Waking Up in Ilwaco

I wonder if Long Beach wakes up as early as Ilwaco. I know that the bakers at the Cottage Bakery arrive around two-thirty to begin making doughnuts and devil dogs, but other than that I can think of no need for Long Beach to up and going as early as Ilwaco. As a matter of fact you could make a case for Ilwaco never truly going to sleep for all night the big eighteen wheelers come into town and turn toward the port in front of our house, heading to the cannery to pick up seafood for transport to Portland and Seattle.

I am a morning person and I like getting up early and walking the dog as the port is waking up. It is frequently quiet enough to hear the Pacific Ocean surf two miles away, but there are the sounds of Ilwaco beginning its day with sports fishermen and commercial fishermen arriving and starting up their vessels—some heading out to the river and sea. Cannery workers are arriving at Jessie’s for the first shift of the day. Ilwaco is one of the towns that rolls up its sidewalks at night, but is up with the chickens in the morning. Maybe that is why Ilwaco suits me just fine.