STOATMOBILE WORLD TOUR! (all are welcome)

littlek, if he is in jail then I suppose there's nothing that can be done, short of getting a crew together and busting him out. If he is being jailed for some sort of 'unseemly' activity, however, then it's probably best if he stays there so that he might learn the errors of his ways.
If this is the case then he has certainly changed from the times when I knew him.....he was always 'slightly' eccentric (in the Albert Einstein way, not in the Charles Manson way) but never a scofflaw, as I recall.

In case Gus does come aboard, will his seatmate be that gigantic rodent? And might the capybara have an inclination toward devouring little 'uns, like our bunny?

i'd think that the capybara might be in danger. not the bunny!

Aa, if Gus or anyone else exhibits antisocial behaviors or allows any pets to do so, we have a secure brig on board to restrain them for as long as necessary. We operate under the auspices of International Maritime Law here, and whoever is Tour Guide has final say as to the steps taken to insure safety of the passengers, and this includes police actions if necessary. Not to worry....I'm sure that if Gus does make it on board he will conduct himself as the fine gentleman I recall him to be :-)

At last we near the floor of Puget Sound, several hundred feet down, and we level off. Moving slowly forward with our powerful exterior lights illuminating the rocks below, we search for signs of our reason for coming down here.....the San Juan Islands are home to the largest octopi in the world, and that's whom we have come to visit! They can frequently measurre over eight feet in diameter, and although very shy, they like to come out to feed at night. As are many sea creatures, the Octopus is very territorial and likes to live in natural caves and hollows of rocks. His den an usually be spotted easily because octopi are not known for their housekeeping.....the entrance area to their den is usually littered with the remnants of their favorite food....crab shells.

Look! There's one now!



and there's the untidy homeowner!



He looks like a big one!



I'm glad that we all got to see a really big octopus, as that's the reason why we went so deep today. Octopi as well as many other sea creatures can also be found at shallower depths, and that's where we're headed now.

Accelerating slightly and following the contours of the bottom, we gradually ascend along our approach to San Juan Island. We find a level spot at a depth of 40 feet and set the stoatmobile down on a firm, flat area and extend the stabilizer legs to hold us solidly in place.

Now we all have a chance for some real fun! We have SCUBA equipment and cameras for everyone as well as an airlock which allows passage in and out of the vessel at your will. Everyone who wants to go diving and to take their own photos is welcome to do so, while those who wish to remain inside can watch the progress of the divers and wave to them while you enjoy breakfast in dry and warm comfort. The sun is now rising so visibility will be better for all. We'll stay here for a short while to give everyone an opportunity to go diving and take pictures if you choose, and then we will resume our tour. If you venture outside, please be careful and don't step on a Sea Urchin as their spines can be terribly painful



or stick your hand into any dark holes....sometimes a Wolf Eel will be living there!

Oooh, wolf eel!


Breakfast time, eh? Well, Seattle is famed for coffee, but I've not a clue which coffee spot is the very best purveyor for our orders. I understand that there are excellent tea shops there as well.

Since the Stoatmobile passengers all have varied likes and dislikes for breakfast, we'll need a selection.

Some of us like biscuits and sausage gravy, so I'll provide platters from our local Calico Cafe by instant messenger. These aren't from Calico Cafe, but have a similar appearance -


Some like grits, some despise grits. There seem to be no grit-betweeners. I couldn't quickly find a grits photo I loved, so here is a hot out of the oven sweetpotato spoonbread -



We need some breads and jams;
a few for your consideration -

chocolate sour cherry bread from La Brea bakery


pan au levain -


some olallieberry jam -


some pumpernickel bread with blue cheese -


some beignets -


a variety of crepes, omelettes and frittatas, for example -



platters of herring, lox, bacon/pancetta


a good selection of fresh juices -




Perhaps not best to eat all this before diving...

Yum, Osso. I think I would rather have that than river catfish.

Hey, Stoat, we have killer whales at Seaworld, and I think the wolf eel is also referred to as a moray eel, right?

Mind if I sing a song about Seaworld?

Who's that calling ?
who's that who can show the way ?
the child inside, its the child who lives still in your eyes
ne ho ne ye he hiyo, ne ho ne yehe ha
ne ho ne ye he hiyo, neho neho nehe hehe

who's that dying,
trying for a space in the cage you call your life
who's that crying
crying out just what it is you've thrown away

it's the. . .

the child inside, its the child who lives still in your eyes

ne ho ne ye he hiyo, ne ho ne yehe ha
ne ho ne ye he hiyo, neho neho nehe hehe

who's that dancing
laughing crying living every day by day by day by day

it's the. . .

the child inside, its the child who lives still in your eyes

ne ho ne ye he hiyo, ne ho ne yehe ha
ne ho ne ye he hiyo, neho neho nehe hehe

secret of the sun is in your eyes
take the power from your dreams and fly
children know it's magick that makes the world go round

Littlek jumps up, knocking the grits off of Osso's rolling food cart. There's Gus - swimming down to me us!

contain yourself, woman! will you have those grits that are on the ground, osso? no?

