Setting up for the next chapter.

The clock is ticking down to the next chapter of my adventures. The time I have spent here in Washington has allowed me to rest and plan, something I sorely needed.

I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends who have made me so welcome in their homes during this time. Being able to just kick back, with no pressure to go, be, do (sounds like a new song) anything! The space at Mardelle and Jim's in Port Townsend allows me - and them - privacy, but still provides the companionship and people-contact that is often missing in my life. All I have to do is go up the stairs, and there they are. We have even developed a little bit of a habit; coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening! How civilized and fun.

Over the Mountains

My only real excursion while here was a road trip over to Lake Chelan to visit my dear friends Janet and Pat. I went with another old friend, Bill and on the way, I had a very interesting experience! We went to a gun show! I hate guns, they absolutely give me the heebie jeebies but Bill is a collector, so went along as his side-kick. 

I was expecting to see a bunch of skin heads, but the majority of the people there were just normal folk like you and me! And surprisingly, after the initial shivers down my spine at the sight of an expansive hall filled with weapons, I found it very interesting.

Bill, who is a wealth of knowledge, educated me about the guns. A lot of the vendors had antique and classic weapons, and I had to admire the craftsmanship in the beautiful wood stocks, with a lovely patina and the detail in some of the etched parts. (I stayed away from the ugly, black, lethal-looking modern ones). There were also hundreds of knives and swords, from antique to freshly forged, with blades looking and feeling like moire silk. Quite amazing, really. 

We spent three wonderful days with Janet and Pat. The apple orchards are dripping with almost-ready fruit and the vineyards look wonderful. We bought and ate masses of fresh peaches and cherries. Although this time we didn't go wine-tasting, we made a few little jaunts in to Chelan and around. But we mostly enjoyed being at the house, observing an osprey nest, with two youngsters that had just fledged but weren't flying yet. The nest is high in a snag, so exposed to wind and weather, but it's been there for several years and survives. 

I also got my kitty fix. Frida is a female ginger kitty, unusual as gingers are usually male. She knew how much I miss my boys and slept with me each night. Janet and Pat rescued her in Mexico and she travels back and forth with them every year. 

Back Across the Mountains

Coming back to Port Townsend, we took the North Cascade Loop, a bit longer but spectacularly beautiful! The highway winds through a huge variety of terrain, from open grasslands, to orchards and up steep, rocky passes and down by flowing rivers. We stayed off freeways, instead traveling the blue highways and as it was mid-week, we had very little traffic until...

One of the hazards of living on the Olympic Peninsula is dealing with the ferries! Last week, one of the ferries that services the Peninsula from Whidbey Island, got tangled in a mess of crab pots and nets (probably illegal ones) and had to be taken to dry dock to remove all the junk and repair the damage. So with just one ferry running, we ended up waiting for three hours to get aboard. 

All was not lost as it was a beautiful evening, and we sat in the parking lot (Bill had a couple of beers stashed away in the cooler) watching the sun set over the Puget Sound. 

Today, Mardelle, Jim and Elliot their grandson and I went to the Port Townsend Uptown Street Fair, a combination of the weekly Farmers Market and annual crafts fair. The great weather brought out the masses and it was wonderful to see the local vendors doing so well. Too often events like this are sabotaged by the Pacific Northwest weather.

Now it's good to be "home," and it's time to really prepare myself for Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand.