Interesting Times

The dock on the mainland to "The Rock" is closed.* Seems one of the ferries was going just a lit-tle too fast and crashed into it this morning (at 6:00 am, which indicates it was about 10 minutes late to the terminal--Hmmmm). It's all under investigation, but traffic to-from "The Rock" is being diverted to Edmonds. High season, too. Hmmm. You can read about the initial ugly details here:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003730734_webferry01m.html
and here:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Ferry_Accident.html

Updates from the Washington State Ferry System can be found at their web-site here:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/

If you want to see if there's activity at that poor, beleagered Mukilteo dock there's a ferry-cam here:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/cameras/

Of course, you can always "drive-around" this particular Island, so no one can say they're stranded. Well, some can, but they have "issues."

*An update: At 2:30 on Friday, the ferry run began again on a one hour schedule, and promises to return to a two-boat run in the late afternoon.
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Smokey's hurt himself again, this time a blister on his foot-pad. Some dive for one of his toys in the drive-way turned into a skid and sand-papered the surface off it, so he's being "gingerly" with it. Some Neosporin and a soak in some salt-water (and a bath) and he'll be on his way to mending. He's looking like it's a fun adventure unless he hits it wrong. Then he squeaks and rolls over on his back. Drama-dog.
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How's your e-mail? Usually I get five or six spam messages a day but with the arrest of this dude, they said there'd be a dramatic drop in e-mail spam. There was: I have only one today. But even some of the spam can be interesting...and useful. I'll have a post about it next week.
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Good "blog" wishes (which are beneficial I've found) to Kymberli (in Bend) whose watching with packed car to see if the brush-fires will abate, to Bob, driving down to support an old friend, and to Good-Buddy Pat, who's helping his family get through a couple of crises. You're doing good work, Pat. Attawaytabe.
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One thing about living near a Naval Airbase, you get to see some interesting things. During a visit last week, I saw a jet airliner doing lazy, low circles around the town, followed after a few minutes by a prop-plane doing lazy, slow circles around the town. Curious. Then, I'd see fighter jets pursuing them. Interesting. Training.

When K. and I went to Scotland many years ago, we took a trip to Inverness (again in the news) via bus, and I got into a conversation with the bus-driver. At one point driving through the Highlands, a loud roar came from behind us, and two fighter-jets streaked alongside us at window-level, then veered off and moved away, wagging their wings slightly. "What was THAT?" I said. "Target practice," chuckled the bus-driver. "Happens every day. They get us in their sights, lock on, and we're a 'kill.' Then they wag their wings to let me know they 'got' me--like I could do anything 'bout it!"

Just one of those "interesting" things that happens when you travel in"interesting" times.

May your day be.....banal.

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It was 40 years ago, today.