Purple starfish & goodbye to my camera

We kayaked a different route through the San Juan's today. It felt wonderful to have my shirt off and feel the alternating warmth of sunshine and salt water on bare skin. And it was good for my soul to be out there talking with Luke about life and love, the past and the future. So many things. The day was full and beautiful...

We observed harbor seals playing and fighting over salmon. Passed by big blue herons hunting in the shallows. Gulls congregating and talking to each other on lonely rocks. We watched sea squirts and little crabs huddled together in tide pools. And fat purple and orange starfish stuck to the rocks at low tide.

Neither of us brought a watch and the day got away from us paddling the nooks and crannies of the islands. Occasionally the inter-island ferries and sail boats passed close by us in the straights - intrigued and a little envious I can't help but imagine. It felt joyfully honest to kayak around by our own power. It was also enlightening to experience the islands so intimately like this - discovering its many mysteries up close and personal.

Finally we arrived back into Lopez harbor after paddling hard against a rip current. There, of all places the worst happened. I dropped my camera in the water getting out of the kayak! NO!!!!

This is my last shot for a while and I was lucky to even salvage these photos. Even though I grabbed it out immediately the salt water had done its work - it was finished. It's had a full and adventurous life across all sorts of adverse environments and to be honest I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. For now I'll be going blip-less for most of September - with only borrowed shots from friend's cameras. But stay tuned for more with October and my new camera!