Did I See Summer Today?

It hit me as I was downtown today - have I just glimpsed PT in the summertime? I've never been here then. I knew the "Chamber of Commerce"-type photos would always show PT at its prettiest - I wanted to see it at its "ugliest". Always among those CofC-type photos are ones showing throngs of people on the streets of downtown PT. Well, they must have misplaced their calendars because they were here today (and many had their pooches as well)! Today was the Shipwrights' Regatta. I'm not going to try to pull the wool over your eyes and pretend I went & know all about it. I did take one set of photos from the bluff above downtown - just two blocks from 523 - just as it was scheduled to begin. The sunlight was shimmering on Admiralty Inlet with lots of unfurled sails, the ferry slipping across to Keystone, kayakers paddling amongst them all, and even a dog frolicking in the chilly water. Give me a year at least to get up to speed on all (well, many!) things maritime. My closest encounters with watercraft were spending part of my summer vacations first at Lake Texoma and then at Lake Tenkiller as a child - and we all know how long ago THAT was!

On the way out of the Post Office, I went across the street to take some further photos from its fabulous vantage point. I wasn't the only one as many were out today with their cameras and tripods. I met a woman who had just moved here less than a year ago from California. She clued me in about four bald eagles that were circling above us as well as a tugboat dragging a load of logs, threading its way between the regatta's sailboats. She also told me that the incredible mountain I'd seen earlier was Mt. Baker, which I thought was in an entirely different direction. I've seen it before, but not like today. It was truly breathtaking. It's going to take me some time to get all the mountains down pat as we're between the Olympic Mountains (with the US's only rain forest) and the Cascades.

I've decided since there won't be any progress on 523 over the weekends, I'll use that time to introduce you to PT. I'm so impatient to show you many of my favorite spots and with only two days a week, it's going to take awhile!

Today's photo is of Admiralty Inlet and the regatta's sailboats. I hope you can see the snow-capped mountains at the left of the photo, but you may need a magnifying glass! I could see Mt. Rainier's outline earlier today which is amazing since it's approximately 100 miles away. From what I hear, on clear days it's as if it's only in the next county.

Good night!