SV-MOM - 2020

NEOWISE Comet Summer

In the water we go, a month late on May 7, 2020. First we sailed about in The San Juan's. From there we sailed to Lummi Island where we tucked into Inati Bay for quite a while right under a waterfall. There were so many birds up in those woods that it never ceased to amaze. Then south for a cruise in a borrowed car to finish the provisioning. Back out to Stuart Island to see our HAM radio friends who all came together for walks and laughter. Onward we go south across the Juan de Fuca strait to Sequim Bay to catch our breath. Then around Port Townsend to the Puget Sound which called us to explore places we have not been. Olympia being our furthest south ever and so far, Hamersley Inlet being our greatest navigational challenge. Very intriguing. We caught up with a cousin who took us to a Big Cat Sanctuary at Harstine Island. How unusual to see tigers when we're out cruising. Cougars are the largest cat that can purr. There have been more visits to reciprocal yacht clubs than ever before. The State Park Pass has taken us to places we never imagined. The trails have been so extensive for birds with no bears or bugs. Our first Red Breasted sapsucker spotted among others. Right out the pilot house window at Blake Island loomed Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano covered in glaciers. We may never go north again for this land is so interesting and varied. A humpback whale eating along the current line at Point No Point, dolphins splashing and jumping into the air in Case Inlet, and the ever present mama seals with pups rising up for a peak at you as if to say, "hello, do you like fish?" What a surprise to hear the howl of coyotes on Squaxin and McNeil islands. Later we saw them trotting along the shore. One took a lunge at a heron. We visited for a week a huge Double crested cormorant rookery up a seldom visited inlet. The Transient pod of Orca has been sighted possibly drawn by the bumper crop of seal babies. The people have been so nice. Many say to us, "shhhh, don't tell anyone about the South Sound." Martin in Mats Mats Bay inviting us for cocktails and Captain Corey in Oro Bay, Anderson Island bringing us a bottle of wine. Cousin Cathy picking us up for all sorts of road trips, grocery shopping, laundry and most important, ice cream. The birds have been truly plentiful and exciting. So happy and grateful to have another season on MOM.