After a busy day, caught the 6pm ferry by a slim margin. One of the last on board. Slept the entire way over and got up just in time to drive off at Friday Harbor.
Maren and Kylie had been at the house for pretty much the full day and I had a quick meal then settled into the guest cabin, the small cabin with the great view.
Grandma used to stay here and the view is unchanged in the near 50 years the guest cabin has existed. As I sit typing, I'm looking down San Juan channel. On the AIS app I can see a ferry between Shaw and Lopez, headed for Friday Harbor -- the 8pm ferry I would have been on had I missed the 6. It's just beyond my sight line, but I know where it's going to pop out. It's gray out. The sky light gray, the water a medium gray and the islands varying shades of dark gray. And way in the distance, perhaps 7 nautical miles away, a light emerges around the western end of Shaw. The electronically anticipated ferry.
It's nice up here in the islands. Quiet and peaceful.
The weekend will bring plenty of activity!
Time to get a good nights rest.
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| Sunrise Friday Morning |
FRIDAY
The goal of the weekend was to replace the roof on the garden shed. It's a fair sized shed, 18 or so feet in length. The shingles had done their part protecting various tools and other odds and ends for over 25 years. Lichen and other plants sprouted and it was was time for it to be replaced.
Maren and Kylie were already at the cabin, having arrived Thursday morning. Brad, Scott and Bev were coming up on the 2 something ferry, Jodi was flying in on Kenmore air, the final leg of her journey that had started in Nashville earlier in the day and Devin was aiming for the 6pm ferry -- a ferry he usually misses by about 10 minutes.
52 years earlier, my Father, along with Glen (Bev's husband and Brad's father) built the first cabin on the property. Both Dad and Glen have passed and it was up to Brad and his childhood friend Scott to help replace the roof on the Shed. Both had spent time up on the property in the 60's as teenagers, but while Brad had been here a couple of times since, Scott had not.
Friday, for me, was spent clearing out the shed. Years of accumulation had resulted in having to duck going into the shed -- it was packed with stuff. Everything from an old Avon Redcrest inflatable to tools (including a PeeVee and a Froe). Maren and Dad had cleaned a portion of it out several years ago and I'm sure a couple of things were thrown out or re-purposed, but there were plenty of items with no value whatsoever.
After cleaning it out, then off came the shingles. Slow at first, I picked up steam when I remembered the shovel technique of shingle removal. It was still tough work and I was running out of steam with the 'A' team arrived, Brad and Scott. Just as my energy flagged, they rolled in and attacked the remaining nails, of which there were hundreds, if not thousands. Dad loved to hold things down with nails. If one was good, more was better. When the shingles were off, the remaining roof bristled like a porcupine with all those nails.
After a couple of hours, they had cleared the remaining nails and felt, ready for construction the following morning.
In the meantime, Jodi was winging her way up on her final (and best) leg from Nashville on her first seaplane ride. Here are a few pics from that adventure.
Friday night we had Jodi's vegetarian chili. Pretty good for being in the air all day!!
Saturday everything came together. Devin had rolled in later in the evening (once again missing the 6pm boat by 12 minutes!) and we developed a rhythm of working that lasted all day. Scott and Devin on the roof pounding away,Brad making the cuts and ensuring all was done correctly, and myself filling in where needed and focusing on the interior of the shed. It all worked.
It was a time of reflection. Brad and Scott were 60, but memories of visits 45 years earlier were strong. The cabins were still there as was the view. Modern appliances had replaced the original equipment but in many ways it was just the same as when we were teenagers. We were older. Much older, but aside from the soreness, didn't feel that much older.
Devin swung a hammer pretty good and can look at that roof in the future and reflect 'I helped put that on'. The roof should last another 30ish or more years. He will be about my age when it needs to be replaced again.
As Saturday wound down, Jodi cranked up the appetizers, starting with her 'Salmon Toast'. OMG, it was great. The chicken followed and the group descended into eating, chatting, and enjoying the wine and each other's company.
Sunday morning Brad and Scott took an early pre-breakfast hike up Mount Young. Not bad at all for a couple of 60 year olds that had worked hard the previous day. We tidied up the job and geared for departure.
What a wonderful weekend.
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| BEFORE |
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AFTER   |
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