Home sweet home. It sure feels good to be back under a familiar coach roof (that's boat language for the cabin top). After a wonderful cross-country trip with the family, Tami and I made it safely back home on Friday afternoon. We drove over 4.300 miles from Olympia, WA to South Palm Beach, FL with many stops in between. We visited Yellowstone National Park, went camping, saw Mt Rushmore, saw friends and family in NC, visited more friends and family in Atlanta, GA, and finally saw the outlaws in Florida. It was a whirlwind tour that went amazingly well. Early Friday morning (like 0400 early) Tami and I kissed the kids goodbye and took the train to Miami airport. Our non-stop flight landed in Seattle around noon. After a great visit with our friends Melinda and Kelly, we finally made it back to Andiamo. She was sitting quietly in our borrowed slip at Shilshole Marina exactly as we left her two weeks prior. Many thanks go to the Brosius family on sv Ghost for letting us use their slip while they are out cruising. Thanks guys!

Saturday morning, we slipped the dock lines around 0530 bound for Friday Harbor. As we motored north in calm waters we reflected on the past few weeks and couldn't help but be amazed at the trip we had just accomplished. Everything went extremely well. We had no major hiccups. The kids did amazingly well in the car. Toby did amazingly well on the airplane. And we were able to see some good friends and family that we had not seen in quite some time. We thank God every day for the safety He provided. From sea to shining sea and purple mountains majesty, we saw some of the most amazing things. We saw rich and poor. We saw good weather and bad. We saw huge mountains and unending fields of corn and wheat. We saw miles of highway and roads that go on forever. We saw a nation that was prospering and a nation that was struggling. We saw some of the best and some of the worst and thanked God for everything we have. We are not quite sure where things are headed, but we are confident that we are doing the right thing. We are spending the last remaining pennies we have on this little sailing trip with our family and aren't thinking twice about it. We will all be richer for it. What a country!

Anyway, we had an uneventful trip up to Friday Harbor, making the distance in about 10 hours on glassy seas. We couldn't believe how calm the straits were. We couldn't have sailed even if we wanted to! The wind was dead calm and the water was completely flat. Once again, we found ourselves visiting with our good friend Susan for dinner and rowing back to the anchorage after sunset.

Today, we completed most of our "offshore to do" list. We got the boat cleaned up, things put away, and topsides rigged for sea. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous! The east coast was miserable, but here we are enjoying 90 degree days without a cloud in the sky and zero humidity. We are beginning to worry that the weather will turn bad just as we are ready to head out into the Pacific.

Tomorrow, we plan to head over to Port Angeles and then on to Neah Bay on Tuesday. Weather permitting, we will depart Neah Bay for San Francisco early Wednesday morning. We miss the kids terribly and can't wait for them to join us in San Fran!

Oh, by the way, yesterday was my last official day in the Army. After 11 years, 13 tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, too many long nights in dark dusty environments, numerous encounters with death, too many friends lost, headaches and back aches, some great friends and good memories, some amazing leaders and some complete idiots, I am anxiously awaiting the beginning of the next chapter of my life. I've served with some of the best men in America and seen heroic things even the best authors couldn't capture. I've also seen things I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I've experienced moments of happiness, sadness, bravery and shear terror. I really don't know how I made it out alive especially when some of my closest friends are permanently sleeping in Arlington and elsewhere for doing the same thing I did. Through it all I've had my wife and children supporting me. I couldn't have done it without them. I love you guys.

To all my friends still doing the deed...this beard's for you!!!