Although I am a Pisces, I’m not really a water person except in one respect:  I love being near the water and watching any activity taking place on it.  I guess I am a water voyeur.  And, for a great view of what’s happening out on Willapa Bay, our house is perfectly situated.

I’ve always maintained that, vista-wise, living on the bay side of the peninsula is far preferable to being on the ocean side. Our stretch of ocean here on the peninsula is pretty bland – no rocks for dramatic wave-watching and any boating activity is too far out toward the horizon.  It’s a great walking and clamming beach, but it doesn’t offer interesting viewing.

The bay, on the other hand, is viewer-friendly almost year-around.  Whether it’s low tide or high tide, stormy or mild, there is usually something going on out there.  There are oystermen at work, boats and dredges moving north or south, or clam crews fanning out from the cannery.  Occasionally, there is a speed boat or a recreational vessel of some sort, especially in summer.

Right now and right in front of our house is the best time of all for bay-watching – at least in my opinion.  It’s sailboat time!  The annual Oysterville Regatta is always scheduled for a Saturday toward the end of August and about now the participants are starting to hone their skills.  There’s nothing like glancing out our east windows, or better yet relaxing in one of our Adirondack chairs, and seeing the sails being hoisted in readiness.

Since the staging area is at the end of “our lane,” we are also treated to watching all the activity involved in hauling the boats down to their summer anchorage.  On weekends following that occurrence, there is often a colorful parade of sailors on their way out for an afternoon at sea.  They come back a few hours later with reports about the wind – “tricky,” or “not much,”  or “couldn’t have been better!”  No matter what, they are almost always smiling.

A few days ago, Tucker and Carol were in town with two of Tucker’s young cousins who were visiting from Germany.  Sailing was on the agenda, of course! Their agenda, that is.  I was happily into my voyeur mode.  Summer-by-the-bay in Oysterville never fails to offer the complete and perfect viewing opportunity!