I took full advantage of the rain, fog and total absence of wind today. I
did all shipboard laundry and enjoyed wolfing down 2 pounds of fresh, pan
fried scallops. We caught quite a few Tinker Mackerel in the last few days
sailing and I had them in brine for smoking. I transferred the split fillets
to the smoker today and they should be ready late tomorrow. I took a walk
down to the shore earlier and decided to rake up some fresh mussels. The
water was so clear and calm it was like looking into an aquarium. The
mussels were a deep blue against the gold of the seaweed. I harvested about
a bucket of the tasty morsels. They are steaming right now in a white wine,
cream, butter and herb sauce for a late night snack. I heard the squid are
starting their run so I should have "calamari" within a few days. The other
day I showed my niece how to prepare sea urchin and periwinkles. I have
dried dulce in the basement which is wonderful as is but can really add
flavour to soups or stews requiring a marine flavour. A feed of crabs takes
about 30 minutes to harvest with a crab pot.... oysters are plentiful....
clams are available from the sand bar about 300 yards away. Yup... it's a
rough life here on the coast.

Oh.... did I mention farm fresh eggs from my hen house, racks of locally
smoked bacon and the tenderest cuts of local grown beef from cows that never
saw commercial grade feed or medications?? I have 10 lbs of home churned
butter in the fridge. I get glass jugs of goat's milk on a regular basis. I
was just given a pair of the biggest turkeys I have ever seen. I'll breed
them this year and should have all the turkey meat I need for years to come.


Overproof got her decks washed in fresh rainwater today while I tended to
shoreside tasks I had long put off. The Loons quit calling at sunset and now
the peepers and crickets have taken over the evening entertainment. I can
smell the ocean and the subtle aroma of a moist boreal forest wafting
through my open window right now.

I wonder what it must be like to sail out of a city, traffic noise, sirens,
people, gunshots..... on a sewage laden and polluted body of water where
swimming ... let alone consuming anything extracted from the water is akin
to playing Russian Roulette. Oh well at least they get to go sailing almost
everyday while I have to tend to chores.

CM