Camano Island Couple

Camano Island. A short, twenty-minute drive west from where we are building our home on the Pilchuck Creek; yet a half a lifetime of memories as a couple enjoying the shores of Camano Island. 

I recall that Miss Sue Cook took me away on a private little day trip to Camano Island the first time I drove her back home to Washington from Austin, Texas. I'd been invited to meet her mother and her two younger sisters still at home. Much later I was told that all the ladies of the Pilchuck had looked me over and informed my grad school girl on the side (and behind my back) that they all had discussed it and unanimously approved of her fella. She was glad that I passed inspection, but kept my rating process among the Cook women in the kitchen to herself for a long time.

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Sue Cook Suneson, stops to examine a glacial-transported igneous boulder on Camano Island

 

We always go to Camano Island. We always took our kids to Camano Island. Camano Island is a sacred place in Suneson family lore. With my wife, the former Miss Sue Cook, back in town and back in my arms; strong tradition and the lure of good times not forgotten found us back at Camano Island this June. There is something about the girl, the sweep of the long, clean, rocky shore, the forest behind and the sandy cobbled cliffs above that make Camano a special place.

 

Watching the tide roll in from one of our a longtime favorite 'Couple's Spots' on Camano Island, Washington

 

We kicked along the cobbled beach, looking at barnacles, shells of red rock crabs and always intrigued by the assortment of rounded and surf polished igneous rocks at our toes. We talk of geology, basaltic extrusions and phenocrysts; after all wasn't it the love, beauty and mystery of these types of stones that brought us together back in Austin? 

Yes it was, and the nerdy romance continues.

We climb the trail up the cliff and leave the beach behind and below. We walk hand-in-hand and find a bench in the forest overlooking the Sarasota Channel of Puget Sound as we listen for the cry of bald eagles.  

 

 

 

Oh! There are wild roses along the cliff-side trail to stop and inhale their powerful fragrance. Given a little encouragement and the opportunity, she will stop to smell the roses.

 

And at the end of another sweet day on the shore of Camano Island, we drive back to our Airbnb room and prepare a quick dinner. Tomorrow we go south to Portland Oregon to celebrate Inga's completion of her Master's Degree program and meet up with Grant and Kaileen.

Sue makes me a quick dinner at our Airbnb digs