Excited and Anxious

Last evening, just after sunset, while out for a walk with Charley along the Humber Park shores, I saw and felt something that stopped me in my tracks. The warm wind blowing on my face, roar of the surf on the shoreline, the smell of a beach campfire nearby and then I saw it. One single sailboat, bobbing up and down in the waves, bow lights on, anchor light too lol, darkness all around and I thought "that's going to be us one day", just us, on the ocean bobbing up and down. I can't wait for this adventure we have ahead of us.
Quiet days together and even choppy nights on the hook, bring it on!

Sailing our boat from Whitby to Mimico, May 2014

With just under 3 weeks to departure, we are pretty much ready to go. Tony has successfully stopped the leaky dinghy, actually he pretty much rebuilt the thing! I have managed to update and complete the provisioning spreadsheet, making sure Nutella is on the shopping list. Just have to actually DO the shopping, and if you know me, then you know I am happy to shop. How many bottles of wine do I really need? Won't bring too many from home, will wait for cheap booze in the U.S. Even with the dollar so low, I do believe we will get some great deals.

Sad to leave behind (for a short time, NOT a long time) such amazing friends and amazing family, especially our new grand-baby girl Ava.

Our neighbours Dave and Julie will miss us the most :)
Oh, I mean we will miss our dockmates Dave and Julie the most. And of course our adoptive friends Mark, Amanda, Alyssa and Caitlin. Can't wait for Cape Coral visit one day soon. We will miss the guys and the girls. Too many to mention all of you but you know how much we love you and truly appreciate your friendship.
                                                   .
And Skipper Bob, damn, we will miss you, but I believe Shannon will miss you the most :P

Bob will hopefully join us in NYC harbour to come along for the journey on the ocean blue (oh so familiar to this sailor) around the eastern shore up to the Annapolis Boat Show on October 8.





We won't miss the cold winds and freezing temps, freezing rain making dock-walk oh-so-slippery <buy lots of earth-friendly salt for those living aboard this winter at MCC). Although we are trying to escape the winter here, we did love many sunny mornings with the sun shining on the frozen lake and discovering wildlife.

Ice bergs around the docks. 

"How you like to spend Christmas, on Christmas Island".....sings Jimmy Buffett....<cue the steel drums> ....

Don't worry we will be home before Christmas but dreaming of visiting different shores in the seasons ahead. I can't see myself cooking a turkey in this small oven, but we will enjoy some delicious food along the trip south I am sure. We really don't know what to expect, except meeting like-minded sailors searching out the safest waters to drop the hook and mixing up that sundowner! Cheers to all those who understand that 'it's Five o-Clock Somewhere'! Clank! Clank!

Charley is getting ready for his adventure too - spending the next few months with his adoptive parents Kimberley and Shane. He is all groomed and after his vet check-up next week, he will pack his bed, food, treats and his stuffed baby...and we will cry:(

Can I say it ? SPOILED!!!

19 sunsets until we leave!!!
AND just 15 sunsets until Tony retires from his 9-5!
...then the real adventure begins, together.