The Ring of Fire Pt. 02

On the way back to Bellingham I explained basically what I had planned for us to do during her visit and learned that she seemed excited about going whale watching. Tammy was surprised when I pulled up in front of the unit which was mine at my six plex. The six plex itself was six two floored apartments-built side by side in a row. On the first floor was the living room, kitchen, eating area, and half bathroom. The second floor had the two bedrooms, a regular bathroom, and indented space where the washer and dryer sat. When I first saw it the real estate agent said that all units came with all the appliances but one of the renters told me they had to supply their own washer and dryers. When the dust settled on it the previous owner had lied to her when she took the listing.

The lights from my vehicle allowed her to see the white painted wood siding and black trim. I explained that each two units were the exact reverse of each other. Each internal wall was soundproofed to provide more privacy. Tammy seemed impressed with the fact that each unit had their own backyard.

I took Tammy's luggage to the spare bedroom which was already prepared for her.

"I see you're thinking long term here," Tammy said with a smile, "but I think I should tell you what my mother did just before I boarded the connecter flight out of Cape." I looked at her waiting for an answer as I put her luggage on the chest at the foot of the bed. "She gave me a three-day supply of the morning after pill."

"Looks like you will be taking them back with you," I replied before adding, "When I get married, I want no one wondering if I had to. My oldest sister was born six months after our parents were married. We all wonder to this day if they really loved each other when they married, or did they marry because of the circumstances they found themselves in."

The look on Tammy's face surprised me because I thought that she had already figured that out on her own.

"I thought you knew," I said.

"To be honest I knew the date of your parent's anniversary, but I never put it all together because I did not know the year they married," Tammy said. "But I do agree with your thoughts because I will love being able to hand them back to my mother because she didn't approve of my coming in the first place."

"Most people hate having their thoughts proven wrong. When you do it tell her that you believed she trusted you but had doubts about me and wanted you to be prepared in case I forced myself upon you," I said. "That way we lay the foundation for trust to be built on."

Tammy laughed and said, "My mother has always been afraid that I had been influenced by some of those I hung out with. To her my taking this trip just validated her belief. Some she said were nothing but white trash because of who their parents were. My dad told her that you had taken on a hard life when you ran away from home and had done something productive with it. In his eyes you had earned the benefit of doubt, so he was giving his approval on our relationship."

"I watched a movie about a father searching for his daughter who got involved with the seeder side of the streets," I explained. "At the end of the movie he reconnected with his daughter but the person I watched it with, and I discussed whether or not she would return with her father. We had different views because we saw her conduct and body language in completely different ways."

Tammy stood there for a moment as if she was deep in thought before saying, "Such a little thing shows how different our thinking might be if we could see it from all sides before passing judgement."

"It takes time for one to see what a person's long term conduct is showing and that requires time and deep study," I explained before adding, "and that's something that society feels is not worth doing."

After calling it a night I went down to secure the unit before heading back up to my bedroom.

**********

I was up that Saturday morning sitting at my computer desk working on the files I was preparing for the lawyer. The coding system I had designed for the labeling of documents that I had referred to was much like a system that might be used in a library. It had been six weeks since I had come back from my trip back home and besides my education it had been the focus of my attention since then. When I heard Tammy stirring, I stopped to turn the coffee pot on.

Watching Tammy come into the kitchen area for the first time after waking up was something I would remember for the rest of my life. Seeing her in pj's for the first time with slippers on her feet showed how relaxed she seemed to be. I on the other hand was dressed and ready for the day.

I poured us a cup while asking her if sausage rounds, pan fried potatoes, and a three egg omelet was acceptable for breakfast. She said it was and she would start making it as soon as she had finished her first coffee.

While she sat at the nook, I took out the cold cooked potatoes from the fridge and began cutting them up in preparation for frying them in butter with the cast iron pan. At the same time, I took the six eggs out of the fridge setting them in a bowl. Both items needed to be at room temperature to ensure cooking consistency.

