It’s a Thursday. Laundry Day so as we sit and wait for machines to do their thing, R reads and I write. At least for a time. It is a late morning so we will have to go for lunch before long. Maybe to try out a new restaurant. It might be a good day for fish and chips. You would think that on an island, fish would be easy to find. I have heard that in the summer you can purchase fresh fish on the docks. But like everything else, the off season has affected the number of fishermen in Friday Harbor. Now is a good time to come to the island if you are trying to get away from the summer hoards. No lines at dinner. No long wait at the ferry landing. Empty roads and beaches. No reservations are needed at the hotels and probably the B & Bs. Of course the temperatures are cooler and the sun is more hidden, but this area does not compete with Cabo or Rio for warm sunny days during any time period.

You come here to get away. Maybe it is from the hustle and bustle of Seattle. Or the signs of corporate or commercial America, the Wal-Mart’s, Home Depots, McDonalds, or Starbucks. Maybe it is for the beauty that surrounds you. Maybe it’s the water, which also surrounds you. Whatever the reason, it is a special place. Not only this island, but any of these San Juan Islands and any of the other island that dot the charts of this area. The people who live here are different. Different from you and me. Different even from those who have a “place” on this or another island that they come to occasionally. I’m not sure if I can explain, but they look at things just a little differently. If you were to move here, it would take quite some time for you to be truly accepted as an “islander”. All of that being said, as we have roughly two weeks left on our "duty" here, when the time comes, we will be ready to "move on". I'm ready to be on the mainland again. I'm ready to resume our water aerobics routine. I miss our Wednesday night dinner and a movie. It will be nice traveling with out planning around the expense and limited time frame of the ferry. I miss Costco hotdogs!