Mount Vernon Love Story (1969)

Mary Higgins Clark, the famed mystery writer, started out with a different purpose in mind. Her first book titled Aspire to the Heavens was renamed Mount Vernon Love Story in the hopes that it would find an audience but it never did well and the author switched to a more lucrative style of writing. This book, however, is probably Higgins Clark's best. It's a fictionalized account of George Washington's life based on the author's historical research. I found the book interesting but not strong enough to recommend as an educational tool or basis for fact.

I live near George Washington's home Mount Vernon. I have visited the grounds but never the house. I am familiar with many of the names and locations referenced within the book. Sally Fairfax's family is now known to us on a regular basis as Fairfax County, the largest county in northern Virginia. George Washington's Fredericksburg is where people drive or take the train (me included) for a day out and a bit of overpriced antiquing. Braddock (Road) and (Fort) Belvoir are names we might use when giving directions. I am familiar with the locale and to have the area peopled with history and activity is a pleasure to imagine.

The book is also valuable because it gives readers insight into George Washington the man. He is no longer just a Gilbert Stuart painting or an old man with wooden teeth. He is more than an icon cutting down a cherry tree. He is a young man battling his mother and finding his way in the world. He falls in love, learns to dance, decides on a career, and marries when it feels right to do so. He becomes a husband and a stepfather. He is a good friend to his neighbors. While the book provides very little detail about George Washington's career, we do get a sense about how his relationships might have been structured.

I assume Mary Higgins Clark based her account on the many letters and documents George Washington left behind for the public to read. And because Mount Vernon, the charitable organization that maintains the house and grounds, endorses the book and is using it as a 2015 fundraiser incentive to mark the 256th anniversary of George and Martha's wedding, I have to believe the book commits no major error in the telling of the story. Maybe this year, I will make Mount Vernon a destination point. Arrivals are possible by boat leaving from Old Town Alexandria.

Richmond - Main Street Station

I have tagged posts from all over Virginia - Alexandria, Arlington, Fredericksburg, Urbanna, and the Northern Neck. This is Amtrak's waiting room in Richmond's Main Street Station. Looks like a cosy living room, doesn't it?

My mom and I witnessed the investiture of a family friend and attended a celebration in honor of the new federal judge, returning home the next day after a restful night at The Berkeley Hotel. Richmond is old money, history, and status as it relates to the legal profession, finance, and government. A quick trip by train but a world away ...

the trip begins ...

Eric is on his way to Deale, MD, to meet up with some other Westsailers. (It's a rendezvous, you know, a prearranged meeting place, especially an assembly point for troops or ships.) That's him motoring off this morning after we filled up the water jugs and fuel tank, loaded the boat down with food, and said our goodbyes. I won't be able to join him until next week.

So while I was making my way home via water taxi and bus, he was dodging crab pots and storm debris; and now, while he's anchored down for the night at Mathias Point Neck, I am settling in to watch all of those movies he has no interest in seeing. I miss you, Eric!

Water, Water, Everywhere

So, for two days, it did nothing here in the WDC area but rain buckets, several inches per hour, eleven or more total. These photos show places normally dry. The top two were taken outside of my office. The picnic tables are submerged almost up to the benches. The bottom two are of the marina at the start of high tide. The ducks are swimming in land and have a whole new cruising ground. Roads were flooded, schools were closed, and people were tubing down main intersections for entertainment. At this rate, after a hurricane, an earthquake, and now a tropical storm, I wonder what kind of a winter we will have.

Irene, our little hurricane

Irene wasn't a treacherous storm, but our little hurricane was exciting and a great learning experience. Eric stayed on board Clementine in a small cove near the National Harbor. He was protected by a hill, the bridge, and an island. (I stayed home with the pets and kept him company by telephone when the wind was at its worst.) So what did we learn?

Advance planning. Make sure you have enough food, water, and sleep before the hurricane arrives. Know where you're going to put the boat and get there early. Watch the weather. Know which way the wind will be blowing, what path the storm is taking, and what the current is doing. Protect your nylon rode. Eric wrapped cloth around all of the potential chafe points to keep the line from breaking and the anchor secure. Clementine is stout. With winds at 47mph, gusting to 58, Clementine yawned and went back to sleep. We both have complete confidence in her ability to take on the elements.

