We enjoyed our visit “home” and relished time spent with friends and family we see far too little of now. We haven’t spent a summer in the Pacific Northwest since 2023 and it was nice to spend most of our time in sandals, rather than boots and heavy jackets. We feel so fortunate to have access to so many great places and want to share our treasures with our new and old friends.

Going back to winter… when I moved into my new-to-me house in 2014, a picture window over the stairwell absolutely called for a sailboat. It snowed while we were in Poulsbo this winter and this picture is too good not to share. Maybe I should believe in manifest destiny, because nine years after the sailboat went in the window, and three years after we met, we sailed off on our adventure!

Poulsbo

Meredith moved to Poulsbo 30 years ago. Raising kids here and a final career stretch as Kitsap County Treasurer created deep roots that we both appreciate. Waterfront Norwegian-themed Poulsbo is a bit of tourist destination, and a nice place to just hang out.

We spent many special times with friends and here are just a few shots:

A Poulsbo drone show was created by nearby high school drone team to celebrate the 250th anniversary of USA’s Declaration of Independence. Ironically, the show had to be postponed from July 4th to August, because a permit needed to be obtained to fly drones close to nearby Naval Base Kitsap. The video highlights some special aspects of Poulsbo: Native American & Norwegian heritage, bald eagles, herons, orcas, seals, seaplanes, and of course, sailboats. Click here to watch the video, and pay attention at six minutes to catch a real shooting star.

A final highlight of Poulsbo goes out to Bill Austin (1935-2026), who leaves a legacy of art and creativity. In his many projects, he persisted against naysayers to build pavilions, murals and other art around Poulsbo. Bill will be missed by many, including me who still tears up at his loss. Click here to see a local television’s “local heroes” segment about Bill’s contribution to Poulsbo.

Poulsbo Rotary

Pre job-free-status (some say retirement), Rotary was a part of Meredith’s non-profit activity in the community, and it continues as we travel around the world. We arrived just in time for dear friend and outgoing President Harlan Harris’s “outstallation”. During his term, Harlan lost function of his huge heart’s left ventricle and now has a Left Ventricle Assistive Device (LVAD) that keeps his blood “pumping”. Along with wife Cheryl, his Rotary community was part of the assessment that helped Harlan qualify for the LVAD. Harlan’s outstallation celebrated the way the club rallied for him and was so glad to have him return as President.

We also launched a “Cup Up Poulsbo” to raise awareness about the fact that “paper cups” contain plastic that isn’t recyclable. Additionally, the plastic inside the paper leaches into hot beverages contributing to the plastic all of us carry inside our bodies. In short, when we go out for coffee, we should all bring our own cups or ask for real mugs/cups and reduce our single-use plastic.

Tribal Canoe Journey

Poulsbo is located on lands that were once occupied by the Suquamish Tribe, which is also a huge part of the community. Every other year, the tribe journey by canoe to gather for a potlatch and celebrate their cultures. We missed the canoe landing, which is so powerful to see as the paddlers approach the shore, lug their canoes to the landing, all accompanied by drums and tribal chants. It is inspiring to see so many youth and elders celebrate their heritage together.

What’s Next

We are writing this as we fly from Seattle to Sydney, Australia. We’ll travel throughout the Gold (East) Coast and Tasmania for two months, then return to New Zealand to reunite with SV Tieton.

To keep the blogs bite-sized, other stateside travels and the status of Tieton’s repairs will follow.