Thursday, November 15, 2012

Sunrise, Sunset

Watching the Sun Rise
Good morning from rainy Wrightsville Beach. We're altering our routine this morning, which is a welcome change for all three crew members. Breakfast at the table for us and a game of fetch for Bubba. We have a short day planned today, largely so that we can ride the strong currents down the Cape Fear River rather than fight them. Today was to have been a lay day, a chance to walk on the beach, one of my favorites, but it's raining and very chilly, not yet 48°. Not so appealing.

Daybreak, Great Bridge, VA
After our enjoyable 6 weeks in Baltimore, we're anxious to keep moving. With the exception of three beautiful sunny days over the long Veterans Day weekend, it's been gray and chilly. Very chilly. My three turtlenecks, which were meant for foggy days in June in Maine, are in constant circulation. Fleece is the fabric of the day and of the night. We've moved the extra blankets from the guest stateroom onto our berths and I encourage Bubba to snuggle closer. The first move of the morning is a run to the generator, to start it and get some heat going.

We've seen a lot of early mornings. We're usually underway at 6 am, hauling anchor in the dark and tucking in at our anchorage for the night by sunset. Once we're in the routine, it's not a bad one. Despite the chill, we've had many days of almost glassy water. The shallow sounds, open bays and large rivers of North Carolina can be unpleasant when there's a lot of wind moving against the current, but our two long days traversing them were easy ones. Lots of open space, little traffic and easy piloting for the most part.

Black Bear Fording the Canal
As we cruised through the 21.2 mile land cut, the Alligator River- Pungo River Canal, on a quiet, sunny morning, Paul noticed something large swimming across the canal. When the creature was halfway, we realized that it was a young black bear. I think he was as surprised as we were, judging how quickly he hauled himself up the bank and disappeared into the woods! You can see him in the photo if you look for the little ears on the dark spot closest to shore, OK, it's not a great shot, but it's proof, right? Spotting him was definitely a thrill and a first for us and I can't remember other cruisers talking about such sightings.

Washing Chain, Gale Creek
All these early mornings, while not always so pleasant while washing down muddy chain and foredeck, have provided some beautiful sunrises. There's nothing quite like watching the sun rise, sipping coffee and thinking about the day ahead. I noticed most of my photos come from this part of the day, although we've seen some beautiful sunsets. I think we're always too busy anchoring and settling the boat before it's seriously dark to take the time to snap a photo. Maybe it's the time of day, but maybe the roses just smell sweeter in the morning.



Saturday, November 3, 2012

Southbound__Almost!

our last morning in Baltimore and while it's still windy and chilly here in the aftermath of Sandy, we were spared the brunt of the hurricane that caused so much damage in so many areas. There are many things I've come to appreciate about Baltimore, but one at the top of my list right now is the protection the inner harbor offers in storms such as Sandy.

We did see lots of wind, with gusts of perhaps 50- 60 miles per hour, and lots of rain which came with a big chill down. While friends reported balmy temps in Boston much of the week, we haven't been much above 55 degrees here since Sunday. But we were safe throughout the storm, for which I was especially thankful as I was here on the boat without Paul who was away in Florida (what's wrong with this picture) at a long planned business meeting. My intrepid friend, who had scheduled a visit long before seeing a weather forecast, did not cancel and we rode out the storm together with lots of catching up, laughter and good meals. There were so many things here that I wanted to share with her, but we felt lucky that we could doll up in foul weather gear and hurry over to the hotel health club a block away!


Inner Harbor Marina from Federal Hill Park
I've been collecting some photos of things we've seen and done here and I'll start with the shot of our marina from the park across the road. We're near the center of the picture and if you can find the green hull, you've found Carry On!

Another thing we love about our urban experience is how easy it is to get around. The free hybrid buses run in a half dozen routes all over the downtown area every 15 minutes and they are a delight: clean, no graffiti and very quiet. In fact the whole city downtown is immaculate, a fact of pride for the city __Salem could learn a lesson or two.


Fort McHenry
If you remember your history better than I do, you'll know that Baltimore is home to Fort McHenry. The overnight onslaught of the British which was successfully held off by the local militia was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's Oh Say Can You See. It actually had a few revisions along the way to produce what we all so immediately identify as our National Anthem. 

Baltimore is also the home of Edgar Allen Poe, which you probably would easily guess from all the purple jersey- wearing Ravens fans seen on game days.


At Ease on the Mess Deck
There are five historical ships
here in the inner harbor open for visiting. We toured the submarine Torsk and the Coast Guard Cutter Taney which was in Pearl Harbor and served for over 40 years after that. There's also the Constellation, a sister ship to the Constitution, our Boston institution.






Washington Monument in Mt Vernon


Our favorite neighborhood is Mount Vernon, home of the    Walters Art Museum, the Peabody Institute (a well respected music conservatory), the symphony and theatre venues. It's a lovely place to walk, even on a drizzly day, with beautiful newer, elegant row houses and condos, restaurants and a few small shops





The "Bus" at American Visionary Art Museum


And last, but not least, the American Visionary Art Museum, a jewel of a museum showcasing the work of self taught artists, sometimes called outsider art. The wonderful bus at right is just one feature of the outdoor works, a wonderfully whimsical mirrored mosaic with reflector lights, bits of ceramic and the odd plaster bunny and swan!

There are still things here that we didn't quite get around to doing, but it's time to move. It's getting cold and there's a reason people who live on boats go south for the winter. But before we get seriously on the move, we'll go to Solomons, MD, to see our boat guru Scotty for those few things we'd like him to do. Tonight we'll be on an anchor near Annapolis and I'll be encouraging Bubba to cuddle closer in my berth__Brrrr.