Day 373, Year 10: James Meets Windbird
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Cold, High mid-40’s F, Low in the 30’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Brrrr . . . the north wind is blowing and it will reach into the low 30’s F again tonight. Today was only in the 40’s and tomorrow will be the same before it warms back up a few degrees. So today was a cold day for James, the young man that will crew for us from here to Myrtle Beach, to come and meet Windbird. The good thing is that it shouldn’t be much colder than today during our trip south and it will warm up a bit once we reach Norfolk. Thank goodness for that. Mark put James to work even before he got to the boat. When Mark met him at the dock, he had James help load the old mainsail into the dinghy from the car and then get it from the dinghy up and onboard Windbird. Later Mark had James help get the spinnaker on deck in case we need it between here and Norfolk. And then Mark had him put Jed’s Mercury outboard motor into the dinghy to take it to shore. James took all of this in stride and was ready for more. And it was wonderful to have the help with heavy lifting. I think James is going to work out great as crew on Windbird and I hope we can offer him a positive sailing experience in return for his help. When we were showing him our weather sources we discovered that the weather forecast from last night has already changed. Getting a favorable three-day window is looking quite challenging. We will watch carefully and still hope to be able to leave sometime late this week or early next week as we have to get the boat to Myrtle Beach and be ready to fly back here for Mark’s CT on Monday morning, November 16th.

151018 Day 373 Cape Cod, USA–James Meets Windbird

After we gave James a thorough introduction to sailing aboard Windbird, we headed into town to have dinner at Heather and Jed’s. Sam, Jonah, and Ollie see James when they go to Maine each summer and at Christmas time, so they were delighted to see him this afternoon. He played lacrosse with them and then helped them get their Halloween pumpkins ready to carve. James is great with the kids and they love his attention, so it was a wonderful evening with happy little boys. Heather and Jed whipped up a wonderful fall dinner of roasted pork tenderloin, pumpkin risotto, and stir-fried bok choy. And then Jed made fresh apple cider donuts for dessert. All was delicious.

Day 372, Year 10: Another Soccer Saturday
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Cool, High in the 50’s F, Low Tonight in the 30’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

It was another Soccer Saturday for Oma and Granddad. We went to Sam’s game in the morning, brought Ollie back to the boat for lunch, and then drove back into Falmouth for Jonah’s 1:30 pm game. After the game we drove to Heather and Jed’s so we could use their yard to roll out Windbird’s original mainsail to check it out. Our current mainsail is showing signs of old age and we wanted to see if the old sail is in good enough shape to use as a backup. The captain thinks it is, so we’ll take it with us . . . just in case.

It is looking like we might have a weather window ‘of sorts’ that will allow us to leave here a week from today. The winds turn to come from the north on Friday, but at this point Friday looks a little too windy with unsettled seas. Things settle down on Saturday and then settle a little too much on Sunday. As it looks right now, we might be motoring most of the way. We’d like to wait for an opening that would allow us to sail, but the forecast for the following week looks bleak. We might just have to take the less than perfect window and motor. Tomorrow the young man who is going to go with us as crew is coming down from Boston to meet Windbird. James is the grandson of Jed’s Aunt Sue and Uncle John and I think the last time we saw him was Christmas of 2007 in Maine when he was ten. Tomorrow we will go over Windbird’s major systems with James and answer any questions he might have. Then we will get serious about getting ready to sail south. Much to do this week!
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151017 Day 372 Cape Cod, USA–Another Soccer Saturday

Day 371, Year 10: Jiggity-jog
Date: Friday, October 16, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Cool, High in the 50’s F
Location: Back Home on Windbird, Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

I titled the log “Jiggity-jog” because I didn’t want to write “Home Again, Home Again” again . . . and besides, I knew you would fill in the words with the prompt. We have been to Boston and home again too many times in the past six weeks, but Mark is almost finished with his radiation treatments. Monday will be the last one and we will celebrate!!!

