For Old Time's Sake

My bestie, Karen, is leaving me for Montana in a few short weeks. *tear* I'm not quite sure how I'm going to handle it when she's not here anymore! We've been pretty much inseparable since we first met in 2005. We were roommates back then and both spent the summer working for Allen Marine doing whale watching tours. So, the other day, when she called me to ask if I wanted to join her on a whale watch with our old company, there was no way I was going to pass up the chance knowing it might be the last time we would be able to do a ride-along together. *double tear*

It's amazing how many strong memories came flying back as soon as I stepped foot on that boat, even with it having been 4 years since I last worked there. The sites, sounds, smells... instant nostalgia. Two of the crew members on board were even old friends from our glory days, Capt. Mike and Monica, which just added to the flood of fond memories.

Karen and I were tempted to start off being "those obnoxious locals pretending to be those obnoxious tourists" but caught ourselves before we asked where the best seat was or how far above sea level we were. Instead, we just kicked back and enjoyed each other's company over a couple beers and took in the scenery we remembered so well. I tried to get Karen to draw a route map for me like old times but soon realized I was the only one between us that could tell where we were. : )

Being on the water again was fantastic! I hadn't been out on a tour in well over a year and almost forgot how relaxing it can be. The crew was incredibly friendly, despite knowing how easily one can get burned out this late in the season, and the naturalist had tons of new stories and facts neither Karen nor I had heard before. It was fun to see Monica running around the boat again.  Checking the engines, tying lines, spotting for whales... doing what she does best just by being her! This was also my first ride-along with Mike since he became a captain with Allen Marine so it was great to see him behind the wheel finally. A natural! He got us some awesome fluke shots of the whales but, seeing as I learned years back that wildlife photos are not my forte, I kept my camera in my pocket and just enjoyed watching instead.

All in all, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon. Being on the water with dear friends, surrounded by some of my favorite types of wildlife... just like the old days! I miss it a lot and am so thankful to still be able to get back out there from time to time. Our three hour tour flew by so much faster than we expected and soon we were pulling back up to the dock. It's always a little sad to step off the boat because I'm never quite sure when I'll be able to ride along again. Hopefully it won't take another year. Thank you to Capt Mike, Monica, and the rest of the crew for a wonderful tour! And thank you to my dear, dear friend, Karen, for arranging the whole thing! I will miss you terribly after you move away but am so very happy we have shared so many great moments and created memories I will cherish forever!

 

 

Random Fact About Me #3977: I get motion sick fairly easily in the car or on roller coasters but very rarely get sea sick.

Changing Viewpoints

Over the last year or so, I've noticed myself getting a little too consumed with "the big picture" and not taking enough time to step back and truly appreciate the little things in life. Which is somewhat sad considering how much the little things have made me happy in the past. So, in hopes of readjusting my outlook a bit, I decided to take on a mental project for myself... changing my viewpoint slightly in order to see what new things are out there to discover!

I guess you can say the idea started to take form several months ago when my sister came to visit. She had a new camera that took amazing close-up shots. We goofed around with it while playing board games one night and I was hooked! So much fun! I can't say I wasn't a tad bit disappointed that she remembered to take her camera with her when she left.
 

Last week I found myself back at it again, only this time with my trusty IPhone. I spent a rainy afternoon walking along the beach with my friend, Terra, and kept coming across hidden treasures that I would typically have passed right by. Feathers and shells and seaweed... not the things one would normally find noteworthy enough to stop as often as we did. Our simple walk on the beach ended up lasting almost 2 hours! But I was pretty proud of the photos I managed to get and very appreciative of my friend for humoring me! 

A couple days later, for Labor Day weekend, Terra and I made plans to head over to Sitka for a quick little vacay. She had never been there and I hadn't been back for several years. The long weekend seemed like a good time to drop our daily responsibilities and get out of town for a day or two. So we hopped on the ferry and spent the next 48 hours walking around Sitka and taking in the local splendor. Seeing as I already have tons of scenery photos of Sitka from my years growing up there, I decided to continue on with my close-up photo montage. And in doing so, managed to see a side of my hometown I had never taken the time to appreciate before!

Random Fact about Me #706: For my Senior Project in high school, I made a pinhole camera out of a paint can with my dad.