- photo by Martin Lynn
This is the end of Waterspot1.
It's the end of a long chapter for us. I have raked up my last pinecone. We were lucky to have had this unique experience, and will treasure our happy memories.
Wild burros at Lake Pleasant.
To celebrate the start of August, this is us in Friday Harbor, August 1, 2008 - 17 years ago.
- photo from Sailor Bert site on FB
Me taking a picture of a painted rock we found in the park. They discourage people from leaving these in the forests and on the beaches for environmental reasons so we almost never see one. But here he is, smiling.
After wearing my fleece leggings for two months, on August 10 we get a Heat Advisory!! Yes! The orange on the map - which includes us - is where it "may" reach 85 or 90 and they are urgently warning everyone to take precautions! Since they don't do this in Phoenix until it is at least 105 and most people don't do anything different until it is 110, this seems a tad nutso to us.
Mt. Baker from San Juan Island, and fog over the water. August 2.
- photo by Rush Linhart
And a very dramatic sunset, looking toward Canada from the San Juan Islands.
-photo by Rush Linhart.
So where are the big blues? There are five of these giant polar tankers that come and go from the refinery here to Alaska. It is a lot of fun to see them since they are so bright and huge but this year they have been a no show! This is the Polar Endeavor in Guemes channel in January.
August 15, and the predicted Atmospheric River arrived in the night bringing rain. An inside day for us, so of course I started as puzzle.
Peeple's Valley School, 2020.
Back in Washington Park, we ran into Elmo and his person Debbie again! His cousin in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Wee White Dog, popped up in Facebook about the same time.
And we have two from Yavapai County, Arizona, where the Hammond Rancho is. Neither are used as schools anymore but both host community events.
Fir Island, Skagit City School, 2025.
- photo by Denis Law
Tall trees on the Guemes channel trail.
- photo by Sigma Sreedharan
August 9 was a full "Sturgeon Moon." This nice shot is from San Juan Island, none of the Anacortes photographers stayed up late I guess.
- photo by Rush Linhart
Down in the park, someone was having an event and this jazz duo was playing soft music that floated around the trees, across the grassy lawn and out to the sea.
We bought a side table from Amazon that came like this. It took both of us struggling for a long time with pieces that made no sense, so we gave up and we called David our handyman.
Before the smoke we had a lot of cloudy days, which some people manage to make look good, or at least interesting, despite the gloom. This is a view of Cypress Island. August 3.
- photo by Jan Latta
Crab season must have arrived and we see the crab fishermen at the dock in the park. The flag is for one of the local tribes.
We often sit and watch the boats from there. On this day the boaters had the right idea and lots of them were out on the water keeping cool.
One of two fawns we saw following their mother along the road in the park. They did not choose to pose together for me. They have lost their baby spots already.
Stuart Island School, 2018.
We encounter some other locals following the same road that we are. Both of them were probably looking for a snack, which neither received...at least not from us.
A visitor to the condo, possibly seeking shade.
We found one of this year's "Painted Pianos" outside the Calico Cupboard in Anacortes. Every year some local artists are chosen to paint a design on a piano which is then left on a sidewalk for people to look at, admire, and play. We've enjoyed a couple of nice spontaneous performances over the years. There is a second one in town somewhere.
We have avoided the smoke-filled skies for a couple years but our luck has run out. August 5 we had a pall of smoke from wildfires in Canada and elsewhere in Washington cover Anacortes and everything around us. The photo over there is not here!
The second Painted Piano is on the sidewalk outside the Creative Hub and the Red Snapper. Painted by Amelia Kaiser, who did the new mural by the Thrifty Kitty as well.
- photo by Bob Hogan
Not here but in nearby Seattle - The Navy's Blue Angels come every year to an event called Seafair and put on a great air show. Like the Air Force Thunderbirds, these are very very fast planes with precision pilots doing amazing stunts. And this year they had clear skies.
Round up of one and two-room schoolhouses
I think we have found all of them and here they are!
Tidepools in the park at low tide.
- photo by Dave Snyder
A single heron was down there, either just cooling his feet or thinking about looking for a fish for lunch.
This year's thistle bloom is all but over.
And then a visit to local DMV office in Anacortes to figure out how to register our out-of-state Arizona car that we will probably leave here. A small town benefit is this place was uncrowded and had very helpful people who explained everything! Phase 2!
Fidalgo Island, Rosario Schoolhouse, 2024.
We bought the car on August 4, and we spent much time at the dealer signing many papers, followed by a visit to the bank for a big check. Followed by much time spent with an insurance broker in Anacortes where we got a great deal moving our condo and new car insurance to The Traveler's.
Blakely and Cypress Islands . August 1.
- photo by Tandem Wheels
- photo by Denis Law
Sunset over the Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait, August 11.
August in Anacortes
Carol at Walnut Grove School, 1995.
Camano Island, Camano City School, 2024.
HIs scenic route through the Skagit Valley took us past a couple great old barns. There are 67 historic barns in this area and we have a map of them if we wanted to drive a whole lot and see them all.
Apparently they are still around only we have not seen them! The Polar Enterprise in Rosario Strait on August 9, caught by a camera!
- photo by Denis Law, who lives on the hilltop and has a long lens on his camera!
The owner of the dealership collects old cars, so instead of new Toyotas he has his antiques on display. This is a 1925 Chevrolet, original price $777.00. It has an original Horseless Carriage license plate.
We took the RAV to the Toyota Dealer in Burlington on August 4 for an oil change.
August 8 we arranged for an Uber to drive us to Burlington to pick up the new car. Here he is driving through the Skagit Valley. He was right on time and we were there in 30 minutes. It was our first time with Uber and it went perfectly.
We wheedled a free car wash out of the Toyota dealer and took our car home. Phase 1 is complete!
Meanwhile in Phoenix, this happened on August 7. I am still in my fleece leggings and sweatshirts up here. I don't even have any sandals, I don't need them! But this is just not good news. Every year it just gets hotter. No one cheers when those records are broken. The old one stood for 120 years.
When the rain finally breaks up we get a great view of some big fluffy clouds from the park.
The next day we went to the Guemes Channel Trail, which is mostly in deep shade all the time and often too cold for us which made it perfect for the heat wave. Again almost no one was there and it was refreshingly cool.
I always think how lucky we are to look out and see such beautiful blue water all summer.
One last beautiful sunset from August 12. This one has a smokey sky.
-photo by Denis Law
It was 80 for two days, August 11 and 12, which is a heat wave for here. We do not have air conditioning and many others do not either. We retreated one day to the shade of Washington Park to walk, and where we also found cool ocean breezes. Almost no one else was there.
Waterspot12
This is the end of waterspot12. Go to Waterspot13 to continue.
In about 45 minutes it looked like this. That included taking apart a lot of what we tried to put together. We already had the duck who required no assembly.
We won't try this again.
We were just going to check the prices of used RAVs while we were there but we found a 2021 almost in our price range and we bought it. We think life will be easier if we leave a car here and avoid the hassle of shipping one or making the long drive up and back from Phoenix.
August 2 - 15, 2025
A couple of end-of-the-storm photos, since the rain finally stopped. A ferry leaving Anacortes at the end of the day.
.- photo by Denis Law.