Sunday thru Tuesday, we were in Deltaville, VA. Still too hot. Wind had a northern component….not desirable, upwind, no thanks. Borrowed marina car to visit supermarket, only game in town. Quite a storm on Tuesday. Met our friends’ family, Roger and Marilyn’s son and his family, visiting from Italy. All their grandkids that I have met are adorable, well rounded children….cute too.

Wednesday, nice morning….time to depart Deltaville. 8:30…..already hot. We tied up at Calvert’s, in Solomons, MD, by 4:45. Usually, we spend the first night in Solomon’s on the hook, anchored out before we get to the marina. This year, way too hot….need to plug into Marina electricity for air conditioner…..that has been the story this whole trip north. We weren’t in a hurry to get home. I think I was actually stalling. But, it’s been mostly, marina to marina, with the air conditioner on plus a small fan forward.

Next comes cleaning and packing before picking up the rental car and driving home. This year, I decided to empty every locker, bin, drawer, etc and clean out. Several trips were made to donation bins. Some “stuff” was brought home. It’s the same as a house, constantly organizing, sorting, cleaning……..I insist on leaving her clean and organized. Nothing of any value is left on board. When we get back, load, stock and go…..

Another trip completed.

Sunday, woke at Hampton Public Pier. Larry made breakfast while I dealt with condo issues. Note: don’t ever buy a condo and don’t ever join the board. Spent the rest of the day on board.

Monday, spent the morning on board, then visited the Virginia Air and Space Museum. Saw two IMAX movies, a special Apollo 11, then SuperDogs. The latter was not animated dogs in super costumes but actual working dogs-dogs that save lives all over the world. One dog was followed from selection from breeder, to graduation from training program. When we left, rain…..we darted back to boat, beating the downpours.

Tuesday, we rented a car and drove to Salisbury, MD. We took Lizzie for a second opinion to a vet we had met when Ruby (prior kitty) had a problem. Dr. Peters is a good vet. Ride started with us being stuck in traffic for a long time-had to change appointment time. We actually sat in one spot for over 30 minutes. After that, a nice ride. We took the Chesapeake tunnel, always fun. Then up the eastern shore of Maryland. Very pleasant ride. Crape Myrtles in bloom, long stretches of them. Well, the trip resulted in Lizzie on prednisone for at least another 10 days, but at a reduced dosage. Doctor doesn’t think it’s anything bad because it is improving. Were it bad, she would be getting worse. That alone made me feel much better. Worth the approximately 284 miles round trip.

Wednesday, drove to Deltaville, VA, to visit friends, Roger and Marilyn and see their new boat. They had a grandson visiting who was an awesome ten year old. We had lunch with them at a burger joint and then drove back. It was a quick trip but a pleasure to see them, even briefly. We stocked up for the next leg of our trip during our drive back.

Thursday, we stayed on board all day then drove to Gloucester to meet friends, Jerry and Wendy, also boaters, for the best Thai I have had since Bangkok. Hell of a storm while we were at the restaurant…. a had quite a view from my chair. Interesting lightning on the way home. It looked like cloud to cloud, but with branches…..

Friday, easy day on board. I attended a condo board meeting over the phone. Then we went to dinner at Bull Island Brewery, right next to the pier. Afterwards, a walk.

Saturday…. OK, we have to leave. Weather/wind has not been cooperating and it’s up Chesapeake Bay next. That is part of the reason we have not pushed ahead sooner. We cast off at 6:40. Started out fine then, on the nose 10-15, with some 15-20 gusts form the North. Waves 3 feet. We got beaten up a bit….just uncomfortable. Arrived at Deltaville around 2. Dozier’s Marina. Beat…..just settled in…. getting close to the end of this trip…..

Sunday, we sat. Still Beaufort, NC. Still worried about Lizzie the cat’s eyes. Still two different size pupils…..now on prednisone…….

Monday, we have to move on. Her eyes may not be a quick fix. She hasn’t had a negative reaction to the prednisone…..and looked a little better this morning…..so we are moving on….we cast off at 9:55. Gorgeous day but NE 10ish. We got a little beaten up crossing the Neuse River….by then, 15-20, on the nose. At 4:30, tied up at RE Mayo (AICW mile marker 156.7). Nothing to do here but buy fresh fish and Larry didn’t want any today. Just saw the biggest fly I have ever seen….about three times marsh fly size…

Tuesday, cast off 7:45. Quiet morning. Pungo-Alligator Rivers Canal. Quite a bit of birds, wild flowers, cattails, faux cattails, and huge red/orange dragonflies. Anchor down by 6PM, at the Little Alligator River, AICW mile marker 82. Good run 75 miles. Good for Panda Bear. Star gazing after dark….amazing…..in the middle of nowhere. This might be our last nice night anchored out for this trip.

Wednesday, crossed Albemarle Sound. Usually, not a favorite and weather must be watched carefully…. long fetch and shallow water, potentially resulting in very choppy crossings, especially if on the beam……Today, we had an easy crossing. Early departure to ensure flat seas. Arrived at Coinjock Marina, AICW mile marker 50……seems like a slow mile marker countdown…..Took showers and off to have lunch at the restaurant onsite. Awesome as usual. Only glitch today, restaurant electrical issues. They just reopened, only one waitress working. Poor woman should have been on roller skates. We mentioned we were not in a rush. She winced as a crowd came in, but she handled the situation very well. My prime rib and Larry’s oysters were yummy. We split a piece of hummingbird pie. I had to bring a piece of pecan pie home to the boat for consumption in the evening. Heat was intense. There was a little rain, but not enough to cool off. On shore near us, a house has well-occupied bird houses. Makes me miss my well-occupied bird houses back home.

Thursday, met fellow loopers on a sailboat. Cast off by 8:25. Hot and buggy. Lizzie doing a bit worse than yesterday. Saw a bald eagle soaring, appropriate for 4th of July. BTW, crossed into Virginia. Docked at AYB, Chesapeake City by 2:00, AICW mile marker 12.2. Cleaned up the pilothouse and my onboard garden in the heat….sweat kept getting in my eyes. 93 but felt like 104. Later that evening, we watched the 4th of July celebrations from Washington DC on TV. Grateful no loud fireworks near us, do not want to rattle Lizzie and make her nervous with this eye condition.

Friday, rain forecasted for the afternoon so we walked to breakfast. Tried a new-to-us place, Sunrise. Not crazy about it at all. I won’t be going back to that restaurant. Then we walked and shopped and food shopped. Very hot. Larry hustled back to the boat with ice cream, I shopped my way back. By 3:00, sunny on one side of the boat, thunder on the other. I was sitting in the back porch and lightning struck .4 miles away-I must have jumped a foot off the chair. Afterwards, shooting, hunters…..

Saturday, cloudy and rain, with thunderstorms expected in the afternoon. Departed AYB at 8:45. 9:00 Great Bridge opening then proceeded to lock. In total, 45 minutes from casting off from marina to coming out of the lock….darn good. Fueled at Top Rack which always has the best diesel fuel price. Proceeded by Norfolk, then arrived at Hampton Public Pier in the afternoon and just relaxed…. with the a/c on, of course.