August 19, 2008
Westport Washington
Leaning to Port in Westport, or Déjà Vu all over again
It almost seems like this is home, and ofcourse it is our first port back in the US, so we are on Homeland oil uh, soil. Looking back over my log, we spent thirteen days in Westport on our way up the coast. In no time we are reacquainted with the crummy Laundromat, the very friendly black kitty who comes out at night and in the morning and accompanies to the restroom. He doesn’t purr, or meow, but he does let me pick him up. Granny Hazel’s gift shop with the homemade chocolate confections and salt water taffy in a million flavors was somehow not lost to memory. The staff at the Westport Timberland library, of which I am a proud card carrying member, greeted me as a long lost sailor friend. Right next door sits our favorite grocery, Ted’s Red Apple Market. Not exactly Safeway or Shop N Kart, but after west side Vancouver Island it had everything we could want, in particular fresh fruits and vegetables!! We treated ourselves to some bottled (not boxed) wine, a $7 Australian Merlot, the same brand in Canada cost 12 dollars at the province liquor store.
What we can never forget, but would like to, is that which brings us here in the first place: the weather. It brings us in and keeps us trapped, like a cruel and manipulative lover. We arrived about a day before the southerly winds picked up, and at this juncture Ken would want me to say that we could have gone on to Newport. However given the cold night and the shift sleep, going into Westport seemed like a good idea at the time. We’ve now been here 2 days, and will be here at least 2 to 3 more. As I write this from our cabin, the wind is howling (I thought it was August still? Who ever heard of howling wind in the northern hemisphere in August?) and the boat is leaning to port, being blown on to the dock from the southerly wind.
So we walk to our favorite internet hanging out, the Islander restaurant and watch the Olympics and have a meal, or just a cup of coffee. The waitress wonders why people who bring there computers with them always sit “at that one table”. I tell her that there is an electric outlet nearby. Not such a mystery after all.
When we were here in June, salmon season had just opened. They are still fishing for salmon, though the catch now is spotty at best. What they are catching now is tuna, so we bought a half a tuna from a skipper, prepared for us right off the boat. Marinated in a little olive oil and lemon juice, Ken barbequed it and was it delicious!
Westport Washington
Leaning to Port in Westport, or Déjà Vu all over again
It almost seems like this is home, and ofcourse it is our first port back in the US, so we are on Homeland oil uh, soil. Looking back over my log, we spent thirteen days in Westport on our way up the coast. In no time we are reacquainted with the crummy Laundromat, the very friendly black kitty who comes out at night and in the morning and accompanies to the restroom. He doesn’t purr, or meow, but he does let me pick him up. Granny Hazel’s gift shop with the homemade chocolate confections and salt water taffy in a million flavors was somehow not lost to memory. The staff at the Westport Timberland library, of which I am a proud card carrying member, greeted me as a long lost sailor friend. Right next door sits our favorite grocery, Ted’s Red Apple Market. Not exactly Safeway or Shop N Kart, but after west side Vancouver Island it had everything we could want, in particular fresh fruits and vegetables!! We treated ourselves to some bottled (not boxed) wine, a $7 Australian Merlot, the same brand in Canada cost 12 dollars at the province liquor store.
What we can never forget, but would like to, is that which brings us here in the first place: the weather. It brings us in and keeps us trapped, like a cruel and manipulative lover. We arrived about a day before the southerly winds picked up, and at this juncture Ken would want me to say that we could have gone on to Newport. However given the cold night and the shift sleep, going into Westport seemed like a good idea at the time. We’ve now been here 2 days, and will be here at least 2 to 3 more. As I write this from our cabin, the wind is howling (I thought it was August still? Who ever heard of howling wind in the northern hemisphere in August?) and the boat is leaning to port, being blown on to the dock from the southerly wind.
So we walk to our favorite internet hanging out, the Islander restaurant and watch the Olympics and have a meal, or just a cup of coffee. The waitress wonders why people who bring there computers with them always sit “at that one table”. I tell her that there is an electric outlet nearby. Not such a mystery after all.
When we were here in June, salmon season had just opened. They are still fishing for salmon, though the catch now is spotty at best. What they are catching now is tuna, so we bought a half a tuna from a skipper, prepared for us right off the boat. Marinated in a little olive oil and lemon juice, Ken barbequed it and was it delicious!
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