10/29/08

JUST ANOTHER NEST
FAMILY REUNION SOFTBALL GROUP
AFTER THE CHRISTENING
OLIVIA'S FIRST DAY AT SOCCER
CANADIAN THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION @ BEACON MARINA SOLOMONS ISLAND MD




SINCE WE LAST WROTE ALOT HAS BEEN GOING ON.

WE TRAVELED DOWN THE POTOMAC FROM WASHINGTON DC ANCHORING AT THE TOBACCO RIVER THE FIRST NIGHT 7/21. THE SECOND DAY WE WERE HIT BY THUNDERSTORMS ON THE RIVER & DECIDED NOT TO ANCHOR OUT AT ST. MARY'S AS PLANNED BUT CALLED OLVERSONS MARINA TO SEE IF THEY HAD ROOM FOR US AGAIN.FRED SAID COME ON IN WE HAVE AN ADDITIONALLY 6 OR 7 MTOA BOATS COMING FOR 2 DAYS & TONIGHT WE ARE HAVING A POT LUCK & YOU DON'T NEED TO BRING ANYTHING! WHAT A GREAT TIME WITH THE OTHER CRUISERS & FRED SUPPLIED A LARGE HAM,BEER & BOOZE. HIS SON SUPPLIED CORN FROM HIS LARGE GARDEN, & A NEIGHBOR SUPPLIED FRESH TOMATOES FROM THEIR GARDEN. ALL THE REST OF THE CRUISERS BROUGHT SIDE DISHES. THE NEXT EVENING WE ALL WENT OUT TO DINNER TOGETHER FOR RIBS. FRED'S MARINA HAS A LARGE HEATED SWIMMING POOL & I LOVE TO SWIM. WE HAD A NEW INFLATABLE WAITING FOR US ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE THAT WE WERE GOING TO RECEIVE IN A FEW DAYS & WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET RID OF OUR OLD INFLATABLE. FRED THOUGHT HIS GRAND KIDS WOULD LIKE IT TO ROW AROUND THE MARINA & OFFERED TO TAKE IT FOR THE 2 NIGHTS DOCKAGE-WORKS FOR ME.

ON 7/24 WE CROSSED THE CHESAPEAKE TO THE WICOMICO RV & UP THE WICOMICO CK. THERE ARE NO CHARTS OF THE WICOMICO CK SO OUR FRIENDS LEE & CAROL ON CAROL ANN PRINTED OUT A GOOGLE EARTH PHOTO & FILLED IT IN WITH THE BEST WAY TO CRUISE THE CK, IT WORKED WELL. THE MARINA IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEIR HOME.

CAROL & LEE WERE AWAY & RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH REX & JAN WHOM WE CRUISED WITH ON THE GREAT LOOP. THEY VISITED FOR A FEW DAYS. THEY CAME ALL THE WAY FROM TULSA OK.

CAROL & LEE LOANED US THEIR LEXUS TO DRIVE BACK & FORTH TO OCEAN CITY TO ATTEND A FAMILY REUNION 7/30-8/1. WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH ALOT OF MY COUSINS. THE SOFTBALL GAME WAS FUN & THE FIRST ONE I'VE PLAYED IN SINCE ABOUT 1980 OR SO. OUR DAUGHTER NAOMI & HER BOYFRIEND MARCUS DROVE DOWN ON FRI. MORNING 8/1 FOR THE LAST DAY & BIGGEST OF THE REUNION. THEY STAYED WITH US ON THE BOAT FOR 2 NIGHTS & THEN DROVE US HOME TO SHOREHAM.

