We were blessed with the second sunny and calm Thursday in a row. It was a great day to get out and practice our rowing skills and connect with the natural world. We started with a crew overboard drill then moved on to eyes closed rowing. Everyone but the coxswain closes their eyes and tunes into their other senses to help them row in sync. We were really successful at this, so much so that the coxswains decided to do it on the way back into the marina as well.

Everybody was so happy to be out on the water. People really appreciated the chance to hear and see what was going on around us, including that lovely sound of the water hitting up against Townshend’s lapstrake hull. Our journalist for the day shared a quote: “Expect nothing and be prepared for anything” for us to reflect on. Our Salish Sea Reporter gave a thorough report on Sea Otters and their natural history. Then we timed ourselves power stroking from Union Wharf to the NWMC dock in less then 5 minutes!

After our time on the water, we went back to the classroom and voted on our Environmental Project for the year. Plastic straw and utensil ban got the most votes. We are excited about working on this in the coming months!

It was our final class before holiday break, so we had a holiday celebration back in the classroom with treats and a rousing game of Mallory Family Fun. January 4th we’ll start up again with our annual longboat haul out/maintenance period.