The following day was bright and sunny, yet surprisingly dry. It was like Irene had never even been there. When all of the bigger boats started coming home in a long line down the river, it was like a joyous parade. We even got to see John, our neighbor on the water, who abandoned his boat in good times but came through for her in bad.

Rock the Boat, Baby

The free online dictionary defines "wake" as follows: "The visible track of turbulence left by something moving through water."

And near our anchorage and close to all marinas, there is a sign like the one to your left. It's common courtesy not to fly by certain areas or near boats on the waterway at maximum speed causing turbulence and a general discomfort to others.

Eric and I get waked all of the time and actually enjoy it. A little rocking at night can be soothing while asleep and an occasional heavy hit can be fun. This morning, however, Clementine was rocked like never before. Things were falling off the shelves. We were getting slammed from side to side and it didn't stop for quite some time. I managed to save my laptop and remain standing. Eric got by with a small cut when he was thrown face first into a bronze portal. He may even have a black eye. A little taste of the ocean right in the middle of the Potomac River.

Angels

I like stone sculpture, in particular angels in grave yards and near churches. The photo on the left was taken near the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Coptic Cairo and the one on the right was taken this past weekend when Eric and I wandered around St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Old Town Alexandria (Virginia) on our way to the hardware store.

Back to Belle Haven

And then back to Belle Haven, where the air is healthy, the pace is easy, and the water is rolly, just the way we like it.

Lessons in How to Save a 'Boat Marriage'

Eric and I have been living on the boat ... Eric more than myself, but pretty much full time now on the weekends. It's a great life in the open air but with a 20-minute row first thing in the morning and then a 15-minute walk to Dunkin Donuts for coffee, we were both, how shall I say, extremely grumpy.

But then, the Little Cod arrived. What a beautiful thing this stove has turned out to be. Hot coffee in the morning, pasta with pesto later on in the day, and then a little lemon cake and hot tea for a Mother's Day celebration this afternoon. It makes the lack of a real shower a whole lot more bearable.

I think I am in love.

Belle Haven

This past Easter Week, Eric and Cody brought the boat up the Potomac River from Lewisetta to our hailing port in Alexandria, Virginia. It was a few days of solid motoring and only one delay that required engine repair. (We will start actual sailing this summer.)

Clementine is now anchored at Belle Haven, an easy-going marina that offers sail boat rentals and a bike path along the wildlife preserve called Dyke Marsh. The photo on the left is a bird's nest close to our boat. The one on the right is my favorite flying scot. It's happily painted with the American flag, fish symbols, and bright colors.

It was a lovely four-day weekend living on the boat. We watched the Georgetown University crew slide by at dawn and waved at fishermen in the early morning. Eric rode the dinghy out for water depth checks and we lamented our absent neighbor John.

At one point we had a little excitement. We watched one of the rentals overturn. The occupants toppled out into the chilly water and Chip, Belle Haven's dock master, zoomed out in his power boat to rescue them. After they were safely in their cars, Chip managed to raise the mast and pull the boat back to shore. Unfortunately, we did not catch on camera his little "this is how we do it" dance. :-)

But, in addition to close-up entertainment, quiet moments relaxing in the open air, the weekend included frequent anchor checks, 20-minute rows to shore, long walks for supplies, and hard work sanding.

I can't wait to do it again this weekend.

Raising the Mast

Brightwork

We've been traveling down to Lewisetta the last few weekends getting the boat ready to put back into the water. It's been cold but good for outdoor work during the late afternoon. There's a lot of satisfaction in taking something worn and weathered and giving it a nice clean look. When I'm done, polished hatches and trim will go a long way in giving Clementine the respectability she deserves.

General Store

There's been a change in plans. The boat is being loaded onto the truck today and will still be transported to Virginia in early January but instead of going to Olverson's, Clementine will be now be delivered to the Lewisetta Marina on the Coan River. (There were several issues with the offload capabilities of boat yards in close proximity to Lottsburg.) This pic is of the historic general store that will soon be available to us. Online research tells me they sell deli sandwiches, make coffee, and have a reasonable supply of hardware. I'm still hoping they have showers and laundry facilities. Photo by R.W. Dawson.