WE SPENT 6 WKS AT HOME WITH THE KIDS & GRAND KIDS. IT WAS GOOD TO BE WITH THEM. WHILE HOME I HAD DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS THAT I HAD SCHEDULED & I GOT ALL OF THEM OUT OF THE WAY WITH A GOOD BILL OF HEALTH. OUR SON ED JUST HAD SURGERY & NEEDED HELP WITH HIS OIL DELIVERY BUSINESS, I WAS MORE THAN GLAD TO HELP HIM DAILY TILL WE DEPARTED 0N 9/15. ALL I HAD TO DO WAS PULL THE HOSE THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DO. ALSO WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND OUR GRANDDAUGHTER ALEXANDRA'S CHRISTENING & THE PARTY THAT FOLLOWED. WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GO TO SOME OF OUR GRAND KIDS SPORTING EVENTS & OUR SON MATT'S LAST SOFTBALL GAME OF THE SEASON. UNFORTUNATELY THEY LOST, IT WAS THEIR FIRST LOST RUINING AN UN DEFEATED SEASON.

WE RENTED A ONE WAY HERTZ CAR & DROVE BACK TO THE BOAT ON 9/15. THEN I WORKED FOR DAYS PAINTING THE BOTTOM WITH A COUPLE OF COATS & WAXING THE HULL WHILE IT WAS OUT OF THE WATER. WHILE THE BOAT WAS OUT OF THE WATER LEE & CAROL HAD US STAYING WITH THEM AT THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOME.

FRIDAY EVENING WE ATTENDED A WINE TASTING AT THE VINEYARD JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM THEIR HOME WITH A GREAT DINNER INCLUDED. SATURDAY THE BOAT WAS PUT BACK IN THE WATER AT HIGH TIDE & SUNDAY WE DEPARTED EARLY ALONG WITH CAROL ANN TO GO TO CAMBRIDGE FOR A MTOA RENDEZVOUS.

THE RENDEZVOUS LASTED A WEEK WITH MANY INTERESTING TOPICS OF DISCUSSION EVERY DAY. THE DOCKS AT THE MARINA WERE EXCELLENT & THE MEALS THEY HAD CATERED WERE REALLY GOOD. THERE WERE 87 BOATS SIGNED UP BUT A FEW COULDN'T MAKE IT WHEN THE WIND PICKED UP THE DAY BEFORE THE OFFICIAL START. THERE WERE WELL OVER 200 ATTENDANTS, SOME COMING BY CAR & STAYING IN HOTELS.

THE RENDEZVOUS ENDED ON SUNDAY 9/28 WITH A BIG BLOODY MARY BRUNCH. SOME OF THE BOATS DEPARTED TOGETHER FOR A CRUISE TO NOWHERE. WE WAITED TILL THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE WEATHER WAS BETTER & THEN DEPARTED & CAUGHT UP WITH THEM ON PLAINDEALING CK, WHERE WE ALL HAD HAPPY HOUR TOGETHER . WE DEPARTED IN THE AM TO CROSS THE CHESAPEAKE TO THE WESTERN SHORE & ANCHORED IN THE RHODE RIVER, WHITEHALL CK, & AT GIBSON ISLAND ON THE MAGOTHY RV. OF COURSE HAVING HAPPY HOUR ON A DIFFERENT BOAT EACH EVENING. ON SATURDAY 10/4 WE ALL WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS.

WE ARRIVED AT SOLOMONS ISLAND, COMFORT INN BEACON MARINA(OUR 3RD TIME STOPPING HERE)THAT AFTERNOON. SOME OF OUR CRUISING FRIENDS ARE HERE OTHERS WILL BE ARRIVING SOON. WE HAVE ALL MADE PLANS TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN THE BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK TO SEE EACH OTHER. SOME WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN OVER A YEAR. GYPSEY TIME, LAMBCHOP (BOTH CANADIAN BOATS), SUE Z Q, KAOS,CAROL ANN, WONDERLAND & SOME OTHERS THAT WE ARE MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME ALONG WITH EXPLORER THAT DROVE THEIR CAR & STAYED IN THE INN & MASCOT THAT FLEW IN FROM MA & WAS ALSO GOING TO THE ANNAPOLIS BOAT SHOW. ON OCT 9TH WE CELEBRATED MY BIRTHDAY WITH A CAKE IN THE COMMON AREA OF THE COMFORT INN (MY SECOND BIRTHDAY IN SOLOMONS ISLAND BUT THE ONLY ONE WITH FRIENDS).WE CELEBRATED A CANADIAN THANKSGIVING ON SUNDAY ( THE RESTAURANT ON SITE, THE CAPTAINS TABLE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO COOK OUR TURKEY'S IN THEIR BIG OVENS) WITH OVER 30 CRUISERS ATTENDING.ON MONDAY THE 13TH WE ALL WENT OUT TO DINNER AT BOMMERANGS A RIBS AND CRABS PLACE (VERY GOOD), TUESDAY WE HAD A POT LUCK. FROM WED. - SUN. THE BOATERS WERE LEAVING ALL HEADING SOUTH. WE INSTEAD FLEW OUT TO NOVATO CA (BY SAN FRANCISCO) TO SEE OUR NEW GRANDDAUGHTER JULIA EDEN GRAFER BORN TO OUR SON GEORGE & HIS WIFE NAHLA ON HER DUE DATE OCT THE 9TH MY BIRTHDAY. WE STAYED UNTIL TUESDAY & FLEW BACK TO BALTIMORE AIRPORT.WED. WAS SPENT GETTING THE BOAT READY TO TRAVEL & THUR WE WERE ON OUR WAY.

