Even big guys need a little make over

Check out the twin props on this big tug

ANACORTES, WA - -  We walked by the major shipyard yesterday in Anacortes and I noted a tug in  for repairs / updates which looked a little different.  The  "Goliah" has "tractor tug" emblazoned in bold letters on both sides of the deck railing which identifies it as  capable of doing some real heavy work.  Those twin propellers make the tug look like it got a dose of steroids (4,400 HP power) when it was built in 1997.  It is now owned by  Crowley Maritime Corp. and works in Puget Sound.  With two oil refineries in the area is may be utilized to help berth tankers.
      

A bit of background on Anacortes

Why not show your can?

Sunday morning, 8 a.m.

Small work boats ferry supplies / vehicles / etc. between the islands

Maybe the store sells "dragon breath" hot sauce

ANACORTES, WA - - We've been in Anacortes four days and will probably stay a few more.  The city of approximately 17,000 is named after the wife of one of the first settlers.  It's a scrunched up version of her name: Anne Curtis Bowman.  Not quite sure how that works.  Before the name change the area was known as Ship Harbor...which is easier to spell.
     Fildago Island, attached to Whidbey Island by the Cape Deception bridge,  got it's name from Spanish explorer Salvdore Fidalgo (1790) while Skagit County pays homage to the Skagit Indians.   
     The area quickly became a shipping port due mainly to the deep water channed between nearby Geumes Island and Fidalgo which is a link to Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. Lumber was a big business, but it was fishing where the town and area made its name.  A plan for a railroad spur drove a lot of business and expansion, but the general economy crashed in1891 and with it plans for the RR. 
     Fishing went big-time and in 1915 the city had 11 canneries with salmon the major product.  The area proclaimed itself "The Salmon Canning Capitol of the World."  Probably smelled pretty good when the wind was right.  There is still money to be made in the fishing industry, but you have to walk really close to the large buildings at the dock to get a whiff.
     Things don't get started too early here so it's a good time to wander around and check things out.

On to Anacortes

The marine layer (fog to us) hangs just above a ferry

Mussels and linguini at Front Street Grill in Coupeville

The Cap Sante Harbor squeeze

This ferry parked real close

A condo (left) with a Friday Harbor view and a Washington State Ferry heading back to Anaortes

ANACORTES, WA - - After 25 days in the Poulsbo area, it was time to leave our four furry friends and head on to new adventures.  Actually, we headed to another of our favorite places, Anacortes which is on the northern tip of Whidbey Island and requires a ferry ride.  Our destination, The Cap Sante Marina campground where we stayed 10 days in 2015 hasn't changed.
      It still offers a great price and is within easy walking distance of all our favorite coffee shops and restaurants.  The drawbacks are a long walk to the restrooms, laundry and showers plus no picnic tables or fire rings.  The close proximity of the marina...950 permanent slips and almost all of the holding sailboats...is what makes it so enticing.
     Friday (7/28) we took a ferry ride to Friday Harbor.  This has been one of our regular excursions nearly every time we are nearby.  The ferry ride and Friday Harbor hasn't  changed much...an hour trip with lots of boats and islands to see and the plenty of souvenir stores to explore for that "got to have' t-shirt.
     Today is Farmer's Market day and it's located about 100 yards away.  This market is largely based on what can be grown or made locally. 
     This wi-fi stop is courtesy of Anacortes public library, where we will  be utilizing ofter.  The Marina has wi-fi but  by the time the signal reaches us it has slowed a bit.

Checking out the Bainbridge Farmers Market

A play on words for the name of this business with plenty of goodies

Sunflowers to brighten up the day.

Going up...elevator, stairs and leap frog.

A suny day on Port Orford Bay

The view from "our" deck of Port Orford Bay activity.

Mieka likes the full face sun...

