Winter Onboard in Annapolis

—Blogpost written by Bob 

Friday, February 19

The snow/sleet/freezing rain continued throughout the morning.  We had a service appointment for our Prius which got us on the road early, though we were just going across town.

The accumulation was more ice crystals than snow and it was only an inch or so.  The roads were pretty well salted—consequently they were not all that slippery at the time.  The outside temperature was steady at 30 degrees F.

The nearly empty waiting room at our local
Toyota dealer on a snowy morning.

Our Prius needed a front end alignment.  The misalignment was causing wear on our right front tire.  The pressure in all four tires was a little low due to the cold outside temperature and the brake fluid needed to be changed out because it was dirty (never ran into this before!). 

On the way back to our boat we stopped for lunch at Italian Market and then we did some "recreational" grocery shopping at Fresh Market--I say "recreational" because we look forward to shopping there and we always find new things to try regardless of our actual needs.

We have become accustomed to the cold weather again--it's about time.  (You have to keep in mind that we haven't been in cold weather for more than five years now--our blood has "thinned" so they say.)

Saturday, February 20 (Only one month until spring!!!)

Cold, windy, and sunny were simple one-word descriptions of this morning.  Thirty degrees F and 17 mph winds out of the northwest are more accurate descriptions--the snow and ice was not melting (yet anyway).  The afternoon high temperature was expected to be 33 degrees F.

While I was writing this day's section of this blogpost, I had the companionway open and Lola was outside in the enclosed cockpit.  The oil-filled radiator beside me in the companionway was set on the highest setting to compensate for the cool air coming in from the cockpit.  I had just taken a shower and felt clean (and rather wonderful to be honest).

The buyer of our condo slip stopped by late in the morning and gave us a copy of our Bill of Sale and a check for $2500 as a deposit.  Finally, I feel like the sale has been consummated!

Picking up a dozen oysters on the half
shell (to go) at the Market House
 in downtown Annapolis.

We visited the Market House to buy a dozen oysters on the half shell--the oysters were from Virginia and were very tasty.  (They were probably the first oysters on the half shell I've had since we were Charleston, SC for the winter.)

In the afternoon, the ice started to melt on the roofs and in the streets but not completely.

Just recently I noticed that sunset has seemed much later.  It is no longer dark at 5 PM!  Now, where's the warmer weather?  (50 degrees F was predicted for the coming Tuesday and 53 degrees for Wednesday--I can't wait!)

Sunday, February 21

Even though the sun was shining brightly, it was cold outside (in the low 20’s) and skim ice occupied the few unused boat slips.  (The upper layer of water around the boat is usually fresher and freezes quicker.)  There was almost no wind.  The tide was lower than normal—I had to crawl onto the finger pier when I went to the land-based restroom in the early morning.

When we finally got our butts in gear to go out to Starbucks for breakfast, the Mr. Peanut truck  (Planters "Nutmobile") was parked right next to us and Mr. Peanut was walking around giving out bags of peanuts—no kidding!  I have never seen this before.  I thought for a moment, that I was dreaming (not that I typically dream about Minster Peanut).

Mister Peanut made a visit this morning
in the Planters "Nutmobile."

After breakfast we did a little more "recreational" grocery shopping at Fresh Market (it's right next to Starbucks).  Specifically, we picked up some new things to have with Happy Hour: a package of pre-made potstickers, some cooked shrimp (for shrimp cocktail), and a small gourmet pizza.  Since we haven't been eating dinner lately, these little treats during Happy Hour will be a pleasant and satisfying experience for the coming week. 

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After twelve days of not selling the dark green loveseat, today I reduced the price to $150 today.  We'll see if that makes a difference.  (With warmer weather coming soon, we are planning to get back on our project of reducing the volume of things we store in half.)

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San Miguel de Allende is known as a place for fresh starts and a place to reinvent oneself, albeit at a slower pace.  I believe, for me, it will allow me to greatly improve my photography, maybe do a little writing, and build on my musical skills (what little I have to start with).   I won’t be constantly working on boat maintenance, that’s for sure—we’ll be far away from any major body of water, further away and for a longer period than I ever had been in my lifetime.

After spending a lot of time reading in the afternoon and evening, I finished reading my seventh book about Mexico.

The book cover for the Kindle book
I just finished reading.

Of course, I have watched a lot of YouTube videos on the subject as well, all in preparation for spending six months (October thru March of next winter) in San Miguel de Allende.  (Here is a link to one of the many YouTube videos about SMA, this one by the author of the book I just finished.)  Stay tuned for more of the same...

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