The Adventures of Shatoosh and Pashmina: Walker Island- Its a Pashmina Day at the Beach

15 Sept 2008 Monday

We off load Pashmina from the cabin top. This is easy as she just slides off the aft end of the cabin top into the water. Let gravity do the work is my motto. The current and tides are always swift at the Walker island dock, but at this time it is not too bad. Just upriver from this dock there is the sweetest cove protected by a huge granite point and a lovely beach. Ann and I load the binoculars, life jackets, and a small cooler with tuna fish sandwiches for our picnic lunch. Ann and I dinghy over and pull Pashmina up on to the dark, hard sandy beach. The sun is out and lying on the beach is glorious. I try once to swim but the water is still a little cold, but

I wade waist high and cool off.

I always carry my Ann Gash Ditty Bag while ashore which carries a multipurpose tool, toilet paper, hand cleaner and a plastic bag.(see bag on my left arm in enlarged picture) Ann Gash is the Sailing Granny of Australia. I got to know her as she was passing though Hawaii sailing her 24 ft folkboat Ilimo to California and then returning to Australia. She already had a circumnavigation under her belt. Ann Gash wrote "A Star To Steer Her By" which chronicled her circumnavigation. She passed away in 2006 at the age of 83 with her Ilimo still tied to her Pittwater buoy. I talked her into returning home through the Marshall islands and stopping by to visit my other single-handed sailor friend Ethel in Majuro. As she sailed to Majuro she knitted 2 small ditty bags out of cotton rope for Jean, my twin and me. I always think of Ann Gash as I throw the bag in Pashmina. Well, when Ann Gash sailed into the lagoon at Majuro and dinghied ashore a local man said, "We have our own single handed lady sailor on the island." Ann quickly replied, "that is precisely why I have come; take me to her". With Majuro ships and my dinghy bag I am filled with Gash and Ethel stories which I tell my crew person Ann, as we are lying on the beach. She had never heard any of stories, so it was delightful to get to share them. My mentor and friend Ethel retired from the Army and went to Majuro to do PT during the polio epidemic. She lived there 20 years and sailed a Cal 20. I always think of Ethel when Majuro comes up in conversation. I first met Ethel while I was a college student. She was Chief PT at William Beaumont in El Paso, Texas when I learned about the Army Physical Therapy Program. Ethel gave Jean and me a tour and a talk about the program. Later when we were students and Lieutenants in the program she was Chief PT at Brooke Army Medical Center where we did our clinical affiliations. Jean had consulted in the Marshall Islands with the Honolulu Arthritis Foundation and had visited Majuro while Ethel was living there. Ethel has since passed on, but recently Rachel from Orcas Island sent me a copy of a clever poem Ethel had written years ago. I can still hear her cute giggle. Perhaps you will giggle when you read her poem.

We Don't – Do you?

Where can you find the cap for your knee
Or the key for the lock of your hair?
Would you call your eye an academy
Just because the pupils are there?
In the crown of your head what jewels are found?
Who travels the bridge of your nose?
If you wanted to shingle the roof of your mouth
Could you use the nails of your toes?
Could you sit in the shade of the palm of your hand?
Or beat on the drums of your ears?
Could the calves on your legs eat the corn on your toes?
Then why not have corn on the ear?
Could the crook in your arm be sent to jail?
If so, what did he do?
How can you sharpen your shoulder blades?
I don't know ---- Do you?

Ethel Coeling

Our lovely peace and solitude is interrupted by a ski boat coming in to hang out. They drop their goodies off and then off they go wake boarding. We eat our sandwiches and I walk the beach back to where Mister Coyote was the night before to see if I could see his tracks. I couldn't but I did see a lot of muskrat scat and mussels on the beach.

The skiers return so we decide to head back to Shatoosh and reorganize for the rest of our beach time. We pick up our bottled water and fill the solar shower and leave it on the cabin top to cook for the rest of the day. Ann has years of Dragon Boat Experience, so I let her row for the rest of the day, but it is clear there is a huge difference in paddling and rowing. We finally make it across the channel and take the flood tide up through the watery inlet between Walker island and Lord island. A flock of Ruddy ducks take flight as we approach too close to their liking. We carry Pashmina high on shore just this side of the series of wing dams which is being submerged with the flood tide. We walk in the water around the edge and now are on the Columbia river.

We investigate the high bank wall which many swallows have dug their nests into its side. Little orange butte

rflies welcome us. The water is calm, no wind. I wonder what we will see along this side of Walker island. Coming up to the next point 2 big birds are flushed. "Are they young eagles", I ask? We walk a little farther and there must be 20 vultures flying off the beach. Some land up in the trees and stare down at us, other fly off and circle back behind us. We find their lunch, a large salmon,

which they have completely devoured. Their wing span is huge and this is probably the closest I have come to a vulture. We continue to walk farther down the river and are immediately attacked my thousands of mosquitoes, biting us everywhere. We have to scramble over some rocks on the next point to get to the next section of beach. We flush a large flock of Ca

nada geese and later find some nice logs to sit on and have our water. The mosquitoes are still around so we head back through the thicket of their nest. Swatting as we climb over the slippery rocks. "Why did we leave our shoes on Pashmina", I ask myself?

Ann wants to continue rowing. I sit in the stern and bark orders, "pull harder on the left." This mantra drones across the flooding tide as Ann struggles to keep us up river of the dock. This looks like a loosing battle as her left arm is tiring fast, I grab the oars and get us to the dock. Our dock neighbors have been out in their fast dink and tell us that their friends are coming in to dock here and they have a 60 ft boat. I assure them we will be out of their way. We empty the dinghy of our gear and put her on the dock. Our peaceful day is ending with " hurry, pull harder, hurry", " hurry another boat is coming in". Hurry, is not usually in my vocabulary. Remember I am a double taurus, but sometimes we have to hurray in order to make the dock, otherwise the tide will sweep us up river.

Well, we are all quietly and peacefully standing on the dock, as the 60 ft steel trawler Kaizen, docks after returning from a year of cruising Alaska. We clean Pashmina and stow her on top the cabin. Later, Victoria greets us and gives us a tour. She is a confident first mate and co-owner with Hugh. Kaizen is a converted military boat and is a work in process. There are 7 navigational computer screens with 2 separate systems. They are going to circumnavigate the globe in her. They have just completed a non stop run from Ketchikan to Neah Bay Wa. in 34 hours. The worst part of the trip was coming down the coast, and they had to use their stabilizers. They dock at Scappoose Moorage where I dock. They will be here a few weeks and then head south to Mexico. Perhaps

I will see them again.

After chatting with everyone we return to Shatoosh where our hot showers are waiting. While sitting on the aft cabin you can easily use the solar shower on the cabin top to rinse off. Wow, the water is hot but you are really refreshed to get all the sand and river water off you.

The boat hook double duties as a towel holder. Ann relaxes in the cockpit reading some boating magazines. The dinghy seat makes a great back rest, as well. I love double duty items. Maybe its because I am a twin.

Dinner is served in fine fashion, pork chops and Pudge's fresh corn from her farm. Pudge wanted Ann to pick it by 1000 for the best quality, but Ann was late. Even corn picked after 1000 is still good, in fact it is great. Thanks Pudge for your contribution to our cruise. Thanks Linda for the veggies donated from your city garden. The squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, string beans were yummy.

After dinner we look for Mr. Coyote but he didn't show. Young osprey settles down for the night after mother brings him his evening meal. At dark we close down the window flaps and settle in for a nice evening of talk and tea. Tonight is the full moon and is called the Harvest moon and isn't she beautiful, as she rises over Lord Island?