I can not believe the six week visit back to our homeport is coming to an end so quickly. Magnolia is in better shape today than any time before and we got bunches of visiting in as well.

A visit with Mona and Jim McAndrew’s and the always fun and delightful. Dan & Lori got our time in town off to a roaring start.

Spending time in NJ with Jack & Kathy Tennar is always a fun time. I never know what we are getting into to. This time it was driving fence posts in preparation for the church festival.

Christina Tennar took time from her studies at Delaware and added to the Magnolia art collection. This is one of those pieces which we will cherish when we are old and gray, even more than today! “Thanks Tina!!!”

Fathers Day weekend was topped off with a visit to DC by my parents and we were able to meet up for a lovely Fathers Day celebration with a visit to the Air & Space Museum followed by a terrific dinner. We were so busy gabbing the whole camera thing fell off the table!!! It was a spectacular afternoon!

Back aboard it was back to work. As I was marking anchor chain, Annette went to work on mountings for our solar panels. Annette always gets stuck working off one of my beer napkin designs. In addition Annette passed her General HAM Radio License which will allow her to talk to others when she is tired of talking to me!

One of the things we are going to sorely miss is out Wednesday Night Sundaes. Thanks Emily, you take great care of us!!!

In a completely random turn of events our friends from the former Kindred Spirit (which has been sold) were in town from Connecticut looking at another boat. We were able to meet for dinner and then walk down to Eleanor Q for a picture knowing Frank and MaryMarie would get a real kick out of it!

On Sunday June 22nd Magnolia held an open house so that friends and relatives come by and see that the Admiral and I live quite comfortable aboard our vessel! We had about 25 people drive out from the city and their effort was most appreciated. Everyone seemed to have a swell time!

To top the week off I crewed on my first ever sailboat race. Now I am not bragging but the boat did place the best it ever has in any of the races. Luckily Magnolia will be underway before the next race so the run of luck will not be tested!

Four more days and we are underway for Maine!!!! We are READY!!!!

The best job I ever had was working with a group referred to as “Missile Monkeys!” That was not our real name of course but it was the name given to us by Captain Al Grecco on a day when he might have been a little on the cranky side but I digress…

In an unplanned last minute coordination we were able to meet up with my former boss Anant his wife Alka for a lovely dinner and evening of catching up. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule.

(Picture Alka)

The Admiral and I had made plans to visit the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA which often called “Air & Space Overflow” since the Smithsonian had the main museum downtown DC. We were here once years ago with the Tennar’s but we wanted to see the new additions.

I enjoyed coming across an old F-86. My dad use to take us our to the airport in Detroit to watch them fly.

The F-4 was a real monster in the sky!

Yes and of course the F-14 Tomcat of “Top Gun” fame.

The Admiral checking out the SR-71 Blackhawk

After touring the Boeing Aviation Hanger we went over to the James S McDonnell Space Hanger which was not open when we were here last time. One of the new additions was the Space Shuttle Discovery which was installed last summer.

As we walked into the hanger I saw a familiar shape mostly hidden by the red missile which I later discovered was a Patriot Missile. The half hidden round I immediately recognized as an SM-3.  Even a hanger away I saw her standing proud. I had no idea she was here what a surprise

After spending the last evening with Anant & Alka and then finding an SM-3 in the Smithsonian well it quite the Missile Monkey day! Remember what they say, “Its All About the Missile. ”

Since Magnolia has returned to Galesville we have been running in a 100 different directions taking care of a 100 different things during our short visit “home.” One of the surprises was a package the Admiral’s Niece (lives in our condo) had collected over the winter. It was  stack of Christmas cards that had arrived over the winter. It was a real treat to read them here aboard. Thank you very much for thinking of us. Know we are out and about up and down the coast but there are so many family and friends we think about and wish could be here to experience the gift of opportunity we have been given.  That includes sisters (MS&DS)! Sure hope you read this….. 

Last winter heading to the Bahamas we did not know what to expect and how to tell people to find us or where we would be when. Traveling on a sailboat it is still not a guarantee of where we will be when but below is our best guesses:

Early January – Mid-Late February – George Town Exuma – Though we do not expect to be there that whole time we “should” be able be there during this time frame. Information about the location and lodging is located here:                                        http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g2059452-George_Town_Great_Exuma_Out_Islands_Bahamas-Vacations.html

Early February  – Late February – Cat Island Exuma – Same as a George Town we do not expect to be there that whole time we “should” be able be there during this time frame. Cat Island was one of our favorite stops last year. We will definitely be back this year. Information about the location and lodging is located here:                   http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g147427-Cat_Island_Out_IslandsIt _Bahamas-Vacations.html

March  – Early April  – Hopetown Abaco – We did not spend enough time in Abacos last year and as it was one of the Admirals favorite stops, we will be back next spring.  Information about the location and lodging is located here:                                        http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g676267-Hope_Town_Elbow_Cay_Abaco_Islands_Out_Islands_Bahamas-Vacations.html

If you have the desire to meet up with Magnolia please let us know because we would love to meet up with you!

From our last post you know we installed a Single Side Band Radio (SSB) and in addition the Admiral and I passed our FCC granted licenses that give us additional access to frequencies set aside for Amateur Radio. We have made contacts up and down the east coast from Mystic CT to Melbourne FL. This morning we made our first contact inland to Branson MO!

As we have been making great progress on our maintenance list it has allowed us to start thinking about getting back underway and making plans for the summer. We had intended to head “north” but had not defined what that meant. After studying the charts we have set our sights on Arcadia National Park Maine. We will be making stops along the way to visit with friends and looking very forward to getting started!

Annette and I have no kids of our own, but between the two of we have 15 nieces & nephews along with a godson and a couple of non-related nieces which we are grateful for and the next best thing to kids of our own. I am happy to report the second of that group will be getting married week after next. We are thinking of you and wishing you and your husband the very best. We are, and always will be here, know that! Off to visit with some of the nieces & nephews this very afternoon!