What a storm! Woke up at 3:30 in the morning to the sound of waves slapping against the hull. The wind was howling like crazy, and the boat was bouncing up and down. The wind was gusting in the 20's and once reached 32. Since the windspeed indicator is behind the mizzen mast, the actual speed was probably closer to 40. Even in this sheltered harbor, the waves were several feet high and splashing over the dock.
By seven, the wind had died down, and the water was perfectly flat. It was a temptation to leave, but we listened to NOAA weather and found out more gales were predicted. On the ocean it's blowing 40 to 50 knots with 15 to 20 foot waves! We're very glad we're in this well-protected marina and will stay here until the storm ends.
We're already enjoying an advantage of being farther south. In Washington, they're expecting eight inches of snow. Here, we should only have rain. And the temperature is 15 degrees higher here than it is in New Bedford. That doesn't mean it's hot, but at least we're not freezing.
In the afternoon, we walked to the Post Office in Kinsale, about a mile and a half each way. The marina's friendly black Lab followed us. We kept telling her to go home, but she ignored us. When we got to Kinsale, she took off, and we hoped she'd gone home, but when we got back to the marina, she was nowhere to be seen. After an hour or so, I walked back to Kinsale to see if I could find her. I hated to think of repaying the marina owners' hospitality by losing their dog. Just as I started up the hill towards the Post Office, I was greatly relieved to see a black dog that looked like Lady. She was frisking with another dog. I thought she'd recognize me and come running to me with her tail wagging, as she usually does, but she only barked at me and wouldn't come when I called her. As I got closer, she ran off. I was in a dilemma. Perhaps this was a different dog. I certainly didn't want to steal someone else's animal. On the other hand, I hated to return to the marina without Lady. I looked for her for several minutes and then returned to the boat. What a relief when Roy told me she had returned about twenty minutes earlier! I'll never know for certain whether or not the dog I saw was Lady, but if she was, perhaps seeing me reminded her to go home. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.
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