“The Pig War” on San Juan Is.



American Camp Historical Park





American Camp Historical Park



We left Friday Harbor and cruised to nearby Griffin Bay located on the southeast side of San Juan Island, where we anchored and took the dinghy ashore.  We visited “American Camp National Historic Park” the site of an early American military post occupied from 1859 to 1872, during which time the British Royal Marines occupied the north end of the Island.  The joint military occupation of the Island began when an American farmer, Lyman Cutlar, shot a pig belonging to the Hudson Bay Company, sparking a dispute that came to be known as “The Pig War.”  The Hudson Bay Co., a British trading post, established a sheep ranch on the Island and kept other animals including pigs that roamed the Island at will.  A large black pig/boar couldn’t resist Cutlar’s potato patch.  As a last straw, Cutlar shot the pig that was rooting through his potatoes.  The American homesteader offered the going price of ten dollars to the Company for their loss but the Hudson Bay Co. demanded a hundred dollars for their remuneration.  The story became widespread and blown out of proportion.  Letters about the incident were sent to political representatives resulting in both governments establishing a military presence on the island.  Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and homesteaders went about their business and soldiers of both camps shared in social gatherings including dances, holiday celebrations, and sporting events.  Both American and British men married Native women from the north and raised families, whose decedents are part of today’s Island population.  By 1872, the British and the United States were involved in other major political decisions but were still haggling over the remote San Juan Islands.  They finally agreed to the “Treaty of Washington,” which named Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany as the ultimate decision-maker.  He chose a panel of experts to review testimony and in 1872 awarded the San Juan Islands to the U.S.  The town of Friday Harbor was incorporated in 1909 and is known today as the most popular destination in the San Juan Islands.  We spent the night in Griffin Bay and returned to the Port of Friday Harbor to learn more about the island’s history at the San Juan Historical Museum.  The Museum consists of several buildings including the 1894 James King farmhouse, carriage house, root cellar, milk house, barn, an 1891 log cabin, and the original San Juan Co. jail.  We enjoyed the Museum as it provided insight into the lives of those who lived on the island during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.



English Camp



The Trouble Maker?



San Juan Historical Museum (King Home)



First San Juan Jail



1891 Log Cabin

"Sleep Tight" - Tighting the Bed Stringers

Pelindaba Lavender Farm

Lavender Farm Shop

We bid farewell to Bob and Shino bound for Anacortes via ferry then home by car to Redmond.  We stayed at the marina for a couple more days enjoying the wonderful small town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.  San Juan is home to a number of ranches situated among the island’s beautiful hills and valleys.  On our seven-mile bike trip (14 miles round-trip) to the Pelindaba Lavender Farm, we passed cattle ranches, sheep ranches, and organic farms, including an adorable pumpkin patch ready for the October harvest.  After arriving at Pelindaba, we walked among the lavender fields, observed workers processing lavender at the distillery, and visited the shop full of lavender products.  Lavender is an amazing shrub that’s easy to grow and used for a multitude of products:  personal care products, culinary products, pet care, therapeutic products, and household products.  Lavender is even used as an algae inhibitor and as an insect repellent.  There are 400 different varieties of lavender; once established, these plants rarely need watering and grow best planted in rich soil in raised beds for good drainage.  Plants are pruned regularly to prevent woody stalks and for flower development.  The Pelindaba Farm (open May-Oct) has a wealth of information about lavender and is well worth the trip.



Lavender Fields



Harvesting



Bringing in the Harvest



Distiller

Summer’s End





Friends Bob and Shino

 





Hiking Jones Island



We departed Seattle for the San Juan Islands to enjoy the last of the summer weather and anchored in Mackaye Harbor on the south tip of Lopez Island.  We arrived at Orcas Landing the following day where we picked up our friends, Bob and Shino.  They joined us for the “Indian Summer” weekend, including a trip to beautiful Jones Island.  Jones Island is a marine state park known for its friendly population of deer, its wide variety of plant life, and lovely trails that circle the island.  We hiked the island trails passing Prickly Pear Cactus, Salal, moss laden rocks, and beautiful Madrona trees whose branches reach out over the sea.  These unique trees, also called Arbutus, have red flaking bark, edible red berries, and shiny green leaves with clusters of white flowers when in bloom.  We stopped at several beaches along the way and discovered hermit crabs hiding under the rocks and large jellyfish that had washed ashore.  Java seemed more interested in the deer than the sea creatures.  A deer feeding on apples and pears in an old orchard approached us while fruit fell from the trees above.  We held out an apple for the deer to nibble; and to our surprise, the deer ate from our hand.  We returned to the boat for lunch, commenting on the special beauty of Jones Island.  Later in the evening, Bob and Shino kayaked around the bay, enjoying a relaxing moment removed from their work a day world.





Madrona Tree



Artistic Shapes and Red Flaking Bark





Munching on a Pear



Accepting an Apple Offering



Shino Kayaking



Bob and Shino



Home Base



Elliott Bay Marina



Walking Paths - Elliott Bay Marina



Marina Cafe and Restaurant



Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle has all the amenities a boater could want:  laundry facilities, showers, concrete docks with gated entry, a café and restaurant, pump-out services, fuel, electrical hookup and water at the docks not to mention the wonderful views of the Seattle skyline.  We parked our car in the marina’s car lot, a nice convenience for completing errands and other business in town.  We made several trips to the house for seasonal maintenance and visited family and friends.  Positioned in the heart of Seattle gave us the opportunity to enjoy the city from a different perspective.



Sunset - Elliott Bay Marina



Seattle View at Night



"Sticky Notes"

Rule of thumb – the bigger the boat, the more things there are to remember; and the older you get, the more reminders needed to keep it all straight.  On more than one occassion we have forgotten to turn off the anchor light in the morning so we posted a note at the helm station as a reminder.  Other sticky notes soon followed:  “open crossover valves,” “turn on bow thruster,” “run radar for 30 minutes,” “check main engine thru hulls,” “close portholes,” “furnace exhaust plug in or out?” etc. etc. etc.  Perhaps we should post a note in the galley to remind us to read the notes in the pilothouse to know what it was we were suppose to remember, ha.  We’ve decided it’s best to keep a sense of humor about the maturing process, it makes the transition easier and more palatable – thank goodness for the invention of the “sticky note.”

Family Time



Checking out the Cruise Ship



Mariah Taking Picture of Parents



Mariah Fishing



Arriving home meant getting to see our grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and sons after having been gone for several months.  Labor Day weekend provided an opportunity for a relaxing boat trip with family to nearby Poulsbo and another trip to Blake Island the following weekend.  Grandchildren Mariah and Porter had great fun fishing, kayaking, and playing on the beach.  When the wind came up, we got out the kite and flew it from the boat deck – the birds started to attack the Eagle-shaped kite but soon realized it was only plastic.  Our son Duane had the best luck fishing.  He caught three different sharks – catch and release.  After some research on the Internet, we learned that there are 18 species of sharks in the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest from the 27-inch brown “cat shark” to the 39-foot “basking shark.”  We believe Duane caught the “Spiny Dogfish Shark,” an abundant predator that feeds on smaller fishes like herring.  Dogfish can be good eating and is very tender when marinated and broiled.  It is typically marketed as “rock cod” or “rock salmon” and is often eaten as European fish ‘n chips and used in Japanese soup recipes.



Porter Flying His Kite



Our Menacing Kite



Porter and Duane Kayaking



Dogfish Shark





Sunrise seen from Blake Island



Blake Island