We just got home because we offered to babysit for Heather and Jed tonight while they went to a friend’s birthday party. It is after midnight, way past time to go to bed, so I’m making this log short. We had a good day. Mark is feeling okay, not great, but good enough. The weather is still beautiful, but cooling off quickly. We might have our first frost this weekend. And we really enjoyed seeing the boys tonight. Heather has to be out of town tomorrow and it is soccer Saturday, so Mark and I will help Jed with child watch while he coaches the two soccer teams. As always, we find a way to keep ourselves busy, busy.

Day 370, Year 10: Back to Boston
Date: Thursday, October 15, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny and Windy, Cooling Down
Location: AstraZeneca Hope Lodge, Jamaica Plain Neighborhood, Boston, MA

I drove back to Boston today to be with Mark. These double radiation treatments are zapping his energy, so I wanted to be here to take to him his afternoon treatment. Riding public transportation is great, but not when you aren’t feeling good. We are having a quiet evening and in the morning we will clean the apartment in preparation of Mark moving out. He will return to Boston on Monday for his last treatments. Hurry! And then we will get down to the serious business of figuring out when we can sail south. Right now the weather next week is not encouraging. The forecast at this time looks like there might be favorable winds on Friday and no wind on Saturday, but then on Sunday the wind once again comes from the south. We could take the two day window and get to the Delaware Bay, but that would not be our first choice. But if the forecast for the following week looks no better, we might have to take what we get.

Day 369, Year 10: Granola Making Day
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Weather: Clear Early, then Partly Sunny and Windy
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Today was one of my granola making days. I went to Heather’s to use her oven and will return in the morning to complete the job. Then I’m off to Boston. I will get there in time to take Mark to his afternoon radiation treatment. I’ll spend the night and help Mark with the required cleaning of his apartment before he checks out on Friday afternoon. We’ll both return to the Cape for the weekend and commute to Boston on Monday and Tuesday for more medical appointments. At that point, we’ll be looking for that window of opportunity to sail south. Lots to do between now and then–busy days ahead.

Day 368, Year 10: Number of Days in a Year
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Weather: Rain Early, Partly Cloudy Day, Windy Evening
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

This log says it is Day 368 of Year 10 in the Voyage of Windbird. I don’t know about you, but the last time I checked on the number of days in a year it was 365 or 366 in a leap year. But my log years represent cruising seasons, not actual calendar years. This year, Year 10, will end when we sail out of Quissett Harbor to go south for the winter. We’re hoping that will be sometime late next week. All we need is three days of gentle winds from the north to get us safely to Norfolk. So we just have to be patient. If we’re really lucky, we will be able to leave next Wednesday or Thursday and the number of days in this cruising year will be 376 or 377. But if next week doesn’t work, our departure date needs to be sometime before the end of the month. The weather watch is on.

The rain this morning was torrential and it delayed our planned trip to the dock to fill Windbird’s water tanks. But as predicted by Weather Underground, at 10 am the rains slacked off and we were able to leave the mooring and head to the dock. We took full advantage of being tied to the dock. Not only did we fill the water tanks, but Mary Ellen and Lee got off with their things, we off loaded our kayak and generator for winter storage, and we loaded on cases of beer for our passage south. So most of the heavy work in preparation of leaving is done. I’m sure we’ll find other things we need to offload and others that we want to bring onboard, but we at least have a good start. Mark and I took Windbird back out to the mooring and then I took Mark to shore. He left with Mary Ellen and Lee for Boston. Lee and ME are staying at the Hope Lodge with Mark tonight and tomorrow they will continue their fall road trip—next stop Buffalo, New York. We had a wonderful visit with them and hope to see them again this winter when we are in Florida. After they left, I drove to storage to get the kayak and generator located in their winter home and then I went to Heather and Jed’s to do some laundry. I was really headed to the laundromat near their home, but when I got there I found that it is closed for renovations. The advantage of going to the laundromat is that everything can be washed at the same time. But since that wasn’t possible, I did as much as I could at Heather’s and will continue tomorrow. And since I was ‘in the neighborhood’ Heather asked me to pick Sam and Jonah up from school. In the early evening I met Bob and Beth Lux for dinner in downtown Falmouth. They are yacht club friends from Concord, New Hampshire, who have had their sailboat in Quissett Harbor since mid-August. We went to the Mexican restaurant in downtown Falmouth and had a great dinner. They are here to sail Rhodora across Buzzards Bay for winter storage. We didn’t talk about their plans for next summer, but it would be great if they came back here as it is so nice to have cruising friends in the harbor.

