06/29/18 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Plum Island MA.

It was indeed an incredibly beautiful day - one that makes it feel good to skip out of work! I went up to Plum Island, one of my favorite places to walk along the ocean, watch birds and other wildlife - some of which is often human wildlife! I spent time watching sea gulls and purple martins. Some of the beach was closed for piping plover breeding, but saw no evidence of a plover. I do think they are finished raising the young. The beach is many miles long and is very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Rather than a lot of words, here are pictures of the ocean, the beach, the dunes, and some birds for your enjoyment.

Some houses are on stilts as this is a high risk area for damage during the storms. Many homes here have been lost due to a nor'easter. They have slid down the sea wall and into the ocean!

Some really gorgeous places here. Not the simple life.




He was an entertaining sea gull. probably looking for food from picnic baskets.

What a beautiful blue sky!



Sand dunes with a light grass cover and the sea gull.



Nice boardwalk from the parking lot to the beach.




Purple martin perched on his nesting pole. They have a few purple martin houses for them - No Vacancy! All individual nesting homes occupied.



red wing Blackbirds. One has a bug in his bill.



Here is a close-up of the bug. Looks like something that might crawl.

Mourning dove. Isn't she lovely? Beautiful bird.



A few flowers along the way. The roses are just beautiful and grow well in the sandy and salty environment. Some are pale pink and others were a very deep, rich pink color.

Even airplanes were out flying along the shore!

Enjoy the sound of the sea and the waves striking the rocks.

06/27/18 New main sail..........................

……………… and her first Wednesday night race!

Yes, my Rhodes 19 Mimì hoisted her new main sail and we were off for the races with the other Rhodes 19 and the big girls at the Cottage Park Yacht Club. It was a bit of a gloomy evening race with some high winds and wave action in Boston Harbor, but she managed to do well enough to not be the last boat in her class. The three of us who raced her were all new to each other and we had to learn to coordinate our efforts quickly. It was fun and am hoping to race her again soon.

Nice crisp new main, a decent jib, and we were off!  Hoping for blue skies and a beautiful sunset for next time, but happy to get what I can. Being on the water is such a special experience.

We have been very fortunate with some very beautiful picture perfect summer days. This week I took a solo walk - sorry Fionnegan, Gunnarr and Shorty - along the Charles River in Cambridge. There was a lot of activity on the river - kayakers and Canada geese and mallard ducks.

The gorgeous red brick bridge over the Charles River with the boat house just behind it on the left..



And let's not forget a few beautiful water lilies, too! Could not find as little frog but there must be one here somewhere!

Hope you are having a good day.

06.17.18 Launched!

My girl Mimì was launched over the weekend. Yes, my little Rhodes 19 is in the water and sailing season for me has officially started. There is always a lot of work to be done, once the mast is stepped we have to sort out all of the lines (where does this go? Is a frequent question) and the rigging has to be tuned. Not to mention the dozen or so trips from the car to the boat bringing back the sailing gear.  No doubt I got my 10,000 steps in there.

But the moment of truth comes once the main sail is up and we are on our way. It was a very smooth sail for us downwind as we came to our mooring at Cottage Park Yacht Club. While I am still patiently awaiting her new main sail, the old one did the job. Next steps will be to clean her until she sparkles in the sunshine and moonlight. There is always a lot of seaweed on the line at the mooring, once it dries on deck it will be easier to clean. A little teak oil on her trim, a bit of a scrub of her deck and she will look great. And I am looking forward to a few sails in Boston Harbor. Always a nice afternoon with me and my girl. Just some peace and quiet as I can listen to the water move around her bow as we gently take the waves.

After she was secured at the mooring a friend was installing a grill on the back of his boat. Confirms that he will not be racing this year! He fired up the grill and we had a great supper. A meal on the water is very refreshing – in the right circumstance, of course. The sun was setting and the breeze was welcoming and there were no blackflies!  And of course, I slept very well at night.

Here are a couple of pictures of the day. I will need to take one of her under sail. Had completely forgotten to do that yesterday.

My little girl is in the middle.

Happy Sailing!

05.31.18 Sunset over Winthrop - Sailing soon!

Had the opportunity to go to CPYC in Winthrop after work one day this week. It is that time of year when we all are working on our boats and getting them ready to be launched. Mimi has a new main sail ordered and I cannot wait for it to arrive. She will love it! And maybe we can win a sailing race or two! There are a few boats already at their moorings and they are a lovely site. Have been checking the tide charts and arranging for crew to help me more her from her winter home to CPYC. Cannot wait for the first sail of the season - so I better get all of the garden work done now! Once Mimi is launched there will be little time for yard work. Maybe that is why I have so many weeds at the end of summer!

Here are a few pictures of the sunset from the docks at CPYC.

The Boston skyline is always beautiful.

Low tide. Must be careful not to ground Mimi. Her mooring is really close to where it becomes shallow very quickly. Even though she draws only 3.5 feet, it seems like the seagulls can walk to my boat during low tide. I suspect once last year during a jibe she touched bottom along this shore line.

This is one of my favorite views from the dock. I love the tower at Crystal Cove. That is where Mimi winters.

The sun is slipping behind the trees.

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Here is seagull swimming at sunset. Wonder if he is enjoying the view!

Yap has been on my mind lately. Maybe because we are preparing for water activities - kayaking and sailing, maybe because it is getting warm, and maybe because tonight has a real tropical feel to the weather. Had been hoping to go there for homecoming in June but cannot get away. Maybe next year. I also heard from one of the refugees from my time on Yap. He is still hoping to come to the USA. Maybe one day he will. We all have our dreams, and sometimes, dreams do come true. Believe, they say, believe.

My boys are exhausted after running around the yard and enjoying a nice dinner. Here they are passed out on the floor, keeping me company as I work on the computer. 

Hope you are having a good Spring.