Friday with Russ

Picture perfect day at Beaton's on Friday, but a bit too

windy for Sjogin.  It's okay, we made the best of it.

The view forward.  It seemed to have gotten smaller

down below since the last time I was there.  Or,

 I may have gotten larger.  The smell is the same.

Salt, cedar, varnish, smoke.  All the good things.

And lunch of course, toasting on the Sardine stove.

Borderline not necessary on a warm day like today.

Okay, definitely not necessary for warmth anyway. 

But how would one obtain the slightly crunchy texture

on the outside of the bun otherwise? 

Russ checking his iPhone.  I think he was actually kind

of working the whole time.  I gotta get me one of them

kinda jobs.  The sun was streaming in, and the warm

southwesterly wind was at least keeping the cabin

 air circulating. I'm starving.  

I stopped and picked up a six-pack on the way.  It

had to do with sailing somehow, I mean come on.

I decided on Full Sail IPA, brewed in Oregon.  I

bought it in honor of Doryman.  Michael, do you like

Full Sail?  We did very much.  With a slightly elevated

alcohol content, it provided us with a good appetite.

The foil finally came off and the aroma wafted toward

my face.  Russ said, jokingly, "you didn't give up

pastrami for lent, did you?"  I would never lend my

pastrami to anyone. Especially with arugula, stagianato,

and whole grain mustard on Miami onion bread.

All of the A Cats get their brightwork freshened every

off-season.  This picture does it no justice.  It really is a

rich man's game.  I think it's in the class rules that an

owner must spend a certain amount of money on his

or her boat every season just to qualify.

I tried to tag Ghost with a little dust graffiti.  Only the

keenest of eyes will be able to make this out. 

The cockpit of Lightning.  I'd almost be afraid

to sit in it.  I guess no-one wears cut-off Levis with

copper rivets while sailing any more, like I used to.

Was the shape of this plaque intentional?

After they hired their second employee, they opened

the doors for visitors too!

Undoubtedly, Russ and I share a deep love and

respect for this part of the shore.  We traded stories

of when we were young, exploring up and down

the ditches, canals, and lagoons that cut through the

marshes that line the bay and rivers. How the shore

was so less developed back in the sixties, and even

in the seventies to a degree.  We talked about how so

many old bungalows and shore houses were being

razed to make room for bigger, more ostentatious

weekend getaways.  At one point, he threatened to 

knock down his own house and build a smaller one.  

I laughed out loud.  That was a keeper.  After visiting his

perfect little cottage in Manasquan, I hope he reconsiders.