Norfolk, Cold Toilet Seats and Isolation

First and foremost…WELCOME HOME MATT!! I do hope you are still excited about your new home. I am looking forward to seeing pictures. And…a big “thank you” to all of our Vets that have sacrificed to keep our country free!!

To Norfolk…as always I try to put pictures of where we are…following are some pictures of where the Lady H is anchored. Much more open to the wind and weather (which is now a steady 18 knots with the boat swinging in the breeze)…not the best holding (as Paul stated when we anchored here last Wednesday and was confirmed by the cruisers I met Sunday) and VERY COLD!Hence…the cold toilet seats. I guess after living in Z for the colder seasons previously and then being on the boat for a year in warmer climes…I forgot how cold toilet seats get…and, well maybe in a nice warm house they don’t get that cold…but here on the boat…suffice to say…first thing in the morning…well, I’m more than ready to get south!!! And, to the isolation…it was very sweet to hear from a friend via email that if I needed anything that he could be here in 8 hours (versus Back Creek…friends from Baltimore could have visited for lunch or dinner…and if I am to “need” any assistance – time to “rescue” - 30 minutes)…so, yes, I was not happy with Paul’s decision to isolate me here in Norfolk.But as always…I am trying to make lemonade!! Sunday I went knocking on a boat close by…met a cruising couple and told them I was by myself for a week. How sweet and supportive they were! I then took the dingy over to the “far” side – downtown Portsmouth proper - and rode my bike around the red brick road. On this adventure I found a lot of historical homes still kept up in their “old” glory! No pictures as I was wary of taking the good camera while alone as a young man who had served Paul and I a blooming onion on Saturday said the trail might not be the safest ride alone. Not to be dissuaded I went riding anyway. As I rode…a sign…estate sale!!! There is something about estate sales…so I locked up the bike and stopped in…found a few small treasures…there was a beautiful table that I would have loved…but no need on the boat…and shipping would have been a nightmare I’m sure as it was a beautiful glass top. When I got back to the boat I was invited to go to the “other side” of Portsmouth with the cruising couple and watch football at a sport’s bar…was great to be included even though I’m not much into football anymore.They were having some engine problems which is why they had been in this anchorage so long…this anchorage is usually used by what Paul calls “ditch diggers”…so they typically arrive late in the afternoon…anchor…get some sleep…and are off early in the morning traveling down the Inner Costal Waterway…getting more miles in to their warm destination. Monday morning…Chris came knocking to let me know that they were heading south…darn. Then later Monday a young man (relatively speaking) came by in his dingy after anchoring, as I was taking laundry down…and we started chatting. I have an open invitation for “happy hour” on his boat…perhaps I’ll take him up on it this evening. He will be here a few days while he waits for crew, then waits for weather, before continuing his journey to the BVI’s. His wife and kids will be flying down to meet them there.
Oh, and for those that know…my rib(s) and the bruising under my rib(s), slowly, very slowly is getting less painful…I’m still being very careful, slow and deliberate in my actions to keep from re-injuring…like I have already done once….very frustrating for me...but, I want to be able to dive in St Maarten…priorities you know! Ha ha ha!!!