Solomon's Island, MD

October 8-12, 2012 Wednesday-Friday

The weather patterns are changing..it is "Fall" after all.  There  has been one cold front after another.  This is unseasonable for the Chesapeake.  After a week in Annapolis we had a break to get "Chasseur" down south just a little further.  We had to wait two days in Rose Haven, MD on Herring Bay for another opportunity to move.
We arrived in Solomon's Island, MD October 10, 2012 Wednesday...and now the cold fronts continued  with winds and gust over 25 kts, temperatures dropping at night.  We have become a bit disappointed and a little concerned about how long it is taking now just to get "a" day to move. We also have to consider the decreasing daylight which limits the nautical miles achievable for any given day.
We rented a car with Tutty and Muriel Lee, S/V "Mistress" and spent the day in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.  We visited all the monuments last year, but did not have time to visit the museums.  Suzanne was excited to check off more of her bucket list items with a visit to 3 of the Smithsonian Museums, American History, Natural History, and Air and Space.  Washington is an incredible city!  We rejoined Tutty and Muriel for dinner at the "Old Ebbitt Grill", D.C.'s oldest, most historic saloon, visited by  Presidents and many other famous statesmen, naval and military heroes, too numerous to mention.
Friday we were still "stuck" in port which gave us an opportunity to do some engine maintenance.  Tutty came by to "coach" us on the maintenance and offered to look at the alternator belt that was looking a little worn.  The belt replacement required  a special tool neither of us had, we acquiesced to finding a mechanic to complete the job.  Suzanne successfully completed her first "almost" solo oil and filter change (some things required a third hand).  Having torn the aft cabin apart to get to the engine we had a good view of the raw water strainer, which was solid black in color. (Supposed to be a see-through clear bowl!)  We found everything in it, mostly from the Erie Canal and Locks, leaves, twigs, and generally yucky "stuff" compacted in the strainer.  We were so lucky that "Chasseur" had not become symptomatic-it got a good cleaning.  The fuel filters were in good shape.  "Chasseur" is ready for her continued travels for awhile.
Forecasts for the weekend and into the early part of next week are not favorable :(

"Nature cannot be tricked or cheated.  She will give up to you the object of your struggles only after you have paid her price."

Napoleon Hill

The migration is "on", everyone jockeying to get into port for the night

Washington Monument

Capital Building

Rockets in the Air and Space Museum

Original Wright Bros. 1903 "Flyer", canvas replaced in 1986

"Spirit of St. Louis" Charles Lindbergh's nonstop from New York to Paris

Petrified wood 200 million years old, sits outside the Natural History Museum

National Museum of Natural History's signature artifact, the largest elephant ever recorded .

T Rex

The legend "Hope" diamond, thought to be cursed, has passed through many hands and owners, including King Louis  XVI and wife Marie Antoinette

Oldest, most historic saloon in D.C.

YUCK..... taken out of the raw water strainer