Good morning everyone. Another balmy day in the state of Maine. I am not a huge fan of these thaws. I was just saying to Alex yesterday that if we are going to have winter then let’s have winter. Let it snow. Keep the temperatures down in the teens, above or below zero, doesn’t much matter. Now I know all this brave talk sounds a little crazy to folks from warmer climates but I do like the cold and this is Maine after all. Just last week we had sea smoke rising from the bay and this week we have humid air turning to fog over snow covered fields just like it does over the cold ocean water during the summer.


While we were cruising out into the Gulf one of them asked me about my stylish tee-shirt. I explained that it is a limited edition shirt specially designed by Jen Martin for the 2007 sailing season aboard the Mary Day. Inevitably, I was asked about the Mary Day. After four trips aboard and being asked about the trips more times than I can remember, I’ve got my Mary Day spiel down pat and I spouted out some of the vital statistics like length, beam, gross tonnage, sail area, etc. I always point out that the schooner has no engine and then have to explain about Arno. These are engineers, after all, and are more impressed by the numbers than anything else. I know how to answer the questions, “What do you eat?”, “What do you do?”, “Do you have to work on board?”, and my favorite, “Where do you go?” But then a new one was thrown at me, “Why Maine?” “Why Maine?” I responded in my usual snappy comeback. “Yeah, why not the Caribbean?” suggested my young friend.





Thanks Ed. Have a great day. Be well. Do good. Ed and Al, keep those Alabama lights burning bright.