Lorenzo & Delois Johnson

The rain has finally stopped.  We had a very good day today.  The four of us rented a golf cart and toured the town of Colonial Beach.  We stopped and had ice cream from the ice cream shop in the middle of town.

We had coffe and a sandwich at a coffee shop that was very unique.  The cheese cake was very good, and everyone was very happy with their selection of food.

The beach sand is very different from what we are used to.  The sand is really small rocks by our standards, and the beach is only 20 to 25 feet wide even on low tide.  Lots of rock berms have been installed to control erosion and preserve the beach.

The water has returned to normal.  The high water levels have subsided, and the water is free of debris sufficient  to allow us to run our heatpump without clogging the strainers with debris.  Thje night time temperatures are in the high 40’s to low 50’s

Went shopping for some needed items and found that shopping with a golf cart was a different experience.  The town allows use of golf carts on the city streets, however You are not allowed to cross the State Highway that passes through town.

We were dinner guests of Gary and Judy, and we enjoyed a very good dinner prepared by Judy.  Maggie provided the entertainment with her talking to Gary, or at least saying phrases at the right time to make it sound like a real conversation.

Tomorrow morning, we leave for the Solomons, and then on to Baltimore.   Probably be in Baltimore by Thursday, and we are planning to spend several days there.  The weather reports look favorable, and we do not expect any excitement from the weather, however ….

Lois is still having a great time.  She has not eaten crabs of any sort for the last two days.  Is that a sign of things to come??

Lorenzo and Lois

We left Washington, DC at 0700 on Sunday morning, and had the waterways to ourselves.  This was a very scenic and beautiful trip.   The day’s destination was the Colonial Beach Yacht Center, in colonial Beach, Va.  A gale is predicted to start  late in the afternoon , lasting for two days.  We were going to find secure dockage, and wait out the storm in comfort. 

About 5 miles from Colonial Beach, the weather turned ugly.  When we rounded a bend in the waterway, we were exposed to a 5 mile stretch with the wind and rain directely in our face.  The waves climbed to around four feet, and the wind started to increase rapidly.  While maneuvering across the bay to enter the marina, Lil’ David rolled heavily as she was hit on the beam by the rising wind and the waves.  This certainly got the attention of the first mate.  She promptly vacated the flybridge.

We docked with diffficulty due to the rain and wind but we eventually got the boat secured.  The wind and waves had us bouncing all night, and I kept close watch on the dock lines and fenders.  I doubled several of the dock lines as a safety measure, and all went well.  We were too tired to get involved in preparing a large dinner, so we had soup and sandwiches and relaxed.  The adventure continues.

Today (Mon) we were lazy, and accomplished absolutely nothing.  We have been lazy and generally good for nothing all day.  Lois cooked a good dinner, and invited Gary and Judy to dine with us.  We had our usual enjoyable visit, and now we are making plans for tomorrow.  The weather should be fair, but windy.  We are going to rent a golf cart and tour the town weather permitting.  The crab population in Washington is starting to recover, so apparently Lois is anxious to leave her mark on the crabs of colonial beach.

We are expecting to leave here on Wednesday and head North.  This will be significant to Us, because we will be in unfamiliar cruising grounds until we get back to Florida.  It is a lot easier when You are going places where You have been before.

Has Reverend Gause started a new career??  I think that He probably waited too long to start a career in that field.  I know everyone had fun there, but we enjoyed ourselves here too.

Buy stock in the oil companies.  We are supporting their cause out of necessity.

We arrived in Washington on May 7 as expected.We were fortunate to secure dockage for both boats at the Capital Yacht Club.  This is a great place.  The Metro is only a few blocks away, the seafood market is close enough to smell the food cooking, and the Yacht Club is first class both in it’s facilities and members.

I was pleased to have the oppurtunity to meet Gary and Judy’s middle Son, Edward and His wife, Becky.  I had heard so much about them  that I felt that I knew them already.  We really had an enjoyable visit.  The touring was halted by the rainy weather, but we managed to enjoy this location anyway.

Did not see Donna, she was going home to attend the festival at St Pauls with Harold.  She was taking the train, and I thought that it would be good for Lois to make the trip with Donna.  Donna was leaving on Friday and returning on Monday, and I thought that the train ride would be a novelty to Lois.  When I asked Lois if She wanted to go, She turned slightly toward the seafood market and said”No, I am having too much fun here to leave” Score:  Lois 10, crabs 0. 

