Vacation

Rock climbing in Squamish got us down. The climbing got harder, and we thought that we were getting better, but we were repeatedly shut down. We were supposed to have a little vacation from rock climbing after Squamish, so we decided to get started on it a little bit earlier.

We had some friends in the San Juan Islands, just outside of Seattle, and we gave them a visit. We were met by welcoming hosts, that let us sleep on their porches, eat their food, drink their beer, and stack their wood.

Our days were spent enjoying anything but rock climbing. We did everything from chopping a winter's worth of wood, to crabbing and slurping up oysters on a half-shell, to being surprised guests at a wedding. Every night was special with our hosts, and they made us feel like royalty.

We now have some amazing friends that have given us so much, and I am incredibly thankful for the week I had with these wonderful people. Thank you to all members of the Bryant and Meyerott families!

We ate more blackberries in one week than I have in 4.5 years.

George, Royce, Laila, and Moey at the Friday Harbor Farmers Market.

One of the families we stayed with choses to move their lives to the front lawn in the summer. This is their kitchen tent and the washing station at the far right.

This is the best camping kitchen I have ever seen!

When not going to surprise weddings, crabbing, or getting haircuts, we lounging on the beach watching beach volleyball. We had a picnic this day with fritata, cake, mamosas, and fruit. It was actually freakishly hot, and there was no way that we could move from under the umbrellas.

Breakfast picnic.

Being a good practicing gastronome, we checked out some of the local food on the Island. We went to a local Oyster Farm for some treats. Above is a film of George and Laila enjoying their oysters.

Geo, on a boat!

Myself and Royce on the way to our crab pots.

Laila with one of our catches. It actually took some effort to pry this creature off of her hand.

George and Laila pulling up a crab pot.

Pulling the boat out of the water. I'm not one to complain about bad hair, but this is bad hair!

The end result of cooking crabs.

Our host Royce, showing us how to weaken crab shells.

Due to the bad hair, we got haircuts before moving out into the world. Moey trimming Geo's hair for the Johnny Depp look.

The aftermath. This is one of the best haircuts I have ever had.

While we were exploring a local dive-bar one evening our friends Jacob and Hiedi from CSU came in. Before the surprise of the meeting wore off they told us that they were getting married. When we heard this, we asked if we could come to their wedding. They had two people who could not show, and we got to take their places.

The wedding reception was held on a boat that toured the surrounding islands.

Galmorous does not even begin to describe our partying!

George even got some time in the sunset with the bride.

Every afternoon in the Islands ends like this.