Well, another 4 days and we haven't traveled very far - only to Vineyard Haven on Thursday. We had to motor, no wind. But that gave us plenty of hot water to do dishes and shower after a swim once we got to Vineyard Haven. The trip was pretty uneventful - up Buzzards Bay again, the tide with us allowing us to travel at 7 knots, tide with us through "The Hole" and then right into the harbor to our favorite spot to anchor. On the way here I called a French Restaurant in Edgartown and made reservations for dinner. We got all spiffied up in our best, and headed in. On the way we stopped and chatted with Frank Di Risso (a former work colleague of my mom's) and his wife Barbara on their Fortier 33 "Patience" which was on a mooring in the main harbor. Dinner was delicious - but VERY VERY pricey. Soft shell crab, oysters on the half shell, fresh baked halibut and filet mignon. It felt good to not be eating off of paper plates, and sitting in a nice restaurant with white table cloths and be waited on. We wandered a bit around Edgartown before heading back to Vineyard Haven - the shops have changed, but Edgartown is still the prettiest and cleanest tourist town going. Flowers blooming everywhere, the store fronts are filled with brightly colored and inviting window displays, and the atmosphere is one of fun and relaxation. We made a promise to return for a morning of window shopping later during our stay.
Highlights of the rest of our stay included a trip to GayHead (Aquinnah) and the beautiful panoramic views of Vineyard Sound, the window shopping trip to Edgartown (Spent NO money) and the Vineyard Haven Street Fair. Of course none of this would be possible without plenty of seafood - clam cakes, fish and chips, lobster salad rolls etc. I really feel like I've been on vacation these few days. I haven't cooked much aboard - David has even treated for breakfast out 2 of the 3 days. I realized yesterday that that's what makes our summer vacations so affordable - we can visit Edgartown, Nantucket, Vineyard Haven, Hyannis, Long Island, Watch Hill, Block Island, because our home is also our means of transportation (or vice versa) and we tend not to do a lot of eating out and expensive shopping excursions. I watch the people who come here on vacation, rushing here and there - to the beach, off on fishing trips, sightseeing tours and the like. They seem frazzled, trying to get it all in in just 10 days and we have the whole summer to do it!!! Are we lucky or what?
Today we will sail back to Cuttyhunk. We hope to meet up with Mike and Jane once more - maybe have a cook-out on the beach.
But before I close I need to share a sad story. Many years ago, about 20 at least, David, Christen, Robert and I met a couple on board their Pearson 26, "Snappy Lede". Steve and Susan Myrick, and their daughter Becky became instant friends, we tied up along side them in our C&C 29, enjoyed many good times together and met up for at least 2 or 3 summers after. Susan was pregnant with Allie, a second daughter when we met them that first summer.
David and I have seen a larger version of "Snappy Lede" and t/t "Snappy Lede" several times in the last few years here in Vineyard Haven but never Steve or Susan. Last night we finally caught up with Steve on board with his cat "Joe". He and Joe live aboard "Snappy Lede" in the summer, he is working here in the Vineyard for the Gazette. He and Susan are divorced, their daughter Becky has graduated from University of Michigan (I can only picture her as a cute, blond-haired 4 year old). Their daughter Allie was murdered a few years ago by an abusive boyfriend. I never knew Allie, but the grief and sadness is there on Steve's face and in his eyes. I cannot imagine the pain and sorrow. Steve said he and Becky and her boyfriend may come to Newport in August. I hope we can meet up with them.
We have traveled these waters for over 20 years, returning to some of the same places time after time. I watched Rob when he was with us earlier this month - I could see the longing for times past - the beach, the dinghy with the 2 hp engine that didn't have reverse, the Mad Martha's ice-cream cones, the many trips to the old (less clean) Steamship Authority, the A&P, The Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, the Black Dog, the Carousel, The Navigator (It's now called the Atlantic), and many more places I'm sure. We also look for our friends and acquaintances like Steve and Susan, the family from Cataumet that we tied up to (Mom, you remember them - you and I were alone with Christen and Robert that time), the harbormaster, even the people we never really met but seemed to travel to the same places at the same time as us. We often recognized their boats, waved and quietly considered them our "friends". We can't re-live those times again, but we can remember them fondly. We will continue to re-visit - as these are our favorite haunts, and we will meet new friends. We will visit new places and find new experiences. Our summer vacations on board "Obsession" were and are and will always be special.
David is downloading all my pictures from my iPhone to my Dell (wanna be Apple) computer so the next time I blog it will be a picture blog.
Heading back to Cuttyhunk later today - hope we have some wind and hope the tide will take us down the Vineyard Sound instead of Buzzards Bay again.
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