Tammy saw my desk top computer was on and said, "what are you working on if you don't mind me asking?"

"The detailed timeline of the events as they happened that ended up with my father's accidental death," I stated. "If you promise not to accidently delete anything, feel free to take a look."

Tammy sat down at my desk and went back to the first page and began reading while I worked on the vegetables I wanted to put in our omelets before grating up the cheese. Taking out the small cookie sheet I put four frozen cheese biscuits on it to cook in the air fryer which I had set to preheat.

Tammy was so immersed in what she was learning that I took her by surprise when I said, "Breakfast is ready, time to eat."

The omelets she fell in love with. They were made with cheddar cheese, slivers of red and green peppers, onions, bacon, and small cubed shaped pieces of cooked ham. They were light airy as if they were manna from heaven because I had added a touch of baking soda while mixing them which caused them to fluff up while they were being cooked. I had warmed up some restaurant styled medium salsa if she wanted to add some. The eight sausage rounds were larger than most because they had been hand made by a local butcher who had imbedded his own unique mixture of spices. Tammy claimed they were better in flavor than those you could buy. The potato homemade hash browns were crisp, golden brown, and smothered in butter. I had made so much that we could not eat it all.

"In reading some of what you have laid out I'm amazed that not even I was able to see it," Tammy admitted, "but I wonder why your father didn't believe you at first."

"I wondered for a long time too," I replied, "Until I realized that we expect the best from those we love or considered part of our family. What they were working towards accomplishing was something my father thought was an impossibility, and he was clearly able to point out things that could be explained away by other means. Until it was proven to be true, he had held on to what he believed because he had doubts."

"I can see that," Tammy said, "because we all have faith in what we believe we know. I can see why Gary is thinking of moving away. If he came out at home, there would be some who would never believe it. Others would claim that I had done something to him to force him into becoming something he's not, and others would claim they had known all along. Sadly, the world will never know what makes a person the way they are."

"When you begin to understand that most only see what they want to see regardless of what the facts are you begin to see how little truth there is in anything," I stated. "That's partly why I take everything most people say with a grain of salt because until they prove themselves their words mean nothing to me. If Gary decides to move to California try to arrange a big break up between the two of you in front of his parents. That way everyone can say he left because he got his heart broken."

"That explains why to some of your extended family you came across as standoffish or distant at the family welcome home bash," Tammy disclosed. "Your grandmother said it was because time had changed you, but I now believe with what you have said and what I have read that it was a life lesson learned before you ran that caused you to lose your openness. I'm going to text Gary about your suggestion because it make everything tidied up and straight forward while protecting his relationships. So, what do you have planned for us today."

"If you're interested, I thought we could take a four hour tour on the mountain path with a pair of mountain bikes on Galbraith Mountain. I figured we could take the tour designed for beginners because for both of us it will be a new experience. It will give you an interesting view of Bellingham Bay, the Chuckanut Mountains, the lush rainforests and close ups of the natural fauna that we may come across. If we leave at nine, we will be back in town by about four. By the time were done I figure we will need to rest a bit and recoup so I thought we could tour some of the local museums after going out for supper."

"Tomorrow a bunch of my friends will be joining us as we take you out on the Pacific Ocean to do some whale watching and perhaps a bit of saltwater fishing," I explained. "Hopefully we can catch enough Salmon to have an old fashioned fish feast on one of the smaller islands before heading back. It will give you a chance to see the coastline in a different way. Hopefully we will be back in time to buy a few fresh king crabs that we can cook as a feast before ending our day."

"It's a good thing I came prepared for doing anything," Tammy said with a smile. "I even packed my semiprofessional camera to get some photos to be able to prove what we did. I'm looking forward to tasting what I call seafood fresh from the ocean."

