Stowaway

A grey, misty morning after a night of hard rain, passing thunderstorms and odd gusts of wind from every quarter.

Sitting here at the nav station, a cup of steaming coffee at hand, I've only one small, dim light burning to pave the way to the coffeepot. I've read some morning blogs, leaving the odd comment behind, here n' there.

The boat's gently tugging at her lines, missing the hiss of open water across her sleek hull. Her diesel had lain silent for months, on the donor list for a heat-exchanger transplant to give her new life.

Rain still falls gently, the news radio murmers softly in it's nest on the forepeak shelf.

The cats, normally active and eager for their brief morning sojurn topside, remain asleep on the master berth, enjoying I'm sure, the residual warmth of my rest there. My small, effective space heater pulled close to my settee, it's warm and dry belowdecks.

Perfectly cozy, and I don't want to leave here, today.

My heart begs me to just call in bored, to stay aboard and to just read, relax, maybe clean a bit or even attend to the wiring for the HVAC project aboard ship.

But my checkbook screams more loudly; feed me!. which, if I fail in doing would present problems with feeding me, and the cats, too.

I'll go to work today, but my heart will remain a stowaway here.

May it always be so.

Comments

[Anne]

Very nice, Jim.

And now I don't want to go to work, either . . .

[Bob Baird]

Jim --

That was me last week. It's warmed up here in the Land of Mickey. I went to work last week and I went to work today... but I still am with you. My master plan is to win the lottery then retire in style. There's only one hitch.....

Bob

[Key]

Wow...that was a beautiful picture.

I'm hating that you had to leave it, myself... ; )

[Rivrdog]

Haul the New Dawn and have a keel cooler put in. It's one less thing to break down there in the engine space, and you only have ONE engine!

But, keep up the nautical prose. That, sir is art.

[Marcus]

that story gets me wet. thanks.

[GE]

Heh. Welcome to my blogroll. Me and the missus (www.jeanninemnelson.com) have been looking into a liveaboard for a while, but my darn checkbook is even more whiny.