The blogger’s life

Blogging about beaches isn’t all bare feet and sunshine

Moments after taking this foot selfie I was driving south in a panic, trying to make the last showing of Beneath the Salish Sea. I’d forgotten, and got a reminder call just in time. And I’m thankful to the friend who called.

A fabulous film about a special place

I don’t call Beneath the Salish Sea fabulous only because it was shot largely in my home waters of Holmes Harbor.  Though that is the blue stuff at my feet in the photo. No, I choked up the moment the voice of underwater cinematographer Florian Graner filled the theater telling about the beauty and bounty of Puget Sound.

My diving years

I was a diver years ago, before raising children deflected my attention. Florian’s footage brought it all back in a flood. I remembered the feeling of gliding over the sandy bottom, watching flounder and crab dash out of the way of my shadow. I felt again the strands of waving eelgrass against my skin as I wound through the underwater meadow. Then heading down … the pressure flattening the wet suit against my body. It’s been way too long.

After the inspiring film the crowd headed for the waterfront where we toured the S.E.A. program vessel, Indigo at Langley Marina.

An enthusiastic young crew member couldn’t wait to show us the engine room. I had the camera but, caught up in the moment, completely forgot to take a picture of Tom and our guide huddled in the close quarters of the lazarette discussing water makers and filtration systems.

S.E.A. grew out of a smaller program called Adventure Ed., part of the science curriculum at Langley Middle School. My daughter, Emily, in 8th grade, was lucky enough to be able to go on the week long boat trip through the San Juan Islands with them.

Chosen by water

It’s amazing the way this subject I’ve chosen to write about is wound into my life. On my About page I say water touches everything, and everything touches the water, but almost daily I get a reminder of just how true that is for me, and how many years my life has been immersed in water. This was true even before I chose to write about it and well before I chose to live on the water. It’s almost like the water chose me. Funny, I thought I chose the water.