5/13/16        Friday               Anniquam River


Luxurious morning of sleeping until 7:00 AM. Made coffee and took it out on the aft deck. Did a couple of sun salutes and warriors, being gentle given my injured knee. David was still sleeping so I had one of my land-based mornings of quiet. Great opportunity, that I take every chance I get, to appreciate where I am and be grateful to all those shoulders I stand or kneel on - all the ancestors and current friends who've helped me get here, whether they know of their assistance or not....whether I know of their existence or not, I'm grateful. Grateful, too, that my friend, John, came through his surgery with very successful results. This morning was a tearful, grateful morning, one of those times when the good fortune is just about too much to take in, Grace, indeed.. Loved being outside. Loved that it was light and quiet. Loved that I was on our boat and that David and Amelia were safe below. Loved that I am right here, exactly where I am meant to be.

I started making notes for blog when my favorite osteopath, Dr. Steve, returned my call to him from last evening. What an amazing injury he has had and story to go with it. Ow. Ow. Ow.  Ruptured disk in lumbar, not repaired soon enough, caused instability of lower lumbar and squeezing of lower vertebra, resulting in need to remove parts of vertebra covering spinal cord and screws to stabilize backbone until bone graft takes effect. Ow! Totally painful and a long recovery time. I needed him to tell me so much about his injury. What a painful mess. He will recover but such a long recovery time. I'm relieved to know that he has a pretty strong support system but want to visit or see him somehow. Shouldn't be hard to do.

I told Steve that I'd called his office to make an appointment for him to look at my knee, swollen as it is and tender/painful in some places...feeling unstable and unreliable on the boat. He listen and suggested some wearing away and stressing due to many years of tibia torque. I'm thinking that is "old dancer knee syndrome" (ODKS) or maybe (ODMOSKS) "Old dancer meets old sailor knee syndrome." I was thinking that when sitting at the helm my pelvis becomes the gyroscope for my body and my chest and head respond to/ counter my pelvis, movement in order to keep balance (and keep the old, rickety director's chair from crashing to the floor. But, when standing my knees become the gyroscope with lots of multi-directional stress on that amazing joint. That stressful motion plus my extreme squats (for peeing)...and the many, many years of forcing ballet turnout...did these cute knees in, made them much older than the rest of me. Steve said adjustments and some exercises could address the tibia torque but not the age and already deteriorated mechanism. Options exist. Meanwhile, aspirin, elevation, knee pad, rest until I get home.

We left our friends this morning without saying goodbye., thinking they would be sleeping in after arriving around 10 PM last eve. They anchored across the narrow channel from us. David saw them arrive but I'd gone to bed.

mizzen, main, ginny flying
along with the prayer flags

Odd! We had 3 of our 4 sails up today and they were all working on our behalf. We were sailing! Sheldon would have been proud. Still had the engine running because we wanted to go more than 4.5 knots, but we were sailing, not just motoring. Sailing AFTER we came through the Cape Cod Canal which was a very different experience than coming south last fall. David timed this entrance so perfectly. Calm. Calm. Calm waterway. We decided to not visit Dwight at Duxbury and, rather, headed straight to Gloucester. Lots of open water between CCC and Gloucester. The seas kicked up about 3/4 way across Massachusetts Bay. Winds to 20 knots but mostly around 16 and seas at Starboard quarter. Rocking and rolling but not pounding.

We stopped at Brown's Boat Services for fuel. Valerie came back after her errands to open so we could get fuel. I got a shower, too, and we gave Val a new crossword puzzle book. Standing joke w/her about the crosswords. Then through the Blymann draw bridge and into the Annisquam River canal. I'll miss being called Captain by the bridge tenders. No more lift bridges on our route north.

Houses along the river are lovely and spring, which is slow here, has some amazing greens and bright yellows.

For Sale

 More thinking about home and the re-entry into the complications of land. On the boat we are very much,as if on an island with limited access to everything and everybody. That will be very different when we return. All the people we love and want to see and be seen by. Much will have changed. My next door neighbor has died. A hole in my local community. The social ambitions and/or perceived obligations and all the "stored" STUFF. Yikes. Shannnoooonnnn! And all the collected mail AND the TAXES!!! And the floor sanding, then the boat re-do. Some things are definitely easier on board. I understand trepidation and ambivalence of returning from sea that some friends express. And I'm anxious (in all its subtles) to be home.

Yellow house on Hill

Meandering through this river/canal,  really IS beautiful. We are at high tide so no worries about depth. We saw this amazing, old Crosby Yawl. It was large (40'?), blue with a natural color canopy over the cockpit, half dozen men in foul weather gear in cockpit sipping drinks as they cruised around in the rain. The 91 year old boat had just been launched. It was pumping water out a porthole, wood still swelling, I assume. Probably they were yacht club members but YC hasn't put mooring balls out. So, we asked the men if anyone knew a mooring ball we could have for free. Yes. There. So we did. And we'll leave really early tomorrow. The boat and occupants were wonderful. Reminded me a great deal of dance camp at Bates.

Falling asleep here. time for bed.