I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

How we find ourselves, two warm blooded, tropic bound sailors, breaking through ice to sail down the Potomac on Christmas Day, I can explain. You see, it all started with a haul-out in Deltaville in August. It would take us a few weeks, said John, to paint the hull and the bottom. And, while we were at it, we should also re-pitch the prop, have shims fabricated for the rudder and the worm gear steering, fix the de-lamination on the rudder and garboard plank, design and build a bracket to install the high-output alternator, inverter and monitoring system, build a battery box so we can move the start battery to the engine room, re-wire everything that is affected by these changes and additions, repair the bowsprit, get the centerboard down and repaired, chase down and stabilize a couple of deck leaks so we can finish them a bit later, and, if we had time, I said, unblock the kerosene heater line. I thought the haul-out would take a bit longer-maybe as long as two months.

We left Deltaville on December 9th with most tasks completed, including a working heater, though the weather had been so warm we didn't think we'd need it. Actually, the valve on the line had slipped our notice, and of course, once John opened it, the heater worked just fine. Instead of pointing the bow south, we decided to take her to Washington, D.C. for a 'tween holidays celebration with the kids. As for many families, this year it seemed more important than ever to be together for the holidays, and since we were so close, we could combine the family visit with some serious tourist activities.

We made the trip up the Potomac in cold, rainy weather, the first of the season. When we arrived early in the morning of the 12th, we took a slip at the Capital Yacht Club rather than anchoring out so we could entertain the kids without the cold, wet dinghy rides. That was a good choice. The club members were warm and welcoming, and they shared with us their fine facility, including reasonably priced drinks at the bar, a computer with Internet connection, telephone, laundry, and other amenities. The weather turned warm again, and it was, undoubtedly, the perfect place to be.

Our first venture out of the marina was to the fish markets next door. What a find! The wharf houses five fish markets, all of which sell every kind of seafood you could ask for as well as a huge variety of fish, many of which we seldom see in the Florida fish markets. There are also several take-out stands that sell fabulous soups and fish sandwiches, all at a very reasonable price. It was obvious to me that seafood gumbo had to be on the menu for the first of our festive dinners with all of the kids, so John and I bought our shrimp (with heads on), several rockfish filets, Bay oysters, squid, and crab meat, then hoofed it to the Safeway, only five or six blocks away, and bought a rosemary bush trimmed in the shape of a Christmas tree, a garland of silver beads to adorn it, red candles for the table, and okra for the gumbo.

Brendan and his girl friend Crissy took the train in from New York; Dee Dee, who lives in Washington, had just returned from three months in Egypt; and Maura and husband Brian flew in from Albequerque. This was the first time we had all been together since Maura's wedding, and only Dee had seen Thaleia before this day. With all seven of us on the boat, the salon felt cozy rather than crowded, and the scent of rosemary permeated the boat. We talked of plans to be together again in a tropical climate where we can sail and swim and bask in the sun, but for now, we were all happy to be together here. Needless to say, the kids all loved Thaleia.

We spent several days in D.C., shuffling between Dee's condo, museums, restaurants, and the Yacht Club, and then settled in for our Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner at Dee's. It was a hoot for John and me to be in a "real" kitchen to prepare turkey and all of the trimmings for the family. Of course, everyone ate too much and laughed a lot. Then, after dinner, we all walked to the mall by the White House to see the nation's Christmas tree. Actually, it's lots of five-foot Christmas trees decorated by each of the states and territories, all surrounding the national Christmas tree, a fifty-foot tree appropriately adorned in red, white, and blue ornaments and lights. The tree was bordered with a picket fence and there were lots of larger than life electric train sets running their routes on the lawn under the tree. Despite the cold and the tourism slow-down, there were lots of people who brought their little children to see this magical display, and some, like me, who brought their big kids.

John and I dallied for another five days after the kids left to get our art and history fix at the National Gallery of Art, the National Holocaust Museum, and the Smithsonian Museum. We pressed hard to see everything, but there is so much more to do in Washington than you can possibly accomplish in a few days. With our unlimited Metro passes, we could go virtually anywhere in the city, and did. We walked the streets of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan where we had a wonderful Ethiopian dinner. We went shopping in several locations, and found a funky bar downtown where a singing cowboy named Boss Hawks (a la Charlie Pride) alternately tended bar and accompanied himself on an electric piano while singing countrified Christmas songs. We were so delighted with the Capital Yacht Club, the ease of access to the Metro and the wharf, and, of course, the plethora of museums and galleries, that we entertained the idea of staying a month. Until, that is, the weather turned cold.

On the Friday before Christmas, we saw the handwriting on the wall. The unseasonably warm fall and early winter was over. Cold was coming with a vengeance. We called for a bridge opening for Saturday morning, and made our way down the river to the Bay as fast as we could go. That would be between five and seven knots or less, depending on the currents and wind. The Potomac run is a good two days, but we decided to wait out a 20 knot blow at Olverson's Marina on Lodge Creek where we re-connected with our friends Thomas and Mikey, and then we all spent Christmas Eve at the home of the Lennons on the Great Wicomico. We attended their Christmas Eve carol service at their church, an Episcopal landmark built in the 18th century, had a lovely dinner with the Mike and Lynn, Thomas, and Mikey, and met the Lennon's new baby, Michael, a character actor who already has a starring role under his belt--he played the baby Jesus in the children's play at the church.

On Christmas morning, we saw that calm winds were giving us a window to get underway, so despite the below freezing cold and ice on the creek, we began our trek southward. People in the houses on the banks of the Potomac who were celebrating Christmas morning may have thought that they were imagining that they saw Santa's red and white schooner making its way down the river, fresh from delivering toys to all of the children who live by the water!

It is now New Year's Day. We are in Great Bridge, Virginia, where it has already snowed and is threatening more snow and sleet. We'll be underway as soon as the storm passes. The toothpaste is frozen and the toilet seat is like ice, but on the up side, the beer is frosty and there are no bugs! This is not to say that we are getting accustomed to the cold. In fact, when we are not underway, we get into our long underwear and snuggle under the binky, our fabulous down-filled comforter. Between the binky and hot soup, we stay warm enough to still laugh at our predicament: we got caught up in the fun of cruising the Bay and D.C. and stayed just a bit too long. Now, we are anxious to get to warmer lattitudes, but we have no regrets!