Watching the Wind Blow..

"Through woods and mountain passes

The winds, like anthems, roll."

-  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The weather has taken front stage the past few days for the wind has been howling! Even here, in this marina that has good protection from nearly all sides, the wind has been whistling down the hillsides and rocking the boats. I awoke the other night hearing a cacaphony of noise: halyards clanging and banging frantically against the masts of the sailboats in the nearby slips, the deep creaks and groans of the floating wooden piers as they surged about, being tugged and pulled by the boats, canvas pieces snapping irritably with the gusts, the low thumping of our dinghy as she squeezed up against the fenders against Equinox's hull, the long squeal of the lines as they stretched and flexed, restraining the various vessels...it was a symphony that only the wind can conduct! 

And with the wind blowing and the seas kicking up, no one is leaving any time soon. Each of us has plans/hopes/dreams to move on in our journeys; some south, some north, but all in different directions! As is always the case with cruising, plans are written in sand at low tide, and always subject to change at the whims of the weather. So...we wait! Happily though, this group is an optimistic one, and no one is complaining too much. We're all using the time to our advantage, repairing things, doing maintenance, route planning, etc. It's nice to have a sense of accomplishment from getting things done, be it more cleaning or whathave you! My galley stove is gleaming, and I used the wind to my advantage, doing some thorough carpet cleaning by pulling out a few pieces of carpeting onto the pier to air them out while I did more in-depth cleaning aboard. So, everyone's been quite productive.

On top of all that, we've all been busy cooking!! Our happy hour sundowner sessions have slowly  burgeoned into fabulous feasts, with treats and eats of all kinds! From simple cheese plates and pretzels, we've moved on to conch fritters, homemade hummus, lentil dip, onion and cheese dip casseroles, crackers layered with egg, cucumber and Swedish caviar, as well as red-pepper and feta cheese dip with toasted pita chips: Delicious!! (Or, as Cam would say, quoting the old Latin: "Maximus Num Num!") Ron indulged in a bit of nostaglic cooking, making Maryland-style crab balls for Monday's feast, and last night we had smoky grilled barbequed chicken wings, along with dishes from every vessel. 

It's actually turned into "dinner and a movie" the past two nights; we've all brought so much food to the waterfront cabana each evening that it became dinner! Stuffed from the feasting then reluctant to end the camaraderie, we've followed it with a movie. We've all crowded aboard Equinox's salon, reclining on couch, seats, pillows and floor to watch, complete with popcorn! We've tried to find movies that not everyone has seen, so we've indulged in Fool's Gold and Overboard, and have had so much fun just hanging out. Did I mention we are all social??

Meanwhile, the winds are forecast to diminish a bit, so folks are discussing moving on in various directions tomorrow. So, we'll have one last "movie night" this evening, and relish being together while we can. Tonight's marquee movie: After the Sunset!