Cindy and I have started reading Tolkien’s The Hobbit together. Early on in the book, Bilbo Baggins is visited by the itinerant wizard, Gandalf, who has chosen the hobbit, Bilbo, for an adventure. Bilbo, a very respectable hobbit, will initially have nothing to do with such a proposition.

Bilbo protests, “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can’t think what anybody sees in them.”

When Bilbo recognizes who it is who is speaking to him, he retorts, “Not the Gandalf who was responsible for so many quiet lads and lasses going off into the Blue for mad adventures. Anything from climbing trees to visiting Elves – or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores! Bless me, life used to be quite inter – I mean, you used to upset things badly in these parts once upon a time. I beg your pardon, but I had no idea you were still in business… Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning!”

The reluctant adventurer

It was quite apparent to the both of us that we were living this scene in reality. Cindy plays the reluctant Bilbo Baggins, who despite her earlier reservations, willingly sets out on an adventure “sailing in ships, sailing to other shores!” I play the role of Gandalf, who is always proposing new challenges and adventures.

Well, our adventure continues… at times a nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable thing. But the rewards are well worth the risk.

We have just finished our first hurricane season living on a sailboat in the hurricane belt in Florida. Thank God that it was a mild season! Tropical Storm Andrea visited us in early June, but not even the slightest threat after that. We will have one more season to endure with Beatitude a sitting target for hurricanes. After the 2014 season, the plan will be to be outside of the tropics during the tropical storm season.

The path of Andrea

Andrea as she makes landfall over Florida.

We decorated Beatitude for the holidays today. Our 4 foot tree is up in our salon. We made a ~30 foot tree out of white lights which are suspended from our spinnaker halyard partway up the mast. Merry Christmas to all!

Our Christmas Tree

Beatitude Stands Out

Christmas Lights

Cindy standing by the well-lit helm station.

Working on the 1800 lights which make up our outdoor tree

Hugging the Mast with my legs while weaving the strings of light through shrouds and lazyjacks

Sorting out a string of lights

Icicles around the cockpit

The Tree