151013 Day 368 Cape Cod, USA–Saying Farewell to Mary Ellen and Lee

Day 367, Year 10: Day Trip to Martha’s Vineyard
Date: Monday, October 12, 2015
Weather: Gorgeous, Gorgeous Day and Warm
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

What a beautiful day for a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard. There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature was near 70 degrees with just a gentle breeze. It was perfect for the ferry ride over and back. We arrived in Oak Bluffs, bought a $5 (senior citizen price) all day bus ticket and took a walk through Wesleyan Grove. Shortly after the Civil War, this area became the summer meeting ground for open-air Christian revivals. People came to the island from the mainland and stayed dormitory style in large tents known as society tents. Eventually the tents were placed on wooden platforms and then small gingerbread cottages were built on the platforms around the central open-air church tabernacle. The cottages are charming and it is delightful to walk amongst them. After our gingerbread cottage tour, we hopped on a bus and went to Edgartown. There we visited some of the major historical sites and had a great lunch on the waterfront at The Sea Shanty. From Edgartown on the eastern end of the island, we rode on the bus to the far western end to what was once known as Gay Head. The area is now renamed Aquinnah after its Native American origins–land of the Wampanoag tribe of Aquinnah. The clay cliffs that lead down to the ocean are quite dramatic but we really didn’t have time to get off the bus and explore. Mark and Lee made a mad dash out to the viewing area and then back to the bus just in time for departure. We ended our day in Vineyard Haven and celebrated the gorgeous weather and lovely day of exploring by having ice cream cones. We were back in Woods Hole by 5:45 pm and spent the rest of the evening on Windbird.

151012 Day 367a Cape Cod, USA–Day Trip to Martha's Vineyard

I received a multi-media text message from Jed while we were having lunch. It was a photo of the boys playing on the beach in Quissett Harbor with Windbird as their background. There was no school today, so they enjoyed a beach day. Heather is still in Boston at a conference, so Jed was a single dad today. Obviously the boys were enjoying their day off school with one last summer of 2015 beach excursion.

Tomorrow morning our plan is to take Windbird to the dock to fill up with water. After that, Mark, Lee, and Mary Ellen will take off for Boston. They all plan to walk part of Boston’s Freedom Trail in the early afternoon and then get Mark to Mass General for his 3:30 pm radiation treatment. After that they will all head to the Hope Lodge for night. Lee is a huge Cubs fan and they won another game in the five-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals tonight. The next game is at 4:30 pm tomorrow and they hope to get to the Hope Lodge in time to watch the game. I’ll be staying here, rooting for the Cubs, and getting back to the preparations for our upcoming sail south.

Day 366, Year 10: A Walk in Beebe Woods
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2015
Weather: Sunny and Warmer Than Expected
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Today was a low-key, lovely day. We met Heather, Jed, and boys in Woods Hole for breakfast at The Fishmonger Café and then we all went to the Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth for a walk in Beebe Woods. Highfield Hall is where we went this summer to see the fairy houses. Most of those are gone now as it was just a summer display, but we really enjoyed our walk through the woods. Sam and Jonah were just glad to be out frolicking in the woods. Ollie was especially interested in all of the different toadstools and was convinced that fairies live under the big round umbrella tops. The boys took off on a path and we followed hoping it would circle and come back to Highfield Hall. And thankfully, it did. Sam, Jonah, and Ollie have all really enjoyed spending time with Uncle Lee and Aunt Mary Ellen and this walk gave them more time to get to know each other better.

151011 Day 366a Cape Cod, USA–Walk in Beebe Woods & Highfield Hall and Gardens

Sam took my camera again today and got some wonderful photos. He is very good at zooming in to get close shots. Yesterday he got some great photos of Jonah playing soccer. Today he was able to get a close shot of a very small butterfly that I have now identified as a small copper, American copper, or common copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

151011 Day 366b Cape Cod, USA–Copper Butterfly

And then he worked very hard at trying to capture the photo of a very fast moving spider that hides in a funnel-shaped indentation on one side of a flat web that lies on the top of low shrubs. I’m not sure of the name of the spider, but I’m thinking it might be in the Agelenidae family.

