I was out for my morning walk before folks made their way to the park. It was a peaceful trek along the trails with the only sounds being those of songbirds, woodpeckers, and squirrels. The drop in temperature overnight combined with the breeze led to a newly deposited layer of yellow Carolina jasmine blossoms across the forest floor. Back onboard, we gathered our bags and headed over to Kroger with our shopping list. There were three distinct groups in the store -- those wearing masks and gloves, those (like us) without protective gear but respectful of others, and way too many who were clueless and wandered around in their own world. We loaded up on fruit, veggies, and yogurt and got back to Crossroads as quickly as possible to wash our hands and put everything away. Heavy clouds moved in and it turned much colder. We watched as several good-sized logs floated by and endured a nerve-wracking 45 minutes as this workboat attempted to hold station beside us while waiting for the bridge's scheduled opening. It was very poor timing on the captain's part and the bridge wasn't going to open early. Once that mess cleared out, we prepared to run over to the fuel dock and top off the tanks. I held out as long as I could, but finally had to pull the Cold Gear back out of storage and pair it with a long-sleeved T-shirt and a fleece jacket. I could feel my tan fading under all the layers.
A pleasant surprise was seeing $1.93 a gallon for diesel. (The going rate in The Bahamas was around $5.00 a gallon. We took over 300 gallons, so the savings add up.) I enjoyed the view of the colorful azaleas and pansies as I pumped and went for a closer look as Barry paid. Docking practice concluded as we made our way back to the Battlefield Park Docking Pier. I finished my latest book and then went for another walk through the woods. We took the same route as I did this morning, but the scenery was new and different. I spotted a large patch of lady slippers that I had totally missed earlier in the day. These rare woodland orchids have always been one of my favorites.
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