Mother's Day

Happy Belated Mother's Day to those of you who fit into this category and to everyone else who has a mother.  I hope yours was as nice as mine but, perhaps, not quite so exciting as mine.  The day started off just fine. My son Kevin is home from his first year of college and for Mother's Day, he roto-tilled and spread composted leaf mulch into the pumpkin garden at the back of the property.  This was nothing short of a really special Christmas present (if not even a Christmas miracle) for me since the roto-tiller is big and, I'm pretty sure, older than me (somewhere, I suspect, close to the age of dirt) and a bit hard to start not to mention it being a cranky piece of machinery.  And, if you live anywhere on the east coast, you probably experienced just as windy and chilly a Mother's Day where you live as it was here in Northern Virginia.  To top things off, the threat of frost last night which, incidentally, we did have, kept me from planting the many seedlings in the greenhouse, still huddled together for a better "weather-wise" day--I hope tomorrow! 

Hence, we switched to plan "B"--sailing on the Potomac River.  Probably not the wisest choice either but, it was by all appearances, a rather sunny and pleasant day.  So, Peter, Kevin and I, along with Peter's nephew, Chris, bundled ourselves up and went out to the sailboat for what would be a thrilling, chilling and wet ride.  Forty-mile-per-hour wind gusts kept us pretty much on the edge of our seats, literally!  At one point, the boat had heeled so far to one side that we took in water up to my ankles.  For the rest of the day, I squished along on soggy running shoes and damp capris and tried not to think about how cold I was.  Too bad I don't have pictures of this particular moment out on the boat but we were all trying to hang on for dear life as Peter kept yelling, " Let the sail out!" 


 

However, I'm sure you understand that I was lucky enough to hold onto the camera and keep myself in the boat even as the wind spilled out of the sails and allowed the boat to just as quickly right itself.  Thankfully, I found myself still inside after a few precarious moments...phew!  In spite of this little mishap, we sailed along the D.C. and Alexandria shore lines and took in the sights of both cities from the water. The Potomac River is a "happening" place!

We finally arrived safely back at the marina and decided it was time to call it a day.  After many years of sailing with Peter, I don't think we've ever come quite this close to capsizing before and we don't plan to come that close to doing it again.  Of course, we'll be back to sail the Potomac in a week or two but I'm definitely making sure the wind will be more cooperative and not quite as mischievous.  Maybe next year, frost or no frost, wind or no wind, lovely day or not, I think I'll be gardening on Mother's Day and save any excitement, planned or unplanned, for Father's Day instead.