Laid Back Lummi

As I write this, I’m sitting on the deck of the Flying Fish Cottage on Lummi Island, the northern-most of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. Minutes from Canada, I’m a few hours from and a lifetime away from Seattle.

In front of me, the sun is rising and the outline of Mount Baker is just perceptible. Small aircraft buzz overhead and the ferry, which is able to carry maybe 20 cars max, is moving back and forth between the mainland and the island. The water is lapping against the rocks and the beach below me. The sun is shimmering on the rolling water and the trees are whispering while eagles, seagulls, robins and other winged creatures are in flight.

How did I get here?

This week is Jon’s birthday and my new friend, Marcia, who is the proprietor of the cottage, invited us up for a little getaway. While I know Marcia only well enough to understand that she is a uniquely beautiful and special person, I had no idea how her over-the-top creativity would spill over into the oasis she has created at the Flying Fish.

Everywhere you turn in the cottage are shells and seaglass, flying fish adorn the artwork on the walls and the furniture and tableware. Coffee table books filled with images of beach homes and Mexican gardens lay in large piles on the table. All this to get your imagination stirring and to encourage you to release your inner Picasso.

I’m humbled and inspired by the beauty of my immediate surroundings at the Flying Fish and haven’t even ventured around “laid back Lummi” (as Marcia calls it) yet. That will have to wait until after I’ve finished my morning coffee and breakfast…

Happy Travels!