Day 272, Year 10: Another Busy Summer Day
Date: Thursday, July 9, 2015
Weather: Partly Cloudy Day, Much Cooler Than Yesterday
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Some days I feel like a dog chasing his tail and today was one of those days. Mark had to be at the hospital at 8:40 am to get a heart monitor attached to his body for a 24-hour trial. I had a 10:45 am physical therapy appointment. And then Mark had to be at the infusion center before noon to get the infusion he was supposed to get yesterday. In between all of this we were taking care of Sam, Jonah, and Ollie. Mark had a really nice, quiet time with the boys while I went to PT. When I returned, Mark left for his infusion, and the boys and I had an early lunch and headed for Woods Hole. Ollie really wanted to go to “his aquarium”—actually the Woods Hole Science Aquarium run by NOAA. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no place in Woods Hole to park today within any reasonable walking distance of the aquarium (with three kids and limited time), so we put the aquarium on hold until tomorrow and just went to the park to play until time for Sam’s School of Science class. We were having a good time on the playground when, all of a sudden, Jonah disappeared. I assumed he was hiding in the tube slide, but Sam checked every nook and cranny on the playground, and Jonah was nowhere to be found. Sam then had the presence of mind to climb to the tallest point on the playground structure and look in all directions for Jonah. “Oma, he’s over there watching guys play softball.” And indeed he was. He loves ball games of all types and somehow drifted over to watch. He got a little lecture about leaving an area without telling an adult, but before I could finish the lecture, one of the guys brought a softball over to him and said it was for us to play with. We found a telephone pole with a small concrete slab a good distance away to use as the pitcher’s mound and the three boys took turns trying to knock down the telephone pole with the softball! We took Sam to class, Ollie fell asleep for his nap, and when we got home Jonah decided we should make chocolate chip cookies. We ended up making Toll House Squares and he was a happy camper. I had Jonah read the recipe from the bag of chips and he complained saying that recipes should be in a book. He measured out the ingredients and then decided to count the chocolate chips before putting them into the batter. He decided that a handful was 10 chips and ended up declaring that there are 275 chocolate chips in a bag. That is after he ate a good many! When Ollie got up, he decided to help me in the garden by hauling weeds to the compost pile in his little wheelbarrow. Jonah joined in as well. Then Mark returned from getting his infusion and we made it back to Quissett just in time to go to Shambala for dinner. It was a busy summer day, but it was a good one. Maybe chasing your tail is not all bad.

Day 271, Year 10: Beach Morning for S, J, & O; CONfusion Day for Mark
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Weather: Mostly Cloudy Day, VERY Warm and Humid
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Today was a beach morning for Sam, Jonah, Ollie, and Oma and a very CONfusing day for Mark. This was supposed to be his infusion day but the after waiting two hours he found that the center did not have the drugs needed for today infusion and he will have to return tomorrow. What a bummer! But it was very lucky that the boys and I had decided to spend our morning at a beach near to Mark’s infusion center and then have lunch just a hop, skip, and a jump away from him. Because just as were finishing lunch and getting ready to head to Woods Hole to drop Sam off for class, Mark called and said he was ready to go home. We were able to pick him up on the way with no delay in Sam’s arrival in Woods Hole. So that part of the day worked perfectly.

Our beach experience this morning was at Megansett Beach in Megansett Harbor. Ollie calls this his beach as Mark and I took him there a couple of times before Sam and Jonah got out of school. The older boys have never been there before, and Ollie was thrilled to be able to introduce them to something new. The beach is perfect for kids who want to jump waves on a beach facing Buzzards Bay or who want to net minnows and crabs on the quiet harbor side. The boys enjoyed both experiences and will want to return here again. We had pizza for lunch at the Route 151 Drive Inn, a favorite stop for pizza, and then we fortuitously got the call from Mark, picked him up, and then headed to Woods Hole. Unfortunately, Mark will have to return tomorrow to get his Infusion, and any change in schedule causes CONfusion, but we’ll figure it out.

