Tuesday 21st May Orcas Island

Up early – very early – and faced an apparently typical Seattle rainy day. Undaunted though the truck was loaded, the Interstate north was battled with and we eventually found ourselves heading west to Anacortes and the ferry to Orcas Island one of the San Juan Islands.

We drove through acres and acres of rich, dark, almost black arable farm land

and then by contrast approached a massive oil refinery situated next to the ferry terminal. Queued in the drizzle to get on but boat more than half empty, the season for holiday makers hardly started yet.

Weather dried up as we sailed first to Lopez Island and then on to Orcas but it didn’t brighten up much.

Brighten up I did though when we arrived at the house after a short drive from the ferry.

It is magnificent, can’t say more. Nestling in the trees overlooking the    bay the land has been in the family for years and so permission to build the house was based on what the Americans term “grandfather rights”. Fred died just as he and Becky were moving in, one of those cruel, inexplicable interventions. He was though such a larger than life yet gentle man that his presence in that little bit of paradise is undeniable.

 

Spent an evening “next door” but in effect along a beautiful deer walk along the cliff and through the wood, at Fred’s cousin - several times removed apparently, but still next door – Martha’s and her husband, also Fred. 

 Eagles, humming birds, kingfishers,  deer, starfish all some of the wildlife I experienced on that first day...

 

 and with the promise of seeing sea otters and seals tomorrow ....

                                                                                                     I went to bed.