Marc's 65th Birthday Celebration

Well we did not leave to go back to the boat in April and will remain in the states until December.  And what a time we are having in New England in the summertime.  One of the best highlights so far was the celebration of Marc's 65th birthday and the magic that ensued with all of our friends in attendance.  Thank you everyone for your good wishes and good energy- it truly was a magical day.
We look forward to many more wonderful get-togethers over the coming months.  Want to go kayaking? the river is here for your enjoyment.  Our best wishes and many thanks.  Here are a few hightlights of the evening.

Sabbatical from Cruising

        After 14 years of calling our home a boat, we decided that we needed a place to come back to.  Our journeys to the carribean, Central America, Panama, Colombia, San Blas Islands, and South America that included our trips inland to Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Falkland Islands and Uruguay will be unforgettable.  We look forward to exploring many more countries from the same off-shore/on-shore perspective. We came back to the states in April and decided to take a sabbatical from cruising and entertained the thoughts of buying a house.

  

 As luck would have it a broker received a call from a man wanting to sell a riverside property and we made an offer the next day. “ Casa Rio Bella” as we call it is situated on a remote section of the Bellamy river  in Dover, NH and gazes over an estuary full of geese, ducks, and birds.  

     The house required a total “makeover”. Not just the usual removal of 2-3 layers of wallpaper but cutting through concrete wall, removing walls, and painting, painting,  painting.  Masons,  carpenters, an electrician, plumbers and landscaper descended on the property and for the next 10 weeks we both were 24/7 on the house.  Marc managed the crew and Pati managed Marc. GET THE PICTURE? We put up in the office, a space bigger than the boat but not much, and commuted daily to the house.  The process of bringing the house to a liveable state made living and working on our sailboat a piece of cake., well not quite. The house is about 1500 sq.ft. of living space with 3 bedrooms.2 bath, full finished basement and upstairs.  Which means we can now entertain family and friends.   We are happy to be back in New England where we have spent many months with our children, grandchildren and distant family members.. It is our first winter in the northeast in many years.  In the last week we have had 2 snowstorms and the temperature did not get above 25.  We are enjoying the blanket of white, especially at this time of year, but we look forward to getting back to the boat in April and begin our journey up the coast of Brazil.  Below are a few highlights of our remodeling experience.

 

 That was then and NOW.  If you are ever in town when we are come for a visit.  Friends and family welcome.