Happy New Year. Back to Work Tomorrow.

Hampton   

I did not see the ball drop at midnight, choosing sleep over formalities. The dawn of 2024 snuck in through heavy cloud cover and with markedly colder temperatures than the day before. My attention turned quickly to the bothersome piles of last-minute "stuff" I had brought aboard in Deltaville. Camera batteries, memory cards, and charging cords all needed to be sorted and put in out-of-the-way yet accessible places. My yoga mat and DVD player were positioned and used for the first time this trip. Yes, my resolution is to refocus on self care and make that part of my daily routine (as done in previous years). I finalized my inventory spreadsheet and then began making updates to account for provisions already depleted in our first four days onboard. Spirits were lifted by numerous calls and texts from family and friends with Happy New Year greetings. After lunch it was time to clean the windshield of all the salt spray we collected on Friday so that we can start tomorrow with good visibility. With many of our chores done, Barry and I went for a walk through the neighborhood adjacent to Safe Harbor Bluewater. I remembered to take a wide-angle shot of the amazing holly tree I mentioned yesterday. It was still breath-taking today, even in the absence of sunshine. In the boatyard we noticed a 56-foot Selene on stands getting work done. It is alway good to see a sister boat.  

We walked around the Merrimac Shores Yacht Basin and checked out all of the docked vessels. A 22-foot Catalina sailboat caught our eye. It is hard to believe that this "little" model was Barry's first boat when we met 33 years ago. Impressive trees lined Chesapeake Avenue. The canopy of the oak spread full and wide. How magnificent would that magnolia tree be if the power company did not continually trim it back off of the lines? 

The houses were also grand with an interesting mix of architectural styles and elegant holiday decorations. A few more onboard checks were done before supper to ready ourselves for a morning departure. We've enjoyed our first visit to Hampton, but the holiday is over and its time to get back to work. We'll have a short day tomorrow with a destination of Great Bridge.