Clear November days at Jones

It is remarkable to get clear sunny weather in November here in the PNW. November is our stormiest month, with both the highest winds and heaviest rain. It has to do with the airflow off the Pacific this time of year. Later than November and the storms shift south to Oregon and California. So for us to have an extended period of clear, sunny weather is quite a gift.

Sunset from South Cove of Jones

We took advantage and headed up to the islands for a get away to our home away from home. It had been a few months since we were last at Jones Island, and so that's where we headed. It has the added benefit of only being 45 minutes from Friday Harbor and so allows a quick turn around. We headed up late on Friday night, which always feels like a push after work and all, but by Saturday morning when we wake up on Aeolus it is as though we have been there for several days already. It is something we have learned about the strange nature of being human that wherever you wake up is where you are all day, no matter where you might go. Sleeping resets our consciousness, or some more ethereal aspect of our selves, and for 100,000 years plus of human history we could never wake up very far one day from where we went to sleep the the day before!



So waking up in Friday Harbor has such enormous advantages over traveling that morning that we always choose this option.

We woke to sun and crisp air yesterday and after some resupplying we were off to Jones. The light winds were all from the north so we were able to take advantage of the south cove which gets more sun anyway. We enjoyed a wonderful day of having the island to ourselves. The boys and I went birding and counted 14 species of birds. We all went off into the woods a bit and did a sit-watch. It was then that we all saw the chickadees and winter wrens. By the shore were the eagles, mergansers and kingfishers. So fun.

November? And warm! 

We also spent a large amount of time just laying in the sunshine. At least Amy and I did that while the boys were boys.

Being winter, we were back on the boat by 5pm and enjoyed the interior togetherness of winter nights aboard Aeolus. The cabin heater had the temperature cranked up to 73 and we played Bananagrams and ate a delicious dinner from Chef Amy.

We came back today after a lovely sunny morning feeling like the luckiest people around. And we are.