The Retired Life

I'm somewhat embarrassed that it's been so long since I've written.  I hate to sound like a retired person, but I just don't know where the time goes!  Yesterday is a good example.  We didn't awaken until 8 a.m.  Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking and you're right.  We'd get a lot more done if we'd stuck to getting up at 5:30, but it sure is nice to sleep until we awaken!  Our breakfast routine has changed as well:  coffee, check emails and the news, and finally something to eat.  We're lucky if we're done by 10 a.m.! 

Yesterday we decided to go for a walk.  This is truly a pleasure in cute little La Conner.  Downtown is about 1/2 mile away, as well the "residential ridge" that runs through this little town.  We decided to walk across the rainbow bridge to the cemetery just on the other side.  We found lots of old headstones, and many of the Swinomish people.


Since the last time I wrote, we've had some great trips.

Nancy Schneider, a colleague from COS, and her friend Karin Gruver called one evening a couple of weeks ago.  It was at their vacation homes on the Key Peninsula where we spend the fourth of July.  They were headed to Anacortes and wanted to stop by.  We convinced them to spend the night and they joined us and the Baleruds the next day for our circumnavigation of Fidalgo Island.  

We headed south down the Swinomish Channel with the intention of going out through Deception Pass.  As we approached the pass we could see that it was fogged in!  Yikes!  So we pulled in to cute little Cornet Bay to have some lunch and let the fog clear. 


In the photo you'll see how it looked after lunch when we decided to go through.  Still not great, but good enough, we thought.  Well, out in Rosario Strait it was very foggy, so we had a chance to fire up the radar and use our instruments to navigate for awhile.  In fact, it was foggy from Deception Pass to Flounder Bay at the NW side of Fidalgo.  

Once we broke through the fog it was a beautiful sunny day.  Nancy and Karin particularly enjoyed it!  In the photo they're up on the boat deck, looking forward over the pilot house roof.


The very special part of this day was acquainting two sets of friends who previously had not known each other.  The conversations...and jokes...flew!

The following Friday, July 23, we made the short trip to Anacortes to meet up with my roommate from nursing school, Pat McCosh and her husband, Chuck.  Pat and Chuck were on a cruise with friends and planned a stop in Anacortes.  
For three years while we were in school, Pat and I were BFFs and then, as it happens over time we drifted apart.  Pat lives in Dayton, Ohio, and I had not seen her since the weekend my nephew, Mark, was born (7-7-77)!  It was great to see Pat and do some catching up.  Another wonderful experience of catching up with friends.

Last weekend, we took our good friends Jim and Chris Munch to Coupeville on lovely Penn Cove. When we were out with Beth, several weeks ago, we cruised right by this little cove and chose to stay in Oak Harbor instead.  Bad decision!  We anchored right in front of this pretty little village and dinghied in to the marina.  They've got a great museum, right on the dock, complete with a baby whale skeleton!  After a beer at Toby's Tavern, we returned to cook dinner on the boat and watch the full moon rise over the town.  It was a beautiful evening!  

We've got a fun-filled August and September planned!  Today (July 31) Jerry's folks will arrive.  We hope to take them out for a few days, perhaps to Lopez Island, so we're washing the boat this morning to get ready for company!  On August 5, we're hoping Chuck will come for a few days to cruise with us.  On August 17 Jill and Bob are coming.  Right after they leave, Don and Dorothy Peterson are due to arrive and will stay to help us celebrate our anniversary (#42, thank you very much!).  A week or so after they leave, Don and Sally arrive for a few days.  Joy will be up to see us in September as well.  At the end of September we're expecting Charlie and Suzanne!  What fun!!  I love all of this company