Geo: 25.1663, -80.3785 Fleeting along somewhere in Virginia, rocking gently in our sleeper roomette #4 on train 91, the Silver Star, bound from Washington, D.C. to Miami, Bill and I are on winter break from school, on an adventure to visit my dear friends, Elrose and Sue, who during cold weather months live in Key Largo, Florida. Last night we tried to sleep in the business class car on train 67, heading south from Boston to DC, but Amtrak had replaced the lovely, comfortable business class seats with the regular cattle car seats, just leaving more legroom, and they kept the lights shining brightly all night, so it was uncomfortable, impossible to sleep, and COLD. Knowing how easily I get chilly, Bill had thoughtfully packed a blanket for me, so I used my coat as a ... read more

Geo: 12.4768, -61.4534 "Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I." This is a stanza from one of Christina Rossetti's famous poems, but given these weeks living on a boat, I would add two lines to it: But when the waters ripple through, The wind is passing by. Apologies to Ms. Rossetti. Has anyone ever seen the wind? It is impossible, of course, but then how is it that sailors are able to see wind shadows? Since I was taught what to look for, I have also seen these, what are called wind shadows. When you are looking out at the ocean, either sailing or already anchored, if you watch carefully you can sometimes see a rippling across the water that is not a wave; it is heading for your boat. When it finally gets ... read more

Geo: 12.6, -61.4333 We are sailing in the Grenadines, off Union Island in the country of St. Vincent. At customs in Hillsborough, Carriacou, Grenada, we checked out because we are sailing to a different country, even though these are all the Windward Islands. I am learning so much about sailing, geography, and interactions among a small group of people living in close quarters for almost a month. What an excellent education! The sailing was good and no one got sick, although three of the crew are quite susceptible. I learned that I was not prone to seasickness when we crossed the angry Drake Passage two years ago; one of the lucky 10% who enjoyed the crossing, having that boat almost to ourselves for each of the two days traveling from Ushuaia to Antarctica and eventually back ... read more

Geo: 12.1279, -61.68 Sailing on a catamaran around the island of Grenada is an experience unlike anything I've ever done before. John and Mary, friends whom I met in China, invited me and Bill to come on a cruise, but Bill couldn't take time off from school, so, among three couples, I am the only single on board. This makes things a little challenging, trying to balance leaving them couple-time, but not being misinterpreted as my being aloof if I don't always join in. This is tricky, as is much in human relationships. And I am the only vegan, which isn't a problem for me, but seems to be for at least one other person onboard. So that's a different level of separation added to the mix. Other than balancing these sensitive personal issues, this cruise ... read more

Geo: 44.3158, -68.3644 Summer in Maine is spectacular. The weather is perfect: deep blue skies intensify the pure, bright sunny days, and a blanket is always needed at night--such comfortable sleeping weather. It is the very best time of year to be here. We live inland, but for 22 years we have spent part or most of each summer living on Mt. Desert Island, volunteering as Ridge Runners at Acadia National Park. Our children learned to identify local plants and to forage for berries on summit tops; initially we packed them up in backpacks, but now it's just two of us continuing to do our work, tallying hikers for the Park's Resource Management division. It's a great job. In exchange for our work we get official looking shirts, hats, jackets, a free campsite, plus we give ... read more