Friday, July 15, 2011

It's Friday morning, the sun is out and I'm not working today!

The sun has risen over the trees here at Snow Island and I am sitting in the cockpit of Pandora checking on e-mail and thinking about the next three days.  The weather is perfect with temperatures in the 60s over night and forecasted highs in the low 80s for today.  The sun is out and we are looking at a three day weekend.  What more can you ask for.

We have been aboard Pandora in Maine for two weeks as of Saturday and have settled into a nice routine.  However, with the occasional few hours off to clear my head, I have worked two full weeks aboard.  There is a big project that I am trying to make headway on before the end of the month and happily it's coming together.  My hope is that I can take some real time off in August prior to heading back home and to real life and what will certainly be a long winter while I prepare for summer of 2012.  However, I am getting ahead of myself.

While my partner and I are the only two full time employees in our company, we are talking to a sales rep, someone that we have worked with for years in the past, about joining us as well as perhaps taking on a third partner.   These big steps will allow for more growth and perhaps a bit more flexibility for me personally.  For sure, there is a lot going on and having a few days off is very appealing.

While the weather is looking wonderful, we are a bit uncertain about where to go.  One option is to head up the Kennebec River to Bath but after talking with some locals last evening who said that the currents are tremendous, we are not so sure.  The prospect of heading 12 miles up a winding river with currents that can run 8 knots is a bit daunting.  However, if they can get Aegis Cruisers from Bath Iron Works up and down the river, we should be able to make the trip in Pandora.

The guide books say that the flood tide is largely offset by the current headed downstream but that the ebb plus the water running down what is the longest river in Maine, is a sight to behold.

Well, I guess that we will have to make a decision and get on with it.  As there is not much wind in the forecast for the next few days make a trip under power up the river sound appealing given the fact that we are going to motor mostly wherever we go.   However, there is that current.  Tough call.

Brenda is up now so I am going to sign off.  However, no morning post is complete without some serene photos.  This place is so beautiful it hurts.

Did I say that we have an eagle nest about 100 yards from where we are anchored?  It's very close but it doesn't seem to bother mother or chick.  Not sure that chick applies as it's nearly as big as the mother.  It's got to be dangerous to feed a baby that's as big as you are. Here chicky, chicky... No, quit it with the pecking.  I hate pecking!!!  Get that blood of of your face. Stop acting like a birdbrain.  Kids...

Interestingly, there is an osprey that doesn't think very highly of mother and baby and spent much of yesterday buzzing the mother eagle sitting in a tree near the nest.  I am not sure if, sharp pointy beak and talons and all, that I would divebomb an eagle twice my size even if I were an osprey and had the pointy beak and claw thing going for me.

To complete the picture, here's a shot of my computer out in the cockpit.  Not a bad place to write.
The view is hard to beat and I couldn't resist these shots.  It's just so calm.
Pretty amazing, right?
And dont' forget the view forward.
Yes, it's really this calm.   Can you repeat after me?  Serene, Serene, Serene.

Perhaps a good place to end a post of serenity at Snow Island is with a shot of last night's moonrise.  A full moon so bright that you could see your shadow and read a book.  Well, perhaps you could read a book if it had REALLY LARGE TYPE.  
Now, I need to focus on where we are going to spend our time for the next three days.   Signing off for now. 

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