Today is Captain Dave's 56th birthday. After 32 years of marriage, I am a bit saddened to not be with him today of all birthdays, when he has truly set off to live his lifelong dream. Looking back , David's vision of sailing oceans and visiting far lands has been a nascent force for as long as I can remember. His passion pre-dates our relationship and, as if from an implicitly understood pre-nup bucket list, has served as a constant, compelling draw throughout his career and our long marriage. A landlubber sort myself, there were times I hoped and prayed it would evaporate like other boyhood dreams only to realize his life would be incomplete without it. Ultimately, setting off around the world in such a self-reliant, challenging way, was something he was destined to do; the fate of his early retirement completing that. And so, while I am not by his side physically today, I hope he recognizes that I am here - tying up loose ends - to solidify his dream's reality.

So on this, your 56th birthday, honey: "the doctor dun reach"....Crooked Island, Bahamas (reference to Out Island Doctor, Evans W. Cottman, 1986). He'll know what I mean.

(Additional nostalgic sailing photos of David in PHOTO GALLERY in right side bar)

For anyone who wishes to leave birthday wishes for David here, I will make sure he gets them.