Tonight we had Chris and Geoff of Shambala aboard Windbird for dinner. We caught up on life happenings and will continue the conversation tomorrow night aboard Shambala. Chris and Geoff spent time in New York with our mutual friends Ed and Lynne this past weekend, and it was great to catch up on the happenings in their lives as well. We have not really made any connections with cruising friends here, so it is wonderful to reconnect with our world cruising friends.

Day 270, Year 10: Busy Day for the Birthday ‘Boy’
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Hot with Temp in the mid-80’s F, SW Wind 10-15
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

It was a busy day for the birthday ‘boy’—Happy Birthday, Mark. What started out to be a quiet morning at home with Sam, Jonah, and Ollie quickly changed when I mentioned to them that it was low tide at one of their favorite beaches. They immediately wanted to go, and so we did. This beach is part of the Cape Cod Natural History Museum and they run a program called Mudflat Mania on low-tide days. Today we didn’t join the Museum program as Jonah and Sam created their own ‘mania’. Instead of looking for critters, they ran in the shallow water and found deeper holes to jump into and swim about. I kept reminding them that they hadn’t found one moon snail trail, but they didn’t care. They were just having too much fun messing about in the water. Ollie and I joined them and then Ollie decided that he preferred trying to catch tiny, tiny little fish in the puddles on the mudflat. The hour+ drive back to Woods Hole gave the big boys a chance to eat lunch and rest and it gave Ollie a chance to take an early nap. We dropped Sam off for his 1:45 pm class at the Children’s School of Science and then we headed into town to pick up our admission bracelets for a 3 pm magic show at the public library. Ollie and Jonah loved the show, but Mark and I were very disappointed in way the magician plugged his business. He told the kids that there were magic cards on the table that they could have for free. He explained that that they were magic because if they took the card home and placed in the hand of one of their parents, he (the magician) would magically appear at their birthday party. The ‘magic’ card was simply his business card. In my mind, this was nothing but bad business. I’ve taken the boys to many Falmouth Library events and have never witnessed this kind of unscrupulous behavior. Too bad because I think the little ones enjoyed the show.

150707 Day 270 Cape Cod, USA–From Mudflats to Magic Show

After the show, Mark left for a physical therapy appointment and Jonah, Ollie, and I went into the Children’s Room at the library to check out some magic books. We then walked to a candy store that sells ice cream and indulged in an ice cream cone on a hot afternoon before going to the playground across from the Library. We played they while waiting to meet up with Heather, Jed, Sam, and Mark. Heather and Sam biked into Falmouth from Woods Hole after Sam’s class. This was the first time Sam has ever ridden all the way into town. Way to go, Sam!

We all converged on the Indian restaurant on Main Street and had a fabulous birthday dinner in Mark’s honor. Going out to dinner with three little boys has not always been the most wonderful of experiences, but tonight they were delightful and we all really enjoyed the food. So thank you, Heather and Jed. And when we got home, we had another delightful surprise. Our Australian sailing friends, Geoff and Chris of Shambala, had just arrived in Quissett Harbor. They did an overnight from Staten Island. We visited briefly and will visit again in the morning and then tomorrow night over dinner on Windbird.

Thank you to everyone who sent email, snail mail, and Facebook birthday greetings to Mark. In addition to hearing from so many friends, he received wonderful gifts from both of his children, spent his day having fun with grandchildren, and spent his evening having a wonderful dinner with family and then visiting with friends. It is hard to hope all of that, but when he got back to Windbird he had a piece of the absolutely fabulous pirate cheese cake that Heather made for him. Life is good.

Note: Last night I made a reference to our dinghy motor indicating that it is a diesel motor. Not so, and not sure what I was thinking when I wrote that. More than likely, I was not thinking!

