July 25, 2011

Let’s see, where were we?  The a/c part arrived on Friday, and bless his heart, Asa the ‘A/C guy’ was right there when FedEx dropped it off---literally, he was sitting under a tree waiting to see if our part would be on the truck.  Don’t hardly find guys like that anymore!

The weekend was predicted to be too windy to head out on the Neuss River, so instead, we took the Jeep to the Outer Banks.  What a great weekend!  Saturday was my birthday, and we arrived in Nag’s Head around 5 p.m. with no reservation.   Had been told by the Visitor’s Center folks that we were in big trouble, but we are oh, so very lucky.  Fred got us a 5^th floor room at a Comfort Inn—overlooking the ocean!  Dee-lish.  I spent about an hour taking pix of a wedding that took place below us.  What fun. 

On Sunday we wandered around the Wright Brothers Memorial and  museum.  It is very neat to be able to walk up to the bronze plane—and bronze people who were there when that 12 second flight took place!  After the Nat’l Park Service talk about the history of flight (Wilbur and Orville really took the matter to heart.   Ignored all the conventional wisdom and built everything they needed themselves—even a wind tunnel to test wing adaptations), we drove south to Cape Hatteras.

Fred was very interested in learning how the tallest lighthouse in North America could be moved back ½ mile from the eroding beach.   The thing is nearly 300 ft. high (196 steps to the landing near the top) and was moved intact.  Never tilted more than ¼ inch.  Those engineers.

Meanwhile I was panting my way up those steps, only to discover when I reached the top that I was scared to go out on the balcony.  Finally did—used the boat adage:  “One hand for the boat” and held on to the rail—as if that would save me should whatever unthinkable event occur.  Really.  Did ask a Park Employee to preserve the moment for posterity—and proof!

We took the ferry to Ocracoke Island, and after a quick drive around noting the quaint shops and parks, hopped the next ferry back to the mainland.  It was an hour drive to the next ferry connection, and while we did the ride in an hour, because we were ‘last on and last off’ the Ocracoke ferry, we pulled up to the dock about 2.5 minutes after the boat left.  Such a sad feeling, but all was not lost, we drove around the long way and were home before dark.  

Monday morning we began a familiar trip up the east coast to the Chesapeake.  Stopped at the Belhaven Waterway Marina, then at the Alligator River Maring—both places we’ve enjoyed before.  On our walk around the marina, we discovered some gorgeous spider webs. How do they do that???

We arrived in Elizabeth City, NC around 1 p.m. on Wed. and decided to tie up for the night.  The free dock is great, but our favorite restaurant/movie theater has sadly closed, and the water was really, really rough. Time for Plan B. We decided not to get beat up all night and instead motored up to the South Mills Lock and tied off to await the 8:30 a.m. opening of the lock, the entrance to the Dismal Swamp.

At  8:15 the Jeannie B, a 70 foot schooner manned by a group of camp kids pulled in behind us.  They were taking a two week sail around the outer banks—what a great experience!

We transited the canal, had lunch at the Mexican Restaurant, and headed for Norfolk.  Again spent the night at an old friend, the Hampton Roads City Dock, and we were up at the crack of dawn to head up the Bay to the Potomac.

The Bay was very,very nice to us.  We had a smooth run to the Potomac, and by 6 p.m. were ready for a swim at White Point Marina.  Very refreshing as the temps have been very close to 100 every day—here, there and everywhere.  We’re extremely grateful for that A/C.

Saturday we did an 8 hour run up the Potomac to Aqula Harbor Marina where we were greeted by Barb and Randy Semper, who are cruisers, temporarily stopping to tie LAZY DOLPHIN to the pier outside their home, here.  The Homeowners Assn. here has just re-done the Marina--all brand new, and beautiful!

Sunday was our day for the 6 hour drive (6 day boat trip translates to a 6 hour drive) back to Oriental to pick up the Big Red Jeep.   On the return trip, a storm and stalled traffic on our old friend I-95 forced us into a Hampton Inn, where we slept from 8 p,m. to 2 a.m.  In the wee small hours, we experienced clear weather and NO traffic (until the commuters joined us from 5:15-6 a.m.).  

Lay day today—we’re cleaning and preparing to drive back to New York for a couple of weeks.

See you when we return! 

July 13, 2011

Greetings from North Carolina!   Oriental, that is.  Where YOUNG AMERICA has languished for nearly 7 weeks while we did what we do while in New York.