THE CHESAPEAKE WASN'T AS KIND TO US THIS TIME AROUND. THE WINDS WERE BLOWING AT 20 KNOTS & THE BOAT WAS ROLLING. WE STAYED AT ANCHOR THAT NIGHT IN JACKSON CK DELTAVILLE WITH ALOT OF OTHER BOATS. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE ALL HEADED BACK OUT INTO THE CHESAPEAKE AGAIN FOR MORE OF THE SAME, 20 KNOT WINDS & ROLLING. WE MADE IT TO GREAT BRIDGE VA ON A FREE DOCK JUST SOUTH OF THE GREAT BRIDGE LOCK.

WE DIDN'T GET TO THE DOCK TILL ABOUT 6PM AFTER FUELING UP WITH 266 GALLONS OF DIESEL. I CALLED MY SISTER NORA IN NEWPORT NEWS ABOUT 40 MILES AWAY TO COME SAY HELLO, WE DECIDED TO MAKE THAT VISIT THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON. WE WERE GOING TO STAY AN EXTRA DAY DUE TO EVEN HIGHER WINDS FORECAST. I PUT THE DAY TO GOOD USE CHANGING ALL 6 OF OUR FUEL FILTERS.

NORA CAME ABOUT 3PM & WE CAUGHT UP ON WHATS HAPPENING, WENT TO SEE HER HUSBAND RICH AT THE CRACKER BARREL HE MANAGES IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER & WENT OUT TO DINNER AT A NEARBY MEXICAN RESTAURANT.

THE FOLLOWING DAY WE DEPARTED & HEADED SOUTH ON THE ICW PAST COINJOCK & THE NORTH RV TO BROAD CK FOR THE NIGHT OF ANCHORING. A NICE WELL PROTECTED ANCHORAGE, ONLY ONE OTHER BOAT IN THE CK WITH US BUT AT LEAST 10 OTHERS ANCHORED JUST OUTSIDE THE CK IN THE RV WHERE IT IS NOT AS PROTECTED.

ON THE MOVE AGAIN AT SUNRISE UP THE ALBEMARLE SOUND TO THE SMALL TOWN OF EDENTON VA. THEY BILL THEMSELVES AS THE SOUTHS PRETTIEST TOWN. AND YES IT IS VERY PRETTY & BOATER FRIENDLY WITH FREE TOWN DOCKS TO ATTRACT TRANSIENT BOATERS & A VAN FOR FREE TRANSPORTATION TO THE GROCERYSTORE OR LAUNDRY, ETC. EDENTON WAS THE COLONIAL CAPITAL OF NC & MANY OF THE HOMES PREDATE THE AMERICAN REVOLOTION.

WE HAVE BEEN HERE 3 DAYS WITH ALOT OF WIND & SMALL CRAFT & GALE WARNINGS. TOMORROW IS SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER AND WE WILL BE ON OUR WAY SOUTHWARD.

THATS ALL FOR NOW FOLKS