My mother Ann is a stubborn soul, but she met her match when I showed up on the scene.

When Richard and I made up our minds to head off on this adventure, she had a very hard time imagining that a.) We would actually go, and b.) She would ever relent under my pressure and get online to better follow our progress and see our photos etc.

One idea I had, to ease her into the acceptance mindset was that I could choose her a pretty shell whenever I found an interesting beach to walk on and mail it to her. She liked this concept and so it has been that I have currently sent her four shells in total, each with an accompanying post card or note. For her part, she found a neighbor in her village; Judith Sweet, who is computer savvy and together they read this blog and mummy can send me E-mails with Judith's help. This is a big step in the right direction.

The curious thing is that this exchange of various forms of communication has meant that three out of the last four shells have made part of their journey to Cornwall via the ocean, on a boat such as ours (only usually bigger) going north, whose crew has offered on the cruiser's net* to carry flat, stamped mail to a mail box once they arrive back in the U.S. This form of sending mail goes back at least three hundred years to the time of the conquistadors and navy tall ship captains who sailed for months and years at a time. Some of these communications reached their destinations and some didn't. The same could also be said for a percentage of our E-mails.

Communicating with those we love and making the effort to stay in touch is always worthwhile, especially when it involves a good walk on a new beach.

* The 'cruisers nets' are a phenomenon whenever more than fifteen or so small cruising boats are in the same general area. On a VHF radio channel, at a set time each morning they share knowledge of the weather, tides, local news and important advice about the area. They barter things they no longer want aboard, and ask the other boats for parts or help in finding the things they can't go on without. Often there are boats returning to the U.S. or with visitors flying home who offer to carry mail with them.