Day 329 - Gloucester Point

Today is Wednesday, February 15th and I have been lax about adding to the blog but it's been pretty quiet here at the marina.  We've been keeping busy with the usual activities and are leaving shortly for the gym.  We discovered a new, closer gym right across the York River at the Coast Guard Station.  The man who replaced the isenglass on our flybridge (the canvas top and plastic enclosure) told us about it the other day and since we have been going to Fort Eustis, this will save us about 20-30 minutes as well as miles.

The one outstanding event that occurred last Saturday was snow showers.  I was upstairs in the boaters' lounge with friends and we heard a sudden wind outside.  Looking out the window was an incredible sight!  The storm hit so quickly and with such force that it was unbelievable!  The place was quickly covered in snow and the temperature dropped immediately.  The next several days were freezing but it's slowly warmed up.  It's still too cold here for my taste but at least it's not freezing.  We're beginning to get itchy feet and are anxiously waiting for spring so we can get on with our journey.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Day 316 - Gloucester Point

Today is Thursday, February 2nd.  After being awakened yesterday morning very early by a loud noise on the dock, I discovered the noise was caused by a racoon trying to get cat food out of a small cooler.  We have been feeding a marina kitty and keep the food inside the cooler.  I looked outside and saw this huge racoon walking away and found the cooler upside down about 10-15 feet away.  He was unable to get it open and you can tell he was frustrated because it had been banged around quite a bit.

Anyway, since we were awake, we got an early start to our day.  We had planned to go to Colonial Williamsburg and went early which was a good thing because there's so much to see.  As it turned out, we bought an annual pass and intend to go back a few more times before leaving the area.  Every day they offer different things to see.  The first thing we watched was "Order in the Court" which was a reenactment of an 18th century trial.  The audience participated and Mike was up on the side of the judge voting whether the defendant was guilty or innocent.  Very interesting.

Next we went to one of the homes there and the audience engaged in conversation with a black man dressed in period clothes speaking in the first person about what he endured as a slave.  That was one of the best presentations we saw.  After lunch we went into the Bruton Parish Church which was actually formed in 1674 and is now an active Episcopal Church.  There was an extremely interesting volunteer there and listening to him was amazing.  I actually sat in the seat where Patrick Henry always sat.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were regular attendees also.  The church was used as a hospital during the Revolutionary and Civil wars and there are numerous graves beneath it.

We went into  shops demonstrating wigmaking, basketmaking, a silversmith, etc.  Afterwards we walked to the shopping area which is on the fringes of the College of William and Mary (which was founded in 1693 and may be the oldest college in the U.S.) and walked around a bit and enjoyed some yogurt.  It was a very interesting day and I can't believe we waited this long to go there.

We have been contacted by a couple in the area who have been reading my blog and who recently bought a boat and plan to begin the Great Loop this spring.  We're having dinner with them tomorrow night to share some of our experiences.

Day 313 - Gloucester Point

Last evening we took a very cold walk around the neighborhood and when we got back to the boat we noticed a male and female mallard in the water in front of the boat as well as the blue heron who was here in the fall and seems to have returned.  While observing these beautiful creatures Mike said to look up and when I did, I saw an eagle fly by!  Sometimes along this trip we have seen the most incredible sights and last night was one of them.

Yesterday we went to the movies on the spur of the moment and saw Extremely Loud Incredibly Close and I would highly recommend it.  The only problem is that when I got home I had to remove my contact lenses from crying so much.  Great movie!

Today is another beautiful day here in Gloucester Point and even though it's still cold, the skies are an incredible blue.  Time to do chores and hit the gym.

Day 311 - Gloucester Point

Today is Saturday, January 28th and we had a great day as we took a Segway tour of Yorktown.  I had never been on one before but after a few minutes it was easy.  I told Mike I want one!  Ha Ha.  After the tour we had a great lunch at a "biker bar".  Well, it seemed like it was because the place was full of them.  We had intended on going to the usual Saturday night get together in the activity room here at the marina but for some reason, nobody showed up!  So, it's TV night here on the boat.  Bye Bye

Day 309 - Back in Gloucester Point!

