A touch late, but the year got off to a busy start.
As usual, I failed to make any NYE plans and found myself at home with Jack and Nora. After a movie, I went to bed around 9... which would be lame, but I decided to wake up as early as possible to greet the new year.
Jack and I hit the road before dawn and made the ferry just before sunrise. We were one of maybe ten cars onboard so we had the place almost to ourselves!
Since Jack was seven weeks old, he's been on these ferries. I remember stuffing him into my jacket a couple of days after I brought him home as we went across the Sound for our family's annual 4th of July cabin trip. I love how noisy and rumbly they are. To me, they are as close as one gets to the noise of a helicopter or other loud vehicles without being around the real thing. Vacuum cleaners on steroids. We practice obedience every time we hit the deck. People look at me like I'm nuts, but oh well. :)
One of the dog loving deckhands suggested we go up the elevator to the sundeck. We made it just in time for that moment when the sun is just about to crest over the mountains and the sky seems to flash with color.
This is before the flash.
And during. Excuse the bird photo-bomb.
I'm so glad I actually got moving early enough to see this. Grateful really. It was such a clear and beautiful morning, and to spend it quietly with Jack was just the ticket.
You can really see how empty the ferry is. I guess it's pretty empty at this time of year anyway, but we saw only one other woman braving the cold this morning.
My darn phone camera is all I have at the moment, so I tried a straight-on shot of the sunrise as well as a sun/mountain view.
Off the ferry, I could see the sun still hanging just over the horizon behind me, so I pulled over into the neighborhoods in Kingston and took some photos.
I could have sat on the ledge here and watched the fog on the water for hours. I had NYE partiers on my mind as I left to quiet Jack's barking after a few minutes.
But not before bringing him out for this photo-op.
At this point my hands were frozen, teeth chattering, and the heater in the truck was not working fast enough. I stopped at The Cup & Muffin, the seemingly only open business in Kingston that morning. I've driven by that place a thousand times and never stopped before. It was a pleasant surprise - especially given how cold it was! (And considering the Port Gamble coffee stand was CLOSED!)
We stopped at Seven Sisters Beach and there was not a soul in sight.
See, I'm not lying. Even the sand is frozen!
We walked all the way up and down the stretch. How many times can I say, "It was so beautiful?"
It was so beautiful.
Since I'm repeating myself, can I just say... I love this kid. He is so funny with pictures - he must be used to his crazy human pointing that weird box she talks into all the time at him, laughing, and then continuing like nothing happened.
This picture makes me cold.
And this one.
I tried to get Jack to wait while I put this on his nose, but he ended up eating the leaf. I should have known better.
Brrr.
Right after the walk on Seven Sisters, we went up to Ludlow Falls, which is in a super hard-to-find place, so it's usually totally empty.
Every once in a while, Jack will do this eerie I-smell-something-in-the-woods thing.. which, he's trained in search and rescue, so I anticipate he will always tell me if people are out there, but.. ehh.. gave me the heebie-jeebies. We didn't spend a lot of time out here.
Ludlow Falls is essentially a nature walk. The trail had a section washed out several months ago, so there's only one way to go. (If you can walk off trail for about 20 feet, you can do the whole loop, but it's discouraged.) Cross a small footbridge, head up the path (this is where Jack did the creepy smell-the-hiding-predator thing,) and begin the easy descent into the falls viewing area.
The stairs take you down to a landing at the creek bed. This is after the falls. In the summer it's fun to bring sandals and walk up the tamer bits of the waterfall.
Here's the creek after the falls. Jack is waiting for me to throw a ball in the water.
I love this tree. I think it's an Elm? No special reason, it just has character.
And the falls. There are two drops on this trail. This is the first one, and you can walk almost all the way up on the side. There's a long lull in between so, say your dog jumps in... the water is shallow, not super fast moving, and there are lots of rocks to walk across on. Or do yoga, or take pictures, or sit and watch... I've done them all. :)
Icicles at Ludlow Falls!?!?! No. No. No.
On the way out we passed an older couple coming down the trail, which was just about perfect timing. We each got the place to ourselves and Jack didn't scare the bejeebers out of unsuspecting hikers.
After checking on the cabin, we walked down to the boat ramp to find the tide all the way up so we went to the park a block or so away instead.
Now, when I graduated from college, I had this romantic idea that I would live at the cabin, work at the golf course, write every day, become a famous author, and spend my free time walking with my two dogs (fantasy dogs at this point) on the beach.
Obviously none of that happened. I still spend tons of time up at the cabin, and "work" on my novel (by "work" I mean stare at what I've already written and hate-hate-hate it.) But I don't live there. SAR is my new life-consuming hobby. And... m'dog is crazy.
I still cling to the fantasy that one day I will look down at Jack, he will look back at me, and we will sit in silence for several minutes on the beach and watch the wildlife.
I cling to that idea because what happens now is this:
Jack: "I think we're going to the beach!" [BARK, WAG, BARK, PICK UP STICK, RUN, BARK.]
Me: "Hey, Buddy. Let's go to the beach."
Jack: "WE'RE GOING TO THE BEACH!" [Runs to beach.]
Me: [Throws ball/stick for a million hours.] "Buddy, I played with you for a million hours. Let's walk a little and then take a rest."
Jack: "I WILL NEVER REST!"
Me: "Let's sit here and watch the porpoises. Just for a few minutes."
Jack: "Sitting still is the devil!" [BARK, BARK, JUMP ON COURTNEY! BARK!]
Okay, so that did happen, but when we got to my favorite sit-still place, I sat on a piece of driftwood and pulled him in front of me, and sort of braced him with my legs on either side of him (which I know is super offensive and horrible-awful in dog world, but screw it) and I'll be damned if he didn't sit there with me for maybe five minutes.
I forgot my cell phone so I couldn't take a picture, which in a way, made it all the more special.
One of my top five moments with Jack yet.
