I was gone over 4 months in my Chesapeake Bay 2013 adventure. I had hoped to get as far north as New York and Long Island Sound but it did not work out for several reasons...NY will be there next year....so I resigned to stay in the Bay for the summer. Turned out not to be disappointing but was filled with fun, laughter and adventure. I made many wonderful memories, went to some lovely places, rekindled old friendships and made new friends

Am grateful for the week spent with my nephew, Greg, who flew out from San Diego and met me at a marina in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We did the tourist thing, ate great food, laughed and talked.....

Revisited good friends, Thom and Terri on Outrageous, at Severn River Marina off of Mobjack Bay. Also caught up with Bob on Pooka who had left Jordan Creek with me in May but had stopped in Norfolk before moving on to Severn River Marina... He and his dog, Sweeney, will spend the winter at the marina. Bumped into Godwin and Sylvia onboard Bojangles.....Rats not seen for almost 20 years who just happened to stop to get dinghy OB gas!

Spent a couple of weeks anchored off of Ed and Alice Sealing's lovely house on the Wye River, Eastern Shore of Maryland. Ed was Bud Sealing's brother whom I had met on several occasions when he would come to the Creek to visit Bud. I am grateful that I had the chance to get to know them better and I thank them for their gracious hospitality. I am hopeful they will visit the Rat Nest soon.....

Had a chance to rekindle a friendship with Frank at the Baltimore Yacht Club when I anchored off of their docks. I am grateful for his help in dealing with the fenders and lines the night Celerity spent banging against the free dock wall in Rock Hall during a storm. I am doubly grateful for his support and help when my electric windlass broke on Swan Creek near Rock Hall. Thank you Frank!

Chesapeake City on the C & D Canal...wonderful anchorage made special by a chance meeting of John and Karen on SV The Chance. We spent a delightful evening at dinner in a restaurant which I will remember fondly. He was able to snap the pic of the huge cargo carrier coming through the canal with the pilot climbing the ladder on the side! I am especially appreciative of their nomination of me to become a Commodore in the Seven Seas Cruising Association.

River Rat and good friend, Pam, drove to Solomons to spend a week and we crossed the Bay to visit St. Michaels and Oxford......good wine, great food, swapped stories.....found unexpected art gallery and rode the last privately-owned ferry. Wish we could have sailed but wind was either on the nose or dead calm. Met Canadians, Ian and Michelle on Mahina, in the Oxford anchorage and crossed paths again in Solomons at Zahniser's mooring field. Delightful and fun...wish we could have spent more time together.

So many magical, wonderful memories including those that taught me something about myself..........Playing, like a kid, in the water with my new pool toy, making it through Kent Narrows without hitting the bridge, some wonderful sails, realizing I can cope alone with rough passages, connecting with old friends and making new ones, numerous peaceful lovely anchorages and breathtaking sunsets, listening to the geese honking at dusk, playing "get the plastic hotdog" with Abbie on Celerity's cabintop and laughing at her antics, learning that I can do this by myself and gaining confidence every day, getting through the Mr. Maxwell goes-off-duty incident, current weather reports from Bob (Pooka) when I could not get Wifi (thanks!!), being thankful that Abbie does her business on the side-deck so no potty trips to shore, have mostly good weather with not much rain and fewer than expected mosquitoes, many yummy dinners and much laughter with new and old friends, sounds of laughter from kids and adults playing in the water, world's tallest milkshake at Ruth Chick's in Annapolis, Abbie barking and whining at dogs on other boats and ashore, serene moments at Oyster Cove (Rock Hall), and finally turning due south at the last red marker in the Pungo River before the entrance to Jordan Creek.

I learned so much about myself during those 4+ months....I was excited to head out in May, anticipating the adventures ahead. I had a wonderful time but am also grateful to be home at Jordan Creek. My future plans have changed...I will not be heading to Florida but will remain at the Creek through the winter. Come early summer 2014, I will head north again with hopes of getting to NY and LI Sound but time will tell!