The Sound in February...

The day started off beautifully, especially for February in Washington. With promises of sixty-degree weather, my neighbors (more like my adoptive family) decided to take their boat to the bay. It's only about a ten minute drive, and we were rewarded with sunshine and lots and lots of fun. It was so warm, compared to normal, that we all ended up cruising around in just long-sleeved t-shirts. There were scores of sailboats and great views of Mount Rainier.

We were able to enjoy the weather and boating for about two hours before the clouds started to roll in...you can see their ominous presence especially well in the picture of the capital building. Before long, we ended up in layers of sweatshirts and jackets, the kids huddled under a blanket. The temperature had dropped fast, and the wind was downright frosty. However, we didn't get raindrops until the boat was home, in the driveway, covered. Perfect timing!

The worst part of the day was that as we pulled up to the boat ramp, we were greeted by dozens of emergency personnel. They were waving at us, ushering us to the dock, and we had no idea why. Another boat had called for help because a man onboard was having a heart attack, but they didn't have a description of the boat and thought we might be the one. A few minutes later the boat pulled up and the rescue crew got to work. My heart was touched when my neighbor's 8-year-old daughter asked me what was going on and what we should do. I told her that all we could do was pray for the man that he would be okay, and for his wife who was obviously distressed. Her response: "I already have." Apparently it was the first thing that occurred to her to do, and she didn't even know what was going on - she just saw ambulances, a fire truck, and a whole lot of people in uniform running around, so she decided to pray. Thank you, God, for these neighbors who make this cloudy place a little bit brighter for me!

Hope you enjoy the pictures from our unexpected day on the bay!