Friday June 21, 2024
As reported yesterday, we ended up staying an extra night here. We have been watching this approaching blow on Predict Wind for about a week. It moved from Thursday to Friday night. We decided it would be better to be on a dock to weather a storm vs. out on a hook.
This morning we took a four mile hike down the dusty, single, dirt round that connects everyone in the village. Not sure how far it goes, but clearly farther than we went which was a little over two miles out. And while the density of the homes are further apart we still continued to see homes along the path that follows the waters edge. Marlene says living on our island Guemes is “island light.” Living on Tenakee is island “hard core.” But there is a real community here. People are friendly and there are only a few gathering places, the store or the small coffee/pastry show open three days a week.
About a mile and a half out we found this running stream complete with drinking cup. Quite refreshing.
We learned a lot about the island yesterday when we visited the museum. The docent is also the person responsible for the island Generator, the community center, and the cooperative school. We came to find out that there are about 60 hearty souls in this village, including about 9 children. The children are home-schooled but they meet once or twice a week in the community center when a visiting teacher holds class. One such person here in Tenakee is a retired math professor. He teaches the children on these surrounding islands in SE Alaska, as do other teachers who volunteer their time. Brings to mind the move, Captain Fantastic, which by the way, if you have not seen it you should. Excellent movie.
Remember this mom with the baby on her back jumping on to their boat. Well, we met up with her again in the coffee shop this morning. (Unfortunately we were too late to get any cinnamon buns). Marlene immediately recognized her and asked if she lived here. “No,” she replied, “we live in Haines. We were just on a bit of a holiday for a few days.”
”So, are you keeping your boat here in the harbor?” Marlene asked.
”No,” she replied. “We were anchored out in a nearby cove last night but when we tried to start our engine this morning it didn’t work. Fortunately, there was a good blow this morning so we were able to put up our sail and sail back into the harbor where we can try and get the engine fixed.” Now, mind you this woman of roughly 35+- years was so calm, down right relaxed. Her 3 and a half year old girl was quietly coloring at the table in the front while she rubbed her baby’s head. Everyone was calm—except me. If that were me, I was thinking to myself, I’d be in utter panic.
”So do you live around here?,” Marlene asks. As reported. “No, we live in Haines.”
”Really, and do you mind my asking what you do for a living in Haines?” Marlene asked.
”I’m a family practice doctor.” We also learned that she attended Columbia Medical School in New York City. “Quite a change,” she said, “from NYC, to Haines, to here.”
”Indeed,” we replied, “Indeed.”
And the story about this place does not end there. This morning as we were leaving we talked with the couple in the boat behind us on the dock. They are from Friday Harbor and they live in Garrison Bay, San Juan Island. When I took a closer look at their sail boat I said, “OMG. You are the blue hulled boat on the buoy. We use your boat as a marker every time we come into the bay.” We all had a laugh.
Who will we met next, and what surprise will there be? The adventure continues.