It happens. You’re already 30-60 minutes early in the ferry line so you don’t lose your reservation, and then a ferry is removed from the day’s schedule for a repair, or an important ferry worker has an emergency, or someone brings a car full of ammunition and everything comes to an immediate halt (not at all a common occurence, but it happened a month ago!).
When coming back from a trip to Texas to visit my mom and siblings after a year-plus of COVID “staying-in-place,” I arrived at the Anacortes ferry for the last leg of the journey home. I had shown up to catch my delayed flight in Dallas the previous day to find that American Airlines was offering free rescheduling for flights the following day. I did some quick connecting with my sister as she was driving away from the airport after dropping me off, asking if she’d circle back and retrieve me so I could stay an extra day. Had I stuck with my delayed original flight, I wouldn’t have been able to catch my Bellair Airporter from SeaTac to Anacortes. Normally in pre-COVID times, the shuttle runs every couple hours until late at night, but thanks to COVID, Bellair had to make some changes and now the last shuttle leaves the Seattle airport each night at 5 PM. So I got an extra day with family, drove around the neighborhood where we grew up, and relished some more needed “gathering” in my mom’s living room. How wonderful it felt to experience normalcy again.
It’s a 12-hour journey from my doorstep to my mom’s in Texas – drive, wait, ferry, wait, shuttle, wait, airplane, drive. If we weren’t on an island, it would only take a little more than half that time. It’s okay. It’s a branch off of “island time” that we all accept. We’re used to it. And when you’re coming back after a big trip, just a relatively tiny ocean crossing away from home and your ferry is removed for repair, all of a sudden you get an extra four hours to ruminate on life. I’d probably get a lot of life’s details done if I had cell service but I don’t. The lack of connectivity is starting to get old.
What do you do with an extra four hours with no car and no access to anything in the aether? You walk and walk and walk. There’s a beautiful trail along the ocean right down from the Anacortes ferry terminal. Come along with me and see the sights…
Salmonberries 
Beginnings of blackberries 
Not too shabby, eh? I even ran into a couple from the church we used to attend in Santa Barbara before moving to Orcas Island nine years ago. Life sometimes gives you amazingness like the day above even when the last thing you want to do is stop and “be” at a ferry terminal for four hours.
Enjoying all your postings so much, especially this one for some reason. Many thanks for continuing to share your beautiful life style on Orcas Island. I hope I can get there this year.
Thank you so much! I’m always glad to hear feedback because sometimes I ask myself if certain posts need not be written. I’m glad this resonated with you!