Last night was an unusually cold night for this part of the country, with the temps dropping to the high 20’s. We could see the vapors of our breath again this morning when we awakened. We’re warm enough to sleep with two down comforters and the two of us snuggled close together. (Ladies, would you ever think there could be a time when you actually appreciate hot flashes? This is it!!! They are a welcome malady during the frigid nights when we have no heat on the boat.) Everyday I see men sailing down the ICW without a partner, and I think of how much colder they must be than we, without having another person’s body heat to help keep them warm on these below freezing nights.
Personally, I can’t imagine this trip without someone to talk to. Gary and I are so fortunate in that we truly enjoy each other’s company. It’s so nice to love, and “like” your partner. We are each other’s entertainment. Ask him to sing “Oh What A Beautiful Morning” for you the next time you see him. It’s a riot. We “crack each other up” sometimes with our antics. For example; the creek we anchored in last night is called Cow House Creek. When I heard the name of it, I let out a moo that would have frightened any cow out of it’s mind. It was so bad, Gary asked me to do it again. I embarrassed myself so much, and laughed so hard, I didn’t make a second attempt. It really sounded more like a cow in the middle of birthing a calf. We are laughing again as we’re talking about it as I write this for you. If this sounds trivial to you, remember we have no TV. We are our own comedy/reality show… We have always said, our life together would make a good TV show, with Gary almost dying in 2000; our romance, etc. and now this adventure. It would offer everything a good movie requires: suspense, drama, romance, and a happy ending. You are either saying, “Ah-h-h-h-h…” or “Gag me with a spoon….” Oh well….
Today, our journey consisted of mostly motoring through rivers and canals. The canals in this section of the ICW are through marsh and there is not a whole lot to look at. We did see a lot of egrets, pelicans, and a few blue herons. We’ve been disappointed in not seeing more waterfowl, but we realize it’s just too late in the season to see a lot this far north. We are seeing more dolphins now, which always add excitement to our day.
We saw something else that was interesting, a manmade (person-made) houseboat of the strangest kind, supposedly eco-friendly. Describing it would not do it justice, so please just look at the photo in the Photo Gallery.
Presently, we are anchored in a marsh, up a little creek called Graham Creek, just off the ICW. There is no protection here, which we would prefer in case strong winds arise. But, none of the anchorages in this area offer protection, because it is all marsh.
We are now 440 miles south of Norfolk. We traveled 55.5 statute miles today. The current and the wind were both behind us giving us a push. Tomorrow we should arrive at Charleston, S.C. We plan on staying there a few days to site-see. Gary’s father lived near Charleston for a while, so he has been there before; but, I have not. I’m looking forward to Gary introducing me to the area.