summer in the rear view mirror

As a kid I couldn't understand how mom and dad thought time went by so fast. Now I wish I still didn't understand. How can summer be careening towards fall at a faster clip than I want? It hit me yesterday fall is just around the corner when I sat inside the cabin on Labor Day afternoon hearing the rain fall against the metal roof and smelled the clean scent of rain when I went outside.

So here is a quick recap of just some of the things I am going to remember from this summer:

Italian drivers, cappuccinos in Italy, watching glassblowers on Murano Island, seeing Venice, first glimpse of Positano, homemade pasta, a 10 course meal, how many stairs we dragged our luggage up and over in Italy

weekend walks/runs at the lake, how Lake Chelan takes your breath away when you first jump in, smell of oysters on the BBQ, s'mores, long lazy breakfasts, runs/walks ending with a latte at Kelly's, unloading the truck in the dark at the cabin, carting the same food from our house to the cabin and back again - several times

sunsets from the boat deck, dinghy rides, reading snuggled up in a blanket at night on the deck, laying in bed gently rocking on a bouy, laying in bed with the boat swinging wildly on a buoy, fresh goat cheese at Salt Spring, hiking at Succia, Shaw Island race in the rain and no wind, sailing on the sound after work

Sam turning 40, dancing on the deck while cruising to our destination, blasting the 5 o'clock Friday song, viewing the Seattle skyline from Elliott Bay, much too chilly summer days, the feeling of seeing the sun finally breakthrough and make an appearance, fresh corn on the cob

Summer has gone much too quickly but then it seems like all the months move along faster than I am ready for anymore. But at least fall is around the corner and that means Halloween, leaves changing (love yard service almost as much of Sam this time of year), and the sound of leaves crunching under foot, fires in the fireplace, and pumpkin spice lattes. But summer if there is any way I can still get a few more sunny days I would be most grateful and maybe then it won't be so hard to let you go this year.

smith island again, again, and again

We have always had pretty smooth seas on our trips up from Seattle to the San Juans and back down again so it was inevitable our luck would run out. I don't mean to say we have never encountered any wave action or chop but it wasn't too bad for the most part and we managed to get through it without any threats from me that it was the last time I would be coming up the outside.

Sunday heading back from our vacation in the San Juans changed all that. Heading out of Friday Harbor it was calm with little wind. By the time we hit Cattle Pass I was heading up to the deck to find out just whose wake we had encountered. It wasn't boat wake it was tide wake and it just kept increasing.

The winds had started to pick up significantly and the tide was a big change and those 2 conditions together made for some rough seas. Rough enough that I was willing to delay my morning shower for over 6 hours.

I took a look at the charts and realized at the speed we were going it would be a long time before we hit some smoother waters. We were going to be in it for a while. After over 2 hours of constant pounding getting tossed around like a cork I finally started to understand what people meant when they say they just get used to it. I started to get used to it. Mind you I wasn't comfortable still but more just resigned to the waves and tossing. Since we had made it so far there wasn't any reason to think we couldn't make it the rest of the way.

About this time I saw Smith Island and was happy to note that we would eventually be getting to the turn at Port Townsend. A half hour later I wasn't quite as happy to note Smith Island didn't seem any closer. Almost an hour later and it still seemed like Smith Island wasn't any closer. I asked Sam if we were making forward progress and he assured me we were but I was a bit skeptical. Another 30 minutes and we still seemed to be in the same spot. While I wasn't as bothered now by the waves not making any progress was going to do be in.

At times it even seemed like we were going to go by it and suddenly the island would seem to drift back in front of us. Happily we finally did get by it but it took much too long for me. I think even Sam was starting to think the same thing but most of his time and attention was taken up by trying to surf down the larger waves and keep us going in the right direction.

I do know that seeing Smith Island not disappear behind us for so long just proved I am not cut out for a long ocean voyage. If an island does me in I cannot even imagine what would happen being in rough choppy seas and seeing nothing but more water in front of me.

So while I did learn I can become used to rough seas and almost numb to it I need a change of scenery on a regular basis. I now feel I have seen enough of Smith Island to last me for a long time or as Sam has pointed out at least until our next trip up to the San Juans. As for an extended ocean voyage I am out. After all my complaining about when we were going to ever get by the island I am pretty sure Sam is in complete agreement that I am not his top choice as first mate.