...while Miss Olive warms up one side at a time

Lunchtime

Lunch at the Sons of Norway Wednesday buffet

Downtown Poulsbo

POULSBO, WA - - It's pretty quiet around here at our house sitexcept for 5am and 5pm when the gang crowds around waiting to be fed.  It isn't the food as much as the 'kitty treats' afterward.  The distribution usually requires lots of daqnce moves to keep one from eating the others treats.
     By now you're wondering what cats have to do with the above photos.  Nothing really, it's called filling space.
     Wednesday for lunch we ventured to the weekly buffet at the Sons of Norway in Poulsbo.  The town plays up its Norwegian origins but it's not a tourist trap like Daytona Beach where T-shirt shops seem to outnumber the sunburned hordes.

Port Townsend, a relaxed kind of place

My kind of place

Lot's of traffic including the ferry

More fun than playing with boats in the bath tub

Those rocks crawled up there all by themselves

POULSBO, WA - - How can you not like a place with some outdoor seating on driftwood called "Better living through coffee?"  The locals sure do.  Port Townsend, about 40 miles from where we are staying, is a neat little town with a ferry terminal. The main connection is to Whidby Island and another favorite locale of ours, Anacortes.
     In PT, you can also learn the basics of sailing, hands-on  or find a trail marker leading along the sand.

The look of innocence

We're just sweet innocents...

...who know nothing...

...and that's the truth

POULSBO, WA - - We had been warned by the owners of the demure appearing felines (above) that they could get into mischief.  It took just over a week to find out.  And there are two more prowling around the house just waiting for their moment.
     Jinx, with the black fur, is friendly and always looking for a good massage and will purr accordingly.  Miss Lily is a bit skittish and prefers he own company...but she's the one to watch.
     Early this morning (Tuesday) I just happened to glimpse Miss Lilly slinking under a bench in the kitchen...WITH SOMETHING IN HER MOUTH.  Not good, since there isn't anything she could catch being an indoor cat relegated only to the upstairs deck to see what freedom might be like.
     ML dropped the object and upon close inspection it appeared to be one of the swallow-like birds who are always darting around although we've never seen any come close to our outside area.  There's always a first time and Miss Lily didn't let the chance go to waste.
     The bird looked dead, but upon close inspection after I scooped it up in a napkin
it was moving a bit.  Now the hovering was being by ML with guest appearances by Jinx.  Lydia opened the front door and I quickly went out to set the bird in the grass to see if it had any real life left.  It flew away from me like a rocket and deserves an award for superb  acting in the face of imminent extinction.  Jinx slipped past the door guard to make a run for is, but I caught him.
     We don't want to think about what a calamity it would have been if the bird had flown off inside the house.   And this was Act Two of the antics.
     In act one on Monday afternoon, LuLu   (cat #3) alerted us to something by scampering to an area where Jinx had been on the deck.  And there in the grass below us was a black cat scampering towards a large area of thorny berry bushes.  It went into the briars just as Lydia got to him/her.  The next plan of attack was for me to bring the packet of kitty treats and shake  to see if I could entice the escapee into returning home..or at least as close that I could nab our 'buddy'.
     Meanwhile Lydia went back upstairs to feed the crew and discovered a coal-black fur ball (probably inwardly laughing his tail off at the stupid human antics) while I was succeeding in getting the impostor out of the briars.  After shouting at me that Jinx was still a family member and the impostor had no collar,  I left the the black kitty to wonder what would have been if I had shaken out some treats.

On the high seas, sort of

Repair work on two naval vessels

A bigger ferry than ours

Seattle skyline

One of us is listing to starboard.

POULSBO, WA - - Actually it wasn't the "high seas" but a rather sedate ferry ride from Bremerton to Seattle. Bremerton is the home of a very large naval port which includes a ship building and repair division.  It's one of  many special locations in the area which make Puget Sound famous.  It also helps that Seattle is just a ferry ride away...as many folks commute by ferry for work.  Check out he house / condo / apartment rental costs and it's easy to see why.    

Sticker shock

POULSBO, WA - - Driving in downtown Seattle.  No problem.  Just as long as you don't plan on parking.

