Kaimusailing

I can’t get onto Sailblogs to see what I wrote last time. It was about the puppies. So, today, I will start anew. Eve texted me about going to Pocomoke and I said yes. I had some things to pick up at Walmart and wanted to exchange the propane tank for the pizza oven. I asked her to pick me up at the Shanty where the oven and empty propane tank reside. When I got there I realized that both propane tanks were not empty, one was full, and the other was maybe half.
.
We rolled on, her with her dwindling gas tank gauge, empty fuel warning light on, gas is cheaper in Virginia, oh, are we going there? Of course, the dense logic doesn’t get to me so quickly, I have to pretend I know what is going on. You have triple A now? Yes, it only cost me $79 and I’ve been towed twice. She had people texting and calling her about puppies. We had to do a Uey to go back and show a pup, then got some alcoholic spritzers, I was dehydrated, the show a pup was a no go, we continued on to Pocomoke, now even lower on fuel. The spritzers weren’t cold enough for her, but I just needed fluid in the humid heat. A second spritzer gave me my needed hydration.
.
She organized us so that I could roam around Walmart while she took care of errands elsewhere.
.
We went to the bait and tackle shop and she wanted ice, they were closed. She could post the new puppy flyer there and then we were off to the gas station the other side of the state line, in Virginia. It was 20 to 30 cents cheaper than Maryland. I said did we just burn 6 dollars of gas to get a discount? On the way back stopped at Don’s, a notorious watering hole, whatever that is, to get lunch outside with her labrador puppy mom, no grapefruit crushes available, it’s orange crushes only.
,
I realize that it is a perfect spot for a zen experience, the fountain in the large pond, beautiful trees that I was quickly lectured about, no music blaring outside, just nature sounds, and our requests for a service person. The dog got a lot of attention and a bowl of water. Later she would get bacon and cheese tid bits. I had steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce while Eve had the fish platter including hush puppies. We had to leave to greet new puppy owners at her house. She only had six pups left and now two would be gone.
.
I played with Kahlo, the lab mom, in the back yard. She had a purple ball like toy that was covered with dog spit and then pine needles stuck to it. I grabbed the garden hose and rinsed it off. I refilled Kahlo’s water bowl. At first I would toss the purple ball like toy and she would retrieve it. I kept having to rinse it off and then by accident found I could send it by hitting it with water from the hose. The dog was afraid of the hose, although not afraid of water. She would go retrieve the ball and I would wash it away with a jet of water.
.
The couple who were buying the pups came out with Blondie, the yellow lab pup, and a black pup. We came for one and got two they said. Inside the rear porch the remaining puppies were having a blast, chewing on flip flops, poking their noses into closets, pushing things around, and wrestling with each other.
.
It was decided to head to the Legion where we were joined by several members of the Bad Crowd. Wine and ice, chicken wings, dipping sauces, consumed while watching the late afternoon light. A black dog was playing near the shore with children. We googled black greyhound, because that’s what we thought it looked like, and indeed that was what it was. I didn’t know greyhounds came in black.
.
The next day was laundry day and quite humid. I dilly dallied around but got a load of laundry done and reminded the Crowd it is Pizza Night. I gave the chef at the Shanty fresh oregano and fresh basil and a barbecue lighter for the oven. I said the pizza of last week was great, but the oven let you down.
.
Later, after I lit the oven at 5:10, he baked a chicken cordon bleu pie. It was better than last week’s. I took half the pie, leftover, and gave it another 2 minutes in the oven. When it cooled I gave the chef a slice and he understood right then and there what I was after. It would be crunchy, some black burn stains on the pie, but I thought he could do better. Later I said make another pie, what kind?, surprise me, but bake the **** out of it. Okay.
.
We were hydrating with cold adult drinks. The pie came out. It had pepperoni and olives on it. The crust was thinner, crunchier, this pie was not going to last at this table. Mmmm. There was one slice leftover that mysteriously disappeared.
.
I woke up at 10 AM and dallied around. Eve texted me about going up to Salisbury to post some puppy fliers. I had to finish breakfast, take a comfort break, shower, bike up to her home, then return to get that piece of attire that makes me so attractive, my wallet, and help her get those puppies back into the house. We went off to burn some fuel. She had stocked up while in Virginia where the gas price was hovering around 4 dollars.
.
