THE DOG BLOG - Watson's Wisdom

Dateline: Newburyport, MA

WE MADE IT BACK INTO HOME STATE WATERS! First time I have seen a sandy shoreline since we left 2 weeks ago!

Last night was a low point in the trip for me. NO LEFTOVERS!! Amy and Bill Holland came to visit, driving up from Needham MA for the weekend and staying overnight on terra firma in Freeport. These are VERY SMART PEOPLE! We, on the other hand, crawled into our sleeping bags and rocked off to sleep to the clanging of the lines on the sailboats around us hitting their metal masts. No wonder pirates say "ARRRRGGGG".

There was a friendly game of cribbage at the Captain's lounge at Brewers Marina that I got to umpire. I made sure the boys won. I was one. Once. Before...... You know.

Anyway - after we dragged the Hollands to very food market in the greater Freeport area looking for breakfast muffins, the Jamison Inn and Tavern took pity on them and fed them. I hear they had great pot roast. ONE OF MY FAVORITES! But no - alas. None for me.

I also hear they hit LL Bean and the local Giffords sore for some Deer Tracks ice cream - but it was long gone by the time they got back to me.

It was a short night. Up at 1st light - when I was force marched up the gangway - yet again. And we were gone by 7am to beat the winds and seas of afternoon. Today was to be a 70 mile trip offshore - and just about outside the 3 mile limit. This was the first day we awoke to NO FOG!! It was so hard to believe! I thought it came with every day in Maine!

The skies were clear; the seas were calm; and the lobster pots were thick as Jamison's clam chowder. In cases like this, driving drunk is done is a straight line; This is more like doing a hora at a Bar Mitzvah.

We headed out of Harraseekat River and turned south towards Portland, passing to the east of Great Diamond Island in Hussey Sound and out again into Casco Bay, passing Portland and Cape Elizabeth Light houses and into the Bigelow Bight where we caught a visit from a whale directly in front of us! The whale checked us out and then continued on its way. Not very chatty - unlike Jim and Joel who keep up a running Bert and I routine on the VHS radio on Channel 72. I can't imagine what all the fisherfolk and others monitoring Channel 72 might think. Thank goodness they don't know I am aboard!

We trucked on south past the Isles of Shoals and NH waters and then on into MA waters to the mouth of the Merrimack River at Plum Island. That is when I woke up after a quiet morning and looked around. The river was dumping out of this tiny area wedged between 2 jetties keeping Plum Island and Salisbury apart. Seeing all the well oiled slick bodies packed on Salisbury Beach, I can understand why Plum Island folks want to keep the Merrimack flowing. IT WAS A SEA OF FLESH!! And then on the water - we saw more boats in motion than we have seen collectively this whole trip. They came in all sizes, shapes and forms of locomotion. They were all moving - in the churning currents of the breakwater - all very fast and all in different directions. They were coming straight at us and were beside us and in front of us. The channel narrowed and we went as best we could with the traffic. I have always enjoyed the rodeo on TV. I never expected I would be actually in one. That was what it was like. We managed to get up the river to Newburyport to the Newburyport Harbor Marina where the dock master was able to guide us in and get us on the dock. The River here at the dock continues to hum at 5 to 6 knots. We have watched the demolition derby on water going on all afternoon.

We did take a walk into town - close by, along with everyone else on the North Shore of MA today. I think the stores must be giving things away - but not to me. I like these brick sidewalks - a bit cooler on the feet that concrete or hot top. We looked at all the stores and all the menus of all the restaurants and now are back at the dock taking a breather. I am hoping for good things to come home from dinner tonight at the Starboard Grill just up the road.

Tomorrow: on the Plymouth and then HOME TO MY OWN BED.

Wag More. Bark Less.

W.