Lake Washington, Seattle, WA

One who does nothing
but wait for his ship
to come in
has already missed the boat.

I am under the I-90 bridge right now, on the shores of Lake Washington. Just did a little beachcombing. I love beachcombing.

Looking for the spot where Dan Tracy(above) and I will launch to go kitesailing with our kayaks. See his video. Overcast today and enough wind, but not going out today... but looking for the spot and exploring the area.

The name of my son’s new home Ridiculust, a 5,000 sq. foot place, hard to imagine when you live in a box (but shared with another couple with baby due)..

For three years my son has set up a bee hive and the bees all left home, so this year he didn’t set it up again, and now bees are coming to the hive.  I thought, well maybe if they choose to live in this hive, they will stay!!!   Either that, or they are robbing the honey still in the hive.  Will be interesting to watch what happens.

Also met a nice duck family and had a change to get some wonderful photos, until other people showed up and drove the mom away.  Too bad too, as she had an injured leg, even once she got into the water, she used it very little to swim.  But all in all a beautiful experience for me.

I just saw a sign asking for volunteer kayakers to help with a SWIM club swim in the lake on the 8/18... and I signed up. Should be fun.  That will loosen me up for my Alaska paddle on 8/20.

Now, I’m having breakfast on the waterfront… cereal with the beautiful blackberries I picked yesterday.

Have found the Western Shore of Lake Washington where Dan Tracy will be taking me kitesailing by kayak in a few days.   Nice area… sun has come out, there is wind and sailboats are on the lake, and speed boats, and kayaks.  I’m spending the time catching up with things.

Later I will be having dinner with my son Richard, who I haven’t seen in three years.  I swear, the boy’s life is just one big party.

The first party… great big round bed/swing/chair thing in the back yard that could hold half a dozen people.  Two on there in this photo.  My son, Rich, and his very nice friends… taken at the first party.

The next night was a sit-down dinner party, and I baked a red velvet pecan cake in my Sun Oven, while parked along the lakeshore, for the occasion (heard hikers going by… exclaiming “Look, a Sun Oven!”).

Rich’s friend, introducing him to chocolate-covered potato chips.  OK, I got to get some of these things.

Our hostess… wrapping a big hoola-hoop… the whole group of friends have dozens of hoola-hoops, sometimes jumping out of airplanes and then flying through the hoops… or just playing with when on terra-firma.

This friend arrived and I just had to take a photo of her awesome hair… brighter red than in this photo.  The table is set, very nice to sit down to dinner and actually converse and be able to tell stories on my son… and have people thoroughly enjoy them… they all love him so much – and he can laugh at himself.  Conversation drifted off into places I never dreamed I’d be going with folks a generation younger then me (i.e. The Harrad Experiment by Robert Rimmer which I read in the late 1960 and which was the catalyst for breaking up my marriage).  Well, that’s probably too much information for my followers!

Anyway, it was an awesome evening.

A vandweller/kayaker is arriving in Seattle today and we are trying for a connection.  She is also on her way to Alaska, but today is the only time our paths will cross.

This weekend, my son is taking me to the Renaissance Festival and I will camp there overnight in my van.  My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter and many of their friends are performers, and have been for years. King Richard and his Queen.  I told you this boy’s life was just one continuous party.

I commented to my son that he seems to like me better now… and he said, well, this was the happiest he has ever seen me.  He does like me more… and that’s an awesome “answered prayer” for me.  Life is good.

Map of my travels…

 

Follow along with the map.... http://mytripjournal.com/swankiewheels

Bellingham, WA to Wenatchee, WA

FIFTH STATE PADDLED (continued)
Sep. 16, 2009 – Oct. 17, 2009

Things are moving so slowly for me... and gas is so expensive... I realize now, I'm not going to make it to the East coast this year.  It would just be beyond my means to do so and then make it back to the Southwest in time for the Jan-Mar 2010 gathering.

