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.
