The Autos of Lopez Island

We have been here what - 5 days - so in no way can we claim to have a 'feel' for the island that seems to struggle with a mixture of  identities: The obvious one being a Tourist economy vs. Traditional Island Life. Having said that, there is one thing which has surprised me: Some of the autos. In this short time I have seen a fair amount of what I call 'classic' autos. Now, these are not 'collector' cars, and though I have seen a couple of restored older autos, what I am now referring to are just old autos that look to be in original condition. Example: the 1967 short-bed F100 we ran across for sale, 32,000 miles. Looked to be original everything, paint, dust, etc. and even the original Colorado Farm plates in the window.   I have seen a Thing (Who remembers those - and I am talking about the 70's Thing, not the WW-II one). Several older pickups, a DeLorean, and even a Willy's Station Wagon!

Now what has struck me is: All these vehicles I am talking about appear to be original, not 'restored' in any way. All appear to be being used as Daily Drivers (as much as there is here). And what also surprises me: They are not all rusted out! Growing up cars at the Coast were given a few years expected life. But here that does not seem to be true. It is in some ways a kind of Cuba of the PNW!

Just fun to see such a concentration. And nope - not one VW Van!

Lopez Village, Fisherman Bay

Okay, Fisherman Bay may be a contender for a winter moorage for Viking Star.  There are SO MANY plusses, though there are a few minuses also.

We have learned that Lopez Island is nicknamed 'The Friendly Isle', and find it to be true!  Everyone waves.  You can't pass anyone on the sidewalk without a greeting. The people at Grace Episcopal made us feel at home.  We probably chatted with the museum docent for an hour!

We found a couple of good coffee places, a couple of bookstores, and a decent grocery store--so all the basics are covered.

We spoke with the manager at the Islander Resort and found out that we could get a slip for the winter months if we wished, at about $100/mo less than Friday Harbor, and that would include wi-fi, which we would have to pay for additionally at Friday Harbor.

The biggest drawback is the distance to everything.  A mile long walk from the resort to the village OR the mile long dinghy ride to the public access in town. Either could be quite cold, wet, and windy during winter months.  It is five miles to the ferry dock, though sea planes do take off right from the resort to transfer to Seattle's Lake Union.

Fisherman Bay is the runway for Kenmore Air

Friday Harbor is more urban, more expensive, and more hilly.  The cold and wet would be present there as well.  Distances would be shorter, and selection of restaurants would be greater, though we are not sure the coffee shops are any better.

We will have to do some thinking.

Flying School

Welcome to the Viking Star Swallow Flying School!

Sessions begin at 7AM with a lecture.  Chatter as loud as you can!  Each Beginner will be matched with a Mentor.

Find space wherever you can, line up, line up!

First observe my technique.  See?  Now, let's go!

Goodbye James

Well, a big fog bank rolled in just before sunset, so no hike on our last night.

The fog brought in many boats and campers, and we had a couple of boats raft again.  Today we counted through our memory, and it was FIVE boats total that rafted off during our three days at James Island.

BOY is Friday Harbor a busy place!  It was rather stressful listening to the constant radio traffic of boats requesting slips for the day or for a few hours.  And it became an adventure to make it to the dock ourselves.  We were lucky enough to get a direct tie to the dock, and two sailboats, from PORTLAND OR rafted off us (manadatory 3 deep here).  

We got lunch, checked out a bookstore with a coffee shop in back, and got groceries.  Back to the boat to fill the water tank, and in good timing, our rafted neighbors were able to move to slips for the night, and we were able to exit the harbor.  We crossed San Juan Channel to Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island and plan to stay here for several days, even buying a speedy internet connection for our time here.  

The WILD Life!

We are sure enjoying James Island.  We have decided to stay for a third night.

Our first morning we were up with the birds!  There was drama between the ravens and an eagle, very noisy!

Yesterday we stayed pretty close to the boat throughout the day.  Al emptied the lazerette to get to the rudder post that has been leaking.  He fabricated a tool and got things tightened down and hopefully the boat will be able to dry out well now, and the noisy bilge pump will not have to run.  I scrubbed the outside of the grill, but need to think of a more heavy-duty way to work on the inside of it.  Any suggestions?

Last evening John and Penny from Mischief invited us over for dinner in appreciation of us allowing them to raft off Viking Star.  John said he has been boating since 1986, and this was his first time ever to raft!  They are from the south Puget Sound and it was good to pick their brains about where to go and what to do when we get there.

After dinner there was still about an hour of daylight left, so Al and I decided to explore the other half of James Island.  It is a bit more rugged and we did feel a bit like explorers, following thin wildlife trails and even spotting deer sign.  We believe we found the oldest tree on the island and the highest spot.  I berate myself for not having the camera along!  If the lighting is similar tonight, we may duplicate the hike.

As we returned to the shore, we could see what we first thought were seals in the harbor, but soon realized it was a family of otters.  The were harvesting either kelp or some shellfish and coming to the surface to crunch away!  When they spotted us they got a bit disturbed and hissed and huffed at us, they moved to the side of the harbor, and when they realized we weren't going anywhere, they came back to the dock area and even looked like they were about to climb aboard a neighbor boat.  They rolled and squeeked and were climbing around under the dock even as Al was standing and conversing with the neighbor boat.  I got my camera ready, but they were too quick, and by then it was too dark to capture them.

We had a lazy morning today.  We slept in, then made coffee and brought it back to bed to sip while reading. When we finally emerged, Penny told me there was a baby seal on the beach.  This one was quite a bit bigger than the one we saw at Sucia.  He began to move toward the water, and bawled a few times, sounding like he was calling 'Mom?.......Mom?' before he slipped into the water.

A couple of teenagers had to be cautioned not to touch him and both Al and I wondered at anyone who is from the Northwest could NOT know you are to leave baby seals alone.  Al says he is surprised at how many people we come across who seem so disconnected from nature.  I thought about it.....maybe WE are the unusual ones.  Al's parents used to take him camping when he was small, and he was a Boy Scout, and I am a farmer's daughter.  We have been closely tied to nature for our whole lives.

James Island Hike

An example of what we have taken to calling 'Jesus Birds'.  In this view the wood is much more visible than it sometimes is, giving the impression that the birds are 'walking on water'....

The Sharon L.  Al chatted across the water with these folks last night.  It is a 1933 craft, and they were meeting  up with the previous owners, who had the boat for 61 years!  Beautiful.

And here is a link with more information on Sharon L.:  http://www.woodenboat.org/boats/Boat_Detail.aspx?processID=674

I entitle this photo 'Privacy'.  

The welcoming steps on the beach at James Island

Viking Star in the east cove

We have seen a lot of these black slugs, smaller than banana slugs

A blanket of moss

New Growth

Bird Party!!!

While at Pelican Beach on Cypress Island, we observed frequent noisy gatherings of birds.  Off shore is an area where tides rip, and fish are herded together and toward the surface---setting what must be quite a picnic for sea birds!  We have seen cormorants in with the mix of gulls too.

A SMALL party, but near the boat

Bigger......

And Bigger!

I wish you could hear the sound effects too.