We realized upon arriving in the Thimbles that with all the hustle in leaving the yacht club we had forgotten to refill our water tanks and get a pump out. So the next day we returned to the yacht club to get those essentials taken care of. We also picked up a rental car so we would have wheels for all of our upcoming visits. The first of those was to see Lynn’s next door neighbor from when she grew up in Fairfield. Jody and her husband Robert live near Fairfield Beach and invited us for dinner. Lynn hadn’t seen Jody in many years and was very excited to visit. We had a wonderful time catching up with them in their lovely back yard with a view of coastal marshes. The years evaporated as we shared stories and experiences about our lives and families.
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On Thursday, we had lunch plans to meet Lynn’s high school friend, Susan Frenkel, for lunch in New Haven. We sat outside on the deck of a local seafood restaurant and had a fine time chatting. Susan and her partner live in Sandy Hook and have a home in Marco Island , FL. They had planned to visit us in Miami over the winter but Covid interfered with that this year.
We had noticed that our rental car had a smoky smell and decided to trade it for a cleaner one. So on the way back to Zendo we stopped to do that and they upgraded us to a very nice new Subaru. Later that afternoon we took it to nearby Hamden to Jonny’s cousins Michael and Debbie. It was Debbie’s birthday and Michael’s brother Robbie (a frequent visitor aboard Zendo) was coming down from Maine and would meet us there. On the way there, the weather started to deteriorate rapidly. About a mile away from their home, weather alerts started blasting over the radio and our phones including tornado warnings for the immediate vicinity. We were warned to take cover away from trees. But we were in the very leafy town of Hamden and there was no place to go. Being so close to our destination, Jonny continued on and turned into Michael’s street. By then the rain was coming down so hard it was impossible to see. He thought he turned into Michael’s driveway but wasn’t sure. We decided to just sit in the stopped car until the rain let up a bit, but just then WHAM a huge tree limb crashed down on our car smashing the windshield in front of our eyes and enveloping the car.
We were stunned but unhurt. As the homeowner rushed out to see the damage in his yard we realized we were directly across the street from Michael’s house! If we had turned left instead of right, we would have been saved. But instead, we crawled out of the car to survey the damage. In addition to the shattered windshield there was a little damage to the hood and quarter panel. By this time Michael and Debbie were there and we proceeded to call Enterprise to figure out what to do. As soon as the rain stopped, Michael got out his trusty chainsaw and helped his neighbor cut up the tree while we waited for the tow truck to come.
Eventually, Robbie also arrived. He was waylaid as well due to fallen trees blocking many roads in Hamden and nearby towns. It turned out that a tornado had touched down in nearby Sleeping Giant Park and made its way south all the way to Branford. Susan was calling Lynn to see if Zendo was safe because the damage from the tornado was all over the news.
We managed to rally and proceeded to celebrate Debbie’s birthday with pizza and ice cream cake. Fortunately we were prepared to stay overnight at Michael and Debbie’s. The next day the three guys went fishing and actually caught over a dozen fish, bluefish and porgies.
Meanwhile Debbie drove Lynn to Enterprise to get the third car of this trip. Driving through Branford to Stony Creek was crazy as there were so many trees down everywhere. This beautiful part of the world had taken quite a hit but fortunately we didn’t see any damaged homes and Zendo was unharmed. Later that day, Jonny brought Robbie aboard Zendo for a nice uneventful overnight stay. Lynn made a delicious dinner of pasta with a savory sauce of tomatoes and sardines.
Saturday night found us back at Michael and Debbie’s where we relaxed in their verdant back yard with its huge vegetable and flower gardens.
But most uniquely, we were entertained by a flock of chickens and a fellow rooster who clearly ruled the roost! We were amazed to see them actually freeze in place as a hawk soared overhead. Later we enjoyed the fruits of the guys’ fishing expedition with a great bluefish dinner.