151011 Day 366c Cape Cod, USA–Spider with Funnel-shaped Web

After our walk in the woods, Mark, Lee, Mary Ellen, and I returned to Windbird to spend a lazy afternoon. Mark and Lee sat in the sunny cockpit and soaked in the warmth while Mary Ellen rested and I cooked Southwest Bean Soup for dinner. I also got a chance to look at the photos from yesterday and today. Tomorrow we will take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. The weather is supposed to be warmer than today and even sunnier, so we are looking forward to that adventure.

Day 365, Year 10: Saturday with Mary Ellen and Lee
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Weather: Windy and Cool but Sunny
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Today was soccer day for Sam and Jonah. Heather was in Boston attending a conference, so Mark, Mary Ellen, Lee, and I went to the games. Jed is an assistant coach for Sam’s team and the only coach for Jonah’s team, so his attention has to be on the games. We helped out by playing with Ollie. It was a beautiful morning, albeit just a tad cool and windy. Sam’s game was in a protected park, but Jonah’s game was on the recreational soccer fields by the ocean. It is a gorgeous spot, but was windier, thus cooler, than the earlier game. But by cool, I mean a high in the upper 50’s. With the sunshine, that is just fine, so after Jonah’s game we all went down to the beach to let the boys take off their shoes and run in the sand. We then came back to Heather and Jed’s for lunch. Lee and Mary Ellen went to Mass at 4 pm and Mark and I continued to hang out with the boys. Jed left for a birthday party for a good friend around 5 pm and at 5:30 pm we gathered in the living room with the boys and Molly and Joey from next door to watch the Chicago Cubs play the St. Louis Cardinals. Lee is a die-hard Cubs fan of many years and the boys really enjoyed watching the game with him and listening to his commentary. The day gave Lee and Mary Ellen a chance to really get to know Sam, Jonah, and Ollie and that was very special. Heather was driving home from Boston to meet Jed at the birthday party and they should be home soon. We will then head back to Windbird. In the morning we will meet Heather and family in Woods Hole for breakfast and then Heather will be on her way to back to Boston and we are thinking we might take the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard.

151010 Day 365 Cape Cod, USA–Saturday with ME and Lee

Day 364, Year 10: Trip to the New England Aquarium & Lee and ME Arrive
Date: Friday, October 9, 2015
Weather: Mostly Cloudy with Rain in the Evening
Location: Back Home on Windbird in Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Big Day! Mark and I met Heather and boys at the New England Aquarium early in the day and by evening we were back in Falmouth having dinner at Heather and Jed’s with Mary Ellen and Lee (Mark’s sister and brother-in-law). And tonight Mary Ellen and Lee are here aboard Windbird with us. They will be with us through the long holiday weekend and we are really looking forward to the visit.

As always we loved visiting the Aquarium. Mark couldn’t stay long as he had to get to Mass General for another round of double whammy radiation sessions. But I stayed with Heather, Sam, Jonah, and Ollie. I handed my camera over to Sam who took some great photos and videos. Unfortunately it’s just too late and I’m too tired to get those posted tonight, but they will be coming soon. As much as we all love the Aquarium, by 3 pm the boys were starting to lose it, so we headed home. Heather and boys parked at the Quincy Adams T station in Braintree so that at the end of the day they could ride the T instead of fighting Friday evening inner-city traffic. Very smart. Unfortunately Mark and I were already in the city and couldn’t do the same thing. Mark’s treatment wasn’t over until close to 4 pm and we didn’t get home until after 7 pm. That’s the longest it has ever taken us to drive home from Boston. The traffic was horrific. But it was Friday evening of a 3-day weekend and it was pouring rain. With a great deal of patience, we made it and will now start enjoying our time with Lee and Mary Ellen.
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151009 Day 364 Cape Cod, USA–Trip to the New England Aquarium