Mark Twain was right...

He said something about the coldest winter was the summer he spent in the Bay area. We had five minutes yesterday when shorts might have been an option and then the high winds rolled in again. We are fairly protected, but get jammed up against the dock with the lines creaking and the dogs barking as they think someone is trying to get aboard. Fat chance. We are still here trying to get the engine installation finished. There is a little cove here at Schoonmaker's with sand above the seaweed and kids and dogs all running loose. Lola, an old fluffy dog hides under the ramp to the upper dock and leaps out with great growls when we walk by with the crime dogs, only to be pulled up short by her leash. Little dogs try to run up and challenge the shepherds while my knuckles get strangled with the leash. I think we are all getting crabby and waiting for the sea trials on Tues so we can get back to Pete's Harbor. At $50/day, we are feeling a little itchy here. But this is another adventure in cruising: new places, new people. New people who call the cops because we were taking too long to get the dogs out of the car and down the 1/4 mile hike to the boat. Ok. The cops were good, and lucky Robert got back up there after I delivered Koa, as Sha'ash has history with cops and gave them the eagle stink eye. They lived.

They were called by a lady who gives her cat a ride in a stroller, up and down the dock. Talking of stink eye, the cat is a past master at it and Koa did not make his usual lunge on the leash. So, we make friends. Unh huh.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling

People ask us how the dogs do when we are underway: not too well on this trip. They huddled where they could see us as we were on deck struggling with heavy weather, big waves and hail and rain that cut out visibility from one marker to the next. And all this on the Bay, from RWC to Sausalito.

NOAA said we would have 5 - 10 mph out of the SW - lying ratfinks.It was 25mph and gusting. I think the weather gods were throwing everything short of a hurricane at us. Lessons learned: put a coat of protectorant on the gloves; wear more clothes; get the foulies on early; don't trust NOAA or the Weather Channel and the best of all: stick it out, power through and get the job done. We did.
Is this a happy camper?

I really felt my age for the next couple days.Our arms were sore from wrestling the wheel against the waves. Water on deck a few times. Sausalito is a fun place to be, but I had to leave with the dogs and go to Linda's while the boat was being tugged around and engines moved.

Presently, this weather is still with us: this is May, what the ?????

The land of the free......

Janice kept saying that we needed to wear good walking shoes - right, but she didn't say hiking boots, which is what one really needs. The Mall is 2 1/2 miles long with wonderful free museums along each side. I saw the Mall in a tv program where people were running to win a million dollars - in the humidity, I prayed for an air conditioned car. Humidity is understandable now - all those years in Hawaii did not prepare me for it - like a heavy weight all over your body.

The National Cathedral was beyond wondrous: chapels tucked in all over: a sense of great spirituality and peace as well as history that had happened there. We barely got into a service in the Bethlehem Chapel below "stairs" as up was a huge confirmation ceremony with the Bishop above stairs.
At the time this was built, it was rumored that it was copying great cathedrals in Europe - the US didn't have an architectural style as such, so despite the old naysaying, it was a lovely place.

Flowers were blooming all over - May deciding to bless the Capitol. Janice stands in one inspired garden - she was the best tour guide ever. We saw Arlington Cemetery, very moving with a wreath laying ceremony and some famous Democrat's burial places. We went up the Washington Monument with me freaking out as it was built before the turn of the century and the architect in me wondered about wind shear, deteriorating columns, etc as well as the acrophobic chicken in me was just trying to breathe. A better idea of the layout of Wash. DC is had up top if one doesn't shake too much, and wonder why LeEnfant wanted the criss cross streets. We also went to the Jefferson Monument which is contains farseeing words about peace and how everyone should just get along. He fired LeEnfant when he was President, looking for a better

design of the city. Union Station was on the mall and filled with upscale shops and trains. Evan and I took the Metro and I took cabs and Janice drove. So I left a carbon footprint. My shoes needed jell soles and by feet needed ibuprofen. Great art, history, and beauty of architecture and I could feel a sense of pride in the city. Too bad there is so much partisanship - we are all here together and need to remember Jefferson's words: "Every generation needs a new revolution" and "Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their government". And on and on. There are too many naysayers in this generation - but they are welcome to their opinions: all those in our history said so. But they need to get informed before being mean spirited. Amen