They Came, They Saw, They Left

They came in the deluge and left in the mist.

They came by car, truck, plane, boat and foot and left the same way. Jan drove the chase car, Jerry drove his truck, Kathy and Mike flew in, we took the ferry to Friday Harbor/San Juan Island with Roger and Mike jogging up the pedestrian ramp to make the ferry -- talking to us driving on under the ramp -- with the ferry attendant telling them to HURRY. Remember Cathy when you hurried me and Ian onto the ferry at the crack of dawn? I don't think Mike wants to make that jog again with his thirty-five pound camera pack. Check out his pictures on facebook and be envious of his talent -- both with a camera and a computer.

They came to see the whales and saw WHALES. All three domestic pods, J, K and L pods, appeared, swam, glided, frolicked and posed for the kayaking team. They came to cool off and the weather barely reached 70 degrees. When cousin Mayme commented she was drinking eight glasses of Texas air, Kathy just chuckled an evil laugh.

Jerry made coffee after the kayaking trip while Jane and Kathy huddled under blankets trying to keep warm, Mike was off taking sunset photos and Roger had already been delivered to the ferry dock. Roger went home at the end of the kayaking day with a big ole'smile on his face and a toy Tonka truck tucked into my car. Thank you Jean for the Tonka gift.

They came to see whales, mountains, rivers, sounds, ferries, islands, trolls and me. While Mike tootled around with his photography tour, Kathy and I slept late, drank coffee, ate good, took small drives, did a little shopping in preparation of the kayaking venture and talked, then talked some more, and then some more.

I watched her leave to walk down to the Mukilteo ferry, but she only hiked up one time, she said Jerry was her hero for taking that hike every day. I reminded her of the other heroes, besides Jerry; Jane, Julia and Nora have all schlepped up that hill. Kathy kept asking herself "where is that damn cross-walk" three curves in the road before she actually came to it. She decided walking around the school track was a fine alternative to hiking up the hill.

I loved to see them come, hated to see them go, but that's life. My laundry is almost caught up, I took a four hour nap then got up and went to bed. Not that this fat old lady was tired or anything. I sent the troops home with only minor cuts, scraps, bruises, numbness and tumbles.

Kathy's fiftieth birthday kayaking trip was a success. The weather was spectacular. It is over.

Jeff has started another London adventure, Jean is mended, Mark is mending, Jerry and Jane are driving the Oregon coast, Roger is off to San Francisco for a mountain biking tour with his friend Dennis, he and Stephanie just got back from a trip to Colorado to see Stephanie's grandmother, Cathy is retired or soon will be, Brittany is a senior, Ian is starting his annual sidewalk sale at work, I'm going to baby sit today for a feeling-poorly Connor.

Christian repaired my car hours before Mike and Kathy arrived -- it takes three sons to keep me going.

Jean I love, love, love your post. Thoughtful and beautiful.

Life isn't always a full cup of coffee.