Grandpa

After a few fun-filled days with Grandpa in Ballard, we set sail for the islands. With me operating with only one arm, Grandpa became an important part of our crew as he helped us through the transition of our shifting roles. He helped us dock, raise sails, anchor, and wash dishes all along the way. Our first stop was Port Townsend before heading north into the San Juan Islands. As we headed up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Isaac caught a glimpse of an elusive minke whale, a rare sight because the time between their breaths is twenty minutes apart. A short while later I was lucky enough to spot one surface. Jason caught the tail end (literally) of both sightings. We watched porpoises rise around us and one came within ten feet of our boat as it surfed our wake. We anchored in our old favorite, Watmough Bay where we headed to shore for a hike. We watched the sun set over the water, hiked back through the woods where we spotted an owl, and paddled our kayaks back as the full moon rose. We were all excited to see our favorite rowing-opera lady take to the water. We saw her last time we were there and she was back for an encore performance. We watched and listened as she rowed around the anchorage in the fading light, her voice echoing off the high cliff walls. The following morning we hiked to Colville Point in hopes of seeing orcas with, sadly, no luck. In the afternoon we had a nice gentlemanly sail downwind to Griffin Bay. As we relaxed at anchor, we watched hunting seals splash about. On shore, we threw rocks at the beach and hiked to the golden-grass-topped Mount Finlayson with its panoramic views of the islands and across the strait to the Olympic mountains. We made a brief stop in Friday Harbor where we ate delicious Mexican food before moving on. At Stuart Island we anchored in Prevost Harbor for two nights which allowed time for lots of throwing of rocks at the car of doom and several hikes all over the island. We spent our final night with grandpa in Roche Harbor where we logged some serious bocce ball time and showed Grandpa all of our favorite spots. The next day we sadly walked him out on the docks to his seaplane and gave him big hugs good-bye. It was sad to see him go and strange to not have him along anymore. Thanks for joining us Grandpa! We miss you.

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