Last day on Pickering Creek

Tomorrow (Sunday) we start our trip to Cambridge, Maryland where we will meet up with Gypsies in the Palace and Tide hiker on Monday. It has seemed strange, not seeing Gypsies in our anchorage after traveling with them for five months, but the dynamic duo will be cruising South together. We are looking forward to meeting up with Norm and Vickie again. Cambridge will never be the same!
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here on the Wye River and Pickering Creek, exploring in Half Note, walking in the woods, playing with the girls, chilling out, catching a ton of Jimmy's, and pigging out on blue crab. It has been a wonderful week in this little paradise, but it's time to move on. It's that wanderlust you know.
September Song (Goodbye Pickering Creek, you were awesome) out
Bob


September Song at anchor with Half Note tied to the dock the crabber let us use to take the girls to shore to play

Do you think Godiva is ready to go for the ball? She doesn't act like she is almost 10

Fun in the farm pond looking for fish

Cassie coming out of the bean field after chasing God only knows what

First signs of fall

ACHOOEE!!!!! Bless you!

Still on Pickering Creek

We are still here on Pickering Creek and loving it. The weather hasn't been all that great, cool and cloudy, but sometimes it's great just hanging with your best friend, doing a little exploring, catching BIG blue crab, and just hanging out. Stephanie is even getting into the crabbing. She just caught two jimmy's. (jumbo male blue crab) Yesterday I caught the largest blue crab I have ever seen. He was 17 inches from tip of claw to tip of claw.
Yesterday Stephanie found out that we were anchored in front of the Pickering Creek Audubon Center, a 400 acre nature preserve. We loaded up the girls in the tender and enjoyed a long walk on some of the trails. Stephanie also found out who owns the huge house just around the bend. She looked it up in the tax records on line. (my little investigator) It is owned by the Executive VP of Sunoco. (big bucks) Sorry I don't have many pictures, the camera was being difficult. The butter is starting to get a little hard, so our plan is to start working our way South in a couple of weeks. A few of the trees are starting to show color, but I don't think we will be here long enough to see fall. Got to go, it's my turn to check the lines.

September Song (enjoying Pickering Creek) out
Bob


Executive VP of Sunoco's house

SLOW, binoculars on birders

The biggest I have ever seen. 17 inches from tip of claw to tip of claw

We have moved

We moved about one mile into Pickering Creek off the Wye River East. Sometimes you don't have to move very far to find another beautiful spot. We found this secluded anchorage while out exploring yesterday. Sorry for the short post, but Cassie says "it's time dad, let's go crabbing!" I agree. Go wake-up your sister. Wish us luck.

September Song (the kids are getting crabby) out
Bob


Wildlife along Pickering Creek

Deer eating grape leaves in a vineyard next to the house in the next picture

I wonder who lives here? The house alone would cover a football field. There is a vineyard, tennis courts, basketball court, horse barns, and other misc. toys throughout the grounds.

Another gorgeous sunset

Exploring Pickering Creek

September Song at anchor in Pickering Creek

Cassie watching a crabber off the bow. "Let's go crabbing dad" "Tomorrow we will give it a try Cassie"

Good-bye to Rock Hall

The bilge sensors finally came in Friday afternoon and were installed that same day. I think Haven Harbor was glad to see us go after giving us free dockage for the last two weeks because of Randy's error. I have to say they were very good about it all and made it right.
Friday morning (04:00) Doug drove Tammy to the train station in Baltimore because the weather was not good for crossing the Chesapeake on Thursday. Tammy is going to visit friends and family in New England for a few days while Doug does a couple of thing for his captain's license in Baltimore. Friday night Doug joined us for drinks and dinner (the poor boy has to eat) on September Song. (Stephanie is the best cook) Saturday morning we helped Doug cast off his lines as he was single-handing Gypsies in the Palace to Baltimore. I'm sure it seemed weird without Tammy. This will be the longest we've been apart since leaving for the Exumas in March. We miss you guys!
Sunday mid morning we cast off the lines and headed for the Wye River which took us through Kent Narrows. Now we know why they call it narrows!!! We arrived at the Wye River East mid afternoon after a gorgeous day on the water and dropped anchor in a quiet little cove about 2 miles up river. While it was still light I thought I would test the crab fishing. Didn't take long before I had a couple of what they call jumbo blue crabs. They are huge! (they cost around five dollars each in the fish market) This was enough of a test for Bob the crabber to fish for crabs in the morning. Well, I wasn't disappointed. The kid was on top of his game and half-filled a five gallon bucket with some of the largest blue crabs I have ever caught. After a few hours of crabbing Stephanie steamed them, I cleaned them on the swim platform, including Fred, (you will see him in the photos) and it's crab cakes tonight. As Tammy would say, "happy boy"

