26 posts
Moments
Why I Paddle and Sing the Sun Up and Down
This one's all about the glorious images, friends.…
Monday Morning on Dock 9
This is a series of nested stories. None is a big deal, but together they are a sweet tapestry of the small-town life that's evolved for us spending the pandemic at dock in La Cruz.…
One Revolution of the Earth Around the Sun
Today is the one year anniversary of my quarantine. HOT HOLY JELLY DOUGHNUTS!…
Storm Porn
As I seek to return to the groove of sharing with you here, I'm simply going to begin in the moment. We're on Banderas Bay, in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Most days are sunny in the middle and rainy at the end. We had a great storm on Saturday night and I got some beautiful footage.…
Pandemic Offerings and Strategies
We're all in this together. We wanted to share with you a few things we're doing to ease all of our efforts to flatten the curve, both here in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle and in the wider world.…
Five Minutes On Marriage: For Mamie & Kayvon
Kayvon and Mamie asked three couples of different generations to speak upon love and marriage during their wedding ceremony. We were honored to be the middle couple.…
Retreating
A vital aspect of my spiritual practice is retreat: taking to wild places with wise folk to turn inward, like spring cleaning and a growth spurt for my being. I spent last week at the Kripalu Center studying with Lorin Roche, whose…
The Marina Menagerie
This morning James and I were walking up the dock toward shore and Jacob, who works here at Marina de La Paz on boats, stopped us to point in awe at an enormous jellyfish that was bobbing about in the shallow water…
Ha-Ha Leg Three: Bahia Santa Maria to Cabo
2018 was, we are told, the least windy conditions ever seen on the Baja Ha-Ha in all its 25 years. Most folks had to motor most of the way. There were many engine issues, alternator issues, electrical issues from systems unaccustomed to…
Ha-Ha Leg Two: Bahia Tortuga to Bahia Santa Maria
By now our crew was in a sweet groove. We had a routine with shifts, and the second leg was just one overnight rather than two. Gabe had noticed that while the schedule said we each had a three hour shift at…
Ha-Ha Leg One: San Diego to Bahia Tortuga
In San Diego, we joined the 25th Annual Baja Ha-ha. I have in the past not been much of a joiner, and I must admit that it was mostly James who felt that we should participate in this rally. It turned to…
San Diego
We spent our final week in the United States in San Diego making preparations for spending the next few months in Mexico. The time was filled with work and magic. The gorgeous views I've mentioned have continued; I woke up…
When We Are Not Sailing
The pattern we've been following along the coast is often to sail hard for a few days, then rest for a few. Folks tend to think of travel as vacation and assume that we are sight-seeing when we pause. We…
Sea Folk: Pyrate Steve and Nick the Diesel Jesus
James and Dan and I went out for food after our 24.5 passage from Monterey to Morro Bay. I am REALLY looking forward to telling you that story, but it's in progress, and I want to tell you this…
Go For It!
James and I have attended the Pacific Power and Sail boat show in the SF Bay Area for several years. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn; once you've paid your admission fee, there are free seminars all day…
WE DID IT: Sailing Out of the Golden Gate
Friday morning September 14 at 8:51 we cast off our dock lines from our berth at Marina Bay Yacht Harbor, which is where 'joice was when we bought her, and which has been our home base for the past year.…
Our Love is a Grownup
Twenty one years ago this weekend, a dozenish friends went to Burning Man. James and I were among them. We were not a couple; in fact, each of us was dating someone else. At the burn, I put my arms around him…
Introducing our Tender
ten·der adjective 1. showing gentleness and concern or sympathy. 2. (of food) easy to cut or chew; not tough. verb 1. offer or present (something) formally. noun 1. an offer to carry out work, supply goods, or buy land, shares, or…
On the Cusp
Last week, we had our Bon Voyage Party on Thursday, returned the car we'd been loaned for the past month Friday, and took some of our house family from San Francisco out on the water Saturday. At that point, the…
Bon Voyage: Thank you
Oh, you wonderful, wonderful creatures! Thank you, thank you, thank you. We were nervous about our Bon Voyage Party. It seemed possible that we might just sit amongst you all and sob, which would not be fun for anyone. My heart-sister Eleni…
Preparation for Departure
For months, people have said, "You are so tan from sailing!" and "So you sail every day, right?" Really, the tans were from driving around in Lola, our beloved and dearly departed convertible, running errands. Soon we will…
Prayersong: Life and Death
Last week I would have told you that, 4ish weeks from our planned departure, my big concern at the moment was that my best friend was coming to be our first weekend guest. I was sure that I needed to get the…
Welcome Home, Again
Yesterday was the 19th anniversary of our marriage. We decided to make year nineteen The Wetsuit Anniversary. Bruce and Alene of s/v Migration said that we had to go to Steele's Discount Scuba for this. When folks who'…
Darkness and Light
This bit of backstory was written May 12, 2017. Last night we went to a talk at OCSC, our beloved local sailing school, about Blue Water Cruising -- which means crossing oceans for pleasure in a sailboat, as we aim to do.…
45 Pairs of Shoes
This bit of backstory was written in May 2016. I like to think of myself as a practical, earthy woman. Upon preparing to downsize from the Edwardian flat in which I lived for 13 years, which had a closet in every room,…
Upon Awakening
I have written this poem before. May I write this poem again; it is worthy every time: the orchid blossoms are opening.…