June 7-June 19                North Kingstown, Rhode Island

With no one expected to visit until Charles Martin comes on June 26, we focused on boat chores.  With Rupe’s help and David’s supervision, new surface paint was applied to the bridge and bow areas, engine rooms were cleaned, storage compartments were emptied, no longer useful items were discarded and small repairs were made as needed to the interior and exterior.  The Bottom Line is ready for inspection!

With beautiful, cool weather, we enjoyed a steak dinner on the aft deck with John and Maria Carpenter.  It was an opportunity to renew our friendship from last year and learn more about their interesting professions (she is head of the elementary section of a prestigious private school in Connecticut and John is an entrepreneur who manufactures various objects for industrial clients) and delightful family.  Their knowledge of the local scene is extremely helpful.  Maria has promised to take me shopping at some of her favorite places and I am ready to go!

To our delight and amazement, Wes, the owner of the marina, had a railing constructed and installed on our dock after he learned David was worried I might fall into the water.  No one wants to have to rescue a drenching wet octogenarian who has lost her balance.  The railing is very helpful and I am grateful to have the additional safety feature.

My early morning breakfast and reading session on the aft deck was recently disturbed by the muted voices of several guys in canoes fishing near our boat.  Within a period of less than fifteen minutes, one of them caught three large stripers. Suddenly, other boats were joining in the fun and fishermen were vying for what they hoped would be more stripers.  We regretted Lincoln and Lochlan did not experience such luck when they fished off our dock last week.

We were delighted but not surprised when USA newspaper named Wickford the best small historical town in the United States.  With blocks of well-preserved eighteenth and nineteenth century homes, this small community is truly a jewel of civic pride.  The oldest home is dated 1735 and is a charming little cottage which is still occupied.  George Washington could have slept there!  We love being here.

We enjoy a boat show from our dock as magnificent yachts, small fishing boats and commercial vessels pass by to and from the bay.  For a few days, we had a charming little boat, recently restored, as our dock mate.  

With perseverance, an appointment was finally made with a dog groomer for Pretzel.  Apparently, this profession is highly in demand and we were quoted times in late4 July and August.  Perfect Paws in Wakefield had an opening and we left Pretzel there while we enjoyed a Mexican lunch (with a great frozen Margarita) nearby.  It was delicious food and satisfied our need for an infusion of salsa!  Lisa, the owner of Perfect Paws had four assistants and was swamped with dogs in the process of being groomed.  Pretzel, the smallest dog in the room, survived the chaos and was returned to us beautifully clean and trimmed.

 

 

June 3-June 6                  North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We were excited to have Jackie, John, Lincoln (age 6) and Lochlan (almost age 3) come for a visit.  They flew into Boston, rented a car and arrived at the marina a little after 8:00 P.M.  We had lobster rolls waiting.  Our local supermarket has an exceptional seafood department.  They sell chunk lobster meat which is already out of the shell.  It is expensive but worth it!  No cracking shells, no picking meat and no lobster juice sprayed all over me!  David enjoyed teaching Lincoln how to play dominos.  Lincoln quickly learned the game and won the final match!

On Saturday, we went to the nearby beach and its adjoining playground.  The boys were ecstatic!  After playtime was over, we enjoyed a picnic lunch of fried chicken and all the trimmings.  Reluctantly, we returned to the boat for naps, snacks and fishing on the dock.  We had a late dinner of grilled salmon steaks, potatoes, caprese salad and ice cream. 

John had researched the zoo in Providence and planned a trip.  They left before noon and spent the day enjoying the animals and activities at the zoo.  After retuning and resting, they took the dinghy for a long cruise in the channel.  Dinner was the usual New England feast of lobsters, oysters, clams and corn on the cob.  I had made a blueberry pie for dessert.  We enjoyed long conversations on the aft deck while the boys amused themselves in the salon.

We waved goodbye to them on Monday as they departed for Cape Cod and eventually to Boston.  Always considerate and thoughtful, we found a sweet note and a gift card to a local favorite restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 28-June2               North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Kennedy and Taft’s flight to Rhode Island was canceled on the morning prior to their departure.  Options for other flights were not appealing.  Taft was certain better choices could be made.  With determination and resourcefulness, he finally booked a flight on Saturday morning to Boston.  We chose to have them Uber to the boat rather than drive through heavy traffic to the airport.  They finally arrived at 2:00 P.M. tired and famished.  We sated their hunger with lobster rolls on the aft deck.

Sunday was spent in Newport touring the area and the crowded streets near the historic mansions.  Kennedy and Taft visited (among throngs of others) The Breakers, once home of the very wealthy Vanderbilt family.  Kennedy is a shopper and she scored a homerun with a lovely dress from one of the charming boutiques on Bellevue Avenue in Newport.  After naps on the boat, we went to Narragansett for dinner at The Coast Guard House.  The views of the bay were gorgeous and the food was exceptional. 

Monday was a great day for exploring the shops in Wickford and walking through the neighborhood near the marina.  The rhododendrons were blooming profusely with some plants tall as small trees.  Dinner was on the boat with our standard fare from the nearby seafood market:  steamed lobsters and oysters on the half shell.  With corn on the cob and a blueberry dessert, it was a New England feast.

On Tuesday, Kennedy and Taft slept late, breakfasted on the aft deck and made a long walk to the nearby beach before returning to pack.  We had one more opportunity to let them experience the great seafood of this area.  We enjoyed a late lunch at Blu, a popular restaurant in East Greenwich.  The short trip to the airport in Providence ended their visit to Rhode Island.  We reluctantly said goodbye.  They had been delightful, considerate and fun guests.