Thursday, May 11, 2006

Yesterday Morning
I not only had my camera with me, I had it out of my backpack and in my hands while I was walking to the bus stop. (It's light out now by the time I leave the house.) Not much was happening in the neighborhood, except that I peered over a fence and found a whole army of iris in what I thought was a fairly non-descript yard. Now this morning, I decided NOT to bring my camera with me. So of course, I walk out of the house, take about three steps, when two small birds fly so close to me, that I can feel the air move as they swoop by. A robin is chasing them. A nice big fat, extremely photogenic robin, who even has the nerve to taunt me further, by posing on one of our fence posts for quite awhile. I grit my teeth and continue down the alley. Then, once I get to the bus stop and look toward the water, not only is there the usual ferry traffic on the bay, but a beautiful Crowley tug chugging by at a good clip. The Crowley tugs are trimmed in red and (I think) are some of the best looking tugs around.

I've said for quite awhile now that at some point, next life...next career...hobby in retirement? That I would love to work on a tug boat...just on local Puget Sound gigs. Nothing beats being up way too early, in chilly sea air with a hot cup of black coffee in your hand and feeling the hull of the boat you're on slicing/slamming (depending on whether you're sailing or motoring) its through the water, the wind in your hair. And knowing that you've got somewhere to be and you're getting there via BOAT. (Ha! As I'm writing this, I can hear the squawking of seagulls.)

That does it. At some point this weekend, I'm taking the Water Taxi. It's not a tug or sailboat, but it's the easiest way for me to feel (for the approximately 12 minute crossing) that I'm not (necessarily) landbound. Posted by Picasa