Mt. Rainier tops the view of Tramp Harbor and Maury Island.
Summer showed up yesterday with a hearty and heated hello. With temperatures on the island reaching 95 degrees, Boz hit the pool, Gracie found some shade and I pondered taking a plunge in Puget Sound. My only complaint about Vashon Island is the absence of Lake Washington, undeniably Seattle’s best place to cool off.
It’s ironic that I live on an island and there’s really no place to swim. Let me rephrase that. There are places to swim, but with Puget Sound water temps rarely exceeding 53 degrees, the choices are limited.
While close to my house, Tramp Harbor and KVI beach (top photo) maintain water temperatures cold enough to make a baritone, a soprano. A longer drive takes me to Dockton Park beach where a four-mile inlet warms incoming tides just enough for me to keep my tenor status. Bracing, refreshing and the quickest cooldown known to man, a dip off the dock can make all right with the world. My clumsy cannonball garnered high marks, claps and laughter from the younger crowd, a fine reminder that no matter what the age, keeping cool has nothing to do with looking cool.
As for Boz and Gracie, they opted to stay home (to forego the embarrassment) and save up energy for the refilling of the wading pool.
16 responses so far ↓
1 June // Jul 9, 2010 at 7:29 pm
We’re still waiting for the heat to arrive here in Waldport. The warm air went right over us – it’s foggy, cool and perfect soup weather!
2 Tom // Jul 9, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Sorry to hear that June. I spent a weekend one August in Lincoln City, where I never saw the ocean due to dense fog. Right over the coastal mountains and it was a blazing 100 degrees.
3 renae // Jul 9, 2010 at 10:29 pm
I can only imagine your cannon ball. Good for you.
4 Dawn // Jul 10, 2010 at 12:15 am
Awww…Boz and Gracie are adorable. I need to get a wading pool for my dog! Stay cool. : )
5 Heather // Jul 10, 2010 at 5:24 am
You have the cutest dogs EVER.
6 Tom // Jul 10, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Dawn, Heather…you got a wag and a wiggle out of Boz & Gracie, no doubt the bulldog equivalent of thank you for the kind words, a sentiment I share with you as well (just no wag or wiggle).
7 Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie) // Jul 11, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Boz and Gracie are hilarious! Beautiful pics. Mt. Rainier is beautiful in the background. Thanks also for stopping in at my blog.
8 Delishhh // Jul 12, 2010 at 10:31 pm
Your dogs on the front poarch are adorable, I LOVE IT. I just stumbled apon your blog. Very nice to see anther one from Seattle.
9 Gaynol // Jul 13, 2010 at 6:55 pm
Great photos and your dogs are completely adorable. Looking forward to meeting you at the IFBC!
10 Giyen // Jul 15, 2010 at 5:00 am
VASHON NEEDS A LAKE. You are so correct. Or, you can always decide to install that pool. You will be the most popular person in central Vashon.
Well now that I think of it, you probably already are.
giyen
ps. hope to see you at the festival!
11 tasteofbeirut // Jul 16, 2010 at 7:24 pm
Hilarious shot of the two dogs!
It is ironic that a place so photogenically beautiful would have cold water temperatures! I love a good swim but my body can only take above 80 degree temps!
12 Roberta // Jul 17, 2010 at 11:37 pm
These pictures are beautiful! And I agree with the Puget Sound “complaint” re: areas to swim! Around here it’s just too darn cold to muster up enough courage and get wet!
13 Karen // Jul 20, 2010 at 12:07 am
It’s been 10 days since your last blog. Everything O.K? I miss your musings!
14 Tom // Jul 20, 2010 at 4:44 am
Hi Karen, thanks for asking. Been enjoying a house full of guests. But will return to blogging this week, so much to say.
15 Sandi // Sep 6, 2010 at 4:59 am
So WONDERFUL meeting you at Sam & Sara’s! Hope to stalk by to see the farm and meet your pups……
16 Tom // Sep 6, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Sandi, absolutely!
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