Don’t worry, we still have food. However, by the end of the day we’re officially out of pre-made food items, which is not the worst state to be in. Kid (processed stuff) food is totally gone. Also not a bad thing. Fresh veggies are also gone, but I have canned items.
Today we left Deer Harbor to go back on anchor for a couple of days. We had a loose plan of where we wanted to go, but kept it flexible. Moving during the “lunch hour” is not the best time to be trying to find open desirable spots around the San Juans.
We decided on Jones Island, making it a quick 30 minutes. I’m excited to go back to Orcas Island again. The houses on the southwestern side, peeking out from behind the trees on the cliff are so fun. Just tiny divers of them show, usually the part with a large window, saying peekaboo! I’ve heard some rumors about Orcas not being the most cruiser friendly island. We found Deer Harbor to be very friendly!
Shane brought us to the north side of Jones Island, to avoid the light southerly wind. Unfortunately the mooring balls and dock were full. We anchored here a couple weeks ago, so were aware of the challenges. Shane ended up anchoring on the east side of the cove near other boats who were stern tied to the trees onshore.
We haven’t stern tied anywhere yet. After the anchor set, Shane grabbed a spool of yellow, floating line from under the bed in our cabin. He told me how to unwind the line as he dinghied to shore. We had enough line to go around the tree and bring the loose end back to the boat to cleat off. Shane went back to add a buffer between the line and the poor tree. Stern tie success!
I’m so proud of Shane for doing what need to be done, even though he had never done it before. There are countless “firsts” on the boat, and he always rises to the challenge without complaint.
Now that we were settled I made us lunch. It was other creative meal. I figure with some oil, flour, and water I can make a number of things! I decided to try flour tortillas. I’ve made wraps in the past and have always been less than impressed with how they cook in a stainless steel pan. The nice thing about the tortillas, and also a wake up call for me, was how much oil they call for. I tried my best to get the little fatty dough balls to get as thin as possible, but they still ended up so thick! Forget about them being in any way a circle. I’ll have to revisit flour tortillas in the future.
The kids didn’t seem to mind. They are up their cheese quesadillas. I added some chickpeas and the rest of the fresh veggies on the side. Shane and I had salads? WithShane finishing up the tortilla batch.
The kids spent time writing letters earlier in the day. Kelly looked up where Yosemite is, using our Atlas. Later Kelly looked up a large fish (or eel, snake or worm!) He had spotted. That was the extent of the more formal schooling they got in for the day.
Kelly spent the remainder of the afternoon looking for sea creatures around the boat, working out, and relaxing. Wyatt and I paddle boarded. He stood up, paddling around the cove and we went to shore for a bit.
I’m so impressed with the boys. Kelly is always so creative and curious. He’s very observant and likes to discover new things in the water. Wyatt has been so brave, trying things that he’s scared of before like sailing, paddling, and even winging.
When we got back I had a messy galley to clean up. Yes, I had left the mess behind to play for a bit. When Shane was done with work he took the boys to shore and I cleaned and made dinner.
Dinner was tofu and chickpeas with a Korean bbq sauce package, brown rice, and the last of the cabbage mix. Everyone ate their whole meal.
I went for a paddle and a walk around the island, while listening to an audiobook. I’m so grateful for the time alone and being able to get in a sweat in such a beautiful place.
The last time we were here there was far less campers than today. Almost all the camp spots were in use this time. Sounds of kids screaming while playing games, smoke from campfires, and people passing me on the trails was fun to be around.
I paddled the shores of our little cove coming across a huge school of small, silvery fish. It was so beautiful! It also looked like it wash raining. There were dozens of little rings on the top of the water all over. When you looked below the water seemed like it was a mirror with all of the fish below. So fun, also I’m sure a nice treat for seals.
I cleaned up dinner dishes when I returned. Shane was playing Sequence with the boys, a game they love playing with their dad. Shane had on John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High. He and Wyatt were singing along. It was the cutest thing.
We ended the night with emergency cake and the new episode of Ms. Marvel. Baking a box cake on a quarter sheet is one of my favorite things. No need for a cake pan, that quarter sheet does all the things! Ms. Marvel gave us another great episode. All of us have learned so much watching the show. It’s also a heartwarming story about family legacy. We highly recommend it.