Almost too much excitement...

After a week of instruction, Tom is now a "basic mariner." Which means that we could rent a sailboat and head out on the Potomac late on Saturday afternoon, in a Flying Scot.

Unfortunately, it takes a little wind to enable the "flying" aspect of sailing, and we didn't have wind. I learned though, about letting sails in and out, about raising the center board, and then dropping it, and about how stable a flimsy looking boat really is.

It may, in the long run, have been about the best introduction to sailing that I could have. There wasn't much danger of falling overboard or colliding with a bigger boat. (There wasn't much danger of moving.)

Then yesterday we headed off to West Virginia to meet up with Jim and Cindy at Mark and Carol's.

If you want noise or commotion, Mark and Carol's cabin in West Virginia may not be your destination. But peace and quiet, a great meal (pork tenderloin, baked potatoes, salad, THREE desserts), a country breakfast, incredible scenery—this is definitely worth the drive. I'm ready to pack up three or four books and move in for a week.