Ok, i'll take them.

Well, I skipped zillions of things we eat around the world for breakfast; I got weary. Dang, I should have tried to zero in on a San Juan Islands type breakfast.


Just saw Dag's post...
well, no big deal, we have the Stoatmobile instant vacuum (Gus).

Yahoooo!

We're off again!

All our mates - and Stoat and Aa!

Hanging on for a great ride!

Never been to the Pacific northwest - live on the Pacific south east myself!

pppsssstttt..............
Do we have Vinnie and Throkko on board, in case of problems.
I see they were on board for the trip to Oz, back in February 2002 - that I'm reading through now!

I hope our aquatic friends don't see I'm eating a bagel with lox and a shmear:


Fish outside, fish inside, oy!

Suddenly I feel a little queasy. Fish here, fish there, fish everywhere!

I think I'll just breath into one of these convenient brown paper bags they supply, for a bit.




(nothing against your bagel, jespah, honest!)

Sorry, dear. Here, I'll switch to grits. They're a lot less odiferous.

Poor msolga, feeling under the weather, albeit not underwater. Possibly Capt. Stoat has arranged for amazing flight attendants to provide whatever first-aid assistance is needed to bring her back to the pink of health.

jespah, your mention of grits reminds me of the one occasion when I saw Woody Allen in a live show, a small and long-gone club called "the hungry i" in San Francisco. In his standup routine, he told about a trip he made to the South (U.S. southern states). He did the set-up:

"So what's a nice Jewish boy from New York City going to talk about in the South?"

He answered his own question about the culture-challenge, telling how he solved the problem.

"Every time anybody said anything to me, I just said GRITS, no matter what they were talking about." [Lafter ensued]

That doesn't read funny, but you had to be there - it *sounded* funny.
(And it's the only joke I know about grits.)

And now for something completely different . . . this is wonderful, being able to see eye-to-eye with the sea creatures. And those octopi - I wonder if any of their kinfolk are ever served up on a platter with garlic? Some people have very adventurous palates and delight in dining on squid. I even saw it at a restaurant in Puerto Rico, served in its own ink.

All these wondrous sights leave me wanting more, more, more. And the questions keep on coming, but I'll mention only one: Are there any sea creatures (or land creatures) which are found exclusively in the San Juan Islands area - nowhere else at all?

Aa, Did you bring your celebrated frog with you? Better catch him. Lots of folks here like frog legs.

Aa, I can't think of anything that's specific to the San Juan Islands that you won't find anywhere else, but the collection of diverese coldwater plants and animals in this particular area is rather unique, I believe.

Before we leave, I think that I'll take a quick look around our resting place and take a few photos.

Donning SCUBA gear, I head into the airlock and activate the controls. The chamber fills up and soon the pressure is equalized so that the door is easily opened. I step out and find that we have settled at the edge of a Kelp forest




these are home to many fish and animals, including harbor seals and the California sea lion, who can always be counted on to be very curious.



They are a delight to watch as they zoom and whirl about, masters of their domain and element



Although there are all sorts of incredible sights to be seen, I feel compelled to return to the stoatmobile as I have no desire to detain the passengers, particularly when one is not feeling her best.

Re-entering the airlock, Montana swims down to meet us, having had a grand time cavorting with her new whale friends, who fortunately didn't mistake her for a seal (their favorite food) and make a snack out of her :-)

Retracting the support legs and blowing the ballast tanks, we engage the propellors and slowly rise to the surface just off Cattle Pass, so named because long ago, farmers would drive their cattle into the channel on the San Juan side and have them swim to Lopez Island to market, and vice-versa.





As we glide down San Juan Channel, which separates San Juan and Lopez Islands,




we can see sea otters playing among the kelp



and seals sunning themselves along the shoreline




NEST: Friday Harbor

Oh to be able to swim like an otter or seal! (Lovely pictures, Stoat.)

What a lovely vehicle! I wonder if there are any extra seats?

Excuse me, Cap'n Stoat. I don't believe we've met. My name is Eva. This looks like just my sort of place. I see you've even provided the champagne and chocolate. <discreetly tucking personal stash inside carry-on>

Ah! I see friends here! <hugs all around>

The San Juan Islands, you say? I've just returned from a trip there. My sister lives at the water's edge on Fidalgo Island near Anacortes, about a mile and a half from Deception Pass. We sat on her deck and watched the bald eagles fishing in the bay. Let's see...wildlife specific to the San Juans? All I can think of is Dungeness crab. Of course, it can be found from Alaska to California, but they're quite famous around here. They're named for Dungeness, Washington, just south of where we are.

This is making me hungry. Any chance your chef could steam a few for our dinner tonight? A few fresh lemons and a little melted butter with garlic is all they need.



Friday Harbor next? Oh good! There's a place there I'd like to show everyone if you don't mind an extra tour guide, Cap'n Stoat.

Ooh, your fur looks so smooth and silky. May I shake your paw?