Yes, I took a day off from the blog. Which brings up the question: Is it a day off if you're retired? It is, if you don't do something that is an everyday occurrence.
I really like being retired. The Facebook Memories remind me each day of our time working in the Tetons and the Pacific Northwest. That was 8 years of "fun summer jobs," and I am reminded on those FB Memories about what we did with our days off. Frequently, the boat jobs were the subject of those almost daily posts.
When I think back to those times, I enjoyed the beauty of the Tetons. The boat job could be grueling, with hours of overtime every week. Five trips a day; 6 breakfast trips each week, 5 dinner trips, and scenic trips in between the meal trips. On days when I wasn't driving one of the cruise boats, I was doing maintenance and/or driving the rescue boat.
The best part of the boat job in the San Juan Islands was getting to see the amazing wildlife, specifically: the Orcas. The toughest part of the job was the times we didn't see Orcas. The scenery is beautiful - running a boat in that area was never routine. Unlike the job in the Tetons, there was no "route" or destination: when looking for the opportunity to get guests to the whales, each day was like a chess game - some days were challenging, other days were a near leisurely delight. The whales, if in the area, were always on the move.
I had a motorcycle in the Tetons - some days, that short drive to work was all the riding I'd get. On San Juan Island, it was scooters and more of a ride to get to the boats, especially when working out of Roche Harbor... which became my favorite job site - partially because of the 14 mile ride to work, sometimes because of the fresh donuts at the Lime Kiln Cafe, and no Washington State Ferry or other commercial boats to work around (although having our dock right next to the dinghy dock presented other challenges).
All of the above was on a schedule.
I don't miss being on a schedule. :-)
The view above is from the Tetons - the Marina Office before the start of the season. Orca viewing in the Pacific Northwest below...
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