The Return of Sunshine

Beaufort  

We had a nice trip home to Richmond and were able to check off all the things we wanted to do. I spent Sunday afternoon with my Mom and we enjoyed watching multiple basketball games together, before I returned home to watch the Super Bowl on the big screen. Monday morning came quickly and it was time to pack our bags, close up the house (again), and head back to Beaufort. The morning was cold and wet; typical of the "90 Days of February" that we are trying so very hard to avoid. At 12:30 we took our seats on the train. My view out the window as we departed was of a nice Richmond mural. The train went only as far as Wilson (NC) then we transferred to a bus for the final miles to Morehead City. We arrived at 6:30 in a cold foggy rain and were very thankful that there was one active Uber driver in the area who took the request to transport us to the marina. We unpacked and turned in a bit early to the sound of heavy rain on the cabintop roof. We woke this morning to a different sound -- that of wind whipping through the rigging. Crossroads was rocking back and forth in the wind-driven chop. I went upstairs and turned on the instruments just to get confirmation of what I was seeing and feeling. Yep, winds consistently over 30 knots. At least the sun was shining.

Looking out the back door, Town Creek was rolling and the American flag across the way was flying stiff. Waves were washing over the floating docks which were undulating in the chop (think Galloping Gertie). We realized pretty early on that our canvas would not be installed today because of the wind. Oh, well. By now we're used to Mother Nature dictating our schedule. Today, however, was already going to be great. We were looking forward to a visit from friends. We had the great pleasure of spending time with Susie and Todd back in Chesapeake on January 2. We found out yesterday that they would passing by Beaufort today and their schedule allowed for a little detour and a visit. We met them in the parking lot and went into town for a nice lunch. Although Crossroads has only traveled 167 miles in the 42 days since we've seen each other, there was so much to chat about -- past, present, and future. Conversation continued outside as we walked up and down Front Street. The Menhaden Melody statue shimmered in the bright sunshine. The artwork comprised of multiple interlocked fish shapes honors Beaufort's historic menhaden fishing traditions. Susie and I enjoyed looking at all the colorful new signs of spring. The wind was also diminishing and it even felt warm. Upon our return to the marina, the docks were back to being stable, so we continued our conversation onboard. Three o'clock quickly arrived and they needed to hit the road. Barry and Todd were still going ...  

We took our parting shot and promised to stay in touch through each of our travels until we meet again down the road. Barry and I did a few errands in the late afternoon and returned to find the same flag that was stiff in the morning to be hanging limp. The wind had blown itself out and Town Creek was flat as the sun set beyond the bridge.

Our canvas should arrive tomorrow morning. We're also excited to see David and Sue once again. Looking on the bright side of this delay, we've been very fortunate to spend tons of quality time with so many dear friends. Every one of these folks has been for us a source of warm sunshine.