Sunday morning, I awoke to sunlight beaming through our forward cabin porthole. Funny, how I always seem to rise early and of my own volition when work is not the task that beckons me. The cockpit was calling my name, and I stealthily wiggled my way out of bed to enjoy a few minutes of solitude before our watery neighborhood awakened with the sounds of sailors scrubbing and repairing and readying their boats for summer. It was by no means a harsh winter, but walking up the dock during short, gray days grew tiresome as weeks turned to months. We embraced spring like a sorely missed friend, and May has been uncharacteristically lovely (the bounty of global warming…ugh). Last week was wonderful.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day, and we had the good fortune of celebrating Neil’s mom by enjoying a sunny afternoon with his parents aboard The Red Thread. Neil and I prepared brunch (including my first ever quiche – taaaasty!), and we motored to Blakely Harbor at the south end of Bainbridge Island, where we dropped the anchor and relaxed in the sun for a few hours. I missed my mama in Utah, and it was a pleasure to be able to share the day with Neil’s mom and dad.

Sunday was a prelude to what was to be a gorgeous week. It felt much more like August than July, with temperatures in the mid-70s every day. Wednesday evening, we were treated to an unexpected sail by our dock neighbor, Juan. His boat, Zena, is a beautiful wooden vessel that is over half a century old. Over the past two years, we have watched him transform her from a dilapidated old boat who appeared to be approaching the end of her days to a beautiful vessel who elicits compliments from passersby. He has loved her back to life, and the energy he has devoted to her has surely extended her life by decades. The wind was perfect, blowing in the low teens for a bit, before eventually subsiding altogether. We fired up the grill, dropped the sails, and enjoyed a peaceful evening bobbing about in Elliott Bay. We even saw a couple Dall’s porpoises, a rare treat so close to the marina.

Thursday was another beautiful day, and we were lucky to hurry home from work to meet up with our friends, Katy and Luca, for a dockside happy hour. Long days in the Pacific Northwest have arrived, however, and we couldn’t resist the urge to shove off for a couple of hours on the water. We motored again to Blakely Harbor, dropped the hook, and Luca generously made us dinner. The Adventuress, a storied schooner launched in Maine in 1913, was anchored empty in the bay. The golden hues of sunset bounced off her hull, creating a honey glow that made the evening feel warm.Last week was filled with the type of moments that make our boat life wonderful. It’s not all fun and games, though! In our next post, we’ll get down and dirty with some of pre-voyage repairs and home improvement projects that have occupied the majority of our time lately…