"Praise the LARD and pass the mashed potatos"

Been cruisin'.
Sorry, but sometimes you just have to hit the road....er, water.
I had good intentions. There would be ample opportunity to blog while messing around on the East coast but, true to form, I was a traveling slug.
Hey! You aren't paying to read this!

Linda and I spent a week aboard the Maasdam cruising from Montreal to Boston. It was a fortieth anniversary present to ourselves that was a feast for both the eyes and our ever expanding adipose tissue. Damn those Holland America Cruise chefs! ("More Baked Alaska and Cherries Jubilee, Mr. Copper?")

We had always craved a peek at the Canadian Maritime provinces and a chance to bond with the socialist cheese heads who dwell in the loft apartment above the cool party that is the United States. Even if I do hate their screamingly liberal press and their penchant to embrace concepts like socialized medicine, I have to admit that Canada has money that is not only worth more than ours, it looks wicked fine too.

Our northern neighbors don't lack in the scenery department either.
Check out these shots:

This is Peggy's Cove on Prince Edward Island.




Another pastoral spot on PEI....






The cruise ended in Boston where we were met by longtime pals The Skipper and Betty Erickson. The Skipper has a barge and tugboat company, New England Harbor Services, that is the home to fine vessels like the "Captain Shorty". (The tug gets its name from its ability to feel comfy only to passengers who measure no more than 62 inches in height.)
Thankfully, the sea gods had seen fit to render the Cpt. Shorty unfit for habitation due to electrical problems and we were able to bunk in a real bed at the Ericksons.
The Skip has a radical new addition to his quarters. His neighbor and buddy, Jim Currier, has designed and built a one-of-a-kind Boat Bar that is an amazing work of art. It seats 12 and comes with ship sound effects, flags, ship's bell and a multitude of additional goodies being added on a regular basis. There is also enough booze to require major sea legs, if you're so inclined.
If I still drank...I'd still be there.



"The Skipper" tends bar





We also spent a terrific couple of days enjoying the hospitality of the Erickson's good friends, Dan and Sandy, at their home on Cape Cod. My only complaint was that the towels provided for our visit were extra fluffy and hard to fit in my suitcase. Sandy, being completely insane, will never miss them. Dan should have her institutionalized...but I digress.

It was also good to see an old friend, Captain Eric Franzen, and his son, Carl. The Skipper and Eric once abandoned a junk car they had driven from Port Arthur. Texas in front of my apartment in South Dakota. But, that is a story for another time.


Here is the Skipper with his pal "Batman" at the Bat Cave in Sandwich, Mass.






There is never a dull moment when you seek adventure beyond the horizon...or spend some time hangin' with The Skipper.