Longbranch Marina, Washington at Bruce and Susan's Boat Moneytaker III SYC visitors 7/6/2019

From: casarollnotes.blogspot.com 

Tim and Linda Bunyan

It was quite a surprise and a wonderful afternoon meeting up at Longbranch Marina, Washington with Bruce and Susan Moneymaker while they were cruising the South Puget Sound.

The boatload included SYC Vice Commodore Sam Teresi and SYC Galley Manager Kathy.  Monique and Matt Smith, and Jim and Kay Montgomery, and Stacy Reichenberg and Bob & Nancy!  The Sacramento SYC entourage has driven up Hwy 5 on a non-stop mission to go boating with Bruce and Susan!

   This final day of Bruce and Susan, et all 5-day boating excursion included a stop at Longbridge Marina, an unincorporated community on the Key Peninsula of the Kitsap Peninsula, along Filcy Bay between Pitt Passage and Batch Passage.   

Tim and I happen to be in the area, at my cousin's house in Ocean Shores.  We drove to the quiet community and found that we all made some welcomed noise setting up at the dock and made ourselves comfortable to spend a couple of hours of sun.  

The marina offers 700' of public moorage with electrical hookups which, due to generator challenges on Bruce's boat, was a welcome and well-chosen moorage.  Their friends in the Hatteras, Bob and Nancy, come to this cozy marina every Labor Day!  It has a perfect view of Mount Ranier when the mountain makes a showing! 

Looking refreshed with that 'Retirement Look': Jim, Kay, and Sam say hello...

..and throw a line to the Marina Fleet Manager.

 Bruce and Tim talked boats into the night while the others were tending the Galley. 

 Sam is beginning to 'rest up' for the drive back home.  

He is willing and enjoys this while Kathy has a pillow in the passenger seat with Matt and Monique in the back.......oh, and Stacy is riding in the far back doing all the talking and navigation from there!  It works, especially when it includes boating!

 Second boating trip for Stacy on Moneytaker III.

 Susan is beautiful and pleasant as ever making us feel welcome.   

We dined on the 'meal of the day' Kathy had planned and packaged and now cooking with her Galley Crew for this evening. 

 Their cruise timing just fit for logistics for Tim and me to come and see their 
Washington boat: Moneytaker III.  It shows well and all the beds were made up easily accommodating all the guests!  

Bruce and Susan slept with their long-time Washingtonian friends, Bob, and Nancy on their Hatteras.  

The Hatteras is 48' and very capable in keeping up with Moneymaker III and housing the 'overflow'!  This is one of their favorite marinas to moorage for the weekend.

As always the SYC Team came together with Kathy tending the BBQ, Susan at the stove in Galley, and Kay overseeing the grilling of the bread, and Monique setting table, and Stacy able to open the wine bottles as fast as a demand! 

What fun we had listened to Matt tell his tale of the Walnut Grove cruise and living to tell it!   All are well and good, those boater people, ya just can't keep them down.  

Cruising on the water is what it is all about and a big part of that is the FriendSHIP that floats on and on.

What a great, successful day in showing Washington that California SYC know how to boat!!!

Ocean Shores, WA at Gary & Colleen's house 7/2 - 7/7 2019

From: casarollnotes.blogspot.com 

Tim and Linda Bunyan

We arrive my cousin Colleen and Gary's Beach House at Ocean Shores.  Gary and Colleen built it over time and have a very positive outcome toward all their 'sweat equity'.  They have had many years of family gatherings here with all the comforts.  It is a well put together house and now Gary and Colleen are there to enjoy their time.  They even have space for our RV and a plug for power and water!

Woodstock, the kitty and Melissa's puppy, Charlie make friends.

Colleen has decorations on the table for the holiday. Even the neighborhood deer comes for a visit !!!

It is a family tradition over the past 15 years to assemble for the fourth of July and Tim and I just happen to have good timing to that and have experienced the Best 'hands on'Greatest Show On Earth for fireworks!!!

 elissa's friend Darius, rented a car 

Melissa's friend, Darius, visited for the day and drove out here to Ocean Shores to spend the holiday with Melissa and meeting the parents for the first time!  He is Regional Manager for the many Blazing Onion restaurants throughout the Sound.  So he began in the kitchen as Melissa was preparing egg and croissant sandwiches for all of us.

 Tommy was so excited to show us his Transformers!  It was the largest transformer I have ever seen.  I recall when Jason was a kid, about 30 years ago, his transformers were about 4" tall and usually a man that would transform into a weapon of some sort.  Tommy's transformer looked to be many subjects that can transform into a re-build.

Just around the corner is the Beach Access Trail and we are ON it !!!

A friendly game of Jenga between the 'Parental Units' and 'The Children'!  Everyone is a Star and the challenge goes on for quite some time.

Colleen and Melissa served up some dinner and Melissa prepared her layered (healthy for you) taco in a pan that was delicious.  


The second night Tim and I brought and prepared dinner for the group.  Melissa loved the grilled onions and Gary thought he could put a pretty good grill on the Pork Tenderloin on his Green Mountain Grill-Davey Crocket Model.

As a custom, Gary and Tommy and Melissa (Tim went with them) to the "Boomer", fireworks guy.  Gary ushered into the trailer where he chose his favorites.  Gary even picked up and felt the weight of some newer fireworks to judge if they were worthy of being a part of his demonstration.

The Supplies are loaded in the wagon and taken to the beach for our own fire ring where Tim kept the fire going strong by gathering beach driftwood.

A grand time was had by all.  We all had our favorite.  My favorite was called The Gorilla.  The Ladies Works were quite a laugh!

The walk to the open beach is just around the corner.  We even had a beach fire which Tim helped in piling up to keep the flames going.  

All up and down the beach fireworks were going and the families gathered around their fire and children were laughing and excited. 

 It was a beautiful sight to see.  

The dogs, of course, are the stars of the beach!  

They are getting acquainted and their difference in size is of no consequence to either.  

Charlie, little black fluffy is quick and Dak, the Blue-Heeler showed little fear and was able to keep up.

  
They ran around the beach and both were surprised when their paws got wet with their running into the water in their excitement!   

Our final dinner was Salmon that Gary had caught last week.  He has a Trophy fishing boat and he has it in the water now for the summer fishing season.  It is a delicous, huge platter

of the best-cooked salmon !!!

An engraving at their front step.

The final evening Colleen and I walked out to the beach and had a nice sunset view of this everlasting, ever satisfying ocean and lulls for peace, tranquility, and sound that surrounds one with security.

Goodbye Gary and Colleen and Tommy and Melissa and Charlie!  

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!