THE SEASON OF THE GEESE - NOVEMBER 2012

           Among Cruisers world wide, Ourselves included, is the need to forget time,

When Days merge, weeks mold with months, and your life is lived by the rise and

fall of the Sun.

           But in All the Waters of the World, Sailing is planned by the seasons of the year to avoid inclement weather, as Cyclones, and Hurricanes. Currents change from Favorable to Benign and often change in Direction.

          So in One instance, Time is of the greatest need for cruisers but at the same time is Disregarded due to its Relationship to The Past where Time Clocks were punched and Traffic Jams were The Norm.

          So to live life as a Cruiser, without those time pieces lived by in their land based life, have found a clock known for thousands of years. This clock is the changing of the seasons by nature itself. 

         When the smell of Honeysuckle fills the air, spring is here, where as the Summer months bring the constant winds..

         But its the Fall that pleases me most, The colors change, the mornings are clear and crisp and a familiar sound comes to life in the skys above.

         Its the Migration of our large feathered foul making their annual trip from the far frozen north to the feeding grounds of the south..

         For Myself, I know fall is here and Winter is on its way Because,

                                " ITS THE SEASON OF THE GEESE"

LIFE ON THE GEORGINA SLOUGH..

   It was a number of years ago when we were first introduced to the Georgina Slough, on the waters of the California Delta when visiting my brother at OxBow Marina.  The Georgina meanders through the farm lands of the delta conecting the waters of the Sacramento River with those of the San Joaquin.
    Over the years, we've traveled the slough, and spent a good number of days and nights anchored among over hanging trees and enjoying the water as it flows below us. The Georgina is in itself is a paradise with wildlife both in the water and on its banks, from fish and turtles to coyotes and otters,  all living in this remote area of the California Delta.
    A few years ago, while visiting family members, we opted to use OxBow Marina as a layover. Little did we know that OxBow would be the birthplace for our next venture and the home of our business, OxBow Canvas & Upholstery.
    We've come and gone from this area, sailing to far away ports and exploring new places, but once again we find ourselves back where we once started, on that tree covered waterway in the heart of the California Delta.
    Our plans are to leave here again, when the seasons change, on new adventures, visiting places and countries we've never seen before,
Crossing Oceans and following the trades, But I feel we'll always return to this paradise on the cross waters between the Sacramento and the San Joaquin,  On The Water, On the Georgina. 

SPIDERS IN THE TREES

       It was early in the morning as I sat in the cockpit of "R3"  drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying the quite.  When I first saw it, The spiders in the trees..
          On one of our excursions on the Georgina Slough just south of Walnut Grove.. The Georgina about 40 yards wide and about 20 to 30 feet deep for its 15 mile crossing between the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, lined by trees as it wanders throu the farmlands of the California Delta and favored by locals for its fishing and swiming.
         We had dropped both a forward and rear anchor and then tied lines to the trees on the bank of the slough and with our deck winches, pulled ourselves up under the overhanging limbs that shade the area and then dropped lines in the water to catch a passing Bass for dinner that night..
         On that morning while at rest in the trees, I notice the spiders dancing across their webs, pulling on a strand here and there to inspect the web and check to see if they had snagged a passer by in their sticky netting.
         It was then I realized how much we both had in common, as myslf tied off with lines to the same trees and fishing lines in the water to catch a passer by..
         Once again its the simpelest things in life the give me the most pleasure..