June 10, 2009

Ahoy from Deltaville Virginia

It is hard to believe we have been here a week! Where did it go? We left Charleston on Sunday, May 31st and sailed up the coast arriving in Deltaville almost exactly 3 days later on Tuesday, June 2nd.

We saw many huge sea turtles off Cape Hatteras. I saw three turtles swimming together in a large swell off the starboard side of Namaste. They were each about 4 feet in diameter. We also saw a nurse shark basking in the sun. And, we were often greeted by dolphins along the way. At one point a boisterous group of 12 dolphins swam over to greet us before merrily making their way westward.

We were glad to enter the Chesapeake Bay and cross into Virginia. It is so green and lush and bountiful in the spring. I could smell the sweetness of honey suckle and fresh rain in the air as we sailed up the Bay and into the Piankatank River.

Isaac arrived this weekend and we sailed over to Gwynn’s Island and anchored for the night in Stutts Creek. It was great to spend some time with Isaac here on Namaste and then again in Charlottesville. We had not seen Isaac since January and we were so happy to have him here on Namaste and all to ourselves. We drove with him back to Altamont to spend two more nights. Chris was able to accomplish some work and I visited with my sister, Susan, and a few friends. It was great to see family and friends and we look forward to spending more time with everyone in the fall.

We are anchored in Jackson Creek where we began our journey last fall. We have come 3000 miles since then and Namaste has carried us with steadfast grace. We rely on her to shelter and carry us safely anywhere we want to go. She has done far more adding comfort to our journey. She is our muse, transporting us to new places and experiences.

We are enjoying the many birds that dwell on Jackson Creek. We wake to the energetic call of the nesting osprey that inhabit the nearby pilings and channel markers. Ospreys are the only members of a class of diurnal birds who have four toes opposing one another in a two by two fashion. Their wingspan reaches 6 feet. They mate for life and live for 30 years. They can reach a meter down into the water with their talons to catch a fish which they then turn head first as they fly back to the nest to share it with their mate and fledglings. They lay 2 to 4 eggs that hatch every 5 days or so. The first-born has a greater chance of living if food is scarce but they may all survive in times of plenty. There are fledglings in numerous nests at present and many of the females continue to sit on eggs. We enjoy observing all the beautiful birds that inhabit Jackson Creek.

Although we are back at the beginning of our journey, it is not over yet! We will be here a couple more days before we head up the Bay and the Delaware River to Cape May where we will go up the coast to New York. We have learned to say, “we are headed north”, rather than give a destination. We are going where the wind takes us for the summer and then plan to head back to Jackson Creek in mid August. We will keep Namaste in the water until later in the fall so that we can continue to spend time sailing even as we move back into our home and our lives in Charlottesville.

Until later, peace and love.