It’s official: the U.S. is now in a state of emergency.
So many things have been cancelled I’m starting to worry about whether I’ll have a birthday later this year.
“May you live in interesting times.”
State of emergency
Author: Kay
Life with Hadley
We’ve recently been puppy sitters again for Hadley, one of the puppies who’s being raised locally for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Hadley will be seven months old next week.
Last month Hadley and her fellow pup, one year-old Rolanda, taxi’d in a small plane with Life Flight Network as they were exposed to air ambulances.
They also climbed aboard a helicopter ambulance. Both dogs took it all in stride. “Doesn’t everyone ride around in a small plane?”
Hadley is growing up to be a smart canine citizen and is learning to take the human world in stride. We see her almost weekly and she seems to be bigger every week. Here she is last January.
The boat takes shape
We took a very quick shopping trip to Port Townsend this week for boat supplies. Before we left we stopped to check on restoration progress for the Western Flyer, the boat made famous by John Steinbeck on a research voyage with marine biologist Ed Ricketts and memorialized in their book “The Log from the Sea of Cortez” in 1940.
The boat has come a very long way since I first photographed her in July 2013. Take a look at her sorry condition then.
The framing that was applied last summer is now being covered with cedar planking from huge, thick boards. The wood appears to be milled on site. Her original siding looked like this four years ago.
The restoration has progressed steadily since I visited last August here and in June 2018 here.
Her stem and stern are being rebuilt with a strong lumber, probably something like purple heart.
Her deck house is separately undergoing restoration nearby. It’s hard to get a clear shot into the little building but the galley, seen through these small windows, is taking shape nicely.
The Western Flyer is being restored by the Western Flyer Foundation. Click here for more information about the foundation, the history of the boat, and plans for her next life.
It’s wonderful to see the beautiful workmanship as this boat is being given a new life.
Desktop travel
This was an interesting hotel we saw on our trip to Terceira Island (Portugal) last November.
We’re being encouraged to “self quarantine” at home in Washington state these days and keep a distance from others. The world gets a lot smaller when you think in those terms.
What I thought I wanted
I thought I wanted to see this seal close up. When I pulled the shot out of the camera I loved its wake and the reflections on the water.
It’s got an interesting face but I need to remember to look at the big picture, too.
Don’t try this at home
What are we looking at here?
The outer green ring on the ground is a riser, an opening that leads down to our underground septic tank. The vehicle tire is stuck in a hole where a cover over the septic tank had rested. The cover was destroyed when the car, uhm, drove over it. Just a general note: It’s not a good idea to drive into your septic system.
DH sent me a text while I was out at lunch. “Don’t worry if you see a tow truck when you get home.” Hoo, boy! I can hardly wait to not worry!
This is what happens while backing up to a trailer and you forget where the front of the car is going.
Never a dull moment.
Sequim Sunshine Festival
This weekend was the first Sequim Sunshine Festival, an event to provide relief from the winter blues. And, organizers say, ” If the sun doesn’t shine, no worries. We’ll help you make your own sun.”
We were out to take a few photos. The sky got black, then blacker. It didn’t rain long before hail cut loose. Not long after the hail stopped another squall brought a light snow flurry.
Sequim Sunshine Festival? I don’t think Mother Nature got an invitation.