Last Wednesday (Nov. 6) was a bittersweet day as I helped cast Ti Amo off on their journey south to The Bahamas. Immediately I set a mental countdown to a February reunion with Glenda, Greg, and Jaxon in the warm sun and beautiful blue waters. Thoughts drifted back to just a few months ago, when girls' laundry day in Black Point was so much fun.
It has been a very busy five months since finishing up our 6,500-mile Great Loop adventure. My first trip was to North Carolina to catch a senior dance recital and also celebrate what would have been my Grandma's 100th birthday. It was a treat to spend many wonderful days hanging out with my three favorite kids. I'm very thankful for our times together when we enjoyed several Kings Dominion visits, ice creams, and crafts. On another trip south, the family received a guided tour of the Catawba campus from my favorite soon-to-be college freshman.
Happy memories were made at two special weddings. The best celebration of all may have been the one for Jaxon, when we partied for his first birthday.
I enjoyed our traditional cousins trail ride at Tanglewood. Glenda and I traveled north for a visit with Fletcher. The big guy is doing well and is as handsome as ever. In August Chris and Roger hosted us in Kiawah for a few days aboard Miss Utah. It was so great to catch up with our dear Loop buddies. Jaxon came to stay at Camp Newland several times. He and I had tons of fun together in between his many naps. The spirited little guy is such a "good boy" and a pleasure to be with. Our big project for the week was his Halloween picture. Between all the visiting, I managed to reclaim my back yard from a year of neglect and enjoyed a bountiful mid-summer harvest of stargazer lilies.
As summer eased into fall, thoughts turned to heading south once more. Lists and more lists were made. Glenda and I compared notes and began to accumulate items. There were, however, many great visits still ahead. Highlights included a Girls Night Out of crafts and Trick or Treating with the kids. A few final meetups with some of my favorite ladies brightened up the final week of preparation.
I felt very confident it what was to be loaded onto Crossroads. With the departure of Ti Amo, a second countdown also began -- that for our own departure. Final meal prep was kicked into high gear. Our favorites were cooked and Food-Saver-ed into ready to reheat portions perfect for the freezer. The dry goods were unboxed and moved onto the boat. Everything has come together nicely and we're ready to go.
Crossroads received several improvements over the summer to make living aboard a bit more comfortable. Barry installed new 12-volt fans. We upgraded our dinghy to give us a smoother ride through the choppy Bahamian waters. Barry replaced our outside lights with LEDs to make us more energy efficient. All these small items were done before Crossroads spent two weeks at the spa getting her hull washed and waxed and her bottom painted. A final few projects, including my trip into the anchor locker to change our electrical connector, and many trips to West Marine have us ready for departure. That countdown stands at a few hours and ticking down.
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