September 3, 2009
0800 hours
Last night it came in dark silence and without warning. I was awakened by an unusual flash of light. The covers of the forward berth were warm. I was comfortable but rolled over just the same. Then KaaBoom! went an explosion from outside followed by another flash. Rain was now pelting the deck with rapidly increasing frequency. Faster and faster it soon came in sheets thrown down by an escalating wind. KaaBoom!, came another clap like a building falling over on concrete. Rain was pouring onto the deck as if shot from a fire hose. Brooke made her way forward and asked if it was okay with all the lightning to be in the boat. I figured the surrounding hills of the harbor gave protection and offered reassurance. The intense light and sound continued until I fell again fast asleep, content to be secured dockside during such a display by Mother Nature. Just before sinking into the grips of sleep, or perhaps it was a dream, I recall the water rationing lifted as I gleefully topped off our tank with excess fresh water pouring freely overboard.

Despite the night’s interruption, I felt rested with 6 hours of sleep. The morning was patchy blue with thick, medium gray clouds marching in phalanxes southward. I busied myself with bailing the dinghy, acquiring fuel, fishing licenses, ice and oh yes, a bit of dock water to top off our tank. I also took care of job applications on line via the wireless connection. This I do with mixed emotions. I have learned a few things about employment over the past year and half. When it stops, so does the paycheck. It’s sort of analogous to reaching space outside of Earth’s gravitational pull. Your salaried career is the rocket that propels you there. Now the question is, “Do you trust the laws of retirement or have they changed?” With much debate, I am now trying to build a booster, a small engine that will offset some of the recent perturbations to the local and world economy and rules of retirement. It’s a simple matter of risk management and why risk it if you can manage it. So in go the applications.

And up go the sails. Hey, you still can’t hesitate at the door of opportunity. So we sail on today into Canadian waters.