One day we were roaming around in shorts and tee shirts, we got a bit of chilly wind in the evening, and the next day we were rugged up with the warmest we could dig out of our meager wardrobe.
Looking up the river the leaves have started turning. Some are brilliant scarlet already. There are industrious squirrels everywhere, as though they've also realised time is short to get through the work.
We on the other hand took a bit of a breather, but only a little one.
Good friends of ours, whom we'd never actually met, stopped over here on their way from New York back to Florida. They're a very English couple who've been living in Florida for 30 years.
Roger and I have similar ideas about boats and we met via an owners' forum years ago. We have been exchanging ideas and insults for years! He and Katie are turning a 45' ketch into a brigantine... square rig and all. They have also gutted the boat and are turning it into something the magazines will be featuring for sure.
Last Thursday was the start of the Annapolis Boat Show, about an hour and a bit from here. It's a big one so we'd decided to go together and do a load of research in one place.
Roger and Katie arrived here on Thursday afternoon and we had a great time. Instant firm friends. They actually lived on their boat in the Mediterranean for 7 years bringing up their 2 daughters. I'm quite sure we will end up doing some sailing together sometime.
The boat show was a very full day. We went on the Friday to miss the weekend crowds but enough other folk did the same thing to make it feel like a weekend anyway. We did cover a lot of territory though and came back with the usual brochures and notes on a bunch of stuff we'll never buy, and some that we will. I was surprised that a few companies I really wanted to find hadn't turned up. I know they're still in business, but I guess they are looking at the cost v the return and figure they are well known enough already.
On Saturday night Tom came over too and we had a bbq using the boat's old bbq that had been useless initially. Some time ago I took it apart and got the gas valves working, but we've never actually used it. The salmon turned out ok, but the grilling plate is aluminium, not cast iron, so it's going to take some getting used to.
In the meantime Sandy has made huge headway with the curtains and they look terrific. The boat feels warm and cosy... just in time too.
The ground tackle project is just about finished and this little ship will anchor much more safely because of it. It's turned into a huge undertaking, but being able to sleep at night is worth it.
The big solar panel is up on the davits, and I've managed to trace the wires right back to the locker where the controller will be. Unfortunately the wire they used is very light for the distance involved so we've got to accept lower performance, or run new, heavier wire. A real nightmare.
There is still so much to do. It's quite overwhelming. I guess all we can do is keep chipping away at it. I can see us leaving here with a wary eye out for icebergs, and reindeer pulling a sled.
Until next time...