Our boat ride to Waldron.

Deer Harbor was a marina where captain Dave had been waiting for us. He was tall, had a beard and wore a black worn out black hat. That hat was the thing for us to look out for for purpose of identifying the sailor who would give us a ride to the Waldron Island.

Our car had to stay behind. All our belongings were piled up on the ground and we needed two trips with the wheel cart to bring all our stuff to the boat. Even though the planned time to stay on the island was only a week, with the clothes for 6 (for rain and shine), blankets, a cooler and a few bags full of food (since we were not coming to wwoof, we had discussed with Betsy the idea of bringing groceries with us so that we cook together and share the meals) the truck had been filled up. The potty came along, and Evan's big yellow toy truck, a volley ball, Leona's teddy bear, Mirek's fishing rod and my camera bag with the tripod.

Approaching the dock, we started a game with the girls, trying to guess which would be THE boat.
Among tens of boats at the marina, there were some pretty ones and a few were quite fancy, too. "Is this the one? Or maybe that one? Oh, I know! We are going on that white boat with a blue trim...", the girls were skipping looking around for Dave's boat.
And THIS is THE boat!

"Some folks think my boat is small, some think it's big. I like my boat. It has been serving well. Welcome aboard!". Captain Dave was not very talkative but seemed very calm and confident, and we felt very safe with him. As for his sense of humor I'll leave it up to you to decide.
"Dave, how much do we owe you?", Mirek asked him half way to Waldron.
"Oh, that would be $40.00. (Pause) That is if you make it there...". Hah?...
The ride was amazing. The openness of the boat and being close to the water kept the girls occupied for the entire 20 minutes of crossing. They were sitting next to each other in the back of the boat and catching the waves, getting wet and belly laughing for the whales to hear.
Evan was comfortably sitting inside the cabin with a stoic look on his lovable face with his cheeks jumping up and down every time the boat hit a wave.
When Waldron was already nearby I got this feeling in my heart as if I was going home. Betsy really took her time writing to me via email since we started corresponding back in June. A few very detailed messages and I felt like I knew a lot about the island and I had been there before. What I didn't know then was that a big part of my heart would be left on the island when we would be leaving a week later, and the girls would be begging us to stay and become "Waldronites".

We were arriving on Waldron on time and were eagerly anticipating meeting Bob and Betsy. The Bold Eagle showed up in the tree tops and the dramatic view of the cliffs was unforgettable.

"No car seats, kids! Would you like to ride in the back of the pick up truck?", Betsy asked, after we greeted each other like good friends, connecting almost instantly.
Did she have to ask this question? The joy was in the air!
We all climbed up and hit the road, ready for new adventures. Here we come, Waldron! The Swiss family Robinson, without the boat wreck!