Excitement and the Return of the Sun

The Superbowl was on Sunday.  And you could tell just by being aboard on our spot below the Rainbow Bridge in La Conner.

Ben and I were planning out our projects for the day when we heard the sound of a passing vessel.  I, being still fairly new to the maritime world, thought nothing of it until I saw Ben look up suddenly and cock his ear to listen.  "Someone's going by fast," he said.  We'd lined most of the windows in the galley with garbage bags to keep them clean during construction, so we couldn't see out where we were standing.  I jumped up into the wheelhouse just in time to see wake of the passing boat coming towards us.  Once again, I'm still fairly new to life on the water, so it didn't look too impressive to me until I heard Ben, who had a view through the window by the diesel stove, shout "holy shit, hang on to something!"

Whoa!  I've never felt our girl rock like that!  Not even underway.  I saw green water over the dock and  Ben got a view of all the boats moored behind us dancing.  As soon as things settled down, we ran down the dock and started knocking on doors to see if everyone was all right.  Only three other people were home and they were all fine, but there was a lot of swearing directed at the yacht that was still heading towards downtown at ten knots.  One of our neighbors said he only gets this shook up about once every other year.  We figure it was someone hurrying to get home in time for a certain event.

Everyone calmed down (mostly) and started picking things up.  Ben and I shoved a couple of our fenders back into place and got to work on the cabin.

There was a giant blue 12th Man banner hanging from the bridge that you can't see in this picture.

It was eerily quiet.  There was very little traffic on the bridge and roads, and none on the water after that.  And so we became aware that somewhere off in the East, a game had started.  Now I should mention that neither of us really gives a crap about football.  However, I am extremely susceptible to communal excitement and this is Seattle, my hometown, which never seems to get its proper respect when it comes to . . . well anything.  The dead quiet was punctuated every now and then by roars from various open windows around the ditch.  It made us giggle every single time.

Ben turned on radio to the classic rock station in Victoria while we worked and after awhile he began to grumble, "Rush again!  Is that all you Canadians wanna listen to?!" Which just made me laugh harder.  The station was also following the game and we got periodic updates as we both tried to remember the rules.  "How many points is a touchdown again?" 

"I dunno three, six, something like that."

"Oh.  Then how did we get seven?"

"I dunno one of those conversion things."

"What's a convergent thing?"

"You're asking me?" More laughing.

Here's what we were working on.

Setting brads is now my favorite job.  It's really satisfying.

Putting the last panel in the Galley/Salon area.

Ben had the camera that day, so consequently there are more pictures of me then him.  Here he held up the camera and said, "do something."  When I said "like what?"  He said, "I dunno, look thoughtful or something."

Wheelhouse before.

Wheelhouse later that day.

Not all of these pictures were taken on the same day.  For the most part the weather has been very clear, but freezing with the kind of wind that goes right through you.  I am grateful for the sun though.  I can tell the season is changing and it injects a lot more lightheartedness into everything.