The Summer is Icumen In

The spring creeps up on you on the water in fits and starts. The most miserable weather, with wind and rain and ice and snow suddenly will break into a day or two of glorious sunshine, only to retreat into cold and wet. But the cold gets progressively less cold, and the wet turns from snow to warm rain, and suddenly the nice days on the bay become the rule, not the exception.

Today is one of those days, bright and sunny and not a breath of wind. We're sitting in the cockpit enjoying the sun and a libation, talking about travel, going through “the list” of all the stuff that needs to be done aboard before we set out for any adventuring, knowing full well well go before half it's done. If the motor will start, we could go out today. Once the motor inspires confidence and we've gone shopping. . .Once we've gone shopping and renewed the lifelines. . .Once we...you get the idea.

But eventually, the call of the Chesapeake will get loud enough and my restlessness will be antsy enough that we'll strike a line across “The List” right where we are and we'll cast off and head out. A short trip at first, just to make sure, then something of several days length, something to get used to sailing again, to get comfortable with the feel on the water and a life untethered to the bother and noises of time and the land. Magellan, our redoubtable and somewhat ancient ship's cat, climbs into the cockpit and looks at the docks questioningly. He knows what's coming. Travel is his forte. Once the sails are up and the noise of the motor is done he'll sit next to me in the cockpit watching the water, watching me mess with lines and the tiller. He's been eleven years on the water, and seems to love every moment of it.

Or maybe he picks that up from us. Don't get me wrong, the dock is fine, and we love our neighbors and the marina neighborhood. But the Chesapeake is something else, something special, with something new to discover every single day for those adventurous enough to cast off and go.

So we will, in just a few more nice days and a couple of shopping trips. In the meanwhile though, the sunset is beautiful, the spring is here, and the moment is worth savoring.