September Song (happy boy!) out
Bob


Lighthouse at the entrance to the Wye River

Our view at anchor from the bow

Looking the other way. What a beautiful river

Another beautiful sunset over the Wye River. A perfect end to a perfect day

Crabby Bob's at it again

Fred the crab is on the line holding onto the chicken leg I use for bait

That's Fred at the surface and me ready with the net

Me dipping Fred out of the water

Fred's not very happy

Next group of crabs waiting for their bath. How's the water Fred? Fred! FRED!!!!!!!!!

First batch of crabs, including Fred, ready for me to pick for crab cakes tonight

Still in Rock Hall

We are still here in Rock Hall waiting for our bilge sensors which were suppose to be here Tuesday. Well, it's Wednesday night and still no sensors. If you see a slow boat from China headed this way, let us know.
Yesterday afternoon we met up with Jeff and Karen Siegel and their two labs Dinah and Dylan. Cassie and Godiva had a great time with their new cruising friends chasing each other around and getting acquainted the way dogs do. (sniff sniff) Jeff and Karen are the creators of Active Captain, an on line cruising guide that we love to use and contribute newly found anchorages and marinas and post comments to. You can see their site at www.activecaptain.com After our four legged kids had worn themselves out we all went to Harbor Shack for a burger and a beer. We had a great time with Jeff and Karen, exchanging stories, talking about our travels, and of course talking about our four legged kids. We look forward to meeting up with Jeff and Karen again. They plan to go to the Exumas next year so we will probably see them there if not before.

September Song (still waiting) out
Bob


Tammy's new found friend. Notice her ear is bent to the max

Cassie and Godiva enjoying happy hour with us

Meeting Jeff, Karen, and their two yellow labs Dinah and Dylan

Jeff and Karen's boat aCappella. Jeff and Karen are the creators of Active Captain, an on line cruising guide most cruisers are using

aCappella at the free dock in Rock Hall

Karen giving out treats to Cassie, Godiva, and their new friends Dinah and Dylan, Karen and Jeff's Labs

Sorry! All gone

The batteries are here! But we're not leaving

The new house batteries arrived Friday morning and after a lot of grunts and groans they were in their new home. Two guys on the deck to lower them in, two guys below to "catch" them, put them in their boxes, and "slide" them into the rack. After 45 minutes they were wired and ready to go. (NOT) After looking at the manual (if all else fails) we discovered a wire hiding that wasn't connected. (VOILA) It's all working, well the house batteries are good to go, but when Randy disconnected the old batteries he arced them and shorted out our bilge pump sensors. (all three) These are no ordinary float switches. They count, sense water levels, count time, count number of times run, connect to the master state room alarm, (lets us know when we are sinking while asleep) and connect to the read outs in the pilot house. They were ordered last Tuesday and won't be in until this Tuesday. (the factory needs to make them first) Nothing simple on our baby. This isn't all bad because the Chesapeake will be jammed with all the people on their boats filling the anchorages and trying to get in their last long weekend at the end of summer here in the North. (amateurs weekend) There was a constant traffic jam Friday and Saturday, with boats leaving our marina and boats coming in to get fuel. Not only that, but the dockage is free plus a courtesy car (normally 2.25 a foot per day plus electric) because they screwed up. I guess it's time to get a few more boat chores done, enjoy the pool, go to the farmers market, go to happy hour, and get "crabby" (pig out on blue crabs)

September Song (a good place to be stuck) out
Bob


It must be Friday, The 160# monsters are here

Randy, the electrician, and a helper loading the new batteries from the dock to the aft deck

I'll count to three and then we liiift

Hooking up the new house batteries. Now which wire goes where?

Harbor Shack, Our happy hour hang out. .99 cent Coors, 1.88 Captain and coke, and .35 cent wings.

I fed the parking meter while we enjoyed happy hour. Didn't want to get a bar ticket