Guess what? We're back into winter, and the next two weeks are predicted to be colder than usual. Yikes! That's not good, but even worse is that Ottawa is also going to be very cold when we get there, and that is much much colder than here. The good news is that by the time we get back to MD the worst part of winter should be over, so if we have to wrap up tight one more time for this season we can deal with it. It has been almost a magical winter so far with even the locals voicing amazement at the unusual mildness, and we consider that a real bonus for us.

Before we leave I must find a suitable kennel for our little ones a blind kitty, a cat with an attitude and our ageing husky. She's now homing in on 14 years considered to be about at the end of the lifespan for huskies. She has good and bad days and has adapted quite well to the boat even though it's not the place she would choose for hanging out if she had the option. Still, she goes for a good half dozen or more walks each day, more than she use to get in Chelsea, with some of them starting as early as 4:00am. And just think of all the exercise I'm getting as well. I'll go on the kennel tour again today and try to get the problem sorted out.

It's really quiet here at the marina with only a few people occasionally around. Our next door neighbor has been gone since the end of December, and the family next to her are calling it quits at the end of the month and moving into a townhouse they have just purchased. There is one other person left an older fellow who is not very well. Does that mean we're lonely? Of course not! Anne is busy with her work and very pleased that the company is doing really well. She's also doing a lot of reading (nothing heavy) something she's wanted to be able to do for a long time. I can sense the stress she has been living with is now diminishing. As for me, I'm busy discovering places and things. I've found another golf course quite near by, though it is a bit pricey, and I'm becoming acquainted with some of the small towns in the area. Shortly after we return we'll have a cabinet maker come to the boat and start to repair some of the wood problems plus do some galley renovation. As always there's plenty of daily maintenance that must be performed, and I'm constantly searching for new and better methods to make that routine easier and more efficient.

That's it for this time. Enjoy some recent images taken on Jan. 14.