Amante: August 2009

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Big night out

Cleaned, pruned, and shined, we all went out for a seafood extravaganza. Although we live surrounded by the sea, marine delicacies seldom find their way into our menu. What a treat; we had great fun and wonderful food.

Finally ....

After getting all of us in order, Melanie was able to take a break from her labors. A shower under the sky and a glass of wine were a good start.

Melanie was here

One by one, Melanie worked her magic on the scruffy and wayward. There are no "before" pictures to be shared.

Getting ready for PTown

Of course, fun usually requires Melanie's expertise and attention to detail.

Cape Cod Fun

But there was much more. Marco, Marco - Marco, Melanie, and Kateri were also visiting at the Chataeu du Chatam. This crowd makes its own entertainment.

On a Mission

We found Meg and a world of adventure in Cape Cod. Vinnie is suited up to joist with the dragon of attic insulation and the monster of plumbing irregularities.

A Real House

We were visiting Peter and Ginny at Byabrook and Neville and Annie on Peace in beautiful Rhode Island when we saw this vision of our old age home.

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Heading down the East River

Before we were done exploring the city, Katherine left for Atlanta, Soon we were sailing through the East River toward Long Island Sound as the sun woke up.

And then .....

We saw the big draw tourist attractions and then ran into the unexpected events.

Church Art

We loved the Cloisters.

Wild life

The Bronx has a great zoo.

Ellis Island

We waited in line for the ferry, moved through the crowds in an orderly fashion, and tried to imagine the experience of the immigrants coming to the United States through these buildings.

What can't they do?

Street performers demonstrated skills we had not imagined.

On the waterfront

We walked the Brooklyn Bridge.

People

Everywhere we found plenty of people. In the crowd Vinnie's neon orange hat was very helpful.

New York New York

We anchored, had lunch, and set off for the city and our usual four step plan of transportation: the Park Bus, the Light Rail, the Path train, and the Subway or bus.

Off again

We had dinner in the ongoing mini Jasinski family reunion and a good night sleep on the solid ground at Mary Jo's and Syd's. Early the next morning we were heading down the Hudson with the tide for New York City.

She's Back

Before all the reunion leftovers had been enjoyed, Katherine Kingma volunteered for yet another challenging episode of life on a sail boat.

Best Men Win

The horse shoe tournament games were marked by exceptional skill, fierce competition, and exuberant beer drinking. The last matches were completed in near dark and the award ceremony quickly followed. The winners of the 2nd Annual George Herrmann Horse Shoe Tournament are:
Vince Jasinski and William Salvatore.

Happy Birthday Jagger.

It wasn't just a reunion, it was Jagger's birthday.

Blessings

There were plenty of children to entertain us, babies to be cuddled, and diaper changing experiences for all.

There's Marco

It was wonderful to find our New York son again.

Eats

There was great food and lots of it. We feasted on Saturday and days later the tasty leftovers continued to feed us.

Family entertainment

Thanks to John and the Nyack Boat Club, Amante was secure on a mooring and we were ready for the Jasinski Family Reunion, all 60 or more of us. Mary Jo and Syd's hospitality created plenty of room for everyone.

We also want to thank Syd and Gretchen for the family reunion photos that follow.

Passage North

We left Grand Rapids, visited family in Atlanta, and made a very short stop in Florida. Our list of essential boat work miraculously shrank in the face of heat, humidity, and vindictive insects. We left Florida behind and in 7 and 1/2 days of off shore sailing we lived simple lives between sunsets and sunrises. After a day of rest in New Jersey we were off again toward New York City and the Hudson River.