No matter where you go or what you study, it’s best to have a home base or a benchmark. So the second year of Tidal Life begins with an introduction to how to Whidbey Island, the place it all started.
Whether living on Whidbey or visiting, water is the number one consideration. Water surrounds the island, it defines the beaches everyone comes here to enjoy, and it falls from the sky. A lot.
Whidbey Island Garb and Gear
Spring
In spring, Whidbey’s longest season, wear a light, water resistant jacket everywhere. Usually with a hearty sweater underneath. Be sure to wear a t-shirt underneath that. Jeans or khakis. Bring rubber boots, hiking shoes, running shoes, dress shoes and flip flops. It’s best to have at least two options in the car at all times. Some like the Birkenstocks with socks thing. Personally I find them useless, except for cafe sitting. Which can be done quite well in hiking boots.
Summer
In summer – which starts July 5 – I advocate a tank top and a jacket, but keep that hearty sweater near to hand for after sundown. Jeans and shorts. The flip flops are my staple and the hiking boots vie with casual sandals for second most worn. Forget the Birkenstocks, they’re slow.
Fall
In fall – which doesn’t attack in earnest until late October, though it lobs grenades from mid-August on – instead of the tank top, opt for a long sleeve t-shirt and augment the sweater with a fleece pullover. The rain coat is a must, no Bireknstocks, your socks will only get soggy if you’re going anywhere but the coffeehouse. Hiking shoes, running shoes and loafer or deck shoes are the keys to marching through this season.
Winter
Winter begins a few days after New Year’s, lasts until the last weeks of February when there is a mini-spring, then returns until roughly tax time. Start with the raincoat. Zip in that insulated lining. Bring the fleece and the sweater, the long sleeve t shirt should probably be a thermal mock turtle, a silk version for dress occasions. Jeans. Hiking boots or Sorels, leather tennies, dressy loafers with thick soles. Forget the Birkenstocks with socks except for sitting around the fireplace.
No matter what season, or what you’re planning to do, always pack a spare pair of socks.
Remember the unofficial Whidbey Island motto: What’s an Umbrella?
Cutting down on plastics and chemicals is hard. Damned hard. Shopping on Saturday, needed mayonnaise. Guess what? All brands come in plastic. Except for the natural and organic brands, which cost $6 a pint. I can make my own for that. I stood there in front of the wall of mayo choices, dithering. I should…
< Esquimalt part 2 This is the part of the story where I get myself in trouble. In my last installment I enthused about the way Dockside Green is integrating nature and living spaces in an industrial landscape. Joe Van Belleghem and Farmer Construction have done a nice job on the project so far and…
How We Came to be Living Aboard in Boston in the Winter Not long ago, I said publicly that we would not be in Boston for Christmas. Which led to another excellent episode of word eating. I really never imagined we’d be living aboard in the winter in such a cold place, and neither of…
Two Whidbey Island landmarks are finalists in what local literary icon Knute Berger has called the American Idol version of historic preservation, the Million-Dollar Preservation Grant Competition. The Ferry House, at Ebey’s landing and the Bowman Bay Kitchen Shelter (technically on Fidalgo Island) at Deception Pass State Park are two of 25 area structures selected…
Winter sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey. We skedaddled from AC as soon as there was enough light. The morning was cold and I skated around the frozen dock as I cast us off. For our third mid-winter day offshore we again enjoyed freezing temperatures, sunshine and big, soft…
One Comment
Yeaaaa! She is afloast but moored to the post in the mainstream of her beloved Whidbey Island! Spend the seasons collecting cameos of the pulse and flavor of life.
Yeaaaa! She is afloast but moored to the post in the mainstream of her beloved Whidbey Island! Spend the seasons collecting cameos of the pulse and flavor of life.