A beautiful sunrise that does not show well in my photo.
We were up early to call the Gilmerton Bridge to see if repairs had been made and when the bridge would open. Nada, neither repairs nor opening schedule. We did learn that the City couldn't figure the problem so an engineer from away was flying in at 1:00 p.m. to analyze the problem and, hopefully, find and implement a solution tonight. The bridge tenders kept encouraging us to call every couple hours as the best way to get up-to-date information.
While waiting between calls beginning around 1:30 p.m. we 1) did a small laundry; 2) vacuumed the entire boat interior; 3) put up a smoke detector; 4) put up a CO detector; 5) made dinner and ate it; 6) I finished my book; 7) went for a walk on the beach (at last! felt as if we'd been here a month and no walk on the beach would truly be slacking!!?!); and we've just come from a movie date.
The boat is ready. We're ready. It's getting cold again! Now for the bridge. I keep wondering, metaphysically speaking, what is it we're supposed to do/learn here that is keeping us here. I have discussed with my angels that it isn't necessary to be ill or have boat difficulties in order to stay, if staying we must, and I appreciate that it is now circumstances outside our immediate health or environment that are causing our delay. But what??? Certainly, we're enjoying the people in this community but it isn't quite warm enough to be considered a "southern home." It IS the sort of community...further south...that we can enjoy so that might be a learning. Or...? Or...?
My book. Not even sure who gave it to me or if I bought it. Diana and David read it for their book club. H is for Hawk is thick with narrative and insight and information. There are about three "stories" going: hawk training; grieving dad's sudden death; biographical analysis of T.H. White who wrote several books about the King Arthur legend. It is thick, dense with insight and description; a wonderful naturalist writing, too. I totally enjoyed it and think there is much to understand, enjoy in a second reading sometime in my future. Again, I'm reminded of the documentary I saw, The Eagle Huntress.
After our chilly walk on the beach I came back to the Breezeway to look at a map to see more clearly "where the hell are we." It was helpful. I keep thinking I'm looking across water to Maryland but, no. The land I see across the water is Hampton Roads, VA. and there is MORE VA to the right of that, from my vantage point. Norfolk downtown is around behind and to the west of us here on Willoughby Spit. There are so many rivers coming into this "mouth" of Chesapeake Bay. BIG bodies of water.
The movie we saw, The Post, about the Washington Post publishing the Pentagon Papers is a MUST SEE. So very timely to review this aspect of our national history, given our President's insistence on "fake news" and his effort to silence and destroy free press. Even though I knew the ending, my shoulders were around my ears with the tension of will she or won't she (Katherine Graham) allow the story to run. It was wonderful to watch Graham's (played by Meryl Streep) transformation from a timid, frightful executive to the owner (!) of her paper and her responsibilities and HER decisions. Makes me proud watching that transformation. Heartbreaking to remember the deception of our government toward all of us and the lives and money spent, wasted, so unnecessarily. All for pride.Those costs are brutal. WE seem to NOT learn.
So here we wait - "waiting in a huddle" - is a line from The Lost Colony. I remember the women said it while repairing the fish nets but I don't remember the exact context. Maybe tomorrow the bridge will be repaired. Maybe tomorrow there will be no skim ice. Just saying, when the temperature has been 20 degrees, 45 feels really warm; but when the temps have been 70, then 45 seems really chilly and tonight it is supposed to go down into the 20s again. Burrrrrrrrrr. Sunny and not too warm tomorrow. Nevertheless, we're ready to go if the bridge opens. Missing these new friends here but , I think, ready. Waiting.
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