Well,  time has moved much too fast!  When the weather finally settled, we caught up with Ann Drury and Denny Lautner on Kyeta and Laurie and Paul Welser on Verkennen, both long-term cruising couples from Traverse City.  We traveled with one or both boats for about twelve days, trying to sail long hours and make impressive progress on the northward journey.  Kyeta needed to get the boat hauled out in North Carolina and Calliope needed to haul out (a few more repairs and up keep) in Norfolk while we headed to Ohio for a family visit and to southern Michigan for photo work.  All those long days on the water meant that we did not spend as much time exploring as we had intended.  Due to having to spend more than two weeks in Florida for repairs and weather delays, much of our play time was gone.

Two days anchored near and hiking on Cumberland Island in Georgia were saved...Kyeta, Calliope, and Carpe Diem (cruising friends from Philly) enjoyed that time together.  There were many beautiful anchorages and great meals along the way, but no lingering.  We managed to keep our schedule, had a fine visit with the Cavins in Ohio, completed all the photo work, and launched the boat in Norfolk on a 100 degree day.  Whew.

Our 20th wedding anniversary  was spent on Tangier Island, one of our favorite stops from last fall.  It is on the southern end of the Chesapeake, in Virginia...an island of watermen, families who have lived there since the 1700s, beautiful birds, high tides, crab cakes, soft shell crabs, crab soup, and everything in bloom.  Magnolias, gardenias, and memosas perfumed the air.  It was a good choice for our celebration!

Now we're on the west side of the Bay, at Fairport and Reedville, the home of the largest 

menhaden processing plant on the east coast.  (oil laden, stinky fish processing for Omega-3 products and fish meal)   Downwind isn't good, but that hasn't been much of an issue so far.  We  are waiting for a Fed Ex shipment from California...a tiny brass freeze plug.  The old one blew out as we left Tangier Island.  Dietrich shut the engine down, straped the dinghy, with its 9.8 hp motor, to the port side of Calliope, and pushed the boat across the Chesapeake.  Naturally, it happened on a day when there was no wind and the seas were glassy, so there was no help from the sails.  Ah, ever the adventure...