July 11-23                                                     North Kingstown, Rhode Island

David returned to Texas for business but I decided to remain on the boat.  The cool weather of Rhode Island was seductive and I was eager to see some projects completed.  Before leaving, David learned of the death of a beloved business associate and long-time friend.  It was quite a shock as he had just spoken with her at length the evening before and they were planning to work together on a special assignment for a client. 

Pretzel and I settled into solitude quickly and the week passed without incident.  Weather warnings were dire for very high heat over the weekend.  I summoned the air conditioning man who worked to add needed pressure and adjustments to the five ac units on the boat.  The marina manager, Wes, answered my call to add extra power to assure more than one unit would work at a time.  Thankfully, they did a great job and we were ready for the heat.

David arrived home on Saturday evening after being feted by family for a week (I admit I was jealous!) and Pretzel was ecstatic to see him.  She remained glued to him from the moment of his arrival.  Dinner was on the boat with great salmon steaks from Dave’s Marketplace (our local gourmet grocery) that had been DEBONED.  I have designated David to be the head chef of The Bottom Line.  He will cook and I will clean (he also must do the shopping!).

The predicted heat wave, which engulfed the entire Northeast, was as horrid as we were warned.  Hot and humid days kept us in the boat.  Sunday evening brought cool breezes as we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the bow with a drink in hand to wave to the boaters returning to port. 

On Monday, we ventured out in lovely cool weather.  Rupe returned with his helper to complete some projects on the boat.  We are determined to take care of all “the little things” that contribute to the pristine appearance and excellent operation of the boat. 

The heat had moved on and we took advantage of the time before the expected torrential rains.  We made a leisurely drive through the charming neighborhoods of Wickford and were amazed at the exceptional number of Revolutionary War era homes.

Two of our expensive black dock lines had disappeared and we made a trip to West Marine in Narragansett to replace them.  This provided an opportunity to explore and learn more of this fascinating place.  We were surprised to see so much commercial activity hidden behind the tall, thick foliage lining the highways. 

After completing our purchases at West Marine, we had lunch at Two Ten Oyster Bar.  They allowed Pretzel to join us on the outside patio and she behaved very well.  David is determined she will become socialized and he loves to take her with us.  The restaurant was lovely with beautiful flowers all about and a handsome young man as our waiter who could not have been more solicitous.  My fried oysters tacos with avocado and cilantro cream were outstanding.  David ordered grilled octopus and though tasty, like others we have tried, was not to the standard we learned to expect from our friend Irma Leone in Long Island, NY. 

Predicted thunderstorms with lightening and wind brought a dramatic change in the weather.  We were safely ensconced in our nautical home  carefully secured to the dock.  With a stocked refrigerator, needlepoint, reading and good TV reception, we survived well.