Hilton Head Island: gone; close; the solace of water

 

An hour ago Carol and I were sitting on the screened porch when I suddenly got up and ran out on the deck.  Carol called, “What are you doing?”  I responded with glee, “It’s gone.  It’s gone.” And as you can see from the above photo, it is.  The unlamented once New York harbor ferry boat, FATHOM THIS, is gone.  I don’t know exactly when.  She was there when we walked to GANNET yesterday morning.  I sat by the bedroom window part of today watching the fourth stage of the Tour de France and then reading.  Certainly I looked up often, but I cannot say if the ferry boat was there or not.  We did go out shopping this afternoon for an hour.  I would have liked to see her departure, but that is not important.  What is, is that she is gone.  Gone, I tell you.  I am so pleased.

You know about the Fourth of July shooting in Highland Park, Illinois.  Highland Park is only a few miles from Carol’s apartment in Lake Forest.  The young man charged with the shooting was taken into custody about a mile from her apartment.

I first learned of the shooting from an email from Steve Earley who asked, ‘What kind of world are we living in?”

I replied, “One in which there are too many guns in the United States and too many spineless politicians who are unwilling to do anything about it.”

I saw an email today from a man who describes himself as a conservative gun owner who wrote that sale and private ownership of assault rifles should be illegal in this country.  I agree.

My friend, Jay, sent me the above photo of his resurrected Olson 34, SHOE STRING, on her mooring in Monroe Harbor in downtown Chicago.

I wrote back, ‘As I have often said, a mooring in Monroe Harbor is one of the world’s best urban places to have a boat.’   It is.  Sydney, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, also have their claims.

SHOE STRING was dismasted last year, which resulted in the insurance company wanting to consider her a total loss.  Jay demurred and as you can see, she has risen again as she deserved to.  Well done, Jay.

Also well done is a subsequent email from Jay,  ‘We met friends Saturday on the Columbia YC dock at 10.  We were motoring out to the lake by 10:30.  Light air (5-7) clocking from NE to E. The girls chatted; Jim helmed as I tweaked. We ‘circled’ all of the no-go buoys protecting 4-mile crib. Egrets and swallows provided the soundtrack…and headed W to harbor.

STRING put away, lunch at the club outside in shade, watching the kaleidoscope on the lake build in numbers of participants and variety of vessels. Our early start avoided the crowds and conflict. Perfect.

Laurel, who learned Wednesday her mom is terminal and has only weeks remaining, sent a thank you with ‘I forgot everything as soon as we boarded the tender to begin our sail’. Also perfect.’

The solace of water.