Sailing with Alzheimer’s – Page 2

On Alzheimer’s and lentils

This post was written and dated 9-JUL, but is only being posted on 23-JUL

9-JUL-2017, Cleveland Pass – I don’t suffer from depression, but Jennifer can and is.

Yesterday we sailed up from Stedman Cove in Rocky Pass. Our friend Heath anchored near us and came by for dinner. I need to teach Heath to make bread. It will change his life.

Our friend Ray Penson, last year, mentioned that he basically lived on Stag-brand chili. I thought of this as an interesting curiosity. Then, Heath talked of buying $400 worth of Amy’s organic chili to live on. He also buys organic canned condensed soups that he uses as a sauce on quinoa this year, previously rice. But he no longer enjoys rice. Continue reading “On Alzheimer’s and lentils”

Hydaburg, Klowack and Craig; Stretch and Elise.

3-JUL-2017, Craig, AK – We’ve met people who spend each fourth of July in a different Alaska town. Each town has its own character and make up.

Craig, where we are today, Monday, the morning of the third of July is home to many young familes with children. We met them yesterday at a children’s fishing competition at the marina. This town of 1300 or so showed up with any dozens of children under ten years old fishing a remarkable number of Halibut from beneath the docks… by remarkable I mean dozens and dozens in a one hour period. Continue reading “Hydaburg, Klowack and Craig; Stretch and Elise.”

Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last

It’s difficult not to compare that second time one does something with the first.

Jennifer and I find ourselves doing that often these last couple of days.

We compare our calendar and where we were last year against where we are this year. The comparison is a false one: so much was different.

We feel like we’ve sat at anchor for days this year doing nothing, while last year at this time we‘d sat at anchor waiting for parts, and then sat a t a dock waiting for parts. Jennifer and I spent weeks apart last year as Jennifer flew to Owen’s graduation and I flew to say good bye to my dying friend JoAnn.

Yesterday, we were in Punchbowl, two day’s sail from Ketchikan, though we took three days, stopping in a small cove we knew a few hours south of Ketchikan that contained a mooring buoy. And then staying at a further cove, with a Park Service cabin and buoy. Continue reading “Punchbowl, AK – This year versus Last”

We meet a new friend in Foggy Bay and we’re remembered in Ketchikan

8-JUN-2017 Foggy Bay and Ketchikan, AK – Yesterday morning, when we had cellular service for a few minutes, Jennifer called US CBP to say that we would be spending the night in Foggy Bay, on the American side of the border.
We spent the night before in a long, poorly charted inlet called Winter Inlet. The GPS coordinates for the charts, both Canadian and Navionics, were hundreds of feet off. The holding was good and we were fine, but Jennifer was unsettled by the experience. Continue reading “We meet a new friend in Foggy Bay and we’re remembered in Ketchikan”

No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.

5-JUN-2017, K’tzim-a-deem Grizzly Bear Sanctuary – It has been a very different trip this year.

I find myself thinking that the lack of things breaking has decreased the excitement of the trip: There is little adversity to overcome.

Jennifer often points out that we’ve been here before. The continual acknowledgement that this is as far north as we have ever been is also missing.

Things are different. Hilary is a much larger burden and we have no guests to look forward to. Continue reading “No Lions, No Tigers, but Bears. Oh My! and Wolves.”

Shearwater, weather and new Hilary shows her face

25-MAY-2017, Shearwater, BC – It has been busy, and when it is not we haven’t had internet access.

There has been weather… terrible forecasts, but not too terribly bad on the ‘‘inside’’ where we sail. Though on Tuesday we came into Shearwater with a host of there boats to wait out the weather. Needless to say, the bad weather dissipated and was not as bad as expected for as long.

Continue reading “Shearwater, weather and new Hilary shows her face”

Smooth Sailing – Docking most nights

This trip is very different than last year’s in many ways.

Until today, we’ve had great sailing – today is very calm despite initial forecasts of 25 to 35 knot winds.

Yesterday we sailed from Nanaimo to Ford’s Cove on Hornby Island. We ran before the wind almost the entire way, averaging something over 6 knots. We’re practiced now. We don’t feel unwarranted risk when do things, and we don’t second guess our decisions. Continue reading “Smooth Sailing – Docking most nights”

Welcome to Canada, Howdy from Galveston

Hilary continues to be the center of concern and both emotional and physical energies. The psychosis is, to use the vernacular, crazy. But, I think we will cope and make our trip. Whether to have guests join us will be the question we will ponder (and after reading this, potential guests will ponder as well).
Continue reading “Welcome to Canada, Howdy from Galveston”

We’re on our way, Hilary and Taylors Stove Redux

My apologies for not posting in sometime. It has all been heads down while we raced to get away.

We finally left Port Townsend this past Friday about 2pm.

The Port Townsend house is rented, the lower shrouds are installed, the rig tuned and new burners installed. Continue reading “We’re on our way, Hilary and Taylors Stove Redux”

Hilary

Hilary is the center of attention no matter where we go, but the woman Jennifer and I live with isn’t the woman I met 11 years ago. Yet, like that woman, this woman is buoyant, full of life.
People who meet Hilary once, remember her, call to her and become concerned about her well-being.

Is it rewarding to have traveled with Hilary for five months? No, it isn’t. It is work, unrelenting, uninterrupted work that increases in effort as Hilary progresses with her disease.

Continue reading “Hilary”