70 degrees and rain

Norfolk, VA

What an interesting, if unsettling, day. Warm. Really warm. Barefoot temperatures, warm. And raining off and on all day, sometimes hard and sometimes just mist and even sunshine. First thing this morning, a rainbow part, up in the clouds. Not a bird. Not a plane. A rainbow part. It wasn't even raining and the sun was not direct. The rainbow part was projected on higher clouds and sometimes obscured by lower fast moving fog clouds. How weird.

David and I spent a great deal of time reading weather, canal conditions, BRIDGE conditions, where is inexpensive fuel on our way, how far can we comfortably get in a day of travel? All the way to Coinjock? And jump to Alligator River on Tuesday when the wind is really calm? More preparing the boat and ourselves for leaving tomorrow. Then....wait for it....there is still ice in the Virginia Cut canal. More research. Oh, not too much ice and tomorrow is another 70 degree day so it will melt. Then....waiting again....the Gilmerton Bridge is broken. Again! At 8:00 PM tonight it was reported that it will not open to automobile or boating traffic "until further notice." Now, "further notice" could be 7:00 A.M. announcing it will open or it could be....July? Imagine me: collapsed, inverted shoulders.

So, ready to go...somewhere...just get us through/under the Gilmerton Bridge and we'll figure everything else out as we go. Major upgrades were done on this bridge, completed in 2015, and it has been regularly in disrepair with something not working or malfunctioning ever since. Shoddy parts? Shoddy workmanship? Shoddy steel? Shoddy oversight?

So....our boat got some upgrades. David's woven fabric shelf was completed. We tried to go to the beach for a walk but we'd get ready in the sun then it would rain. So no beach walk today. I'll happily forego the beach walk in order to get out of Norfolk tomorrow. I made dinner at the Breezeway, chatted with Maria and Scott who own the very fanciful boat across the dock from us. And home to Grace for reading and writing by 7:30. Early morning wake-up to check bridge status.

Ba humbug