Happy Birthdays to you

It was so good to be together that we decided to celebrate several family events, past, present, and future: our parents 59th wedding anniversary in September, our father's birthday, and our mother's birthday in November. Too bad this picture does not do justice to the occasion.

Years ago

Years ago, before any of their children were born, our parents went to the Rock Creek Park Cemetery in Washington D.C. and my father took a picture of this statue. It is a beautiful photograph that we've known all our lives. So, on his birthday we wandered around the cemetery looking for the memorial statue for "Clover" Adams. After her suicide, her husband, Henry Adams, commissioned the artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens to express the Buddhist place beyond joy or sorrow, Nirvana, in this figure.

Lexi's Axel

Lexi is right. Her sign says "This is Axel my dog. He is a Leoinbiger." To the rest of the world he may be known as a Leonberger, but with an adult weight of 170 pounds, LeonBIGER seems to be a more accurate description.

Or he could be tired because ....

He is loved so much.

Axel the Leonberger

Why is this puppy so tired? It might be that he is growing so quickly. At the age of 4 months he has achieved the size of an adult Labrador retriever. At this rate he will be as big as a carport when he is one and a half years old.

Wet dog

Axel, the new member of the family, loves showers with Nat. Well, perhaps he just tolerates them patiently.

Contemplating Proverbs 28:1

Even an advanced 7 year old needs some time to consider ancient wisdom literature. This monument to fallen police men and women is inscribed: "The wicked flee when no one pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion."

Suddenly DC

Sailing all night brings us to places before we fully arrive. Suddenly, the boat was secure in Annapolis and we were in DC with Liz, Nat, and Lexi.

Night travel

The tide helped us up the Dreadful Delaware and into the Chesapeake Canal for another night time passage. This is Vinnie at the helm with the prettiest bridge behind him.

The Jersey Shore

Off in the morning, we got to see the sun set on south bound sailors. (Say that out loud fast) We were in a flock of boats were riding the winds of a front to warmer weather.

High Line Park

We walked above the city on an abandon elevated railway track. The area is planted with flowers. Some of the benches and sunbathing lounges are mounted on wheels set on the track so that they can be moved to sun or shade.

Anchored in New York

This is our usual anchorage in the shadow of the tall city. The statue of Liberty is out of sight on the right.

One more brief visit

An overnight sail brought us back to New York City and our New York son Marco.

Goodbye again

We left Peter and Ginny's place and set off for Long Island Sound and New York City. As we passed the Coast Guard Station leaving the Block Island Channel, we got to wave goodbye and see you again once more.