plan changed: let's go right to Wally World, then meet Joe and Ruth for lunch, and try to make the 2:00 ferry back.  Things progressed smoothly.  Well, the woman in front of us in the checkout line at Wal-Mart apparently didn't have anyplace else in the world that she needed to be.  Once through the line, we loaded up the scooters (and my big ol' yellow pack) and met Joe and Ruth at their favorite dining establishment: Olive Garden...

It's been a while since we've had the opportunity to just sit and visit.. oh, and eat.  We enjoyed our time with our friends, then hit the road back to Anacortes... time kinda got away from us... we may have exceeded the speed limit just a bit on the way back (yes, those scooters will do that).  It is rare that we pass cars on the highway, but we could see the time ticking away.  We scrapped our plan to stop at Safeway (I'm going to miss those goodies)... a shiny red Corvette in front of us drove less than 20 miles per hour down Commercial Ave.  We were down to the wire.  They got in the turn lane in front of us, then pulled out of that to go straight - finally out from behind them.

On the road to the ferry landing, two mopeds held up a line of traffic.  Seriously?  We managed to get around them, zoomed out to the ferry landing and...

A line of traffic waiting to buy tickets for the ferry.  We have a multi-pass - all they have to do is scan it.  Apparently, the car in front of us asked the attendant to name all 172 islands in the San Juan Islands.  Before we could get to the pay station, we heard the announcement for "Last call for anyone boarding the Friday Harbor ferry - all passengers should be onboard at this time."

I asked the guy at the booth if there was any chance we could get on... "Check with Brenda at the next booth."

"Hi Brenda, can we still get on to Friday Harbor?"

She looked at the ferry and said, "Drive down the fire lane and go to the front of lane 4 - they may still get you on."

Of course, there were people from the cars in line wandering through the fire lane.  We made our way to the front of lane 4 - the lady directing traffic stopped the next truck in line and waved us through... these were overflow vehicles they were boarding.  The next guy directed us to a spot a car wouldn't fit in.  A couple vehicles behind us got on.  Before we could get out of our helmets and jackets, the ferry pulled away from the landing.  We could NOT have cut that any closer!  Had we not gotten on, it would have been a 2 1/2 hour wait for the next ferry.  OK, it was worth giving up those Safeway treats to not have to wait.

It was chilly this morning, but had turned sunny and lovely on the ferry ride back.  We went to the front of the ferry, and enjoyed the ride.  The ferry ride used to be drudgery with the truck... now, it is part of the getaway with the scooters.

There were a lot of boats in the channel between Blakely Island and Lopez Island - the ferry went in the opening between small Willow Island and Blakely...

A nice day to enjoy the views from the ferry...

Since we were at the back of the ferry, we weren't the first ones off, but it wasn't much of a wait.  While getting our stuff out of the scoots, Joan said, "I can't imagine getting off this island, and then back on this island, any faster than what we did today."

Cutting it a bit too close for my comfort on the way back.  ;-)