Good Signs

Thursday, 22 May

The distant sounds of artillery practice fire were heard on the Bay this afternoon.  The deep bass tones heard now are punctuated by sharp flashes of light that reflect off charcoal clouds moving eastward over Lawrence Cove.  Steadfast gently swings at anchor as the wind alternately shifts and quiets.  The first few drops on the canvas now are indistinguishable, washed away in the downpour that has followed.  She’s getting a good rinse!

All this transpired according to NOAA’s morning forecast, as had the light-to-non-existent so’westerly of the morning and afternoon as Steadfast motored back to the western shore in tandem with Quintan, another sunny, 80-degree, 30-mile day.

This cove off Dividing Creek was selected as the destination for its reputation as good shelter in a storm.  It’s worked out that way.  Martha and George stepped aboard this evening from Quintan presented the Steadfast crew with a gift selected for a similarly positive effect on the safety of a sailing vessel: a black cat.  Yes, that is the lore dating to ancient Egypt, even.  So who are we to question when, not long after this three-inch ceramic feline comes aboard, the rains yield to another good omen that arcs overhead to the north.

One suspects that for Steadfast and her crew, there may be a pot o’ gold at the northernmost end of that rainbow. And that would be an excellent forecast, indeed.

Steadfast out.