Serious Stuff and Guilty Pleasures

There is a visual tranquility here, but I wouldn’t describe the chorus of belching seals as melodious.  At first, they masqueraded as adorable creatures basking in the sun, but as the tide came up, and their designated napping rock got smaller, their true nature was revealed.  Fifteen siblings are slap-happy, fighting for space on the rock and the adults have come down with a terrible case of gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD].  It’s burping, flipper swatting mayhem this morning in Seal Cove.

We are hiding.  Michael spotted Isaiah three days ago on Predict Wind, one of our many weather apps, and although it has been downgraded now from hurricane to tropical storm status, when you live on a sailboat, you take these things seriously.

There is more serious stuff.  First things first, mildew.  Under the bed no less.  Eew.  Eewww!  Fixed it with vinegar wash.  So what if it smells like we’re sleeping in a salad bowl?  Yay, vinegar!

Second, shark attacks.  Devastating news, but the fact is that there is nowhere in Maine that one can swim without seals or schools of fish- they are just part of the seascape.  I downloaded the Sharktivity app and will hope for the best.  Next, COVID.  We watched a webinar on vaccine development.  It’s going to be a grim, long haul, so please stay safe.  Last, but absolutely not least, Black Lives Matter.  I sewed a “BLM,” sign. We hung it on the boat. We got stung by some Mainers who called us hypocrites.  I understand it’s complicated, but isn’t it better to recognize that and persevere towards equality?  If people judge us quickly, then we don’t get a chance to have the conversation.  Maybe a sign is too much?  Or is it too little?  It’s too little.  

I’m blessed in that I got to ponder all of the above deeply while being swallowed up by some gargantuan ferns in the Audubon Sanctuary accessible from Greenland Cove.

There is no doubt that plants and nature help us to find inner peace . . .  and resolve inner hunger.  Look at this bounty of free vegetables we got yesterday Gladden’s backyard garden!  Yup, Mainers do that.

Perfect timing as we were down to canned green beans and miles away by foot to the nearest grocery store.  (Remember, no car on a boat).  We haven’t been shopping since about ten harbors ago when of course, we fully stocked for the Grandparent’s visit.

Seeing this photo of John and Elaine having fresh fruit on the Riviera Deck makes me smile.  We were motoring to Castine in zero knots of wind to show them the flowers that seem to burst out of the sidewalk there.

Fortuitously, the wind picked up to 10 knots SW in the afternoon and we sailed them to Bucks Harbor for some ice-cream, paddling, and dinghying around.

Per request, we finished off the weekend with what I can only describe as a prairie hike because it made me feel like I had walked right onto the set of the 1970s TV show, Little House on the Prairie.

We can only hope they were having as much fun as they look like they were having in these photos!  To us, it was truly (insert sentimental thoughts here about inlaws that are willing to sleep on a boat and who look like kids when they eat ice-cream) special. 

Guilty pleasures these past few weeks include fried everything with beer to celebrate our two month sailing anniversary in St. George, 

Michael’s irresistible $4.62/lb homemade lobster roll in Tenants Harbor, 

And my director’s debut  for the reenactment of Forest Gump photo-shoot at Marshall Point lighthouse, starring Michael.

Last remarks:

Boat projects up high

And down low (Michael yoga’d into the chain locker to retrieve a fallen allen wrench and finish clutch installment for Gennaker)

Life is good when taking out the garbage is fun.

Shout out to Joe and Michelle on SV Seilche for keeping us company in Seal Cove.  As of this posting Michelle and I have had the garden adventure of a lifetime thanks to Gladden – avid farmer, horticulturist, writer, actor and fisherman.  Thank you Gladden for sharing your vegetables, your wisdom and your story!  (On the walk home, Michelle tactfully explained to me what really happened to the trapped racoons.  Hint: It wasn’t true that Gladden talked to them about not eating his vegetables anymore.)

Lastly, a standing ovation rainbow in Port Clyde!