Oriental fishing fleet, through the fog.

The attack of the dreaded North Carolina Pollen.

A very mellow Adjima, after catnip.

Up a mast, without a paddle. Or in this case, "Aren't you supposed to be on belay?"

A lot has happened since I last posted. We finished our remaining at-the-dock-projects and left the slip for the first time in 6 months. (Yea! And yes, it really is just like riding a bike...) Our first stop was just across the Neuss River to South River, a beautiful, secluded anchorage. The eagles played overhead, the osprey fished. Unfortunately, it is a bit too far off the beaten rhumb line, and has no cell service we could find, which means no Internet for us. Not usually a big deal, but we're in the mood to keep in touch, so we pulled anchor the next day and had a lovely lazy sail back across the Neuss to Broad Creek. The service is spotty, but with an antenna booster, it works.

We are currently battling the spring pollen season. North Carolina is covered with pine trees which spew tons and tons of vile, yellow pollen for about a week each spring. Everything is covered with a thick yellow dust, inside the boat and out. Even Adjima has watery eyes and is sneezing. When I combed her yesterday, her fur came out yellow.

We'll be back in Oriental this weekend, to pick up mail, but for now, it's good to sit and watch the sunrise over an empty creek and some deceptively innocuous looking pine trees.