A Sun Break

Yesterday was gorgeous in the afternoon. A half day is better than no day of sun. One of my dock buddies helped me load Pashmina on the cabin hardtop for her winter home. There are 3 things wrong with my new lift; one is the upright pole too short, and the second thing is the lifting arm is also too short and the third is since the entire pole rotates 180 degrees to get the dinghy on top, that also means the winch rotates as well. This places the winch is an awkward place to lower the boat down. Night before last I awoke at 0130 hrs with a solution to the problems. More on this subject on another posting.

My crew person, Linda returned from several road trips, so I called her and she arrived with pizza in hand, just in time for a dinner, sunset cruise. Boy, the mountain was out crystal clear with the sun glowing on her in strawberry fashion, the city lights came on, The Glass Museum and the mega Yachts in the Foss Waterway is making Tacoma quite a fashionable destination.

Back and forth to my car and boat yesterday I ran across some other unique creatures that caught my eye.

Rent a goat to clear out blackberry bushes

A 8 foot creature scary as heck
Getting a jump on his Halloween outfit.

A Band of Girls on Blake Island---An Army Reunion

In July 1966, I was a 2nd Lt and recently graduated from Physical Therapy School, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas. The Viet Nam War was already well underway and my first assignment was Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis(Tacoma) Washington.  My sponsor was Captain Mary Huston and my immediate supervisor was Captain Ann Ward Jenkins. I was 23 years old, Mary and Ann were much older I thought. They taught me many things as they were both wonderful Therapists and we had lots of fun climbing mountains, skiing, fishing, clamming, and all things "northwest". Later on I was stationed with Mary 2 other times and Ann and were in hospitals in Japan and saw each other often. Over the years, we get together and since we are all getting older, older, we thought it would be good to have a little get together on Blake Island. Ann had never been and it had been years since Mary had been. Mary and her friend, Lois were coming over from the Olympic Peninsula in their RV.

We had a plan,  Ann and I would travel on Friday from Tacoma to Blake Island via Colvos Passage and take Vashon Island to starboard. On Saturday, we would pick up Mary and Lois at a launching ramp in a community called Manchester, 2nm  away and bring them to Blake. We would attend the big Salmon Bake and program. We could have time to visit and then take them back to the launching ramp in the afternoon.

As usually, there was stormy weather taking place, but it was supposed to clear. Ann and I departed with rain, light fog, no wind and flat seas. The farther we got towards Vashon the worse the fog became.

Friday route

This funny route depicts our route waiting for the Vashon
Ferry to cross from Pt Defiance and back.

The Tellaquah Ferry heads for Pt Defiance, Tacoma

Colvos Passage Fog

No Fog on Blake
Ann is happy

Driftwood on the Eastern Shore

Sunset
Olympic Mtns in Background

Mary, Lois and Ann

Old Soldiers
 All of us Retired

Wood Carver

Looking older than us

Mask Representing the Spirit World

Dancer with his 45 # Head Mask

Dancer with his 60# Head Mask

Our Lunch is Cooking

After lunch we cruise along the west shore to see the
Campsites and buoys.

Swedie and Albin 25 joins us at the dock.
I have run across her numerous times since I have been in WA.

We pull in close to shore at Pt. Robinson Lighthouse on Maury island.
Maury Island is really attached to Vashon by a narrow spit.

Sunday Ann and I wait out the fog and depart at noon
following Captain Vancouver's route to Browns Point
and back to my marina

Captain Vancouver has his famous venison meal with the Puyallup Indian
Tribe at Browns Pt. Today there were only fishermen and picnickers.

Our Round trip was 50+nm. We circumnavigated Vashon and Blake Islands

Our Band of Girl Soldiers had a memorable time and we are really glad we squeezed this in at the end of summer, before we all go our separate ways. Thanks Mary, Ann, Lois for such a fun trip.

My Boating Library is Complete

My new Puget Sound Boating Guide by Anne and Laurence Yeadon-Jones arrived. I have placed my # 4 copy it in my helm bookcase. Easy to grab in a moment's notice. My mouth is still watering as I browse through the over 100 destinations, wondering to myself, how could I have missed this enticing place? I have already jotted a few places that I definitely need to explore before our summer is over. The beautifully hand drawn charts with intricate detailing reflect the authors' attention to great detail, even down to anchorages and placement of buoys.

On page 148, I go to my favorite destination, McMickin State Park and see that Laurence has carefully sketched in a little caricature of Shatoosh with Dreamspeaker and Tink arriving. Later, he will be drawing a larger one for me.

The Guide also comes with a set of planning charts which are laminated and span from Puget Sound to Desolation Sound. They could double as place mats for the galley table. This new Guide is a must for any Puget Sound Cruiser. Go to Dreamspeaker.com to purchase your autographed copy.

In October they will be cruising south from their Home Port of Vancouver, BC to Gig Harbor to promote their book. Mark Your Calendars 7 October at Tides Tavern.

See you there. It is a Must To Do...