This city life is not my cup of tea.  Lois, Judy and Myself went grocery shopping this afternoon, to replenish our supplies in preparation for leaving tomorrow.  We walked to the grocery store, a distance of approximately 1 mile, but we needed a cab to drive us and our groceries back to the marina.  I was surprised when I realized that the wheels on the grocery carts were locked electronically if the cart strayed too far from the store.  We could not roll the carts to the Taxi that was parked directly in front of the store.  Did not see a single cart in the parking lot.   The cab driver felt that He should charge us extra for having to wait for us to get our groceries out of His trunk.  Too bad; He had already been paid.

Thanks to Bill Lytle, a long time friend and fishing club member, we were able to replace our finnicky washer /dryer with a new one while we were here in Washington.  He went to college Park and picked up the unit after I purchased it over the phone, and He brought it to the marina and helped us load it on the boat.  He also discarded the old one for us.    Again, thank You, Bill for the help and support.    I am wondering if I an take credit for the new washing machine and dryer for a Mothers Day present??  Nope, better not try that.

Tomorrow morning we will leave and head for Baltimore, MD.  By car, Baltimore is approximately 50 miles, by boat it is approximately 160 miles.  Portia and Starrie are getting a little nervous; everybody is being fed but them.  That’s OK because they will catch up in a hurry as  soon as we start moving again.

Happy Mothers Day!!!

Lorenzo and Lois

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We are currently at anchor in the Potomac River, near Colonial Beach, MD.  We are approximately 65 miles from Washington, DC.  We may find ourselves in Washington by the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday)

We left Crisfield this morning, and had a great day on the water.  Good weather, and calm seas.  It was not easy to leave Cristfield behind.  We really enjoyed the time we spent there, with not even one sad or unhappy memory for the entire stay.  Now I understand why a cat will stay anywhere where food is plentiful.

Our stay in Crisfield was a great experience.  We were adopted into the family  of Gary Walker, and we were treated as if we were family.  Gary’s sister is my hero.  She was able to get Lois to eat something other than crabs, however Lois was looking longingly at the crab traps near where we are anchored.   Janet, thanks for Your company and your support.  Hope to see You again soon.  Ralph, all I can say is thank You.  Know that You are welcome in My home just as You have made Us welcome in Yours. 

We went to church on Sunday with Gary’s family.  A truly wonderful experience.  It was, of course followed by a good meal at a local restaurant.

It feels good to  be moving again.  The dog is definitely off the chain.

We are very pleased with the boats performance.  The two girls in the engine room, Portia and Starrie, have performed flawlessly thus far.  They have a healthy appetite, but they are performing beyond expectations.  I am glad that Lois does not venture down there because they may learn new habits.  No reason thus far to open the toolbox , thanks to the superb performance of Portia and Starrie.

Donna, we will see You soon.  My # is 910 612 0234. 

Lorenzo

We are still in Cristfield waiting on a weather window to continue our travels.  We are at the Somers Cove Marina, and it is a very nice facility.  It is a state owned Marina, and everything is to notch.  Swimming pool is still closed, but the other facilities are open.  This recreation complex includes a ball field, tennis courts,, etc.  It is a huge Marina, covering a large land area, with several hundred slips.  There is an excellent restaurant just otside the marina gates.

Gary’s family has treated us very well, and made us feel welcome.  I have really enjoyed their company.  I am amazed at how much His family and my family have in common. 

We are utilizing this time to do some boat cleaning and organizing, and to work on small boat projects.  We had time to really play with the washer/dryer, and we are not satisfied with it,s performance.  We are replacing it with a new one on our way to Washington, DC.  Found a dealer in MAnassas who has the latest model in stock, so we stop there and replace it.  We do not like the time and aggravation of usoing the washers and dryers in the marinas, so replacing the washing machine and dryer now will save us aggravation laer.

This is our home for the next 12 months.  The boat is quite comfortable, and we need to fine tune everything to make  it fit our lifestyle.  We have to recognize that we must carry more spares for everything than we are accoustomed to .  We can’t always jump in a car and run to the grocery store.  Marinas are not usually located in convenient shopping locations.

We have had access to a car while We have been here in Crisfield.  Lois and Judy spent the day shopping and getting lost trying to find the mall. 

We had a new cover made for our dinghy while we have been here.  Very happy with the end result.

There is a weather front comming through tonight, making the Bay rough tomorrow.  We are exppecting to leave here Monday, and head toward Washington, DC.  We should arrive in Washington on Tuesday or Wednesday, the only sure thing is that We will be there when we get there. 

Thids trip, ths far, has ben a real joy.  There is no time pressure, and I am home no matter where we are.  Our needs are simple, and our pleasures and enjoyment is bountiful.  I need to look in the mirrrow and practice frowning so that I don’t forget how it’s done.