Taking the Last Foot Off of Shore

Wow, almost one month from our last post - surprised anyone still bothers to come and take a peek.

Well, today is kind of a notable day - it is the day we severed perhaps our last touch with the 'taking  a year off'.  Today we sold the car, and are now back into Cruiser mode - foot loose and fancy free!

Good bye to you - - - 

Tonight we will still be at the docks here in Friday Harbor.  Then depending on how quickly the winds calm down from a front coming through just now we will take out either Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, and hold out in a local bay for a few days, and then decide when to start heading towards the mid-sound.

It is no question that the past year and a half has created a lot of memories as we took to land-living - and with today's letting go of the car we pull our last foot from shore.  Tomorrow starts a new chapter.

Enjoying the Coffee Oasis!

What have we been DOING since returning to Friday Harbor?  The most enjoyable thing has been DRINKING GOOD COFFEE!

You may recall that we dubbed the prairie of SW Minnesota a 'Coffee Desert'.  (see previous post here:  http://mvvikingstar.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-desert.html)

An update on that situation:  We now count 14 places where we can get espresso within a one-mile walking radius at Friday Harbor.  A couple have closed in the past year, but we add two that we didn't know of previously.  Friday Harbor is our coffee oasis!

It's funny how our favorite has changed every winter we spend in Friday Harbor.  Actually it is the barista that we follow most loyally.  Even within a location, taste can vary from barista to barista. Favorites from past years, Annie and Hannah are no longer serving espresso. This year our winner is Beth at the Rocky Bay Cafe.  

Steaming the milk that will become my 12-ounce double hazelnut latte

Today when I asked her name and for permission to photograph her for the blog, I also asked how many times she gets called 'Elsa'.  She says SOMEtimes little girls do, but she tells them she had the braid long before Elsa was known for hers.

I think this is the fourth time Beth has crafted my latte, and she has done a consistently excellent job!