blue thanksgiving, black friday

Yesterday - Thanksgiving Day for most people - was an incredibly beautiful day on the water.  Scuffletown Creek (don't you love the name?) was quiet and peaceful when I pulled up at the ramp.  Just a couple of trailers there, fishermen out looking for rockfish on the river.  Blue skies, a nice ENE wind and temperatures headed to the high 60s.

I saw a couple of snowbirds headed down the southern branch as I rigged Spartina, then found one more still anchored on Craford Bay.  I believe his name is Stephane.  He said he was headed south from Quebec on his Westsail 32 Merlou.  How far? I asked.  "As far as I can go," he said.  He's been living on the boat for three years now, so he's always at home.  I don't know much about big boats, but the Westsail looked rock solid and he had it in very fine shape.  

The gentle wind blowing across the Elizabeth carried Spartina down Town Point Reach to the coal piers, then around the piers to the wide entrance to the Lafayette River.  Gentle, relaxing sailing, sometimes steering with my knee up against the tiller as I leaned back and soaked in the late November sun.  Just a glorious day.

Turning back in early after noon the wind swung to ESE and we tacked back down the river in the company of four more snowbirds.  More local people out on the river than I expected, all out enjoying the day.  A couple in a nice old Boston Whaler motored over to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving.  How nice is that?

Back at the ramp I found the lot deserted, everyone home to enjoy football and a feast.  I took my time breaking down Spartina's rig with football on the radio and warm sunshine on my face.  I had to remind myself more than once that it was later November.  How many more sails this year?  With weather like this maybe two or three.

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Today is Black Friday and I can't ever imagine myself at a shopping mall or big box store with the crowds of Christmas shoppers.  But the Virginia ABC (alcoholic beverage control) stores had their own Black Friday, meaning a welcomed 10% off on a much needed resupply of Laphroaig.  I think I was the only customer there buying a single bottle, everyone seemed to be loading up grocery carts with wine, bourbon and whatever.  One bottle, which will last months, was just fine for me.