Date: 2003-09-07
From: Pittsfield, Mass

To: Gloucester, Mass.
Miles today: 0.0

start Pittsfield,Mass.destination Gloucester,Mass.We got an early start heading to the coast this morning. We are going to go out on a boat and do some whale watching. The town of Gloucester, Mass. is a true picture of all the ones I have ever seen of New England towns. Big tall houses surrounded by small yards with picket fences. The yard decor is boats and oars, skiffs for planters and lighthouses with petunias flowing out of them. It was here that we had the first self service gas station in years. It seemed strange to give the credit card to the attendent, then sit while he pumped the gas into our car. We found the marina where we would catch the Yankee Spirit to go out on. We had just enough time for lunch and a couple of Dramamine before sail time. We ate lunch at a place in the marina, where from our table you could see boats of all shapes and sizes docked. With names like About Time, Lazy Daze, Emeraled Seas, it was most fascinating just to look at them, and dream of owning one. We have owned one of those boats, it is just like they say, a big hole that you pour a lot of money into. But the first few years we really did enjoy our boat. Then it stayed in the marina more than it did in the water, so we sold it. We really only miss it when we get around the water. After lunch, we got in line and soon found ourselves at the bow of the boat, feeling the ocean spray and the wind in our face. It didn't take long for Mudbutt and I to put our rain gear on just to break the wind. It was an absolutely perfect day to be one the water. The sky was briliant blue with clumps of white clouds floating here and there. The waves were about one to two feet, so we gently rolled over them as we sped out to the open water. If we didn't see any whales the ride was worth the ticket. But we were not to be disappointed. After we got out about 15 miles from shore, we spotted our first whale. It was a humpback whale. He was not very cooperative about surfacing for us, but soon a Minke whale showed up and gave us some really great sights. Another type of whale, the Fin whale also surfaced and we got more great views of these marvelous creatures. While we were waiting for another sighting, we were surrounded by a school of several hundred dolphins. Mothers with babies swimming in perfect unison, the babies only a foot or so long. They all played around the boat, seeming to take delight in the excitement in our voices as we spied yet another dolphin. They would swim under the boat, surfacing and riding along side of us as we idled along in a circle. It seemed that the dolphins stole the show from the whales. The announcer kept saying how rare this was to see this many dolphins on a trip. She was as excited as any of us. Just as we turned to head back to the marina, Wizard, a huge Humpback whale blew her stream of water into the air, just 25 feet from the boat. She graciously dove and resurfaced several times, allowing some great pictures to be taken. The people who study these whales here are on board every time the boat goes out. They distinquish the different whales by the markings on the tails. That amazes me, because I could just barely get a good look at the tail as it disappeared, much less trying to see different markings. Too soon we were back on dry land and headed into Boston, where Papermaker will jump on a plane and fly home tomorrow. Each time he comes up to hike with me, it gets harder and harder to watch him leave. This time I got to talk to some of my grandkids and I got even more homesick. But it won't be as long as it has been, and I am not ready to go home, not yet. There are still some lessons I need to learn out here, some more things I need to let go of. Things, beleifs that hinder who I am, that wrongly define my paramenters in life. I know that when it is time for me to go home, I will know it. At least I hope I will know it!!