A bittersweet day on the Blue Moon. We are busy packing up the boat for long term storage. Dave is cleaning the dinghy and stowing things and I have been dealing with the food that is left. I learned the hard way a few years go that you do not leave any food on a boat. I had a bad incident with some shrimp left in a freezer that was only there for a week but there was a power outage and the boat smelled really bad for days after that. Lots of bleach later I could still smell that bad shrimp!
We had planned on spending the last day here boating with Ryan and family but once again Mother Nature had other ideas. Thunderstorms and rain do not make a boat a wonderful place to be with a one and four year old so we will go to their house later.
Tomorrow Dave, Ryan and Lili are making the 4 hour boat trip to Stuart where Blue Moon will be stored. I will drive there and meet them. This will be Lili's first real boat trip with Grandpa. I hope she likes it! They will navigate in the inter-coastal all the way so no big waves will scare her.
This week we made our travel plans for Crissy and Clint's wedding this July in Oregon.
They are having it at a winery. How romantic! We are going out a few days before to revisit the Oregon Pacific Coast, especially Cannon Beach. We stopped there briefly on our way to Alaska a few years ago and always said we would like to go back someday. The Pacific coast is spectacular.
Without Blue Moon at our dock this summer I'm afraid the Captain will have to amuse himself with his sailboat. I have a busy spring/summer planned helping Kristin with her gardening at their new house and Bobby has a large masonry project planned for his front yard. Kristy and Toby are in the process of buying a larger house that needs lots of work as the previous owner has ignored it for the past 20 years. I know it's sick but I'd rather be knee deep in cleaning, fixing and gardening than be on vacation! I love that feeling of accomplishment after a hard day's work.
256 DAYS JOURNEY
OBSERVATIONS
OBSERVATIONS
In no special order...
- Wildlife along the Great Loop waterways are still hanging in there in spite of all the hurdles mankind throws at them. We saw hundreds of majestic American Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Herons, Ibises and one scary little bat. There were raccoons, wild boars, manatees, alligators and a giant begging snapping turtle. There were snakes I'm sure but happy to say we never saw one.
- Commerce along the great rivers, Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland, Tom Big-Bee, Tennesee and Black Warrior seems to be vibrant. It is a comforting feeling to see American industry, in some form, still producing. On the negative side, it was a bit disturbing, while in East Chicago, (Indiana) to see the remnants of what was a great power house of steel producing plants lying eerily quiet and in decay. There were still some mills running and vomiting out their filthy air and soot. It looked like the perfect setting for an Upton Sinclair book. The dingy homes in the surrounding neighborhood were just sad little testaments to a time gone by.
- Canada, as always, was a delight. The little towns along the Trent Severn Waterway, all 45 locks, were enchanting. No looper should miss the experience of the bath tub lock and the big chute that gently slides you into Georgian Bay; the big prize and my personal favorite part of the trip. The crazy hairpin turns and giant granite outcroppings kept you on your toes and it was thrilling to anchor out there. For a while I was having those "honey, let's buy a place here!" thoughts until I remembered their season is only June through August. A bit too short. Get to Georgian Bay if you can. It is stunning.
- Lake Michigan and it's dedication to pleasure boating was a big surprise. That state totally has its act together for the people who like to play on the water.
- Tow boat captains driving six deep and six long barges have really big balls!!
- Of course the people we met along the way were most interesting. Each one having their unique life story and we got to be a part of it for a minute. Most of our fellow loopers were around our age and it seems we are all trying to beat the clock and living our dreams because the clock is ticking louder than it used to! The people who live and work on the great river ways were my faves. Gentle, unassuming, salt of the earth types who would drop everything and give you a hand or throw you their car keys. That special camaraderie among boaters gives you a warm feeling when you are out there alone.
- Being on a confined space with your spouse for 9 months could be the end of some marriages for sure. There is no where to escape from each other. The daily mechanics of getting the boat from point A to Point B can be a real challenge and this trip is not for sissies and I am a sissy. I was having a real anxiety attack when our friends left and it was just Dave and I alone on the boat with this huge trip ahead of us. I had been spoiled by enablers (John, Jim and Lin among others) for so long that I really had no confidence in my ability to help Dave navigate and handle the lines on this large boat alone. But we did it! He never one time raised his voice to me (even when I was fumbling around with lines and being in the wrong place!) or was short with me. He is so patient and calm and it was his sheer will that made this journey happen. I feel like I'm a little bit stronger for having gone waaaay outside my comfort zone to do this trip and it's all thanks to Dave; my adventurer husband and I love him dearly for being the gentle man that he is.
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Blue Moon, casting off for now.
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