Patrick's week

The dome of the Capitol looking straight up.

A busy week plus as Joan flew off to Fort Walton to pick up the Volvo and her young Patrick. Larry stayed on the boat and "completed" a number things left undone prior to departing Florida. Joan returned "directly" Friday the 20th via the Sky Line Drive, Liberty University and Monticello. Saturday we were off to Washington for a bit of line standing and a tour of the Capitol followed by several hours in the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Sunday we found a neat Baptist church in Lexington Park which will be our church away from home for the rest of the summer. Monday we ran a few miles up the Patuxent River for an overnight in one of the prettiest "creeks" on the bay. Stayed up late doing star gazing on the fore deck and visited numerous nook and crannies via dinghy Tues. morning. Wed back to Washington with Patrick, Jason and Laura for an introductory tour of the Zoo (awesome), dinner al fresco on Connecticut Ave and a memorable concert by the "President's Own Marine Band" on the Capitol steps as we gazed down the mall at the monuments. Thursday Joan and Patrick toured a nearby plantation while Larry recuperated. Most of Friday was spent with Jason, a marine biologist, and Laura wading and searching for fossilized sharks teeth at Calvert cliffs just up the way. We all got an education in marine life and even found a few teeth .... Patrick promptly lost his while going for a swim! Friday evening we were able to listen in on a concert by Sara Evans performed 100 yards or so on the grounds of the Solomons marine museum. Will report next week if we make it through Tuesday when Patrick leaves, have worn him out several times. They just don't make'm like they used to. All and all it has been a very good time together.

As soon as Joan cleans up the pictures they will be posted on picasaways.google.com/lropka

The End of the Begining

This week Charis and crew arrived safe and sound at Solomons MD and is snug in a marina just behind the steeple in the picture. Solomons is a quaint sailing/boating village lodged securely in better times past. Lots of boats and boat people but respectful of the boating arts,skills and practices. We scouted Solomons via auto from Norfolk and were blessed with finding a smallish offbeat marina in the backyard and operated by a Comfort Inn motel. It provides a perfect base of operations an gives us a safe place to hole up in bad weather or leave the boat for land excursions. The town is charming with great seafood restaurants and almost all stores and services within walking and biking distance.
The beauty and charm of the Bay "Creeks" is still stunning and a two hour dinghy cruise around the Solomons this afternoon revealed an almost endless panoply of old and new homes,traditional bay fishing boats,sail boats, cruisers and almost every other imaginable type of boat and water activity.

Joan's young friend Patrick arrives this week and we will have a busy time of sightseeing around the Washington area for the 10 days or so after he arrives. Then we will be off to follow in the wake of John Smith and rediscover the treasures of this magnificent body of water. A few more enroute and local pictures are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/lropka/Solomons
Gradually the cruisers syndrome is setting in wherein clocks go slower and calendars loose their grip on our lives. Almost everything can be done "tomorrow" or perhaps the day after-if the weather is OK and the spirit moves.

The Chesapeake!!!!

Eighteen hundred plus miles and Charis nosed into the Chesapeake bay via the Elizabeth River on Saturday morning June 30. With the 4th of July holiday week at hand and water weary crew we found a snug berth at the Norfolk Naval Station and tied up for the week to rest and clean up the much neglected boat.
On Sunday we went to church at the base Chapel where we were astounded as the Southern Baptist Chaplin preached a Hell fire and Salvation sermon reminiscent of an old time camp meeting. Wonders will never cease. Tuesday was boat work day and Wednesday we spent with new boat friends Jason and Laura aboard their sailboat at a downtown marina very close to the great fireworks display put on by the city. Thursday was off with Laura and Jason via rental car to scout marinas in the Patuxent river area. After several disappointing queries we stumbled on a small marina at a very fair price ideally suited to our needs as a home base for our summer cruising. Almost too good to be true. It is owned and operated by the Comfort Inn chain and in their back yard and most convenient to all stores and services.
Friday saw the boat work finished and Saturday ended with a outing to Fort Story to see a play on the beach, depicting the first days of the Jamestown colony replete with the "naturals" (Indians), John Smith and other rowdy English. Sunday was church at the Ocean View Baptist Church near the Naval Base. Really nice folks, Chuck and Daryl Ferris, took us to lunch and to return the rental car.
Tomorrow Monday 9 July, we are off to anchor in Chrisman Creek 30 miles north and then on to Deltaville to explore boatyards for winter layup. We hope to be at our new home in the Solomons by Thursday.
It is great to be able to slow down and smell the seaweed. No real cruising plans yet but will be about that shortly.

More pictures posted to be posted to picasaweb.google.com/lropka