May 30-June 4                     Wickford, Rhode Island

Our plans to return to Wickford in mid-May were changed twice by a business concern and the sudden unexpected death of a beloved friend.  We finally made an early departure on May 30 with dog and five suitcases.  Pretzel, our miniature Dachshund puppy, accompanied us in a small carry-on.  She had been mildly sedated and was quiet and docile.  Our trip to Providence was uneventful and we secured our rental car and soon were on the way to Wickford.

The scenery on the short drive from the airport was lovely with lush greenery, magnificent bushes of rhododendrons in profuse blooms of white, pink, and magenta, and tall erect Irises in colorful display. The many historic homes along the route seemed to be situated in botanical gardens.

 Our GPS guided us to Wickford Shipyard and we easily found The Bottom Line on the main dock.  To our amazement and delight, Miller Dupuis, our friend from Maine, waved to us from the deck and immediately came to transport our luggage to the boat.  He was a lifesaver!  He lives nearby and had come to the marina to wash the boat, straighten the interior, and see that all systems were ready for our arrival.  He would continue to work on the boat for several days more to provide the help needed to prepare for our journey.  We were pleased to have a great view of the channel from the bay and could easily watch the many boats and various activities on the water. 

After short naps, we left for Wickford, only a half mile from the boat, to buy food for breakfast and have dinner.  Tate’s Italian Kitchen, a small local favorite, was our choice.  Immaculately clean and neat, Tate’s is a delightful place with excellent food and service.  We enjoyed veal, mushrooms, and capers in a flavorful lemon sauce.  My roasted beet and orange salad was the best ever.  With a good bottle of wine, we celebrated our return to Rhode Island.

Wickford Shipyard is a large facility with many boats in the water, on the hard, and in various shops.  We were pleased with their winter storage care and the extra help we needed to facilitate solving newly discovered problems.  Several large batteries were dead and David decided to replace all eight of them.   They were ordered and would be installed on Monday or Tuesday. The AC in the middle stateroom needed a new part and would be arriving on Monday.  Carpet for the salon was due to be installed on Monday.  Next week would be busy.  Two plastic curtains on the aft deck needed zipper replacements.  A canvas shop was nearby and this repair was quickly made.  Miller was present and active on a list of small tasks. 

The car was useful for trips to Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, West Marine, and limited sightseeing.  An excellent grocery store was in Wickford. We quickly became acclimated to the area and its many amenities.  Miller surprised us with Caribbean rice and beans with delicious pork ribs for our lunch on Wednesday.  On Friday, he brought freshly caught monk fish and scallops for our weekend meals.  We are spoiled and we love it!  Pretzel us consistently defying our attempts to "boat train" her.  She is unpredictable and I am in fear of my soon-to-be-installed carpet.

s