TGIF...

Or, maybe I should have titled it: Casual Friday.  Either way, it is our last day of the work week, and our official half-way point in our contracts here.  It may be a Sunday, but it is our Friday.

Joan had a dilemma this morning: she really wanted to wear a particular pair of shorts.  The company uniform is khaki pants or shorts.  These weren't khaki.  While she was pondering, I looked outside and saw these kids...

The cute little fawns.  Surprisingly, they didn't run off when Joan stepped outside to head for work.  Oh, and the shorts...

Blue and white, they go much better with her dark blue company shirt.  We'll see if anyone notices.  I couldn't position her for the photograph with the deer in the background.

Little Izzy wanted to see what was going on with the deer...

She was watching them close from just outside the door of the coach.  She now seems to understand that they are "neighbors" and not something to be stalked.  As long as you don't make sudden moves, they don't bolt off.

An hour or so after Joan went to work, I brought Izzy inside and it was my turn to head out.  A beautiful morning... but, no whale reports before I left the coach.  I picked up a breakfast sandwich at our new company coffee cafe, and went down to prep the boat.  We had a private charter - folks who were flying in by seaplane, going on a trip with us, having a bit of time in Friday Harbor, then flying out late afternoon... nice way to do this.

A half-hour before departure time, I got my first report: humpbacks south of Victoria.  Not nearby, but doable.  A few minutes later, another report: humpbacks in Rosario Strait... closer, and I can give the guests something to look at besides open water.  We have a plan.

The first mate brought them down to the boat a couple minutes before their scheduled boarding time - I like it!  From the accent and the name, I guessed, "Louisiana?"  Yep.  Nice folks, here to see some whales and the sights.  With no Orca sitings this morning, I set out to see the humpbacks.  A view of Mt. Baker as we cruised east...

When I got to where the whales were reported, there were a couple other boats there... and they took off as we got ourselves positioned.  Within a few seconds, we saw the first "blow," and then the whales - 2 humpbacks.

As usual, I was busy at the helm and didn't get any photos... including when one of the humpbacks came up about 20 feet from our boat.  When you're on a 32' boat, you can appreciate the size of these animals - this one looked to be 40 to 50 feet in length.  We watched them go through several dive cycles, including some great views of the flukes.

Then, time to head out, looking for other wildlife and scenery.  Yes, we found seals, and eagles, and bears, oh my!  No, there weren't any bears - I just put that in there to see if you were paying attention.  We took the scenic route back home, through Wasp Passage...

I stopped for a bit to point out our location, and all the different islands (including some in Canada) that we could see from this particular vantage point.  It was a lovely no-jacket kinda day, a nice change of pace from yesterday.

Back at the dock, we visited with our guests for a bit, gave them some restaurant recommendations, and said our good-byes.

Joan had a minor repair project for me when I got back to the office: adjusting the tensioners on 3 of the doors.  And then, I was done for the week... and it was only mid-afternoon.  Izzy was a happy girl, seeing that she would get some leash time this early.