Visiting in Illinois

Loy and Linda are visiting in Illinois. Sandpiper is at Hidden Harbor Marina in St. Augustine being looked after by Ernie and Carolyn Steller on s/v Hispanolia. Last Friday night we attended a lecture by Alexander McCall Smith (author of The #1 Ladies Detective Agency series, the German Professor series, and others). We have read a number of his #1 Ladies Detective Agency books while sailing and visited the book store to gather his other series to take back to Sandpiper for summer reading.

Linda is teaching seminars this week for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services in Bloomington, IL. She may return in June to do additional work for them and to restore the boat fund. Loy is doing some work in the counseling office of Nancy Kuhn in St. Charles this week, helping Bruce Keuhl and Mary Jane Cross with their moving, making some repairs for neighbors, and planting the garden. Our son, Carl, is coming in for the weekend from St. Thomas USVI to see us and to attend a friend's bachelor party in Chicago.

This year of cruising has had a different character from the first two years of this adventure. This year we have spent less time at marina docks and more time anchored or at moorings. We have been more self reliant for power, water and food. When we have taken the dinghy ashore our range has been extended by our folding bicycles so we could get to more beaches, churches, and stores than previously when we were only on foot. We have added a bigger bank of batteries to help with power management, a battery monitoring instrument and a riding (anchoring) sail to hold the boat steadier on anchor and at moorings. We have learned more about enjoying whatever situation we find ourself in. Life is indeed about the journey, not the destination. As in previous years the best of our experience is the people we meet from every corner of the world and with their own story of how they got here and what it means to them. We are now planning for year four on this adventure that started out to be a two year trip. We hope a number of friends will join us along the way for a leg of the journey.