So will be visiting my two sons and their families in Kirkland and Wenatchee, WA… and then head East to ID and Montana and do those paddles, then south to see my brothers, Jim and Dan in Vegas, and then on to the SW gatherings.  I’ll kayak where I can.

After visiting Dani in Bellingham, I headed to Kirkland, WA (East of Seattle) to see my son Richard, his wife Rhonda and their daughter, Tori.  We went to dinner on the Lake, great views.

 I used to be the “big” one! 

Lake Washington

Next day, Tori and I headed over (with her driving-my first time with a grandchild driving me someplace) to West Seattle where I used to live (in one of those houses)…

We were finding a lot of glass, but Tori wasn’t all that much into it and she didn’t feel well, so we cut the day short.

I had looked for glass in the Port Angeles and Port Townsend, WA areas… hunting for a beach known as Glass Beach… but found very little glass, so I was feeling “glass-deprived.” 

Held my breath while she drove us back through Seattle and through Pioneer Square, but we finally arrive safely back in Kirkland.

My desire to collect beach glass was not satisfied so Spankie and I headed back over to West Seattle (Alki Beach) the next day… and I found a bunch of glass.

 I searched that entire stretch of beach,
five hours (and 3 mo. later, my butt still hurts).

Also put the kayak into Elliott Bay and tried to paddle around Alki Point to where I lived between Lohman Park and Lincoln Park. 

The surf and current were pretty strong, so I had to turn around before reaching Alki Beach by kayak. 

I did land along the way… was greeted by a big fat raccoon on his on little private beach… and I found more glass.  Though short, it was a good paddle.

Went back to visit one of my old colleges, Lake Washington Technical College, in Kirkland and saw these twins there.

Leaving Kirkland, I headed up to Wenatchee to meet little Zoey and visit with her dad Chris, my other son, and wife Jenelle.

This was our first meeting… the very first time I saw her in person.  She was doing the “stranger-danger” thing, but warmed up to me in about 30 minutes.

She is a hoot… here she is feeding her chickens.  They lay eggs also… enough to meet all the family’s needs and she gathers the eggs.  Not bad for less then 2 years.

I gave her some of the heirlooms I’ve been toting around for years, this is my most treasured possession, a lovely music box with little treasures inside.

And, just so the “dwellers” aren’t left out… saw this rig a few times around town.  Couldn’t resist taking pictures.  Overkill?  Definitely “unstealthy.”

Columbia River, Wenatchee, WA

My visit there was lengthened as my son had to fly back east to be with his dad whom he just learned might have terminal cancer. (He did and passed on New Year’s Eve 2009.

Decided I just had to have another paddle so put in the Columbia River at Lincoln Rock State Park.

 
East side of Turtle Island

Paddled all the way around Turtle Island… about four hours.  Saw a deer family very close to me as I turned a corner.

Heard a coyote very close to me, but could not see him.  Saw Magpies, heard an eagle.  Very nice paddle.

Both in same color.

Dancing on Picnic table (Dad holding on).

Chris returned from his Dad’s and I finally got to spend more time with sweet little Zoey at Confluence Park on the Columbia River in Wenatchee.  Met some friends there too, the Holts from Kirkland, and we went to an agility dog show in that park and visited and tried to catch up.

This is a photo I took of us sitting at the top of a very tall slide.  She was afraid (so was I but don’t tell anyone) but trusted me enough to get in my lap and slide down with me.  Dad was at the bottom to catch us.  And she wanted to go again!  I mean it must have been 12-14’ tall?

It was time to move on. 

This was looking east from near the front of their home.  I think that cloud layer was making me sick.

My allergies were bothering me from their dog and also the pollution that settles in the Wenatchee Valley.  Once out of town and up on the mesa… you could see the inversion clouds in the valley below.

Bye-bye, Wenatchee, see you in 2010.

All total, about five paddles in WA state, now I’m on to ID.  Oh, but the most important thing, I learned Zoey will get a sibling in March, and me, my first grandson.  Nice!