Out and about

This cat knows which way the wind blows

A bit of color in a mountain scene

Smaller is the big thing these days

This sculpture at Poulsbo Marina looks almost real

Beware!!

Those nasty crows have no sense of humor.

The sun arrives in Washington

The mountains of the Olympic Range provide a backdrop for a sunny day on the water

Spotted flowers??

BREMERTON, WA - - We're going to be in Washington, near a town called Poulsbo, for a bit over 3 weeks.  We've been here before so now we're doing a bit more exploring (Note to self to write down names of areas).  The mountains in the first photo cover part of Olympic National Park, a location we should check out while here.  Our house-sit companions, four cats, shouldn't mind.
     The interesting flower was one of a batch near our table at a seafood restaurant we've been to before.
    Part of the fun in returning to familiar areas is doing more exploring...unless the search is for a campsite when everything is booked up because it's Fourth of July weekend.  Our house sit doesn't begin until July third.
     So far, the sun is shining and the temperature should hit the low 70s today.  And the search goes o.

It's foggy out there

It's easy to tell which way the wind blows

The lighthouse: the sailors savior. 

Yaquina Head spent nearly 100 years in service

TILAMOOK, OR - - We've spent time on the Oregon Coast in the sunshine; we've spent time in foggy conditions.  This time it's foggy most of the day.  Locals say when its hot inland then we got the coastal mist.  We'll take the cooler temps (60's) any day.
     Later today we'll be in Washington  and it will probably still be the same.  No problem.  Plenty of firewood and hot coffee can bring on sunny dispositions. 
     This is one of our "stop in McDonald's for a senior coffee and free wi-fi" mornings.  If we're looking for something to do the Tilamook company offers free tours of their cheese making facility. The very sharp version is yum yum good. 

Nevada to Oregon

California's Mt. Shasta

An Oregon sense of humor

FLORENCE, OR - - Hot describes just about all of our trip time from Goldfield, NV to when we made it out of California.  Oregon (Port Orford to be more exact) where we spent last night (Saturday) has been cool... to the tune of a 50-decree difference.  It was either 108 or 110 or 111 degrees Friday night when we stopped. in Redding, CA.   This morning's (Sunday)  the temp was 58 degrees.  Way cool.
     Of course, out on Mt. Shasta in California it was cold enough to keep the mountain's eight glaciers from melting too much.
     To get to the Oregon Coast from the inland route we were on, Lydia found a way and we were on to another of "Lydia's excellent adventures".  These always involve routes to seemingly nowhere to get somewhere.  About 80 miles of desolate up and down road over a coastal mountain range with basically no straight parts later we emerged to see the Pacific and the Oregon Coast in  all its glory.  Even "The Leader" was a bit surprised noting that if she had known what type of trip was going to transpire she probably wouldn't have suggested it.  Yeah, right.
     Why no photos of the road and the terrain??  I couldn't unclench my fingers from the steering wheel death grip.

5-alarm blaze

Selfie, with new (fire) brush truck

It's hard to tell how big this monster is.

GOLDFIELD, NV - -  We're visiting Lydia's brother in Goldfield.  It's hard to visualize back 110 years ago, this Nevada town was a bustling mining center with 20,000 residents.  Today, it's quite a bit quieter with about 400 hardy, close-knit folks. 
     The town has a brand new fire truck (to add to a regular fire truck and a brush truck. There  are three ambulances, but they are a separate department). Luckily, somebody pulled a few strings and I got a chance to get a a short ride in the new unit.  But it was the driver who hit the lights and siren. It's a guy thing to like fire trucks
     The new unit is really like what we call in Florida a 'brush' truck (able to go off road to access fires or accidents)  This one is a brush truck steroids. It's good for providing coverage for any type of accident and fighting fires.  With four-wheel drive it can gobble up the rough sand roads and rougher terrain.  It has room for four responders plus the driver and enough gear to cover almost any situation.
     Because this is a pretty lonely area with the nearest hospital nearly 150 miles away, the volunteer fire department, police and ambulance volunteers cover plenty of ground.

