T minus 1 and counting (we hope)

Thursday night we did indeed have a little farewell dinner at the Severn Inn; here is a picture of JP and our friend Kay.

Susan spent yesterday morning finishing a sewing project, JP did some non-boat client work, and I harvested the herbs in our Maryland garden to freeze and store for the trip. From the lower right, clockwise, you see mint, oregano, marjoram, lemongrass, basil, sage, rosemary, tarragon and lemon thyme. It was fun, time-consuming, and a little weird to be working with 'earth produce' when we are heading to sea. Here are the 'before ' and 'after' photos...doesn't look like four hours of work does it? And it was SO much prettier BEFORE, no?
Today we loaded the food - fridge and freezer are full - and more clothes - and generally ran around like crazy (sometimes in circles) trying to be ready to head a whopping 35 nautical miles south tomorrow. It's a weird thing to prepare for some unknown number of months away from this house, two months or so on the ICW, some time in Florida (and, for Susan, New Hampshire), AND (to some extent) for the Bahamas or even the Tropics.
ETD 0800 off the dock, probably 0845 off the fuel dock and pump out at Chester Harbor. Two possible first stops, Cason Point on the Little Choptank, or Herrington Harbor on the Western Shore.
Think good thoughts for us.