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We eased into our planned two week pre-departure slow down with Joan's birthday being the highlight. The $26 crab cake dinner was judged to be a bit too much so she compromised for the "cheap" $19 lunch in brilliant warm sun on Stonys deck. (Admirals note: How does one eat a $19.00 crab cake .... very slowly.) A mini memory. Dinner suffered a bit as you can see in the pictures at Picasaweb.google.com/lropka.
This was really the first week of enjoyable boating weather and we really enjoyed touring the harbor in the dink and chatting with a number of boat crews headed north along our planned path. We met Canadian and Dutch cruisers and a very interesting couple who have been living aboard and cruising continuously for 14 years!!! Now that's compatibility.
We enjoyed the Memorial Day week-end mostly in the marina with lots of characters doing interesting things. Few of the big boats left the dock, possibly related to diesel price, but that did not slow down the parties.
Our highlight was a Memorial day afternoon BBQ at our Sunday School friends, Craig and Kim Williams' home. Their two daughters, Mike and Debbie Syders were there and the food was great. Quite a contrast with the marina crowd and certainly more fun. A wild game of croquet ensued with some wild shots by all participants.
The "To Do list" is about done and we are headed out tomorrow Wed 28th for an overnight in Mill Creek. Mainly to run all systems underway for awhile for a final check. The weather looks good so the quiet serenity of the anchorage will be welcomd.
"D" day is still 2-5 Jun, weather permitting, headed to Annapolis and then probably Baltimore to visit a friend from Larry's Trawler List on the internet. A real character and something to look forward to.
The list in the picture is the final pre-departure "to do" list. God willing the remaining 18 items should be done by the weekend and allow us to have an easy week prior to our departure for points north around the 4-5th of June.
Nothing really of note to report. Just the usual spring chores of cleaning out the bilges and finding all of the stuff we "stowed" there last year. Kinda like Christmas sometimes and "I cant believe we brought this piece of junk along".
We took three days off to visit Larry's sister, Jean and brother-in-law, Bob who are in a nursing home in York, Pa about 100 miles or so north of the Solomons. They are in a magnificent Methodist assisted care facility. Squeaky clean inside and groomed outside like a fine golf course. All the staff we encountered were upbeat and helpful. If it weren't for those four letter words such as, snow... cold ... rain, it could be a serious contender not too many years from now. Jean is 84 with little short term memory but otherwise very healthy. Bob has a few ailments but is also doing well. We stayed in our camper in the parking lot so had the opportunity for a number of short visits without wearing them or us out.
Our Sunday School Class Friends continue to provide us a home away from home with visits and fun fellowship. We are going to miss their hospitality such as surprise visits to Baskin Robins.
So, if we can get 4-5 things off of the "to do" list in the next few days we can begin the cruising life as it is meant to be.
Pictures posted on picasaweb.google.com/lropka
And the wind blew and blew and blew
A soggy first weekend aboard as a major low pressure system camped out over the Solomons for 4 days and drenched the area with 4 or more inches of rain. We were snug in our slip but the high water and wind made for a restless nights Saturday and Sunday and a dreary Monday.
Our Sunday School teacher, Mike and his wife, Debbie gave us a much needed break from togetherness. Debbie has the best recipe for seafood gumbo which was followed by a super piece of green rhubarb custard pie. We are attending the church we went to last fall so it was like returning home. We are finding Christian fellowship a very important component to our cruising life.
We continue doing Spring chores such as a complete redo of tool and parts storage in the engine room, something really irritating and not done properly since Florida. Also installed a new and more powerful raw wash down pump. This Chesapeake Bay mud sticks to the anchor like glue and the new pump will blast it off much better. Joan redid the entire galley arrangement and we spent a lot of time bashing Democrats and cheering on Republicans on tv during our shut in hours. Don't know what the Republicans would do without our help.
We are off via camper to York Pa to visit Larry's sister on Thursday and Joan's niece who is attending a trade show in Harrisburg on Friday. Back Saturday to continue the mercifully shrinking list of chores.
We still plan to hang here until around 5 June and then start our voyage north. We have begun our route planning (Larry) and sightseeing (Joan). Joan's list of things to do is growing ominously.
God has rewarded us with a spectacular day today (Tue) which makes up for the drenching He gave us over the weekend.
More next week and a few pictures for now at picasaweb.google.com/lropka
The annual ritual of sanding and painting the bottom is a little like having babies. It is merciful that it only comes around once a year which gives you time to forget just how miserable it really is!!
Charis survived the winter magnificently in her shrink wrap cocoon. Everything was exactly as we left it and even the batteries retained most of their charge. Last years bottom paint more or less died over winter and we elected to remove it lest the new paint not adhere. Soooo two days working under the boat with a heavy vacuum assisted sander (heavy!) got the bottom pristine and then morning and afternoon rolled coats of paint and a morning of painting the white boot stripe finished the job and us!!
In the water on Tue 6 May and wonder of wonders all systems revived in order and it floated. Then began the transition from camper to boat with an amazing pile of stuff we seem to have brought with us. Thank goodness we have the truck!
By noon Wed most of the stuff had found a home and the good life aboard began again. The weather has been perfect albeit a bit chilly at night with the blankets always in the wrong vehicle/boat.
Tomorrow, Thursday, will involve a commissary run with the rest of the day devoted to just lazing on the poop deck and enjoying God's creation, watching for the Spring arrival of baby ducks and swans.
Friday we will begin to think about a few small maintenance chores and what happens next. (Shhhh, not to fear, the Admiral has a honey do list, ready and waiting to be implemented. Don't want the Captain to get into cruise time too quickly. They say you last longer if you have an irritant in your life ;-)).
All in all a great start to the Summer. More dirty pictures at picasaweb.google.com/lropka in album Splash 5/6/08
We eased into our planned two week pre-departure slow down with Joan's birthday being the highlight. The $26 crab cake dinner was judged to be a bit too much so she compromised for the "cheap" $19 lunch in brilliant warm sun on Stonys deck. (Admirals note: How does one eat a $19.00 crab cake .... very slowly.) A mini memory. Dinner suffered a bit as you can see in the pictures at Picasaweb.google.com/lropka.
