In my continuing theme of identifying summertime here, I suggest that it is “summertime, and the living is busy.” And, frankly, as I talk with others, I know I am not alone.

Even occasional readers know that BJ and I are in the Porsche Club, I am active in Rotary, we both volunteer for the Ludlow Maintenance Commission (The Beach Club), BJ is the treasurer of the Port Ludlow Yacht Club, we enjoy the performances provided by Port Ludlow Performing Arts, I am on the board of the Jefferson Community Foundation, we enjoy travel, and we have children and grandchildren in Seattle.

Oh yes, that is the reason we moved here from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, almost nine years ago. However, my friends, most of you are living the same life, just with a different agenda.

Last weekend there was a fabulous barbecue dinner at the yacht club’s Wreck Room, prepared by Bill and Cherie Wight. They have a well-deserved reputation for the tasty ribs and brisket they prepared for more than 60 club members on a beautiful evening.

While sitting at the table with Dave Johnson he talked about the fact that he and Sandy occasionally just take off on a driving trip with little or no plan for where they might end up that evening. At my house, I do not think that kind of a plan would go over very well. We need some level of confidence that there will be a clean bed at the end of the day. On one trip we took without prior reservations, we ended up late at night at a flea-bag motel in Oregon. After I asked the desk clerk if they had a room, she asked us how long we wanted it. Quite a message.

We spent some time talking with Beth and John Weaver about their recent commitment to fund the construction of a third home through Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County. Their commitment to helping people is a great local story.

We also spent some time with Ivan and Claudia Robbins. I was at a Rotary meeting last Thursday, so Ivan substituted for me in my biweekly poker game. As it turns out, he sat in the chair I normally occupy for the evening and won back the money I had lost in that same seat over the past couple of months. Heck, I don’t win at Powerball either.

We mentioned to several people that we have a couple of grandsons coming to visit for a couple of days this week, and we are clearly not alone in this activity. Almost everybody has relatives on the way to Port Ludlow sometime this summer. After more than a month of dry and beautiful weather, why wouldn’t they come here?

After an evening Rotary meeting in Sequim last week, I was coming from State Route 104 on State Route 19 to the Port Ludlow turnoff onto Oak Bay Road and had a near miss with a deer. I was about 100 yards behind another car, and the deer ran out after the other car passed and before I got there. Brakes, horns, flashing headlights, avoidance maneuvering and foul language were all part of the next two seconds.

How could a deer that stupid have survived to adulthood? I should have skipped the Rotary meeting and played poker.

Love a curmudgeon and have a great week.

(Port Ludlow resident Ned Luce writes this column weekly. Reach him at nedluce@sbcglobal.net.)