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?
This week’s photo was not selected because it’s the pinnacle of waterscape art. The photographer wasn’t thinking showpiece so much as snapshot. She just wanted to capture the action of sand soccer. I’m very happy with it because it’s not from Whidbey Island. I can get a bit provincial. it shows a side of waterfront…
As I was driving home from work tonight a strand of frothy cloud stretched the length of Whidbey Island. At either end it joined into a massive cloud bank. Watching these clouds I flashed back to another atmospheric display over Stonehenge last month. A rainstorm had chased us all the way from Montacute to Stonehenge….
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…
In my ongoing effort to end my plastic and chemical dependency, I’m trying to stop buying plastic containers and chemical products. I decided to first try an alternative shampoo and went searching on the web for solid bar types. Green shampoo On Grist I found a column about less toxic shampoos but they all came…
If you live under a rock you may not have seen the photos of Detroit’s abandoned buildings that are making the rounds of the blogs. It’s my job to make sure you do, and to make sure you consider why this is such a waste. Not only are these old buildings gorgeous in their own…
Forgive Us, but the Term Intracoastal Waterway is Foreign to West Coast Lives. Even when we visited Virginia in 2009, the ICW didn’t make an impression. We’d taken a side trip then down to Kitty Hawk, NC. Along the way we stopped to walk along an interesting slough that trickled under overhanging oaks. What was…
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.