Happy Anniversary

A quick shout out to my sister (the oldest one!) and her husband as they celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary today. I really wish I had one of their wedding pictures to share - they were priceless - but since I don't, I'll substitute some others from their life. Sorry about this one, you guys, but I couldn't help myself! Really...

First, pictures of them when they were young...and didn't know each other.Larry seems a bit serious here. Makes you wonder what he was thinking about.

Janis was always ready for the camera.

Here they are with their daughter Lauren at her baptism...they're pretty proud parents.

Another with Lauren - this was taken when they were visiting us a few years ago.

And still another with Lauren at her graduation. Larry gave the commencement address. It was very good. And soon - within a couple of weeks - they'll be grandparents. Man, that just doesn't seem possible. Of course, it doesn't seem possible that it's been 37 years since their wedding. I remember it like it was yesterday...from one of the ushers lighting the candles using his Bic lighter, to the zipper in my dress popping just as we were preparing to walk down the aisle. My mother told me to suck in my breath as she quickly zipped it down, then back up. Then told me in a very matter-of-fact tone..."Don't breath or bend down until this is over."

Charli's life

This is Charli

This is Charli after a 5-mile walk

This is Charli after a 5-mile walk and a swim

Suffice it to say, Charli sleeps really well up here!

Low tides

We've been having a stretch of very low tides this week (from -2.4 to -3.1) and it causes problems when we want to use the RIB. Here, let me show you what I mean... This is what I saw from the deck:

Randy thought it deserved a closer look, so he headed down to the beach with Charli and the camera.

In case you're wondering, the dock really shouldn't be on dry ground.

And the RIB really should be in more water.

Saturday: my morning and evening

Here's the start and end to my day...How could you not love it here?

...and finally this

If you're reading this post first, well, you need to go to the first one in this series titled "Sunday in the San Juans" and then work backwards. Sometimes Blogger confuses me but I'm at a loss as to how to chronologically do these posts and make them come out right.

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So, after the yacht and the floatplane, I decided Charli and I should get away from the house. So, we took off on a walk. Just as we left the front door, though, I saw the cutest snail. Maybe you don't think snails are cute but well, they don't move fast either and that makes them a perfect photo target for me. I was on my knees getting these shots.

A face only a mother could love...

Do snail mothers have faces 'cause this guy doesn't look like he has one... Do you think she'd want a framed copy for the mantel?

...and then

I was still in shock from the yacht's sticker price as I finished vacuuming. My next chore was putting the freshly laundered sheets back on the beds. (My sisters will be proud of me...vacuuming and laundry all in one day - it's a long-running family "joke" about my housecleaning ability or lack therof.) Anyway, I digress. As I'm tucking in the bottom end of the top sheet, I hear a motor out on the water...and it's coming closer. So I look up...and see...a float plane motoring in.

Now, floatplanes are pretty common in the San Juans. We see many during the day. But they're going into Deer Harbor, or out of a private dock area. This one, well, this one was coming straight at the house.

My first thought, since the guys had taken off for Desolation Sound in the morning, was that there was a problem and one or more had taken the floatplane back. I come from a family who has lived through too many late-night phone that bring bad news...I guess I tend to over-react a bit when something out of the ordinary happens. And certainly a floatplane - now tying up to the mooring ball in front of the house! - was out of the ordinary.

So, I watched...and, well, of course, I took pictures.

The thing is, all he did was wash his windows.

And sit there for about 20 minutes. Then he untied the plane and flew away.

So first a 180-ft yacht goes by, then a floatplane land just outside the house...I was just waiting for what was going to happen next.

Sunday happenings in the San Juans

After the guys took off last Sunday, I decided it was time for a bit of housecleaning. I started by vacuuming in our bedroom. I happened to glance out the window. There was a large yacht motoring by so I decided to grab the binoculars and see if I could find name.

There it was...the Huntress. Wow. I thought it deserved a picture...it was as close to something like this as I'm going to get.

So, I decided to Google it and see what I could find out. Here's the link...it's a charter just in case you're interested in a "staycation." Of course, there a clause that says the "Huntress is not available or offered for charter to US citizens or residents while in US waters" so you'll have to fly somewhere else to start the charter...but really, if you can afford the price, you can afford to fly somewhere else to pick it up, right? Go ahead, check it out. I'll wait. Really, it's worth it.

http://www.centralyachtagent.com/yachts.php?id=492&d=1&uid=171&psize=

A mere $295,000 a week for 180 ft yacht and a crew of 14. Do you think if we all pitched in, we could afford an hour?

World of the weird on the beach

There are so many weird things in nature..and on the Cedar Cove beach...like this weird orange arm and hand that Randy assures me is an anemone. It's like something out of some old science fiction movie.

And this keiten...it has a lot of mud on it here. Without the mud, it looks like something out of Jurassic Park.

And these are growing under the dock with the mussels.

And then there's Mr. Crabface. I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.

There is also much beauty... like these flowers and buds. I love taking pictures of these.

I love the chaotic look of seaweed and kelp at lowtide.

And the wide variety of shells just stuck...well, stuck everywhere.

And how can you not love the look of oysters. Seriously. Especially when they're grilled with a bit of butter and garlic...mmmmm.

...and then there's a good-looking yeller dog!

It's difficult for me to choose which I find most interesting. But this anemone ...

I don't care what Randy's says, it still looks like a little orange hand sticking down. And it makes me wonder where the rest of the body is. I wouldn't want to come across this in the dark.

They're off

The guys sailed off this morning for Desolation Sound. They'd hoped to be underway by 10am...well, Randy was the last one up at 6:45...they were pretty anxious to get going! Here's the Google Earth map Ray made for me...the starting point is the yellow pushpin in the lower right corner. Desolation Sound is in the upper left corner. It's about 155 miles, according to Ray. But don't ask me if that's nautical miles, road miles or air miles...I have no idea.

So, with Jim acting as the short-order cook, he whipped out walnut pancakes for everyone while the others readied the supplies, including the chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies I'd made yesterday. By 8:45am, they were loaded up here at the house and headed for the dock. Ray rowed Dan and the guy's gear out to the boat...

Then, returned for Jim and Randy... Joanne and Bill came down for the send-off and brought 2 bags of cookies for their journey - the guys definitely won't go hungry! By 9am, they were loaded and had untied from the mooring ball, headed for Desolation Sound.

Here's wishing for fair winds and following seas!

Log Raft

We took the RIB out for a short ride the other night and watched a log raft pulling out from around Crane Island and into the channel.

It never looks like the raft is very big (long) when you first see it.

As it comes around the corner, it gets bigger. In case you can't find the tug...

Then, suddenly it appeared to be coming straight at us.Even Charli got a bit scared (notice the tail ... that's never a good sign).

I think she's ready to go back to the dock and home!

We moved...and it started its turn into the channel.

Here's the final length. In case you can see it, the tug is at the far right and the end of the raft is at the far left...now that's big.

Why I love Photoshop

While we were out on Ed/Cheryl's sailboat Sunday, I was taking pictures.

I know...surprise, surprise, she took the camera! Sorry, but I can't help it. It's just something I do.

I went with the normal Program mode on the camera but obviously something was set wrong. I didn't notice that, however, until we got home and I downloaded the photos because it was too bright on the boat to review photos. Please understand I didn't spend a great deal of time on these. I cropped them and did the autocorrect selection...Photoshop did the rest.

See for yourself...before Photoshop:

After Photoshop:

Before Photoshop:

After Photoshop:

Before Photoshop:

Afer Photoshop:

Here's a picture of me that Randy took...Truly, darker is better in this case!