James Island

On August 28, we set out bright and early. Chasm, Dee, Droo and Cake were with us as well as Dee's sister M and her husband D. They were on a week long trip visiting in the area, and their three girls were with their C grandparents. It was weird seeing them without kids, but I bet it was very relaxing for them!

We didn't have any plans as to where which island we wanted to stop at, but it was a bright and clear day and the water was calm. I love when we can leave the front window open and you can feel the salty air rush past you. Droo found a great lookout spot, perched on the steps that lead to the bow. I loved his expressions and wind swept hair.

You can see that it was a little foggy. Thankfully we had a clear view the entire day. The fog stayed far away from us.


More than a little overexposed, but I love the relationship between Droo and Cake. They have a lot of fun together.




D&M. It is so much fun to spend time with these two.


We chose to stop at James island for lunch and we watched the fog roll by on both sides of the island. It was so strange! It came on quickly and rolled along quickly. You could literally see it billowing by, like a cloud in the sky that moves quicker than you would think it would.


Our little lunch spot on the cliff. The views here are so beautiful. Lunch was once again Build-Your-Own Salads. Greens, dressings, shredded cheese, sliced black olives and chicken breast cubed and cooked with Montreal steak seasoning. MMM.


Deep in thought. Am I really turning THREE today?! I'm a big boy now.


Droo's dairy-free "cake" on the left, which was peanut butter, honey and graham crackers mixed together and topped off with sprinkles. Droo's favorite treats are peanut butter and sprinkle balls, so it was a good fit. On the right is the dessert for everyone else who can have dairy- Peanut Butter Balls.


Blow out the unlit candles! The breeze was so constant as it was rushing over the center of the island, that no matter what we tried we could not get those candles lit!


"I'm this many!"






The guys take off and explore.




Cake and her Aunt M.


Fall is beginning a couple of weeks early in the San Juan Islands.




Veins of what looks like milk quartz run through the cliffs on James island.


Some of it is easy to break off, and on the side that was hidden from the elements, it is green with some sort of mineral.


A double root ball. The stumps of two trees are on the other side. Two trees grew together as one and it made for a neat looking piece of driftwood.




A tiny rock crab around the size of a penny.


The first turkey vulture I have spotted this summer. Not that great of a photo, but you can see the eagle-like body and red vulture-like head.


While the three ladies and Cake napped in the boat, the guys went for a hike around the island and then relaxed on the beach nearby. Droo got soaking wet—you can't keep little boys away from water!


It is hard to get a decent shot of The Mr. and I, so I stealthily gave my camera to M and she snitched this one while taking one on her own camera. The Mr. rarely smiles big so I tickled him and in this photo he is tickling me back. If you don't know this yet, I am extremely ticklish that even small children can hold me captive.

After James island, we went to Friday Harbor on San Juan island for dinner. Once again we went to Haley's Bait House and the food was so yummy. I cannot recommend this place enough. Maybe it is also because they have a great gluten-free dish, the Thai lettuce wraps. After dinner was done, we would have loved some time to relax and look around, but since we had spent such a fun and long time on James Island, it was already time to head for the Blaine Marina. The water was fairly calm, though not quite as calm as it was in the morning. The neat thing was that there was a beautiful view of the mountains, especially Mt. Baker as you can see in the photo below. There was also a spectacular sunset, but it was already so dark that my photos turned out blurry. You can get a tiny idea of what it was like from the last two photos of this post. Check out the pink streaks in the sky!

Cake all wrapped up.




I love the pink tinge, the way the clouds are swirling in the sky and the soft blur of the water below. What a beautiful day!