I went to visit a friend in Annapolis the other day. His take on September and October was strikingly different than mine. We are both obviously pretty avid sailors and general boat people. So not surprisingly, weather is often a part of the conversation as we compare Long Island Sound and the Chesapeake Bay for which body of water has less wind. There’s a reason we both also own powerboats.
But this time, the conversation that led to the weather was the foliage. He is from Connecticut originally but has been in Maryland for thirty-plus years and was lamenting that the colors don’t pop in the mid-Atlantic quite like “home.” I didn’t mention that he sounded like someone from Vermont or Western Massachusetts talking about the sad, dim colors in Rhode Island and Connecticut. But he shifted to exclaiming how great this fall had been for color on his now beloved Kent Island and in Annapolis. And he was not wrong. The leaves had a distinct New England look. He attributed it to the lack of rain over the past ten weeks.
Say what?
In my world, five hours north (if you plan correctly) it has rained every weekend since time began. Golfing buddies have likened their standing Friday morning four-ball to playing in Ireland and they are all acquiring rain gear like “real” golfers. My son’s fall baseball coach said he had received some thirty calls from other coaches looking for a game to fill in all the ones that had been rained out. He said the typical number was two. And of course, the most important voice of all, my wife, regularly pointed out that Monday through Thursday were magnificent throughout September and October, with particular vitriol related to how little we got to use the boat.
Ah well. I feel mostly for the yards. Because even in mid-November, there are still tons of boats in the water. Because while it has been raining, it has not been particularly stormy or cold. It seems like folks are determined to get in a last sail or afternoon cruise. And the fishing must be great because those people are still out in force. And when the first flakes fall, the docks will be packed with boats to be pulled. Don’t be those folks. If by the time you read this you have not pulled the boat, don’t blame us for some seriously grumpy looks from the travel lift. Consider just leaving her in, at least until it stops raining!
Enjoy the Holiday Gift Guide and of course, happy holidays from all of us at WindCheck!
Publisher
Benjamin V. Cesare
ben@windcheckmagazine.com