Today is Thursday, January 26th and we arrived back to our temporary home on the boat on Monday night.  We actually left here three weeks ago on January 5th heading back to Bethesda to help Sherrie load up a truck and prepare for the drive to San Antonio.  It was a long 4 days, stressful at times with Mike driving the 16ft. Penske truck and Sherrie following in her car.  We were amazed at the number of 18wheelers on the road and I think we saw two of them for every car.  Lauren rode with Poppy most of the time and I rode with Sherrie and the two dogs in her small Buick.  We had to make stops every 2-3 hours for the dogs and to stretch.  The third night we stopped in Dallas and spent the night with Kelly and Brian in their small 18th floor apartment.  It was interesting to say the least.  Picture 6 adults and 3 dogs (one large, two small) in an 800 SF space.  Mike and I got the best of the deal as they gave us their bedroom with the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on.  The others slept on blow up mattresses. 

We arrived in San Antonio on Thursday, January 12th and unloaded into a very cute 2-story townhouse that Sherrie's mother and father-in-law had found for her in the Alamo Heights School District.  Also, she interviewed for and got a job back at Fort Sam in the Cole School District.  Things fell into place right away.  Lauren immediately reconnected with friends and felt right at home.  As we had scheduled several doctor appointments we stayed an additional week and were able to visit with family and try and get our fill of Mexican food before returning.

We left San Antonio on Saturday, January 21st in very warm sunny weather and arrived in D.C. to wet, freezing rain.  We stayed over with Chris until Monday morning and left for Virginia in the bitter cold.  I had previously promised Mike a stopover at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico which we did and if anyone ever has a chance to visit, I would highly recommend it.  They're going to expand it and expect it to be completed in two years.  While we were there, busloads of wounded warriors were there and it was the most heartbreaking thing to see!  Dozens of young men in wheelchairs with horrendous injuries.  I had to keep myself from crying in front of them.

We still have a few months here before heading north so we're trying to stay busy.  Mike has boat projects to complete and we go to the gym at Ft. Eustis 2-3 times a week.  I'm putting off knee surgery until we're off the boat permanently as it would be impossible to maneuver around after that.

That's all the news for today.  Stay tuned.

Day 280 Gloucester Point, VA

We hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Today is Wednesday, December 28th and we arrived back in Gloucester Point last night after a hectic week visitng both daughters.  We left here Sunday, December 18th after church and drove to Bethesda where we spent a couple of days with our daughter Sherrie and then left on Wednesday for Dallas.  I was unsure if we were going to get on the flights standby because of the heavy Christmas loads but were lucky and made each one.  It was a little uncomfortable on the first segment because I had to sit in a center seat between two large men but at least we got there.

We had a great time in Dallas as our daughter and son-in-law took us to a local theater (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and saw A Christmas Carol.  The cast was great and it was a nice play to see again during the holidays.  The next night we went to Fellowship Bible Church and participated in an unbelieveable service.  It was a huge church with large screens in every corner.  After church we took them to Pappadeaux and had an incredible dinner (we've never had a bad meal there).

The next day Mike took Brian to the new Cowboy Stadium and had a VIP tour and saw Emmitt Smith and Mel Renfro as well as several Cowboy cheerleaders.  They also had a tour of one of the suites which was for sale (Brian said he made an application for it).

We had to leave Christmas day as flights were full the rest of the week and made it back to DC without a problem.  We arrived in Bethesda at 6:30 in time to have Christmas dinner with Sherrie, Chris and Lauren.  We left Tuesday morning to drive back to Gloucester Point and the boat but I think everyone else had the same idea as I-95 was packed and it was raining! 

What a difference a day makes as today is bright and sunny even though it's still cold and windy.  We have a lot to accomplish before turning around and driving back to Bethesda to help Sherrie move back to San Antonio until Lauren graduates from Alamo Heights High School in 2013.  It's a huge sacrifice they're making for their daughter but we all do things for our kids.

We have a lot to accomplish before leaving again but in case I don't get back to the blog I'd like to wish everyone who follows it a Happy New Year!

Day 264 - Gloucester, VA

Today is Monday, December 12th and I cannot believe how fast Christmas is sneaking up on me!  Tomorrow I hit the shops.  We're still planning to go to Dallas for Christmas if we can get a flight since we go stand-by.  I've never tried to do that during the Christmas season so it may be stressful.  We were going to include a trip to San Antonio but have agreed to help our daughter Sherrie drive down there toward the end of January so we'll wait on that trip.

We've been staying busy here on the boat and going to Ft. Eustis to the gym, etc. but haven't done as much sightseeing as we intended because it's so cold here.  If the weather permits this Saturday, Mike wants to do the segway tour of Yorktown.  I've never been on one of those things but have always wanted to try it.  We'll see...