Celebrity!

The boat buying process is underway. We have agreed on a price and are waiting for the settlement date. Ordinarily, since the total expenditure is not, comparatively speaking, a large sum we would treat the transaction like an automobile purchase but with the boat in Florida, the owners in Oregon, and us in Virginia, the only way we can finalize the deal without brokers is to pay for a settlement service. Hopefully, within a few days we should have all of the details worked out.

This past weekend, Eric and I drove down to Lottsburg, Virginia to look at Olverson's Marina. Tagging themselves as the friendliest marina on the bay, I was happy to see in addition to good personalities, they have clean showers, laundry facilities, and Internet service. As this dream of Eric's materializes, the one overwhelming truth is that low-budget boating is going to be a highly romanticized version of outdoor camping.

So, while we were sitting in rocking chairs on the dock talking to the owner about lumber and crime rates and a variety of topics not related to boating, we were introduced to Jeffrey Siegel, the founder of Active Captain, a boating community wiki that lately has become a big deal with iPhone apps, guidebooks, and a wealth of online information. I considered asking the man for a photo op but instead raved about his logo.

I like the way the Internet symbol becomes blue waves, and how it ties into the word Captain. To illustrate just how far this site has come, see here for an earlier version of what the logo looked like. A big improvement, wouldn't you say?

Friday Night at Jaleo (Arlington)

Tapas and fun after my sis arrives in DC for the summer.

Eric and Me (Urbanna)

Eric and I first met when we were 15 years old. After a few high school parties of the 1970s kind, and some kid-like kissing in a stairwell, he moved to New Jersey and we lost touch. Many years later, we reconnected through Facebook. Our first real date was a year ago on March 27. We went to a carnival on a Friday afternoon and within a few weeks were a couple. This year, to celebrate our one-year anniversary, we drove down to Urbanna, VA, to look at a Westsail. Urbanna is a great little boating community with mom and pop stores and city-like coffee shops. This is us in the Dragon Run Inn right before we headed out.

Orange Line: Ballston (Home Base)

A year ago tomorrow, I went to closing and shortly thereafter moved from my Washington, DC studio apartment into a small one-bedroom condo in Arlington, Virginia. I made the decision to buy in Ballston for a number of reasons with cost and proximity to public transportation being the most important considerations, and only then did I look around to see what the area might have to offer me.

After living in Adams Morgan, a true urban neighborhood with gunshots and everything, Ballston seemed a little slow and uneventful. I was bored out of my mind, quite frankly. I had plans to visit the Washington Capitals Ice Rink directly across the street from me, both to skate and watch the players practice, but have yet to do anything more than pick up a schedule. And the Ellipse Arts Center, just around the corner, suddenly closed right when I set out to see their Crossing Glances photo exhibit.

While I miss the vibrancy of Adams Morgan, I have adjusted to my new life all the same. I’ve been sailing and camping, and will go kayaking for the first time this holiday weekend. I have a great boyfriend, a relationship that might not have worked out as easily had I continued to live in the city (no parking, you understand), and just this week, for the first time, I went to Ballston’s big 12-screen movie theatre at the Mall. I’ve even found a nail salon I like. While I don’t see myself living in Ballston forever, for now, I’m doing just fine. See links for recommendations.

Sailing

a bigger dream begins on the Potomac River.

The Ruined Cottage (Fredericksburg)

The rain-soaked books on the front porch and scattered children's toys throughout the house reminded me of William Wordsworth's poem "The Ruined Cottage" written in 1797. Excerpt below:

... her house
Bespake a sleepy hand of negligence;
The floor was neither dry nor neat, the hearth
Was comfortless, and her small lot of books,
Which, in the cottage-window, heretofore
Had been piled up against the corner panes
In seemly order, now, with straggling leaves
Lay scattered here and there, open or shut,
As they had chanced to fall. Her infant Babe
Had from his Mother caught the trick of grief,
And sighed among its playthings.

Zexy (Lorton)