Wow, those three weeks went by so fast. We miss our family and friends so much and it was great to see them. We’re going to consider home visits to be part of the adventure! (We’ve had slow internet so this post is ten days late. A San Blas update will come soon.)

The first folks we got to see in Poulsbo were Kader and Jefferson, my wonderful adult children. Kader and Dylan are in the midst of a kitchen remodel where they’re doing most of the work with the help of Dylan’s parents, Rachel and Kevin. Jefferson is the perfect renter and doing a great job taking care of my house. Our visit began and ended with family dinners with a few visits in between. We even got to see Jefferson’s girlfriend Shannon and see Sam’s latest teeth! We also had a lovely gathering with longtime friends Pam Thresher (newly engaged to Rick!), son Luke, and Madrigal, Fred, and Emma Saas.

We’d timed our visit to coincide with Poulsbo Rotary’s inaugural Poulsbo Blues and Jazz festival (PB&J), which featured thirteen performances in four venues. The brainchild of our friends Joe Hulsey and Mary Gorman, the festival was a resounding success!

While we were in the states, we wanted to apply for a long stay visa to French Polynesia, which is our next destination. With more than 100 islands covering 1200 miles, we want more than the 90 days granted as a standard. The first step was to go the passport center in Seattle get a duplicate passport so that we could return to Mexico while the French embassy held our original passports for visa processing. After many hoops, proof of need, and some fees, we were granted our duplicate passports which we picked up three days later! We’ll spare you the details of doctor and dentist visits…

Next we took a break from paperwork and headed to Tieton (Herman’s birthplace and the boat’s namesake) to see Herman’s brother Byron and sister-in-law Diane. As a bonus, we saw Herman’s niece Ashley and Byron’s college friend Mike.

Chelan was next where we spent the night with Donna and Rob, Herman’s longtime friends and owners of Mellisoni Vineyard. This was followed with visits with Herman’s neighbors Sue & Jerry, Don & Mary Ann, and Larry & Idena. Herman’s tenants greeted him with hand written cards from their three kids and their daughter’s handmade chocolate chip cookies. We even squeezed in a lunch with Herman’s former boss, Eric.

Then off to California… My sister Janet chauffeured us to lunch with high school friend, Tim Davis, and his mother (and friend) Barbara. Doug Davis and I were an item in high school, so Tim and Janet got to spend plenty of time together while waiting for a ride from/for us. Although many years ago Doug died from breast cancer (men get it too!), we’ve maintained a great relationship with Barbara and Tim.

Next was San Francisco to submit our French Polynesia visa application, which went without a hitch, so we expect our visas in 4 to 6 weeks. We were able to see our dear friend, Katie, plus she graciously offered for us to stay with her in San Francisco at their beautiful home. Janet and I met Katie when we were toddlers, we’re close family friends, and years later we were in her wedding. Eric and Katie celebrate their 40th anniversary on March 17th!

We had to scratch our visit to Placerville because of Covid so we extended our San Francisco stay. Oh to be “stuck” in such a beautiful place with wonderful accommodations! During our return drive to the Sacramento airport, we saw water-filled estuaries with flocks of migrating birds. We plan to be back someday for a longer visit.

After a brief swing through Poulsbo for final meals and hugs with family and friends, we return to San Blas to continue our adventure. We were both shocked at how quickly our home visit flew and while we were happy to return to the boat, we were definitely sad to leave our family and friends. Jefferson flew back with us, which made it a little easier. An added bonus was seeing Laura at the airport.