Actually, the first weekend in June found us on the shores of the Patuxent River in Maryland.  Fred took a class to become certified by the USPS as an Inland and Coastal Navigator. He had a good time—especially with the part where the instructor caused the power to ‘die’ on the GPS and Fred and another student had to navigate and steer a pre-plotted course the old fashioned way, by dead reckoning.  For you non-boaters, that means they knew from the chart where they were and where they wanted to go. Using the speed and distances involved, they read the compass, timed the turns and steered to the destination.  And arrived—at the same moment the GPS said they should.  Sure am glad we can rely on technology (and the two backup systems we have in case of power or other failure) and don’t have to do all that all the time!

Once again, while he was afloat, I went off to meet friends—this time I drove to Baltimore to see Lynn, and had a great visit.  Got to see the ‘other’ daughter, Denia. (Saw Jess in NYC last month)

Fred and I returned to New York in time to spend a couple of days grandparenting with Peter. The world as seen by a 12 year old is a joy to behold. We returned him to RI on Wednesday, and then Fred and I became boaters for the long weekend.  Well, OK, the truth is that SHA LA LA never left the Naval Station Dock, but we were oh-so-happy to live aboard and be right in the center of all the War College graduation festivities.  Thank you, Thank you, Jerry and Teresa!

The diplomas and Masters degrees were conferred under a tent on a beautiful sunny morning. The sea of flags and uniforms was an impressive sight.  It’s called the War College, but what I heard is a focus on learning to create peace.  May it be so.  Geoff and his family’s next duty station is Seoul, Korea. He’s there now, enduring the monsoon season while getting acclimated to his new position.

On June 18 the four graduates (Devyn’s high school event took place June 23) hosted a delightful get-together to celebrate their accomplishments.  Orange County has made Kowawese Park on the shores of the Hudson River into a great venue.  The weather couldn’t have been more co-operative and the food was to die for!  (Chris’ pesto dressing on the tomato-mozzarella skewers?  Sublime!)

After the party, we had a Mangelsdorf dinner with Alan, Holly and their kids; then on Tuesday, Devyn and I drove Tarryn to the Newark airport so she could return to ‘the 808’, as she calls Hawaii.  Dev drove me into Manhattan (her maiden voyage behind the wheel, and she got a ‘stress pimple’ for her trouble—I drove us out of the city…) for a bit of shopping.  Devyn will be attending Manhattan College in the fall, working toward an Education degree on her way to a Master’s  in Occupational Therapy.

At the end of June, Fred and the District Education Officer for USPS gave an on-the –water training course for 7 prospective Inland Navigators.  Boating on the Hudson provided a good time for everyone. It was a good day.

With Geoff off to Korea, Amy and Peter came by for a few days on their way to visit Amy’s parents in Ohio.  Pete and Fred finished building the trebuchet that now will slay a dragon (well, a small one) at 40 paces!  Fun, interesting, and the best part is the together time with the grandchild.  Pete will finish 7^th and 8th grades in Korea, and is preparing to learn the language while there.

We all, but especially Ada and Jim, were saddened by the death of Jim’s dad on July 1.  He’d been ill for two years, and knowing that lung cancer rarely has a good outcome, ‘Pop’ made the most of the time allotted to him.  It was said by many that a more peaceful death rarely occurs.  Good role model for us all.  Thanks, Pop.

The night before we planned to return to YA we got a call from Joe and Punk Pica aboard CAROLYNN ANN.  They were reveling in a gloriously beautiful cruise up the Hudson on their way to the Erie Canal and points west.  We met them at the New Hamburg dock and had a dee-lish Thai dinner in Beacon.   Stepping onboard CAROLYNN ANN made us both feel very strongly the pull to ‘get cruising!’

And off we went.  Did a one day drive to Oriental and arrived at the marina at 7:30 p.m. to find that the temp inside YOUNG AMERICA was 96 degrees. Five minutes of investigation showed that our 50 amp. 220 Volt  power cord had been moved from the working side of the post to ‘our’ side, where only 110V were available.  Turns out that because the air conditioners were running when the switch was made (no one knows for sure by whom—we’ll refrain from conjecture.) the circuit board on the salon a/c blew.  The good news is that Fred had rewired the galley a/c and made it 220, so although it couldn’t start up again on its own, at least it didn’t fry.  We are very, very grateful that it worked when given full power. 

Opening the refrigerator was an act that required great courage. Suffice it to say that we gagged our way to the trash,  then went out to an air-conditioned restaurant for dinner while the lower a/c fought the heat, and then Fred, bless him, cleaned the refrigerator.  Without so much as a gas mask.  He is a wonder. 

Next day (Sunday) we grocery shopped—bought lots of baking soda and dispersed it liberally in the ref. and freezer.  Now (Wednesday) we continue to await the shipment of the new circuit board.  Perhaps by Friday the salon will be cool, and no doubt there will be a co-incidental easing of the unseasonably hot, humid weather that is gripping the southeast corner of the US of A.

And THEN we’ll be underway, heading for the Chesapeake!