July 7-14      North Kingstown, Rhode Island

We needed extra help on the boat for cleaning inside and outside.  Cody, the fourteen-year-old grandson of the marina owner needed a summer job.  He now comes weekly to wash down the boat, clean the aft deck, vacuum and perform any other chores.  He is very eager to learn and I enjoy working with him.  I taught him to make square corners on bed sheets and he was excited to show his mother his new skill.  He likes to have spending money and I like to have his help.

On Wednesday, I took Pretzel to a dog groomer in Exeter (about 25 minutes from the boat).  She did an excellent job and Pretzel has a lovely short summer cut.  While waiting, I had a delicious lunch at The Middle of Nowhere Diner, a quintessential small-town diner with older waitresses and home style cooking.  I had scrod baked in butter and covered in crushed Ritz crackers.  Absolutely wonderful!

I then  made a trip to Dave’s for scrod and Ritz crackers.  On Friday evening, we hosted John and Betsie for dinner on the aft deck.  The scrod dish was served and was just as delicious as I remembered it to be.  We enjoyed learning about their recent trip to Slovenia and Croatia.  They will go in February to Kenya for a family safari.  Great world travelers in addition to showing their boat at the Newport Boat Show in September.

David chauffeured Maria, her friend Jen and me to the park for the Wickford Art Show.  It was an amazing display of talent and creativity.   Both Maria and Jen are craftsy and were eager to study new techniques in jewelry making and painting.  I admired the work of others.

We celebrated John Carpenter’s birthday on Saturday with dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar in their beautiful temporary location.  Only days before Memorial Day, their large and extremely popular restaurant burned.  With more than 300 employees ready for the summer season, the owner performed a miracle.  On the parking lot across from the burned building, he raised a large, beautiful tent with a wooden floor, special lighting, and accommodation for several hundred diners.   With a reduced menu of favorites and a full staff of employees, the restaurant was open July1.  As expected, customers were delighted to experience again some of the best seafood in Rhode Island.