Today is our last chance to be on salt water for about 6 months, when we head on down to the Gulf for our winter jaunt. We could stay in the RV and do bookwork and laundry OR we could take a ferry to - well, anywhere, why not. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. Hey, let’s go to Bremerton. It’s about 1 hour and there are some things to do there. $.75 for the bus and $4.00 for the ferry each and we’re on our way.
What a view of downtown Seattle from the water. But, then, we’re on a ferry and the movement is making the camera jiggle so much that I can’t get a clear picture. But, I’ve got a picture in my mind.
Off the ferry, we stopped in a local coffee shop and sat outside on their sidewalk to watch the people walk by. In the coffee shop, we heard someone order a cinnamon, low-fat latte with a single shot. I couldn’t even remember all that. She also ordered a 4-shot espresso. My, someone must not want to sleep for several days. Gary ordered my usual de-caf and, kiddingly, said I wanted a double shot. The barrista said OK and Gary realized that there really might be such a thing as a double-shot de-caf. Never kid with your barrista. Gary and I just order coffee. Pretty simple, pretty plain, easy to say. Meanwhile as we were sitting there, Gary said something about Iowa and a guy at the next table perked up. He was from Iowa also. Then a guy walking by heard our conversation and told us he was also from Iowa.
Finally, we decided that we should do something productive, or at least more active than sitting, and we strolled over to the USS Turner Joy battleship for a tour.
the ship was open for viewing and the local volunteer squad had done added a lot of signs, explanation and had really spiffed it up for touring. We learned while we were touring that this was one of the ships in the Tonkin Gulf when American ships were fired on. However, that this ship was there was not revealed until much later. Here is a note from the Captain to the crew to keep mum about the Turner Joy’s presence.
Bremerton also has a museum devoted to telling the story of the Naval Ship Building Yard there. 2 stories and filled with information.
But, it’s time to head back on the ferry.
We met a couple on the way back with two young kids. I asked the guy where he was from.
‘Minnesota. As him where he’s from,’ he said pointing to his 5-yr old son.
‘Texas.’ he said. ‘Ask her where she’s from,’ said the father pointing to his 8-yr old daughter.
‘Germany.’ she said. ‘Ask her where she’s from,’ said the father pointing to his wife.
‘Mexico.’ she said.
Army family. They move around a lot. He’s done 2 tours in Iraq and 1 in Afghanistan. His first job was removing IED’s from the roads. His second job was in PR and recruitment. Good move. He is a few months from retirement and applying for jobs which will keep him in the same area for a while so his kids will have a home, not another move.
As the ferry bustled back to Seattle, I shut my eyes and listened to the gulls screech above, the ferry blow its horn, the waves lap against the sides of the piers and the clank of metal on masts from the sailboats. I felt the wind in my hair as I stood in the front of the ferry. I felt the tang of the salt air. I’ll have to keep these memories for a while now.
Meanwhile we had one last dinner with our friends, Steve and Kathy. Last week we visited them at their home on Whidbey Island and experienced their wonderful hospitality and their Island Time. Today we met them half-way: in Mulkiteo for lunch.
No comments:
Post a Comment