A week at Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake: A slice of paradise

I can't let the month end without a look back to eight glorious days on Orcas Island. Nothing compares to being at a place where fresh air, nature's beauty and the coziness of our cabin make you feel refreshed and simply thankful to be alive.

Do I exaggerate? Perhaps.

But consider that this is a place where life is meant to be lived in the slow lane. The hilly topography and two-lane roads translate to a maximum speed limit of 40 mph on the island. Hitchhiking is common and no matter where you go, people are never in a rush. My kind of pace.

What was so good about our last visit? Well, a little of everything. In no particular order:

Looking south from Mt. Constitution

Socializing at not one but two Saturday night potlucks. Kayaking for three hours one afternoon, cruising past five islands and spotting a group of harbor seals. Hosting our Portland friends Erin and Beth for two nights and showing them a couple of favorite places on the rock: Obstruction Pass State Park, the view from the summit of Mount Constitution (elevation 2,400 feet).

Attending open mic and pizza night at the counterculture Doe Bay Cafe. Hiking the barkdust trail around Eagle Lake. Returning a couple days later to play Scrabble at the dock. Running one morning on the road between Doe Bay and Sea Acres. Enjoying the songbirds and hummingbirds that came to our porch every morning. (One of them, a pine siskin, let me approach so close that I was able to reach up s-l-o-w-l-y and touch her tailfeathers before she flew away.)  

Lori on the Eagle Lake trail

Curling up with a good book in our hammock. Consuming delicious food -- home-cooked meals at our cabin as well as lunch at the Olga Cafe and the Farmers Market, and a fabulous Friday night dinner at the Inn at Ship Bay, the equal of any high-end restaurant in Portland or Seattle. Waking up each morning to the sound of ... silence.

Two quick stories illustrate how easy it is to make connections on the island.

A year ago, we picked up a hitchhiker named Megan who was on her way in to Eastsound to meet with her yoga instructor. When we attended open mic night last week, the banjo-playing hostess was none other than Megan, wearing a spaghetti-strap flowered dress, leggings and hiking boots. Turns out she'd recognized me when we were seated across from each other at the express computer terminals at the public library a few days earlier but didn't say anything at the time. I knew she looked familiar but I couldn't place her until she said hi to Lori and me on Thursday night. Hugs all around.

When we went kayaking on Tuesday, our guide was a young woman named Julia, who in the course of conversation mentioned that she had a brother working on Maple Rock Farm, one of the island's many farms. Sure enough, when we went to the Farmers Market, we spotted the MRF booth, which was staffed that morning by a young man named Eric, who turned out to be Julia's brother. I wouldn't be surprised if we met their parents or their significant others on a return visit.

Open mic at Doe Bay Cafe

I don't know if it's possible to have anything other than a pleasant experience here. We're blessed to be able to create so many good memories and pleased to be able to share our place with visitors.

If all goes as planned, we'll be back up in September.