Author: Phil

We are coming up on the best two months of the year for boating — Sep and Oct — and we have made the decision to see if a nice trawler with wider decks is available for us to travel around on the Potomac and Chesapeake.  The experiment with a sport cruiser type of boat just doesn’t work.   The 37′ Maxum we have is just not a boat we enjoy cruising on.  We’ll put it on the market and buy a trawler or small cabin cruiser.

2 Sep we joined Mike and Vicki Enos and Sharon (Vicki’s sister) for a boat trip to Cobb Island and lunch at Capt Johns.  Great time–their crab cakes are the best around!  Nice trip in good weather.   These last few day trips have been enjoyable and a good boating day.

Saturday the 3rd, the next day, we attended the BAMM concert on Town Hill.  Tommy Heath, from Tommy and the Tu Tones was the main show event.  He sang his one hit song 867-5309/Jenny, from the 60s.   He put on a great show.  Good event.

 

Sunday the 4th we traveled just out of town to Mike and Terri Hyde’s home.  We were invited to their yearly Seafood Broil.  Over 60+ people gathered for great food, comraderie and friendship.  Great event.

 

On 10 September we attended the Northern Neck Beach Festival.  The Embers, the main band, boast numerous albums and single releases that span decades and all the crazes continuing to exhibit top quality showmanship, musicianship and professionalism. Having been inducted into the South Carolina Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Beach Music Hall of Fame, The Embers are honored to carry the moniker of North Carolina’s Official Ambassadors of Music. They have traveled the country and the world and has performed for every event imaginable from the highest dignitaries to the hottest back yard frat parties. The Embers were also honored to travel throughout South Korea to perform their Christmas special ‘Christmas with the Embers’ on American Military bases for America’s troops in December of 2007 and 2008. They were awarded Military Coins of Excellence for their distinguished service.

The following weekend, the 17th, the Colonial Yacht Club held its annual Oyster Fest at Peggy’s Pier on Monroe Bay. Sitting on Monroe Bay it is the perfect place for any kind of party!  The weekend after, the 24th, Peggy and Diane held their monthly Peggys’ Pier Party.  Another great event and it followed the yearly Democratic fund raiser oyster fest at the Community Center.  Simply enjoying life.

October, another great fall month, saw us busy with the Town and the local Yacht Club, Colonial Yacht Club. With the great weather we enjoyed outside eating at the ICE HOUSE Marina * Brewery & Kitchen on the 7th.  On the 8th the Yacht Club held its October membership meeting and Costume Party. The following weekend Peggy and Diane held the last “Peggy’s Pier” party of the year.

 

As we rolled into August the weather improved; mid 80s vice mid 90s.  It is the way summer used to be.

Carey received some bad news early this month when we discovered she has breast cancer.  We are now set up with a great team of doctors and a plan of attack has been laid out that results in a high probability of success,  Based on some current tests being conducted Carey will have Chemotheraphy or hormone treatments for 3 months, then surgery to remove the tumor, followed by a period of time for radiation theraphy.  She feels great and we’re on our way to beating the cancer.

We are also finishing up on the last of the remodeling at the house and have a new flower planter out front and some finishing tounches on the Sunroom.  We are settling down to enjoying the home and doing regular “homework” to keep it up.

On the 17th we joined Pete and Mischelle for a boat trip to Cobb Island.  We went to “Scuttlebutts” restaurant for lunch.  Great meal, but the weather was hot!  We planned on a second boat trip on Sunday, but the weather was not good for boating so the 4 of us jumped in our car and we traveled down the Northern Neck, stopping at Coles Point Tavern for lunch.  Sitting directly on the Potomac it is a beautiful spot to while away an afternoon.

On the 24th we joined Pete and Mischelle on their boat once more for another lunch trip to Cobb Island.  This time we ate at Capt Johns.

