Island Girl Takes Another Ferry Ride

Very early and dark on Tuesday morning we headed for Anacortes to make the 0930 ferry to Lopez Island where my trailer spent many of her years.

Fog in Anacortes soon gave way to nice warm and sunny skies as we made the forty minute trip to Lopez.

Even though we’ve sailed in the San Juan Islands for years, I’d not been on Lopez since around 1980 when I was touring on my bicycle.  I’d forgotten how beautiful it is.  Island Girl’s former home actually has shoreline on both the front and back of the property.  We backed in behind Harold and Kathy’s motorhome, just a few feet from the water and surrounded by Douglas Fir and the distinctive Madrona tree, common in these islands.

Edith has her 94th birthday next month.  I know she was excited to see her old trailer again, but I don’t think she could have been more excited than I was.  Meeting her is really special to me.  I know the trailer is just a collection of aluminum bits and pieces, but it was an important part of the lives of those who have used her before me.  She’s taken great trips, served as a home (just as she’s doing now for Pam and me), and even for Harold and Kathy’s honeymoon.

Edith is a cat person, like me.  My Brissy is not the first cat to travel in the trailer.  She is adjusting well to the move from her sailboat, but it has been a huge change for a cat who has spent her life on a boat.  She had a fun two days too, walking on her leash, just like Edith told me she had done with her Siamese cats.

But Brissy was more than ready for a nap while waiting for the ferry for the return trip home this afternoon.

Those of us that love these old trailers really do so because of people.  We love the old aluminum and the way it shines, but we feel a connection to the guys that put them together at the factory.  And, we feel a connection to the people who have owned and used the trailers in the past.  It is about aluminum, but it’s mostly about people.  I feel so honored to have been able to make that special connection this week.

-steve

Something Really Cool

We took the trailer to our first rally last year at the Tin Can Tourist Rally in Lynden, WA, only twelve miles away.  Island Girl was an empty shell then, Alzheimer’s wouldn’t let us stay, and the weather was lousy.  This year we got to do it right with a nearly complete trailer, and no problems from Alzheimer’s as we’re living in the trailer fulltime anyway.  And, the weather was perfect.  Lynden is a great, laid back rally where everyone is just into old trailers and some cool old cars as well.

Saturday afternoon a fella came to the door who greeted me with “You have no idea who I am.”  When he said his name, though, I did know him as Harold was the son of the original owners of the trailer.  He and his wife (they celebrated their honeymoon in the trailer) were visiting friends, had no knowledge of the rally, but happened to drive by when their planned route was closed for construction.  They figured they’d just take a drive through the fairgrounds and look at some trailers, but happened to drive by one that was the same model his family had owned.
But, he saw the wheels and knew it was the trailer, not just the model.  If you’ve followed this blog, you know we’d earlier made an email and telephone connection.  He’d seen pictures and knew, even though we’d not been in contact for a year or so.

He and his mom have been on my mind.  We’d  earlier made tentative plans to ride the ferry out to Lopez Island to let her see her trailer when we got done with the work.  The weather is good, things are fairly stable with Pam, so it’s a good time to make the trip, especially since Harold and Kathy are heading to Lopez for a month to celebrate his Mom’s 94th birthday.  We’re going to try really hard to make the trip out there next week.
Very very hard to wipe the smile off my face right now.