"If it had been the spring of the year, I would have taken you out when the herring were running to catch a few of them so you could taste the roe without paying the high cost of tasting it from a specialty store or restaurant," I said. "We could do that by laying huge nets along the shoreline to catch them laying. It's a sight to see in the season because the big ships from Japan are lined up ready to pay top dollar for the harvest caught by the trollers with huge nets."

"The first nations lay cedar boughs along the shoreline where the herring are laying their cluster of eggs so that they can collect the eggs and cook them on the shoreline in large cisterns of boiling water. They are actually quite good covered in butter with salt and pepper," I explained. "That's one of the blessings I have experienced while being on the coast. It's exposed me to things I would never have done if I was still back home.

I think the look Tammy got surprised me, so I added, "It's like ham hocks and white beans are to us from the south to them. Timmy is first nation and one of my best friends as a result I have been exposed to their culture."

********

It was a joy to watch Tammy as the beauty of the Northwest captured her. Some of the images she captured were outstanding. I found her style quite unique because she took pictures in ways that I had never seen before. Angle shots that gave depth to the pictures created scenes that were not captured by the naked eye. After taking a few shots she would show them to me through the built in digital image viewer.

The tour we took was designed for beginners and I had to admit that it had tired me out because I had not been on a mountain bike in years. Compared to others taking part we as a couple looked pretty good. As we were heading back to my vehicle Tammy said, "It's sad, that with all the images I have captured none of them will capture the beauty of seeing it for the first time. No photo can capture what one experiences."

"To fully appreciate it one should view the same spots during each season," I replied. "Until I did, I really did not see the complexity of mother nature. She is truly majestic. It has made me wonder how one can claim there was no creator because the earth is too refined to have been an accident."

"I never would have thought of that, but I have to admit that you are right," Tammy replied. "The view of Bellingham Bay behind the city from the height we were viewing it from is going to be one of my favorite landscape images."

The drive back to the city was spent with us talking about the adventure we had just completed. Tammy was amazed by the scenery and the cleanliness of it. Most of her family vacations growing up were out of the country so doing something like this was a new experience for her.

"Should I plan a weekend at one of the two or three skiing resorts we have within a three to four hour drive. It's a hobby I started developing with a couple of buds once we all got cars. I'm still at the beginner's stage," I stated. "We can rent the equipment for you to use if you wish to try it."

"I think I would enjoy doing something like that because it's something I have never thought about trying," Tammy replied. "Does that mean you won't be moving back before the year end?"

"I talked to my grandparents about the amount of time it is taking me to layout the timeline. They both feel that I'm making great progress but believe that my moving back would end up hindering me because of constant interruptions," I explained. "They have made it clear that they expect me home for thanksgiving so I would suggest that you work it out with them so that neither one of us is upsetting our families. I learned that my sisters are beginning to enquire what's going on with my father's estate. We decided together that it would be best if I moved back in time to start cultivating the land for the new growing season."

"Do you hope to have the background material done before you head back," Tammy asked?

"That's the game plan," I answered before adding, "How does a meal that allows you to sample the best of what the pacific has to offer sound to you?"

Tammy agreed so I ended up taking her to a restaurant that allowed us to see a tiny view of the bay. It was a pleasure watching her eat the bounty from the bay that had been captured earlier that day. I had to smile when she said, "I can't believe how fresh everything tastes. If we lived here, I would be eating this all the time."

"Seafood in Missouri is either brought in frozen or is farmed raised," I explained. "Both processes seem to change the flavor of it. Farm raised can sometimes lead to the fish or product being mushy once cooked because it has been infected with parasites," I explained. "It's much like a rare steak that being served, the first thing people assume that the red fluids coming out of it is blood when actually its only tissue that has been caused because the cooking to be broken down."

Tammy asked our server if she would take a couple pictures of us while we were dining. She agreed and got three nice pictures using her camera. It was as we were leaving that I remembered that there was a rock and roll concert planned at Elizabeth Park with local entertainers playing some of the standards over the years. After stopping at the local seven eleven for some beverages and munchies we drove over to listen to the music under the stars.

