Barry and I recently took a wonderful trip to Miami and Biscayne Bay to attend ASA sailing school. We spent five days and four nights aboard a roomy 40' Manta catamaran and were both certified in ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat), 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), 104 (Bareboat Chartering), and 114 (Catamaran Cruising). We had a blast and learned so much. Chomping at the bit for more, we have already signed up for ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) and 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising) in Charleston with the same school. Just when I thought we were through studying for awhile!
For a complete report and many more photos of our trip to Biscayne Bay, click here.
At long last, the daffodils are blooming! We had a warmer than usual winter (at least through mid-January, when it finally arrived) in the North Carolina piedmont; and as a result, we started seeing daffodils in bloom occasionally on our weekend hikes in state parks very early. These daffodils are typically on the sites of old homesteads, where only piles of rocks mark where chimneys once stood. But our daffodils are stubborn. I have two "fancy" varieties from a catalog, not the common bright yellow daffs we see in the woods. They're slooooow, very slow. Being planted on a north-facing slope doesn't help matters any, either. But yesterday, finally, after a glorious 78-degree day, 17 degrees above our normal high for the date, the buds began to open on variety #1 (variety #2 is waiting for April showers, apparently). Even though it's not quite spring by the calendar and the deciduous trees haven't shown their first blush of green, it is now officially springtime in our yard. The daffodils say it's so.
The skies soon cleared, so we bundled up well and braved the chilly morning. We headed to Umstead Park for a hike on the Loblolly Trail. Once we got a few miles away from home, the dusting of snow was only a memory in the bright morning sunshine. We had a very nice hike of 12 miles, and I hardly felt a day over 45! Here are a few photos Barry took of the birthday girl along the way:
Barry and I recently took a wonderful trip to Miami and Biscayne Bay to attend ASA sailing school. We spent five days and four nights aboard a roomy 40' Manta catamaran and were both certified in ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat), 103 (Basic Coastal Cruising), 104 (Bareboat Chartering), and 114 (Catamaran Cruising). We had a blast and learned so much. Chomping at the bit for more, we have already signed up for ASA 105 (Coastal Navigation) and 106 (Advanced Coastal Cruising) in Charleston with the same school. Just when I thought we were through studying for awhile!
For a complete report and many more photos of our trip to Biscayne Bay, click here.
At long last, the daffodils are blooming! We had a warmer than usual winter (at least through mid-January, when it finally arrived) in the North Carolina piedmont; and as a result, we started seeing daffodils in bloom occasionally on our weekend hikes in state parks very early. These daffodils are typically on the sites of old homesteads, where only piles of rocks mark where chimneys once stood. But our daffodils are stubborn. I have two "fancy" varieties from a catalog, not the common bright yellow daffs we see in the woods. They're slooooow, very slow. Being planted on a north-facing slope doesn't help matters any, either. But yesterday, finally, after a glorious 78-degree day, 17 degrees above our normal high for the date, the buds began to open on variety #1 (variety #2 is waiting for April showers, apparently). Even though it's not quite spring by the calendar and the deciduous trees haven't shown their first blush of green, it is now officially springtime in our yard. The daffodils say it's so.
