9/13- Lazy Weekend

The weekend here in Port Townsend was a very relaxed one. The Wooden Boat Festival saturated the little town with boat enthusiasts from all over and the sun stayed out with clear blue skies for thorough enjoyment of the event.

Wendie had work Saturday morning running a booth at the Farmer's Market, and Matt and Daniel had gone down for the day to admire all the wooden boats floating out in the harbor. I was happy to be left at the house for the day. For the most part, once I'd woken up, I spent the day on Wendie's computer updating posts in the quiet that I figured wouldn't last.

Around noon Wendie called to see if I could run down to the market and bring her a pair of shorts. This was my one break in the day that I took to get outside, and even manned the booth while she went off to change. I loved watching the people circulate through, and lazily mingle amongst each other for the day. The booth Wend was running was for the organization she works for, Third Ear Project, which teaches Non-violent Communication. I'd learn more about what that was in the next few days, but for that day, when ever anyone asked me what it was about I'd muddle my way through what I understood of it which, it seemed, related quite closely to how I'd relate to each ride that picked me up along the way. Essentially, just listening to what someone has to say, whether I agreed with the opinion or not, and responding to what's said, rather than what could be inferred as an opinion of me. Basically refraining from jumping to conclusions and automatically assuming people are judging you.

So that was the bulk of my Saturday, typing away with a brief venture outside. The day had more to promise, though, closer to when the sun set. Across the Sound, on Whidbey Island, Matt had a friend who was having a little gathering in Anacortes that night. Rolling with the synchronistic theme of my travels I had recently discovered my friend Laura lives there and had been trying to figure out how to coordinate visiting with her. Here it landed in my lap, yet again. Though the results didn't work out quite as I'd hoped.

I talked with Laura that afternoon about possibly meeting up that night and it turned out she was just heading out the door on a camping trip. Perhaps the timing of that wasn't meant to be, because next, as we sat in line for the ferry, we realized we weren't going to be getting on anytime soon. With the onset of the Wooden Boat Festival came a deluge of travelers that aren't normally there. Due to this the ferry fell behind schedule. So far behind schedule that we waited about an hour past its intended departure time, just barely didn't make a loading, and decided that getting to Anacortes was more trouble than it was worth. Instead, we turned around and had a nice evening at the drive in watching District 9 and (500) Days of Summer.

Sunday was a very different day for me. With all my website updating chores done I piled in the car with the crew after breakfast and we made our way back to Mystery Bay where the sailboat had been moored before. Matt had brought up a wide surf board from Seattle that, instead of surfing on, you stand and paddle around on. It seemed like the most absurd thing to do. When we got to the beach I watched as Matt just grabbed a paddle, pushed out into this serenely calm bay, and just stood up paddling around. It kind of reminded me of the pictures you see of poor Asian folks paddling around standing up crossing rivers.

I laid on the beach relaxing for a long while, then finally decided to give it a go. It was surprisingly really kind of fun in the most simple way. You just stand and paddle, literally, maintaining your balance the whole while. It was so relaxing just roving around the bay that way on the quiet of the water. I took it out twice, slid under a few docks just as something to do, and took some pictures out there on the calm. For the most part, though, I spent my time laying on the beach in full rest.

At one point a little girl, Paris, wandered over to us with her baby pug, Lucky. Her family had just gotten in from boating and were relaxing nearby, though out of sight. She was a funny one because she was surprisingly really social. Mostly she talked with Wendie and Daniel as they played with her puppy, but as I watched I was just so surprised by how easily she hung out with us.

As we got to know more about her we discovered she was 6 and from the area. It dawned on me then that my surprise at her sociability probably came a lot from being used to watching little kids growing up in a city. Out here in the more rural towns it seemed the parents were able to let loose the reins a bit more than in a city and kids were able to wander farther out of sight than a city kid would be, and so became more used to being off on their own. I don't know if that's true or not, but it seemed to fit in my head well.

Later in the day, we headed back into town and met up with some old friends of Daniel's for coffee. Matt stayed one last night after that, and Monday morning my work week would begin.