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| A swollen anchorage but little floating debris |
This
morning our river anchorage is swollen from the rain Patricia dumped to the west
and north of us but the floating debris in the current is not severe enough to
delay our final day’s run through the city of Mobile to Turner Marine down
Mobile Bay. An errant minuscule rain shower slips by us in mere minutes and the morning sun glistens off AURORA’s rapidly drying raindrop splatter.
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| Soon to be sunny Mobile, AL |
Running the river through the heart of Mobile is a perspective unavailable
to land based visitors and at once confirms my opinion of this city as a blue
collar, working port. Tens of barges, riding high sans cargo and just as many riding
deep laden with unseen loads, line the shoreline for mile after mile as we pass
through the port. Ocean-going ships come and go on a daily basis sustaining our globalist economy.
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| Downtown Mobile, AL |
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Working port
Heading out into Mobile Bay, I spend a few moments looking at the new nautical chart in my chart plotter and realize this bay is shallow everywhere except in the shipping channel. I miss those steep drop offs along the Pacific Coast. Another milestone occurs as we reach the Dog River channel marker that will lead us into our new marina. We must wave goodbye to VELA NARCOSIS because she is continuing on to the Gulf Inter-Coastal Waterway and ultimately to her annual wintering anchorage, Key West.
It is difficult to say goodbye to Dennis and Wanda but I will visit
friends in the Keys in January when we will sail to Cuba and I will look for
VELA NARCOSIS in that outlying mooring field.
We have unfinished business.
The trip into Turner's is uneventful and after tying up, Brett and I begin the more mundane task of dealing with a flooded car (declared a total loss by the insurance company and so we have to rent a car to return to MKE) and cleaning the boat from several weeks of bachelor detritus.
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I
am not a glib speaker. I am not a fast
writer. It has taken me longer to chronicle
this small adventure that it did to actually live it. I do, however, give serious effort to writing
words that resonate for me and within me.
Exempting paid-for words, I write
about thoughts that are personal and meant for my personal edification. My favorite analogy is the one I just
recently described regarding anchoring.
Just as I endeavor to set my anchor so the boat does not slip into
dangerous waters, my writing is intended to “set” my memories so they do not
flitter off into nothingness. I am
probably going to be an unhappy Oldzeimer’s patient where no memories at all float
through my head. In the interim, these
postings have acted as my memory “anchor” and now this phase of my life passes
into memory the way I wish to remember it. The words have been for my benefit
and I am ok with how they are strung together. Yes, I sent it off to a few of you, not so much out of self-aggrandizement,
(of course there is some ego involved)
but more so in the recognition that I have a plethora of fascinating friends
who often are interested in those small details of life that are just a bit out
of the ordinary. I hope some of my writing
fits that description and more than a few of you are entertained for a moment
or two.
With AURORA
having reached her new temporary home, it was indeed the journey and not the destination
for me and Brett. I will return to
writing my RK Rants & Fine Whines
to those of you who have asked to be on that other tiny list. (Hah, and I do mean tiny but I would love
to add you to the list. Just ask and ye shall receive) while I contemplate
where, when, and if… AURORA
and her captain loose the dock lines attaching us to everyday life. Thanks to all of you for reading, and
especially thank you for all those kind notes expressing delight at receiving Aurora - East of Eden posts. Wishing you fair winds and calm
seas, I eagerly look forward to catching up with you face to face in your home port. Anchors aweigh! RK
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| My familiar friend welcomes AURORA |
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