Friday, September 27, 2019

Tunes in the Dunes Part II - 2019

It’s a beautiful Friday and we are off to help shuttle folks into camp, get our gear set up in our favorite tent and be ready to let the music flow around and through us!  The teachers and performers this year are outstanding, as usual, but there is some extra energy that charges the air.  Sunshine?  Ocean waves?  Smiling faces?  Laughing voices?



The Hood River Trio, now Quadro...play up a storm...and then some.  Through out the weekend, they show up EVERYWHERE!  On the deck, in the dining hall, on the beach, all day and late into the night, This group ROCKS!



Aaron takes a turn at the bass.



Andy starts off sing alongs / play alongs.



Kate and Steve offer introductions to songs new to me,  and I return home with those melodies and words swirling in my head and heart.





KJ heads the kitchen staff again and the meals are totally awesome, healthy, local grown (except the oranges!) and good to the last bite.



Each meal we sing:  “Thank you for this food, this food, this glorious food.  For the minerals, and the vegetables and the animals...that make it possible!”



With the early morning beach walks we sink into a deeper understanding of this place and space.







A sacred hour after lunch allows us to creep down to the beach and sit in the Dunes ...breathe the sea air, play a few tunes and be grateful for the sun and warm.





Evenings offer up a teacher concert, a chance for an open mic experience and more song and fellowship.  





Saturday night there is a starry night, moon light, campfire....and yes, more music!





Sunday.  Goodbye day.  So long, old friends and new. So long, ukulele lessons from great teachers. So long, yummy, carefully prepared meals.  So long, waves rolling in.  So long, songs swirling through the air...everywhere.  So long, Westwind.  Until next year and Tunes In the Dunes X!  Already put it on the calendar!




Tunes in the Dunes 2019 - Part I

It’s off to the Oregon Coast and one of our very favorite ukulele weekends of the year!  This year we go a little early to help collect instructors at the Portland airport and take them to the coast.  With that mission accomplished, we have most of Thursday free to get off to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, OR.



Nancy and Bruce have brought food from San Juan Island farms and the kitchen at Melany and Duncan’s is filled with incredible smells!






....And incredible beauty!



The Salmon River is just down the road, but there is a beautiful view of it from the front deck.  We cross this river when going into Camp Westwind, the home for “Tunes in the Dunes” each year.



Since camp doesn’t begin until Friday, we are on our way to the Oregon Coast Aquarium Thursday morning.



We stop along the coast road to check out the grey whales feeding near the shoreline.  We are so lucky with such outstanding weather!



I guess we’ve always wondered how we measure up to the wing span of a GBH!





Right now, Duncan has his fish art prints displayed at the aquarium.  Visiting with him as our guide, we have a print by print “tour” with all the interesting insights of the artist!



First we make a plan for our visit so we make sure we see the latest exhibits...oh, and yes, the sea otters!

Sea jellies!






Surely these cool observation spots were not meant only for children!











We count ourselves as lucky to join Duncan as he explains his work.





Of course we have to goof around just a wee bit!



Grabbing lunch in Newport by the fish boat dock means really fresh and great ahi tuna salad!



This day is a perfect “10” as it’s full of good friends, new experiences, awesome food and blue skis, nothing but blue skies....



Tomorrow...across the River we go...to Tunes 2019!

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Rainiest is Yet to Be!

Yes, we had a week of sunshine on this trip.  Yes, it got grey.  Yes, it got cool, but not really cold.  Yes, the sky “color chip” was named “Gun Metal Grey”....but we had not a clue about the actual water to fall out of that sky, until...Thursday afternoon in Garrison Bay.

Take me ashore please, says the dog.



Still smiling Capt. Steve obliges.



Well, we both do....



Although we have lived here more than 35 years, anchoring out in this Bay is a first for us.  It’s the “When it’s in your own backyard” story, perhaps?  







Not so much fun for dog walks, but great for reading...in a pilot house boat!



Friday we motor all of a mile over to Roche Harbor and tie up with the other Fisher boats meet g up for the get together.  We have a total of 8 boats, ranging in size from 25 ft. To 37 ft., each one by the same manufacturer in England, each one over 35 years old and each one different from the other and crewed by friends old and new.  We helps start this group almost 20 years ago!



Here’s Molly Bloom Fisher 37 of Friday Harbor.





Sea Cat Fisher catamaran 


Honu, Fisher 25 



Kingfisher, Fisher 30



Adventurous, Fisher 34



Scuttlebutt, Fisher 31



Kipper, Fisher 30



Oh the memories of ideas we once had!
Burgees, caps, pillows, t-shirts.....oh, and then there’s that ukulele song notebook stashed on the table!



Sunday brought a little relief from constant rain...to rain now and then.  The leaves at this end of the island have turned and we turn our bow toward Friday Harbor.  



After all, it’s time to get home and pack for....ukulele camp on the Oregon Coast.  We are watching the weather...and, yes, packing our rain pants.