Mike and Beth's Adventures

Back On The Water Again! I'm back on the water again Out where a fish is a friend And the Orcas jump and play while the Humpbacks splash and spray I'm back on the water again. Ridin' the waves once more Where the rocks do line the shore And the winds do often roar Back on the water again Whoopi-ty-aye-oh Rockin' to and fro Back on the water again Whoopi-ty-aye-yay I go my way Back on the water again Port of Kingston We launched the boat at Kingston Washington and spent a two days getting her sea ready.  This entailed laying in the required stores, setting up all the systems and verifying proper operation as well as stashing the truck and trailer in their storage spots for the duration of our Pacific Northwest cruise.  It all came together.  It sure felt good to cast off the lines and head out on Puget Sound.   Sea Scouts Returning from Cruise Almost immediately we spotted a friend on AIS. (AIS is a system which tracks and displays other vessels on your chart plo...

T his summer’s exploration was meant to focus on the Puget Sound and Canada’s Gulf Islands. As every traveler eventually learns, flexibility is part of the adventure—especially when plans change without your permission. Ours certainly did. A wheel bearing on our boat trailer failed while we were rolling north on I‑5 near Salem, Oregon, abruptly transforming us into involuntary explorers of the Willamette Valley. If you’re going to get stranded somewhere, though, this is not a bad place to do it. More than 160 years ago settlers flocked here for its famously fertile land, and they chose well. The valley remains an agricultural powerhouse today. The Willamette Valley is known globally as the grass seed capital of the world , producing most of North America’s cool‑season forage and turf grass thanks to its wet winters and dry summers. But grass seed is only the beginning. The region supports more than 170 commercial crops , making it one of the most diverse agricultural areas in the count...