Easter

When you live on an island things are just different.  For instance, it wasn’t until I moved to Bainbridge that I could have conceived of an Easter on-the-water balloon chase in tiny sailboats.  One day, not long after we’d bought our charming but decrepit farmhouse and while still very much in the throes of “oh wow, we live on an island” we watched this distinctive island scene unfold. This was BK (before kids) and Easter Sunday meant a long brunch on the deck enjoying our newly acquired view.

Happy sounds drifted across the bay.  An event was in progress at the Port Madison Yacht Club.  Before long a fleet of sailing dinghies launched and a hundred balloons  skittered across the water.  The dinghies raced along, life-jacketed kids scooping wayward balloons.  Parents cheered from the club dock and I suspect a bit of smack talk between the adult skippers (but here I embroider as I wasn’t close enough to hear.)

Yesterday a dozen years after that first wonderful glimpse into the uniqueness of island life, we are the parents shouting encouragement while our life-jacketed kids hang precariously over the side of a swiftly moving vessel scooping up jelly bean filled balloons.  We had front row seats for the action from the rescue boat. Our mission was to scoop up wet kids (none) and runaway balloons (a few and it’s much harder than it looks), but mostly we sat back and enjoyed the ride, feeling like we’d been granted admission inside a particularly beautiful snow globe (no snow, just the magic of being inside something so rare and wonderful). 

After the excitement, the chocolate bunnies, the egg-toss (this two-year reigning champ was unseated by an eight year old) we dinghied back across the bay for an Easter dinner of grilled oysters and steamer clams, fresh baguettes and a crunchy salad.  More on the oysters soon.

Sadly I have no pictures to share with you.  My camera and I have been having some technical difficulties.  Would love to hear about your unique island experiences if you’d like share.

Cheers.