Last week the weather was great for almost anything. There were two performances of the Wearable Art Show, another Wednesday afternoon meeting of vintage cars at the Port Ludlow Village Center, a Port Ludlow Yacht Club opening Day and a trip to Vancouver Island for BJ and me. Since we were in Canada we were unable to participate with either wearable art, a vintage car or a boat/yacht. No matter, we did hear they were all again very successful. However, here are some tidbits of the trip north.

The departure day started with carpet cleaners at our house. Why not have it done then? Then the carpet has all those days you are gone to dry. The only negative is that when you return home tired and cranky you have to put the house back together before you can even unload the car! On that same departure day BJ had a follow-up eye appointment after her cataract surgeries of the past couple of weeks. All is good although my constant reminder of the bright blue eyes I never saw before have led her to claim I have a new wife. I then remind her that several other of her parts have remained the same.

After a rolling ride across the strait on the Coho we headed to Chemainus, about 90 minutes further up the island from Victoria. Chemainus has a well-known dinner theater that was our destination. While in the area we took in “The Raptors” in Duncan. The demonstrations gave me a view of a hawk flying about 2 centimeters above BJ’s head. (Hey, it was Canada.) Then we went on the “Hawk Walk” and were able to don the vintage leather glove, hold a piece of raw quail, and have a Harris’s Hawk land on our arm and eat. It is an experience that almost “knocked us sideways.” (Again, it was Canada.)

The end of the week took us back to Victoria for a District Rotary Conference. Over four hundred Rotarians from ninety-one Rotary Clubs in Western Washington and Vancouver Island gathered for a couple days of training and the celebration of a successful “Rotary Year” at the end of June. Local Rotarians were led by club presidents Jayne Neu of the Port Townsend Sunrise Club, David Engle of the Port Townsend Club and Caleb Summerfelt of my own East Jefferson County Club. One of the evenings we were there we took advantage of the opportunity to have dinner with two other couples at the home of a local Rotarian. We knew beforehand the names of the other couples so one of the women, the inquisitive Gill Cheesman, decided to Google my name, and probably others of the group. She accused me of being a writer, which regular readers know is a stretch, since I provide this column to the Leader each week. After much banter back and forth I promised her I would put her name in this column bringing absolutely NO potential embarrassment to her but does cause me some pause. As you may guess, we had a great time with good people, great food, wonderful presentations and some fabulous weather.

Now for a word of warning. The LMC Sock Hop this Saturday evening at the Beach Club has only a few people signed up. If you have not signed up and you are planning to attend, get to it, today. If we don’t get enough folks signed up we are in danger of cancelling. LMC members and their guests are welcome so get on down to the Beach Club and get your name on the list. Someone named Joe Lansdale is reputed to have said, “If I could take you back in time to the fifties and walk you around to some of the places I grew up, you’d be trying to get back in your time machine. It wasn’t all sock hops – matter of fact I never saw a sock hop.” Read it again if you don’t get it.

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week!