We finished up the month of August with a boat trip on the Potomac.  Mike and Vicki Enos and Diane and Peggy joined us for a planned trip to Tall Timbers for breakfast.  Due to a miscalculation I ran the starboard fuel tank out of fuel and we had to turn around and fuel up back in Colonial Beach.  After fueling we decided to go to Cobb Island instead of Tall Timbers.  We pulled up to “Scuttlebutt,” and had a great lunch.  All in all a good day with a story to tell.

4 July — We stayed in town, enjoying a fully packed town with everyone else that was enjoying the great weather and water.  Fireworks on the Sunday the 3rd capped a festive weekend as everyone crammed the streets and beaches to observe another superb fireworks display.

8-11 July — We enjoyed a CYC sponsored boat trip to Spring Cove Marina in Solomons.  The River and Chesapeake Bay were absolutely beautiful on Friday the 8th as we motored to Solomons.  And with this trip we were reminded of the great boating on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.  Scott Such was the master chef all weekend.  We ate very well!  Saturday was full of heavy rain but the planners had obtained use of a covered pavallion near the boats that made for a great place to talk, relax and enjoy all who came to the event.  Sunday proved to be a windy day so all the boaters decided to stay and motor back to Colonial Beach on Monday.  Good decisions as the water was like glass on our trip back Monday, and we all enjoyed a nice evening out in Solomons Sunday night at one of the better restaurants.

 

22-25 July — As we ended July the weather turned hot!  With temps in the high 90s, we boated to Coles Point again for the PRYCA Float-In.  About 50 boats and 100+ people joined the festivities for the annual boating event.   It would have been fun except for the 95+ temperatures.  We did enjoy catching up with some old PRYCA boating friiends throughout the weekend.

During the time in Colonial Beach we enjoyed many of the local places haunts.  Below is a picture of the Eatery and Bar at the Ice House Marina, a new and very nice venue.

Early May — Tommy Burrel, the owner of Legacy Custom Homes, framed the new room addition, the last of the remodel projects for the house.  We suffered a few delays with electrical and flooring contractors (COVID related) but the new sunroom was finally completed in mid June.  We’re now enjoying the room and waiting for winter when we can start up the new fireplace in the room.

We also had Greenacres Lawn service in to plant shrubs in the back yard then dress up the drive way and area surrunding the screened-in porch.  It is looking better and better every day.

Mid May — we were reminded that COVID is still around.  Carey and I both tested positive and self quarantined for 5 days.  Luckily our symptoms were mild and we are praying we will not suffer the long-term COVID symptoms.  For a while we’re taking it easy so we fully recover.

June started a full schedule of activities in Colonial Beach that we are enjoying.  “Peggy’s Pier” opened with the first of the monthly gatherings with music and food; a great event as shown below.

Also during the month we enjoyed the Colonial Beach Potomac River Festival (10-11 June) and a boat trip to Cole’s Point (24-26 June) with the Colonial Yacht Club.

It is great being back in Colonial Beach.  We get to watch winter turn to spring as the trees and plants bloom.  The Town wakes up from the winter and more activities are available to enjoy with local friends.   The grandkids are strarting sports’ activities and we are close enough to Annapolis to travel for some games.  All is good.  I’m enrolled in a lung rehab exercise program through Mary Washington Hospital that is helping me improve my physical conditioning.  Also good.  After that’s over I think I’ll join Carey at her YMCA classes.  I’ll have to do something like that.

Here is a picture of the house this spring.  The trees are filling out with leaves and the azaleas are blooming with red flowers.  The roses will bloom later.

Here you catch a glimpse of Carey as we are sitting on the deck at the Riverboat for an afternoon lunch.

In late April the new windows we ordered for the home arrived and were installed — a major plus to the looks of the house (not in for the above picture).  The major item we are waiting for now is the completion of the Sunroom we are adding to the house.  Hopefully the contractor will get it completed in May.  The delays we’ve experienced with this portion of the remodeling have been frustrating, but we’re hopeful that we are close to getting it done.  The original schedule for completion was February.