For doing something unexpected it turned into a great night. Not only was the crowd in a good mood but the event ran longer than it should. To honor the end of the summer series they ended the night with a small set of fireworks with the band playing a rock version of the anthem. Tammy was able to capture a few interesting photos of both the different bands and the audience's response to them.

It was almost one am when we parked the car in front of my unit. Tammy glanced at me with a tear in her eye to say, "I think this has been a day that I will always remember because it's given me a glimpse to a side of you that I have never seen. The way you stepped in to help the older couple who were having problems on the bike tour showed a gentleness few see. You have a natural patience that until today I never understood which is reflected in everything you do."

"It's something I had to learn to cultivate," I explained. "When I arrived at the west coast, I was angry with the world because of what I had seen being done. If it wasn't for Timmy exposing me to their culture and what they deem as important I would be a completely different person. I never knew that they have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the environment that surrounds them which guides them in all things."

We each had a glass of wine and enjoyed making out before calling it a night.

Saturday Morning, we headed out to Squalicum Harbor which is at the foot of downtown Bellingham. It was a place where over fourteen hundred boats were moored. On one side was the commercial boats with all the rigs and attachments while on the other side was the pleasure end. Tammy was amazed with what she saw. Seeing crab cages stacked ten high, and some of the big fishing ships she had seen samples of on tv caused her to work her camera over time. We took about an hour to walk through the Bellingham Dockside Market because of the different types of seafood being offered by sea farmers who had been out all night. For her experiencing local fishermen selling freshly caught seafood off of their boats was a memory she would carry with her the rest of her life. By the time we were done the rest of the crew were starting to arrive. Since we had agreed to meet at ten, we headed towards Timmy's father's boat after picking up a fishing license for Tammy.

Timmy's father, an elder of the Lummi Nation ran a fleet of high end boats that offered day tours in the Pacific Northwest for whale watching or sport fishing. Each boat came with a crew of four and had all the necessary equipment. He also served on the board that oversaw the Northwest Indian College while helping in the running the huge hotel and cassino built on the reservation. Tammy was completely caught off guard as we approached the huge watercraft. The crew, when they saw us arriving unrolled a huge banner that read, welcome to the west coast Tammy. After the introductions were done the crew headed out from the docks to the area where a bunch of whales had been spotted.

We were all caught off guard when the Canadian costal guard pulled alongside of us. I had to explain that we had crossed the border and were now in the area that was under their control. They wanted to make sure that we were not fishing illegally. It was fun learning that two pods of whales had been seen in the international waters to the southeast of Victoria. With their permission Tammy was able to document the experience with a few images.

Charlene, Brylee, and Tammy were well on their way to starting to develop a relationship. Timmy's older brother I learned was interested in Brylee who was so busy at chasing her dreams that she hadn't noticed. I pointed out that he should approach her by getting into a discussion with her over the study he was conducting dealing with the effects of how the changing sea currents were affecting the coastal areas in the Northwest. Brylee, I knew was one of those die hard climate believers whose beliefs were based more on faith than truth. You could argue the facts with her for hours only to learn you were getting nowhere. Once he had started the conversation with her, he knew there was a common interest that was drawing them together. I figured their relationship would last until he learned for himself what he was dealing with.

It took us about an hour to reach the area where the whale pods had been sighted. The crew slowed the boat down so that we were moving at a snail's pace because we wanted to make sure the sounds the boat left in the ocean were minimized. It paid off because within a few moments the dance of the whales began. We were lucky because the large cetaceans we had come upon were small pods of humpbacks that appeared to be teaching their young how to do a few acrobatic movements because for about half an hour they put on an unbelievable show. Tammy must have captured more than a hundred images. Later she would learn as she reviewed what she had captured that there had been a few dolphins traveling with them. It's a joy to be able to watch someone seeing a natural spectacle in all its glory for the first time. Tim pointed out to Tammy which were male or female when the opportunity arose.