Day 269, Year 10: A Day Off
Date: Monday, July 6, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny, Still Windy
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Heather gave Oma and Granddad the day off today. She stayed home with the boys and we stayed on Windbird and relaxed in the morning. In the afternoon we went to pick up our dinghy motor. If you follow this blog, you know that our dinghy (with the fuel tank in it) and motor were flipped upside down during the ‘the big blow’ two weeks ago. Salt water and diesel engines don’t get along. So $400 later, we have our Yamaha 15 hp motor back from The Boat Guy and hopefully it still a one-pull Yamaha. We bought a 5-gallon fuel can this afternoon and will have to pour the fuel mixed with water out of our dinghy fuel tank into the new can until we can figure out what to do with it. We will then fill the old fuel tank with water-free fuel, switch motors, and give our old Yamaha a test run. But it will probably be a few days before we’ll have the time to get this done. Thankfully we have Heather and Jed’s Mercury motor to tide us over. We also talked to the folks at Blue Water Insurance this afternoon and they are saying that we need to get Windbird hauled and get an estimate on repairs to the keel and rudder. If we didn’t live aboard, that wouldn’t be so difficult, but we are going to have to find a yard that will allow us to live aboard while the work is being done. Hopefully it can be hauled, get the estimate, and have the work done all within a week. But that is just my ‘hopeful’ thinking. It would be a lot easier to wait until fall to do this, but it sounds like the insurance company wants us to act on it quickly. So we shall see.

Day 268, Year 10: Happy Early Birthday to Mark
Date: Sunday, July 5, 2015
Weather: Partly Sunny, Windy Day, Winds SW 20-25
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Today we celebrated Mark’s birthday two days early, so we had the annual pirate birthday sail. Three years ago, Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco were here for Mark’s birthday and in honor of Ziggy’s obsession with pirates, we had a total pirate birthday sail. It was so much fun that we have continued the tradition. Today’s sail was a bit boisterous with 20-25 knot winds, but it was a fun day. Heather baked a cream cheese pirate birthday cake for her dad, and it was delicious. We played on the beach, kayaked, had lunch followed by pirate cheesecake, and went sailing. It was a bit lumpy with the strong winds, but all in all, it was a fantastic day. It was great to have Kevin and Claire to help with the celebration. Happy early birthday to Mark!

150705 Day 268 Cape Cod, USA–Granddad's Pirate Birthday

Day 267, Year 10: Happy 4th of July
Date: Saturday, July 4, 2015
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, Clearing a Bit in the Evening; High 70 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

Here’s hoping everyone had a happy 4th of July. My day got off to a great start when I opened my email and found a happy summer e-card in my inbox. It was from Alan and Helaine Kanegsberg. An automated drawing hand drew a sailboat and colored it in and then drew a dinghy. The background looked just like Quissett Harbor. Thank you, Alan and Helaine, for making my day.

The other thing that made my day was when friends Kevin and Claire arrived for a visit. We went downtown to the Library book sale and then Kevin cooked a fantastic dinner with a choice of steak or grilled grouper tacos. He also made a great guacamole dip for an appetizer. He and Claire brought pastries from an Italian restaurant in New Haven for dessert and after we stuffed ourselves, we went to the beach to watch the Falmouth fireworks. It was a fantastic day with friends.

150704 Day 267 Cape Cod, USA–July 4th

Day 266, Year 10: Fun Friday Explorations and Dinner at the Woodin’s
Date: Friday, July 3, 2015
Weather: Beautiful Day; Temp in the Upper 70’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

The town of Sandwich is about fifteen miles north of Falmouth. The Heritage Museums & Gardens are in Sandwich and today Mark, Jed, and I visited with Sam, Jonah, and Ollie. We had a super fun Friday. Heritage was established in 1969 by J. K. Lilly of Eli Lilly pharmaceutical fame. Family collections are on display here and various exhibitions are scattered in the 100 acres. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to visit. We visited Hidden Hollow, a favorite of all children, where a very tall cedar house in the treetops is known as the tree house. There we played with puppets, played wooden xylophones, and played in the sand. We rode on the antique hand-carved carousel, walked the labyrinth, enjoyed finding the Secret Shelters scattered throughout the grounds, visited the antique car museum, and on and on. It really is the kind of place you have to see to fully comprehend its beauty. Jed and I were particularly drawn to the very tall rhododendron trees. We had both always thought of rhododendron as a bush, but the owner of the property before J. K. Lilly, Charles Owen Dexter, came up with these hybrid rhododendron giants. After the day at Heritage, Mark and I came back to Windbird and got ready for an evening of fun at Bruce and Jane Woodin’s. As always, thank you Bruce and Jane. Tomorrow our friends Kevin and Claire arrive. We stay busy, busy here.

