Month of Gratitude, Day 20: Whidbey Island

I am grateful for Whidbey Island, in the state of Washington.

And memorialized forever on my left calf:

(Don't ask me how come I could not get i-photo and Blogger to interface and cooperate and publish this with a quarter-turn.  Because I don't know.  And I am not a member of the generation that can figure that out in less than an hour.  Therefore, moving along . . . .)

This is how you get to the south end of Whidbey from the mainland (or, as Whidbey residents refer to it, "America,") --  via the ferry that runs every half-hour between Mukilteo (in America) and Clinton (on Whidbey):  

Here is a sampling of what you will find on the island.  And though there are many photos here, this is just a small percentage of the amazing things you'll see, which you will want to photograph.   

This is Penn Cove . . . the biggest bay on the right (east) side of the island, which you can see above on the handy visual aid of my calf:  

This is Ebey's Prairie . . . looking onto the strait of Juan de Fuca, across to the Olympic Pennisula (the "thumb" of Washington that sticks out into the Pacific in the northwestern most place):

More of Ebey's . . . making it very easy to "eat local" when you live here:

 Mid-island is Greenbank Farm . . . home of gardens, off-leash dog trails, a fabulous barn hosting tons of activities all through the year, and the Whidbey Pies Cafe where REAL MAIL meets:  

Wildlife abounds.  These sea stars live underneath the wharf in Coupeville.  It is not unusual to see bald eagles flying high in the sky above them.  And river otters and sea lions swimming around them:

There are three movie venues on the island.  A three-plex up in Oak Harbor (near the top/north of the island; see leg for illustration); the fabulous Clyde Theatre way down the island, in Langley; and the Blue Fox Drive-In, in between.  Fabulous prices and sweet snack bar.  Tons of fun to park your car on the lawn and watch:  

I'm packing up the car tonight, to drive dog Gracie and me back down to home in California for the holidays and beyond.  I've been looking forward to seeing everyone there that I miss, and to being plugged back in to daily life in that world.  But it is hard to convey how much I will miss all things Whidbey, until next time I get to come up.  There is something about life on an island (even one that is 40 miles long) that slows people down and makes them smile at each other and hold doors open and know each other's schedules and foibles and hopes and dreams in a way that simply does not happen -- easily, or maybe even at all -- in other places.  I am grateful for friends here, for how time is spent, for how the smallest things seem huge, for the stunning views, for the terrific food lovingly prepared (there are no better cinnamon rolls in the world than at Mosquito Fleet in Coupeville), and for all other things Whidbey.