Summer Berries

One benefit of living at the Ballard Mill Marina is that fresh berries are just a short stroll away.  The train tracks that run in front of the Marina driveway are lined with large bushes that are set back from the street and packed with berries.

I've taken to picking berries on my way home, or in the morning before breakfast.  They make a delightful addition to boatmeal and I for one will certainly be sad when they are gone.

Thomas & Williams Lantern

A couple months ago, we procured a beautiful old Thomas & Williams brass lantern at the Fisheries spring swap meet.  It was in need of a good polishing, and new wicks, which we had to special order.  We had our first occasion to use the lantern on Monday while sitting out and watching the sunset.  It worked perfectly!

 

The lantern is actually a miners’ lamp, but is a style that is commonly used on boats as well.  Miners used these lamps not only to provide light, but as a safety device.  If the atmosphere becomes heavily charged with noxious gas, the gas will enter the lamp causing the length and color of the flame to change.  Easier than carrying a canary around a dark mine, I suppose.

Enjoying the Fourth in Kingston and Port Madison

We decided to get out of the city for the Fourth.  At first, we were thinking we’d tuck into someplace quiet away from crowds or fireworks, but then decided to meet friends in Kingston for a bit and then spend the night at Port Madison on the north end of Bainbridge Island.  Every year, Kingston hosts a big Fourth of July party, complete with fireworks show, so it’s quite a destination and not the ideal place to spend a quiet night.

We didn’t have to leave in that big of a hurry on Friday because Kingston is not far and the winds looked favorable.

First things first, we ran up the flag.

The locks were surprisingly un-crowded and we were able to reach the sound quickly.  We then headed north against the wind, tacking quite a bit but making fairly good time.

We arrived at Kingston to find the marina and surrounding areas packed with boats.  That meant that we had to drop anchor pretty far out.  Luckily, we were ferried from ship to shore in a friend’s dinghy.  (Thanks, Gary!) 

Before going to land, I had Martha Stewart moment and decorated Vicky's cabin with garlands and stars.

Once on land, we took a couple hours to visit, and then trot around the town…  just long enough to experience the herds of patriotic partyers and classic rock cover band playing in the main square.   We then hopped back aboard Vicky (thanks again, Gary!) and were on our way to Port Madison.

When we arrived at Port Madison, we were easily able to anchor in the sheltered inlet and were happy to find that the water and winds were calm – which meant we could look forward to a decent night’s sleep without rocking and rolling and having to get up every couple hours to check the anchor.

Unbeknownst to us, though, the large houses lining Port Madison, including the house on very large house Treasure Island, the tiny, privately-owned island just off shore, all let off quite a few large fireworks.  So after a dinner, which included soup and a bottle of Finn River cider left over from last week’s trip to Port Ludlow, we parked ourselves on Vicky’s bow for our very own  fireworks show.

 

Once the fireworks died down, we tucked in for a good night’s rest.

On Saturday, we had a leisurely morning, which included Ty winning quite a few hands of gin rummy, and Sarah going for a (very short, salty) swim.  We motored out of Port Madison, to find the winds just right for a perfect sail back to Shilshole.