150703 Day 266 Cape Cod, USA–Heritage Museums & Gardens

Day 265, Year 10: Kayaking Fun in Quissett Harbor
Date: Thursday, July 2, 2015
Weather: Partly Cloudy; Temp in Upper 70’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

For some strange reason, last night’s log did not get posted. Either I thought I posted it and didn’t or there was some technical glitch. Probably the former, but I’ll make sure I post tonight’s log. I apologize for the problem.

Mark went to shore with me this morning just after 8:30 am and we drove to Heather and Jed’s. When we arrived we found out that Heather was biking to work today. Good for her! Grammie Goldstone was leaving just as we arrived and Jed was scurrying around the house getting it in shape for an inspection by an assessor at 11 am this morning. They are having the house assessed so they can refinance their home loan to a lower interest rate. I got a laundry started, put sunscreen on the boys, and then we left to take Mark to work at West Marine. After dropping him off, the boys and I headed to Windbird where we spent the rest of the morning having fun in the kayak in Quissett Harbor. Sam and Jonah had a great time and then Ollie said he wanted to get in the kayak. He has been in it before, but is usually sitting in someone’s lap. Not today. He got in the front seat of the kayak and immediately started paddling. Sam was in the back seat to steer and Ollie was so proud of himself for being able to handle the oar. The time passed way too quickly and we had to stop the fun and get back to Windbird for lunch. We have to get Sam to the Children’s School of Science by 1:45 each day. We ate lunch, but it took much longer than anticipated, and we had to scurry to get back to shore and get Sam to class on time. We’ll get better at the timing issue as the summer progresses. The rest of the afternoon was low key and delightful. While Ollie napped, Jonah and I did a marathon read aloud. And when Ollie got up, he wanted to read as well. I was almost hoarse from reading so much by the time Heather and Jed got home with Sam. Mark doesn’t have to work tomorrow, so we are taking the boys to the Heritage Gardens and Museum. Admission is free tomorrow as part of the Massachusetts Free Friday Museum offering, so we will go and enjoy the many outdoor activities they have there for children. I’d better get to bed now so I will have the energy to deal with the Goldpebbles tomorrow.

150702 Day 265 Cape Cod, USA–Messing About in Boats in Quissett Harbor

Day 264, Year 10: More Wind, More Rain—Lots of It
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Weather: Stormy Morning, Sunny Afternoon; Temp Low 70’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, MA

July came in with a bang, literally. This morning there was lots of thunder accompanying buckets of rain. And we had another tornado watch this morning. Tornadoes in western Massachusetts are not all that rare, but tornados here on the Cape used to be but are becoming an increasing phenomenon. Early this morning the sun was shining, but by the time I got up at 8 am, it was overcast and threatening rain. By 8:30 it became apparent that serious weather was headed our way, so I rushed to get in the dinghy and get to shore before the rain started. Good idea, but it didn’t work. By the time I reached the dinghy dock, the heavens opened up and literally just dumped. By the time I got to the car, it was raining harder than I ever remember. And it continued like this until I got into town. The streets were full of water as the drains just couldn’t handle the volume. And then I got a call from Mark telling me that Heather had called to let me know there was a severe weather tornado warning. The weather service was telling people to get inside immediately, but I kept driving in hopes I would reach Heather’s before things got worse. When I got there, they were all in the basement waiting out the storm. Using our cell phones to check the radar, we finally saw that the storm had passed and that we could come out of hiding. There was still a lot of thunder, but eventually things settled down and the boys could go outside to play in the puddles. We enjoyed a relaxed morning doing lots of puddle stomping.

Marti, Jed’s mom, was watching the radar to track the storm as it went north. She finally decided to stay another night and not chance traveling in such serve weather. She took Sam to his class at the Science School in the afternoon and took Jonah along as well. They visited the aquarium in Woods Hole and after Sam’s class they all went to the Exhibit Center. Ollie and I stayed home. He took a nap and I rearranged the books on their shelves. Everyone enjoyed having two grandmas to look after them again today, but Marti has to leave tomorrow. I will surely miss her help with the boys.