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Fit for Sailing

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Good Morning! 2 degrees above out there in the door yard. I just got in from starting to heat the shop. I love to hear the snow squeak under foot as I walk on these cold mornings. I had to hike up to the crew cabin to find something and the woods were black yet at this early hour but first light should be here by the time I finish typing. Hunt and peck, hunt and peck, typist I am not. We usually get up at 0530 just to find a quiet hour before we get the kids up.

This morning feels especially busy as we start in earnest getting spring fit-out under way. Kaitlyn, a special young woman who attends a local high school, began working yesterday. She is some tough and spent the afternoon splitting firewood in a biting wind. She and I were on a run on the ambulance yesterday morning. In addition to being a high senior she has just finished her EMT license exams and anxiously awaits confirmation of her success.

Paul starts today. Paul has been around wooden boats for a while. He built his own boat, a small one which took countless thousands of hours and which he actively sails out of Belfast to points far and wide here on the Maine coast. Paul wanted to get a glimpse inside the dream that is these large sailing vessels. Windjammers seem to attract people of all shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds for reasons my simple mind can’t fathom. You can call it lure of the sea but it goes far deeper than that from what I can see. Our human choices seem to go deeper on a personal level that any one who isn’t us will ever know. The scary part for me is sharing the “man behind the curtain.” As Paul and Kaitlyn will soon find out there is a whole lot more to the dream that anyone can imagine. So there are my random musings for the day. Stay warm, be well, have a great day!

I am not sure who to credit this photo to but it is a beautiful shot of the schooner anchored in the Fox I. thorofare between North Haven and Vinalhaven.
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Unknown said…
Barry and Jen, I saw the link on your web site and had a great time reading your musings. It got me to thinking about growing up in New Jersey, my two brothers and I playing in the snow, sleigh riding all day long and into the night. Ice skating until we couldn't feel our feet. No firewood to split in Bergenfield NJ. But plenty of walks and driveways to shovel. On the very rare occasion we get significant snow here in Alabama we all just stay home, have a little fun and complain about the cold.

I also maintain a blog for my family. Feel free to check it out.

http://demellier.blogspot.com/index.html

Ed DeMellier
January 22, 2007 at 9:24 PM
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