Back to the road

One per cent humidity just before we left Tucson

The Vermilion Cliffs

Morning at Deer Creek (Utah) campground, clouds, aspens

CEDAR CITY, UT - - We left Tucson Tuesday afternoon and headed toward Goldfield, NV.  When people in Arizona explain 'It's a dry heat and not really that hot' at 105 degrees and one per cent humidity. Still, it's pretty darn hot.
    After spending the night in Flagstaff it was time to roll on.   Around Noon, we crossed the Navajo Bridge across the Colorado River and followed the empty highway and the Vermilion Cliffs while they mostly parallel the river.
     It would be cooler at higher elevations Monday night so once into Utah we headed for one of our favorite campgrounds,  Sure enough, it was 52 degrees this morning.  But we expect a very hot day and plenty of desert scenery on our 300 mile jaunt to Goldfield.
     Right now we're drinking coffee and doing the wi-fi thing at another favorite stop:  The  Grind in  "Historic" Cedar City...the last "big" center of any kind for a long time.

Kittty treats

I want kitty treats, NOW1

TUCSON, AZ - -  The feisty feline in the above photo is Bud. He's one half of the household we're taking care of while the servants of this 'friendly creature' are on vacation.  Cooper, the dog, shares the accommodations.
      Bud is not your normal lap kitty, he's more of a lap lump if and when he decides you deserve a few moments of his 15 pounds or so bulk.  Mainly he likes to vanish and sleep away the day in some cool hiding place. One thing which does make him reappear is 'treat time' after Cooper has his daily walks. 
    

'Tis the season

TUCSON, AZ - - Thursday, June 15, is the beginning of Monsoon Season here. Most of Arizona and New Mexico get nearly half their average rainfall (10 inches) before the season officially ends September 30.
     The above sign is seen more frequently then "Road work ahead"  and it seems as if the public works departments are working on  just about every street and road we've traveled in Tucson.  
     This area is currently bone  dry and it seems strange to cross river bridges and other bridges where there is nothing but cement hard layers of soil and sand and scrub to be seen.  But take that situation, add what can be two-inches of rain in an hour and you have the ingredients for flash floods.  And the flooding follows the 'path of least resistance'  so  that the dips in the road; highway underpasses and just about any low area can become a lake or raging torrent.
     You would think that abundant signs and visual evidence that the water just might be deep and flowing very fast would be enough to deter folks from trying to see if their vehicle has amphibious traits.  There's always a few folks who like to try.

The ears have it

Bobcat waiting for the keeper to deliver breakfast

Mountain lion watching and waiting

I got mine.  Prairie dog munch time

TUCSON, AZ - - Strangers in the night are out there prowling, looking for food should someone leave the garbage accessible or, worse yet, go for a late night walk with their pint-sized appetizer dog.  There have been sightings of bobcats in this neighborhood.  We decided it would be easier to head to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for our encounter.
     One interesting fact about the cat is that when in danger the cat hunkers down and its ears spread  out alongside its head.  The white spots on the ears (visible in the photo) then look like another set of eyes thus making the roughly 20 pound animal appear much larger.
     While mountain lions could roam the surrounding mountain ranges, we doubt any would be hungry enough to venture too close to civilization.  This sturdy fellow found hanging out in the shade and keeping a watchful eye on all the visitors to be less energy intensive.
     Of all the interesting exhibits, the prairie dog village was our favorite.  This gang of about 20...if they all decided to show themselves at once...were zipping all over the place.  The only times they came top rest were to munch on something or have an intruder check.
     We spent 3 hours wandering around and probably could have stayed longer but it was getting hot and animal activity was quieting down.  The hummingbirds, bees, javelina clan (a relative of wild pigs), wolf, black bear were all seeking some  kind of shade when we left.