CHALLENGE MET
September 22, 2012
Ok, so one near death experience a cruise is one too many. Bear’s broken ribs gave us one heck of a scare and we don’t need any more of those. Now that she has escaped the jaws of the afterlife, at least for a while, we can continue with Phase VIII. We used to be somewhat bullet proof but somewhere in the years we lost the cape and the mask. Toughness is not the word for Bear’s tolerance of all those broken ribs but we did learn that perhaps a cautionary visit to a doctor when one endures a broom induced fall is wise. That said, it is time to put that entry in the log book and move on.
Ha Ha, I beat Scurv awake this morning and that meant no ear wash by him. As has been the case the past few days, the morning was still and quiet, very quiet. This marina will silence a slapping halyard so quiet is a good description. Picture a 400 slip marina with no slapping halyards. For a Saturday, there are very few boats moving. In fact, post Labor Day, things start to wind down big time. The fall feeling is in the air. I am guessing that when the Annapolis Sail Show is done in a couple of weeks, things will get very quiet. There are a few Bay locals on the annual round the Bay cruise but most of the traffic is the early south bounders. Folks are talking about heading to points south just as the birds are spending way more time looking that way.
We have a number of geese in the area now. They are beautiful birds that have tendency to hang out in large numbers. As such they pose problems not the least of which is the fact that they are filthy critters so far as the necessities. Scurv sort of like is but then again, he liked deer droppings too. Bright green teeth is a dead giveaway. Therein is the challenge of the morning walk.
Part of the new “plan ahead” demands are anticipating challenges in a cold area for living on a boat. As with most marinas, regulations restrict the number of “live aboards” and since we will technically be that, we will be in short company this winter. One fellow that has spent ten winters here offered some advice as to stuff that will come in handy. For instance, he suggested we acquire an avalanche shovel. WHAT! It is a small back pack type shovel that is used to clear snow from deck if needed. Hopefully, El Nino or La Nina whichever is the good one will prevent a nasty winter here. Otherwise, we may have visions of the sub sticking up through the Artic ice as in the movie Ice Station Zebra.