Long Week, Short Days

Having seemingly caught a bit of the flu bug, I have time on a weeknight to type a bit, reflect on the year past, and look ahead to the upcoming journey.



So here it is, just about a year since I launched Arden. Actually her rebirth occurred on November 3rd, 2008, in Elizabeth City, NC. A lot of things have happened in the following year, I moved aboard, wintered over in Elizabeth City, made the passage north through the ditch (the Dismal Swamp Canal) and made great sail in adverse weather with my sister, Liz, to my new home in MD -Solomons Island. I have made a slew of good, and great, friends in the past 365 days, from Josh and the crew at Pelican Marina in E City: Seth, Hippy Dave, Cotton and Becca, the folks at the Marina Restaurant; Dr. Dan and Carol Terryberry - and their 4 daughters (who were my neighbors for about 4 months, all 6 living aboard Carol's dad's Mainship 34 while their new house was being finished) to my friends here in Calvert County Marina: Jim and Sue (my friends from Baltimore who have a boat here at CCM and my fishing partner, dog sitters, and all around extremely good friends), John Baum - who lives aboard a 53 foot steel ketch he had built; Chip-who stays weekends here, coming all the way from Berryville in the Shenandoah Valley, Steve and Michelene Hostetter that come out here from Rappahanock County (where I once lived, their kids and I were in elementary school at about the same time - small world huh?) who plan to sail their boat Cimaise south in the next year, and my boss and coworkers at Drum Point Marine- Gary Gateau and Katie Finnecy, both extremely good mechanics and friends, Meredith - the office girl who makes sure we all get paid; Jim, Linda, and the crew at Spyro's Bagel Shop- who feed me most mornings, and all of the customers who I have worked with and for over the last 8 months. I could go on and on listing people and folks I have meet along the way, and am now in ways playing catch up. I know I will meet a lot of new and interesting folks along the way this winter, as I head out and complete my adventure.



As I mentioned, I have the flu. Now what better time to try out the Ginger Root Tea recipe my friend Ali sent me and that I had mentioned back in the Oct 13th blog - than now? So, with much anticipation, fear, trepidation and anxiety (did I put in enough synonyms?) I mixed up a batch closely following the instructions (sort of) as given. Now, as I cut up the main ingredients, (ginger root, garlic and lemon) I very much felt like an alchemist or warlock, and thought maybe I needed a dash of bats wings or perhaps eye of newt. The old song "Love Potion Number Nine" came to mind as I put this all together and began to boil the ginger root. I mixed it all up (I took my troubles down to Madame Rue, you know that gypsy with the gold capped tooth) and after the ginger had boiled 3 minutes or so, I dumped the ginger water (root pieces and all) into the cup with the garlic, lemon juice, honey and cayenne pepper. I do think my improvisation kinda got me this time, the recipe has alot of good stuff in it, and I am sure it is quite good for you, but you have to follow the directions. It wasn't bad. It could have been better. Alot better. (ok, so the chef was at fault here) So having made this remedy, here are my observations: Go heavy on the good stuff, the lemon and honey. Use a good sized chunk of ginger root, but, a dash of cayenne pepper means just that. Dont over do it, dont fudge it, for God's sake don't wing it, unless your name is Juan or Manuel and you speak with a slight accent and have cousins across the border. That stuff is potent! My sinuses cleared, (or imploded) my throat was sore no more, and I was definitely ready for some much needed rest.


So not much to update on the progress of preparations for the trip. I hope, as long as the ginger root tea keeps my moving, to wrap up a few projects this weekend. The hand bilge pumps are almost in, the safety net for Spook is halfway on, and clean up from previous projects continues (I actually have freed up a spare birth fo'ward in the vee birth, which was, until this time, just a storage area). I really would like to get the Bruce anchor in its chocks this weekend, and I need to get the whisker pole mounted. My son Mike and his friend Neil are coming up this weekend, and I hope to get a few hours help from them. I have to pack up my storage unit here, and send all that stuff that is not going with me back to Va Beach with them.
So stay tuned, log in often, and hopefully I will be ready in time to leave right after Thanksgiving.