6/23, Friday - A Tour around Essex bay in the Lund

We sleep late today.  Gary sleeps latest.  His wound has bled through the bandages and I do laundry first thing.

Ozzie and Triston get the Lund boat in the water but there is trouble with the fuel flow and we don't know if we will get out for a ride or not.  But we do, finally.

Triston is captain initially and giving us a tour while driving slowly.

Most of Essex River Basin is protected as a green way.  Some of the islands have had newer homes removed and old ones restored back to original style of the 1600's and 1700's.  One austere home on Choate Island was featured in the movie "The Crucible" about the Salem Witch Trials.  They have built a replica of a threshing barn on the island.  The basin grasses were prized as feed for livestock for many years.

Ozzie really loves this place, we can hear it in his voice when he tells us about it.  It is in his blood.  All of his family boat, they all know about "the water".  Ozzie and Sandy's families are from this place and have been for generations.

We arrive at Conomo Point Marina.  Sandy and Heather have made a picnic lunch and we pick them up at the dock.  Triston decides to skedaddle to the house.

Sandy has to stay covered up because of medicine she is taking.  She is wearing a fine woven sun hat that I envy.

We eat lunch on the boat.  Heather takes over the captaincy and snaps some very fun photos of Ozzie, Sandy, Gary and Me.  She is quite a hand at the helm of that boat.  Gary and I are both impressed. Cold sandwiches made with love, beers, and good friends.  It is a consummate picnic lunch.

After we dock at Conomo Point I decided to ride back with Sandy and Heather.  Gary and Ozzie drive the boat back to Essex Marina.  A storm seems to be building.

I opt for a nap and let Gary tour the boating museum by himself.  We are supposed to get weather tonight.  Everything gets closed up and boating activities are shut down tomorrow.

Sandy bought Gary some bananas today.  Never saw a happier clam.

We had barbecue chicken dinner at the house Conomo Point and talked story while Heather took the wedding nail polish off Sandy's fingers with some tin foil doo-dads that were reminiscent of Mt. Shasta.  Pretty fun.

I am getting my leg pulled a lot out here.  Gary is even doing it now.

Sailing photos credit and compliments to Heather Osborn.