ten ten ten ten

one of the amazing views on the way

a covered bridge

i bought some eggs and whoopie pies from these lovely women

the iconic adirondack chair

10:10, 10/10/10

it's about 10:10pm, on october the 10th. as i sit here on thestern, my first night back to our lovely, floating cricket, i wrap my new foulweather coat around me tighter to repel the cold and gaze to the east out past rockland's round, ample harbor. i look over thebreakwater wall with it's little lighthouse rotating every four seconds or so. way off in the distance i can see three red lights flashing inunison. these i now know very well. they are the familiar lights atop the wind generators on north haven island, 10 or somiles away. i have seen them not only from this port, but also from gazing eastward from camden's port, also theybeamed outward to us one night as we sailed back and forth far south of them to avoid lobster floats until morning light(unsuccessfully). looking even farther eastward i notice three stars in a vertical row risingtogether. could those be the stars that make up orion's belt? sure enough! there are his two shoulder stars, and his left footis above the horizon now, with his right soon to rise. strange to see this constellation now. this is known as a winterconstellation! i guess it's time to head this good ol' boat southward, which is the whole reason why i'm now here.

i've been traveling from minnesota eastward for a few days to get here to rocklandmaine. it was an absolutely awesome experience to drive, wander, and camp through the allegany and adirondack mountains! theautumn colors were perhaps just past their peak time, but seeing such immense hillsides ablaze withsuch colors was beyond breathtaking! it was an amazing time to cross over and through the appalachian mountains,even though the nights were a bit cold. it felt good to cozy up to the campfire each night, turning myself around like amarshmallow on a stick to toast all of myself, all the way round.now i’ve gone and found yet another place to someday come back to and further explore!

but tonight here on the boat on the bay there can be no such fire. i’m just beginning to feel the cold northeast wind that will most likely intensify and drive me farther south to the land of warm. deep down there are feelings of apprehension, but further down, looking at the incredible sea world that i am allowed to be a part of i feel comfort. there are embers there that warm the heart. i will toast myself around those coals tonight. good night orion. time to crawl into my fluffy down sleeping bag. i’ve been sleeping on the solid terra-firma en route to here, but tonight it will be wonderfully strange to feel my bed move gently with the fluid waves. the feeling is a definite... 10!