Up 413, then up 13. We stopped at a sportsman’s store that had no sign above it, just some stickers on the door about deer corn, etc., a hunter and fisherman’s place. We were not in Salisbury yet, but Salisbury is a big place and we drove quite a while to get to the Tractor Supply store where another flier was posted.
.
We got fuel at Sam’s Club at 3.95. Then lunch at Evo’s. I would recommend it. We had light lunch and beer, due to the hot weather and due to a dinner coming up in a few hours. Rain was threatening, but it looked like we could have our lunch outside with the dog, and maybe get to Crisfield before it really hit. We hit the road, got a box of pinot noir, and continued with the banter, should I take you to the boat, well, it’s wide open and I should shut it if it’s going to rain, but maybe I can bike down and back, only take 5 minutes each way, depends on when the rain hits.
.
It began raining on the windshield. I stuck my hand outside and the rain was cool, it felt good. We had left the puppies too long, I feared, we should get back to them. I was calculating with radar from wunderground.com, but there are many other sources, and it looked like Pocomoke was really going to get it, but Crisfield would get maybe a little something. We went to the house and I went in the front door to avoid the pups on the enclosed back porch. When I got inside I saw Eve opening the kitchen door to the rear porch, puppies surrounding her, and as she came in they began peeing. She got a mop and already had a bucket of water and mopped it all up.
.
I took Kahlo, the puppy mom, out with her purple ball like toy, and some pinot noir to continue to hydrate. She wanted to play with the ball and I would throw it and she would catch it, many times before it even hit the ground. Her puppy kids were sent out and they came down the back porch steps, just a couple of tumbles. They were bigger now and playing with each other. There was a large male who was already adopted, just hanging around for a while. His two brothers were just a bit smaller, but they fought with each other, rolling around, biting each other, but each knew how far to go. They raced around a tree, like a dog chasing its tail. They raced around the property. What fine little dogs.
.
Kahlo was barking for attention. We had been playing games with the purple ball. The little tykes would bite the ball and Kahlo would take it away and give it to me. Kahlo wanted to play ball with me, not her little ones. I wanted them to learn to play with the ball. Eve came out and said the barking was too much, bring the purple ball to me. And so the play began with the pine cones. They thought over pine cones and pushed the water dish around with their noses. Eve came out and put water in the dish and they all began gobbling up the water. They were dehydrated.
.
We had to go inside to have the stuffed pepper and squash meal, and it was remarkably great, another gourmet meal. I had to leave when it got dark, the Shanty was still open when I returned to the marina. I made a point of complimenting Chef Andy on the pizza he made the night before. We had a nice chat and I had to return to SUNSPLASH.
.
The next day was news that someone in the Shanty had tested positive for covid. I was headed out to the grocers but made a detour to the local pharmacy. No mask no entry and I didn’t have a mask. They were scheduled to close at 3 and it was 20 to 3. I will have to come back.
.
I’m going to try to make my morning breakfast with Texas Toast. We’ll see how that comes out. I made a little grilled ham and cheese sandwich with it. Very tasty.
.
It was hard to get the Texas toast crispy without burning it. I made a concoction that fell apart, too many ingredients including tomato and mayo. Very messy, too complicated.
.
I ran my errand to the Crisfield Pharmacy, not very far, quick bike trip, this time with mask. They had no covid test kits. I biked up 413 to Marion Pharmacy, a little over 2 miles. They had the test kits but wouldn’t use medicare for billing, so I had to pay out of the pocket. $10. Back at the marina I tested negative. I’ve had some allergy symptoms and with the sous chef at the Shanty testing positive, I was afraid I had the virus. Cuddily texted me that she tested negative also and she too had allergy symptoms.
.
Over the weekend I watched some of the SailGP racing from Portsmouth, UK. USA once again did poorly. One highlight was Kate Middleton, Dutchess of Cambridge, kitted out with wetsuit, blue blocker sunglasses that probably cost more than all my boats put together, taking the UK boat out for a spin with Sir Ben Ainslie coaching her and of course the rest of the crew of that boat. They had a “friendly” race with New Zealand and won. She helmed the boat throughout the race. At one point she was approaching 70km/hr. This is no joke to be piloting one of the trickiest boats in the world at speed. I found out that she has extensive sailing experience and is teaching her royal kids to sail.
.
The image is of a lady sailor with her Olympic medalist coach.