Voyage 2022: Chapter 3

30 Oct 2022, Thanksgiving with Family, 38 46.494 N/ 076 33.786 W

American Thanksgiving is fast approaching. Jule III is 'on the hard' in Deale Md. Lots of work scheduled for her including a new cockpit enclosure, a cleanup for the bright-work, new head hoses, and lots of other stuff. We will not be back until mid March. Ann's niece, Karen and I went to the Fairfax County Arboretum, Meadowlark Park for their wonderful nighttime light show. Swab Collin worked here a couple of Christmas seasons in the past and really enjoyed it. We did too but its getting earlier this season. The family's Thanksgiving dinner was held at community hall of Hull's Memorial Baptist Church in Fredericksburg. The Snellings clan (Ann's side) made all of the hard stuff like turkey, ham, vegetable plates, and drinks. The Todds (my side) brought the sides including homemade cranberry sauce, casseroles, and much, much more. Those Snellings folks like corn pudding. Ann and her mother loved to make it. To me, it looked 'nasty'. Karen made some corn pudding made to Grandma's recipe. I said I would try and wouldn't lie. I did and didn't.

Next stop was Beaufort SC to Hunting Island State Campround, a place that Bob and Ann would go almost every Thanksgiving season unless we were out cruising. We started our trip by visiting the SV Over Budget crew, JW and Jinny who have a home near Port Royal Marina. They suggested that we check out Hunting Island and think about Ann. And so we did. The campground is still recovering from the recent assaults by recent hurricanes. It was a sad visit. And it may be my last. The magic is gone and the pain of seeing this once wonderful campground struggling to regain her former beauty. Thanks, Jinny and JW. After we left our good friends, we headed for new Beaufort residents, Anthony and Annette, formally of SV and MV Magnolia. Their house is now built and their boats sold so they are now "Cruisers Living on Dirt" (CLODs). They seem to be adjusting well to their new lifetyles. Thanks for inviting us.

And so ends another year in the life of Ann and Bob on the Jule III and other venues. The journey has and is morphing from a Jule III log to a Diary our lives and memories. And yes, I have Jule III and the memory and spirit of Miss Ann.