Is that how you spell "Porpoise?"

 

Our family is fortunate to have a place to "get away from it all," that isn't hard to get to. The cabin is located in a tiny little blip of neighborhood near the Hood Canal Bridge, leaving us with miles of empty beaches for leash-free romping with dogs, historic towns to explore and overall quietness to absorb.

 

Not a particularly pretty cabin, but who the hell cares? It's by the beach and away from the city.

 

Jack normally starts to bark once we hit the bridge, and I swear, I can feel stress lift off once the truck tires hit the grating of the bridge.

 

In the fall and winter, there isn't a soul in sight. Pull through the Port Gamble coffee stand and hit the bridge (not literally, don't do that.) Once in Jefferson County, take your pick - Teal Lake, Ludlow Falls, the tidelands, the golf course loop, or our own secret places, found during explorations over the years. Jack and I know them all.

 

This is our secret place. With the exception of the summer months, which tend to produce masses (and by masses, I mean five or 10 people) of strangers tromping up and down the shoreline, this place is deserted. Sometimes we slip kayaks into the water and glide through the frigid water - without the disturbance of a heavy boat motor, seals, otters, and Dahl's Porpoises make their appearances known with little reservation. Once, a small pod of porpoises took the crab out of my pot as I pulled it to the surface. In a kayak, no less.

Here we are as a family, on (what we have named) Seven Sisters, this small inlet near Dragon Head Island (also not an official name.) When the tide is out like this, you can walk all the way to the island. When tide is in, the water is all the way up to the tree line there. It is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite places in this universe. It's also where Romeo, my brother's dog, learned to swim. :)

 

I think this was Mother's Day or something. My mom always gets mad when I take pictures of her (wonder where I get it) but I am so happy I snapped this picture. My brother's girlfriend and Romeo are there too, behind Dad. 

When I first bring friends up to the cabin, they always seem shocked that I carry a beer through the neighborhood and walk Jack down to the beach without so much as a collar on. That's just the nature of the territory. (Plus I have a ball in my pocket and Jack wouldn't leave his toy for anything.)

 

I was lucky to spend several warm evenings like this one last summer. I think this trip was Jess, Daisy, and another friend. We hauled the fire pit out of the shed and loaded up with some firewood, two salty, soggy, and blissfully tired dogs, and a beer or two.

 

We actually do this in the winter too - just pile on the blankets and trade the beer for hot cocoa. :)

 



 

I'm one of those dog parents that think everyone in the world wants to see pictures of my buddy. Because he's perfect and handsome and, and, and... Sorry. I take a lot of pictures of Jack.

 

Below is a photo I took in Port Gamble at the aforementioned coffee stand. He's looking across the big fields that they do Civil War reenactments on, towards the woods that he knows we are about to run into. Port Gamble is a tiny (teeny tiny) historic town people have probably driven through on their way along highway 104.

 

Sort of the same deal as the beach near the cabin. Summertime yields a surge in tourism, but it's still not a huge attraction. The General Store just opened up a new café and bar - if I lived there full time, the ol' pocketbook and I would have a situation on our hands. It is so good. So delicious, friendly staff, and a young feeling respite in the middle of an old timey area. Oh - and the best damn catsup you'll ever have in your life. I don't know what it is, but the waffle fries and catsup are a must have. The garden burger is a delight as well. Okay... now I'm trying to justify taking a ferry across tonight.

 

Deep breath.

 

Seriously though, if you're already planning on passing through Port Gamble, I highly recommend the General Store Café. You won't be sorry.

Remember when you were a kid (and maybe now too) when you would wake up with ease on weekend days, and have to claw your way out of bed on weekdays? Kind of the same deal here.

 

This is sunrise. You know.. like.. at the start of the day. I see almost all the sunrises at the beach. Each one a little more beautiful than the last.

 

Curse the spots in the photos. Arg.

 

These are from October, judging from the color of the leaves. I can't tell who is in this photo, maybe Daisy and Jessie.

 

Here is a sunrise picture from the very break of day. Jack was chasing a crab here I think. I love this shot because of the obvious solitude and silence and.. majesty? Perfectness?

 



 

Who is Princess Porpoise, you ask?

 

She only comes out in summertime, when sitting in the sand is tolerable. And she lives near a huge boulder that the porpoises surface out from, unofficially named "Porpoise Point." I've yet to capture them on camera - usually because I'm not carrying one at the beach but also because they're fast buggers, and cell phone cameras just ain't that quick yet.  

 

Okay this is getting long and weirder by the minute.