A Realtor friend of mine had asked me to measure a home for her buyer, as her buyer was unable to get to the property to see it in a reasonable amount of time and she needed to finalize her offer.
The day started with probably one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen. The photo to the left is over looking Griffin bay.
I took the Inter-Island ferry, the Sealth, from San Juan Island, where I live, to Lopez Island, where the property was located. This is the ferry that travels from island to island, without going to the mainland. It goes from San Juan Island, to Orcas Island, To Shaw Island and finally to Lopez Island. It then reverses this course, providing sort of a "Metro Bus" that carries cars and people from island to island.
The commute was pleasant and uneventful, with the exception of the onboarding to the ferry.
As I drove on to the ferry, a Deckhand that was there to direct myself and other drivers, held his hand up and made an "L" sign.
"I'm no LOSER", I immediately thought. My first instinct was to run the disrespectful deckhand down.
Whoops....He simply needed to confirm I was going to Lopez Island.
I spent the day measuring said home, checking out and touring two other homes with my Realtor friend, having lunch at the Lopez Market and finishing up with some marketing, stopping by some Real Estate, CPA and Attorney offices to introduce myself.
The ferry left the Lopez Island dock about 3:30PM and the commute home was a typical, beautiful, smooth trip, lasting about an hour.
Just as the Sealth approached Friday Harbor, the Captain broadcast over the ship's speakers that Orcas were dead ahead. The ship slowed, as required by law, to allow the beautiful black and while whales to continue their path, undisturbed. This provided an excellent opportunity for me to watch the orcas glide through the water very close to the ferry.
Part of being an Appraiser in the San Juan Islands is that you just might get a chance encounter to commute with orcas.