We’d been having some problems with our dinghy and Jonny had ordered a new carburetor because neither he nor the marine mechanics at the Thimble Island outboard shop could repair it. That night as we took the dinghy back to Zendo, it finally gave out completely and Jonny got to row us back to Zendo. Now we were dependent on either taking the available launch or rowing back and forth to shore until the new carburetor arrived.
Sunday was the start of our road trip. We headed north to Waterbury to visit Lynn’s 100 year old Aunt Lillian and her 102 year old husband Robert. They still live in their family home and we had a short but lovely visit with them. They are still sharp and though they have some health issues and an aide who stays with them, they are as engaged and loving as ever and thankfully surrounded by many family and friends.
From there we headed further north to Vermont to visit Peter and Paula in South Londonderry near Stratton Mountain, the big ski resort. Peter and Paula have a second home there and have been urging us to visit. Lynn has known Peter since fifth grade and all four of us went to UConn together. It was so beautiful driving through the Vermont countryside. Their home is very comfortable and perfectly situated in the woods, with wonderful hiking trails just outside their door, great kayaking and canoeing nearby, and of course access to wonderful skiing. We stayed for three nights and had the best time. It was a real treat to be in such a different environment from our usual coastal living.
On Monday night we drove into Manchester where we met another of Lynn (and Peter’s) childhood friends, Michael and his partner Melina. Readers of this blog may remember them as friends visited during previous cruises in Burlington and Maine. We had a fun dinner at an outdoor Mexican restaurant.
We returned to Zendo on Wednesday, stopping to replenish our refrigerator which we had to empty because we were away for three days without power. We had a relaxing evening sleeping in our own bed.
On Thursday we checked to see if the carburetor had arrived as planned but it hadn’t. Hopefully it would arrive soon. Keeping with our full schedule, we were supposed to meet Lynn’s cousin Sally for dinner on Thursday night. Sally lives in nearby Woodbridge but works in Danbury (not so close). Unfortunately, she had car trouble and had to cancel. We consoled ourselves with a visit to the Thimble Island Brewing Company where we enjoyed some of their local IPAs. Jonny was happy!
Friday was a very quiet day doing boat chores, paddling, reading and relaxing. We thought we might be able to reschedule with Sally but that didn’t work out so we’ll catch her on our return visit.
Jonny checked again on the carburetor and discovered that it was on indefinite delay due to supply issues with Covid. He checked with Thimble Outboard to see if there were any used outboards available but there were none. He then checked Craig’s List and found a couple, one of which we were able to snag and we drove to Milford it to purchase it the next day,. Jonny was very happy with his two year old Yamaha 6 hp outboard complete with the remaining warranty.
On Saturday we resumed our social activities welcoming another of Lynn’s hometown buddies onboard. Billy and Lisa, who live in Fairfield, joined us for lunch. Lynn made some new recipes including a pasta salad made with marinated local heirloom tomatoes and a watermelon, tomato and feta salad. Both were hits. Billy and Lisa brought great homemade breads and dessert.
We took one of the local cruise boats for a tour of the Thimble Islands which provided another look at this interesting and beautiful area. Afterwards we walked them back to their car through this beautiful village. We had a great visit with Billy and Lisa and are so glad they were able to come aboard.
That night as the wind picked up we had one of the most uncomfortable nights we ever had on Zendo. The boat rocked back and forth and sideways throughout the night due to the two foot seas. We didn’t sleep much, fitfully at best, and we’re glad we didn’t have any guests aboard.
Sunday shone brightly and the waters were much calmer. It’s a good thing because it was to be another day with visitors. Michael and Debbie were finally able to come onboard for a Sunday afternoon dinner. Jonny, who loves Debbie’s gazpacho recipe, asked her to bring some. Lynn made her mother’s delicious potato salad and a tossed salad and Jonny prepared cod with chimichurri sauce. We had a lovely time on the aft deck on a beautiful clear September day.
The next day we would leave the stunning Thimble Islands to continue our cruise up the coast of Connecticut.
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ReplyDeleteWow! You two have had your share of problems on this cruise. At least you are both healthy and having fun. Stay well.
ReplyDeleteDuane and Diane
m/v Diva Di