Sunday, June 20, 2010

Rockhall Creek Sailing Reunion

Last year my dad was invited to go with a group of great sailors to Rockhall creek. As my friend was leaving that summer to move to the Ukraine, I also invited her. For those who were there, I am sure that they will agree that it was a great time.
Once again, we are going to go with them this year. Same as last year, I have invited a close friend to come with us. Hannah is going to come with us as we sail from Deal, Maryland to Annapolis, Maryland, to Rockhall Creek, Maryland. My family is going to go to the boat this Monday after my school gets out and then we shall sleep over at the boat. We will be home on Friday after this year's adventure in the great Chesapeak Bay.
I will write again when we dock back in Deal, so untill then, Happy Father's Day! I know that my dad will have a great day and week!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Sailing in NY? I don't think so!

Well, i haven't recentally gone to the boat, what with midterms and spanish PALS, i really haven't had the time. Dad has gone a lot this winter, though. last time he went to the boat, he said that our boating neighbour has, once again, let his boat sink. his boat keeps sinking about three feet untill it his the bottem. the boat is no longer good for firewood, and this man keeps reflaoting his boat! We are wondering if the dockmaster, Mr.Phipps, has called the man, or if by this time, has just decided to let things lie where they may.
Currently, my family is in a hotel ( Country inn & suites) in Big Flatts New York. We are visiting my mom's family that lives up here. Although Dad and I are in the country, we can't resist a fun sport when we see it! Yesterday, Dad and I went skiing on one of the mountains. While there was not much natural snow, it was freezing! When Dad and I looked at the car's thermometer, it was -1 degrees farenheight on the base of the mountain! that means that it never reached above 0 on the mountain! The Susquahanah river was frozen! not to mention one of the great lakes, although i forget which one. I am glad that Dad and I didn't decide to sail up here, otherwise i may be typing this with 9 fingers instead of 10!
Well, happy sailing, and i hope that this fridige weather doesn't stop anyone's dreams of a winter trip!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

My New Favorite Quote by Mark Twain

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."~Mark Twain


What advice! This is something that both my dad and I follow when we go out!

Monday, January 4, 2010

how to entertain kids at the dock

Here's a simple problem that I see all of the time, and try to correct. Parents dock the boat. Kids explore about 5ft around the boat. Mom and Dad are afraid the kids are going to escape. Kids get stuck on the boat, or on the dock.
okay what are the kids going to do? Play with a boring crab or go watch TV? TV wins all the time! My solution, i start fishing off the back of my boat, making noise to attract my soon-to-be friends. Kids pop their heads out; what's the noise..... WOW a real live fishie! depending on the area, and the kids, this idea can vary. My dad found out long ago that my favorite thing on our small cat was the minnow trap. The things you use to catch bait, the contraptions that reek and your wife tells you to throw out? Yeah, that. ever since i can remember i have been experimenting on various food for fish using this great invention. my favorite: hot dog and old fish heads. Disgusting? Yes. Fun? Yes. interesting? Yes. Are the kids into it? Well lets put it this way, if the kids can get dirty, or see something different, even if it's something that you take for granted, it could be the coolest thing in the world that you overlooked. In a kid's eyes this sort of discovery makes them the next Einstein. Be prepared for showing fish heads to other boats, and of course there is one thing u must have: an aquarium, or a bucket at least!
My favorite past time. Even my friends like it, and we are in high school! although.... keep disgusting to a minimum if you don't want dirty looks from rich boat owners..... though the rich kids think that it's as cool as the rest of them.

2010 brings lots of snow!

Every new year brings something new, but in the school system there is one tradition that is always followed. That is to complain about the length of the school year! This year,however, it may be a very long one! the school year ends on June 22, but i may be pulled out early for physical needs.... sailing! This December the traditional topic that us school kids whine about has been altered slightly. This year there has been a three day early opening to winter break, this caused my school system to use up its snow days. While i continue to enjoy the snow, i am frightened to think about the terrible changes this may create at the end of the year. We may have to stay in school until July, and that means less time for sailing!

pushing aside this small annoyance, comes the larger one of the cold high winds! The winds that i have been receiving at home have made birdhouses fly, trees fall and worst of all ( for my family at least) Halloween eyeballs go astray. Though, with that last problem the whole neighborhood knows of the Frye's and their strange obsession with Halloween. They are very good with returning our runaway yoga balls painted like eyes. What a strange neighborhood. Aside from eyeballs, the winds must be causing some wear and tear on the beloved Shoal Survivor, who has not been grounded for winter, although she is winterized. My dad is one of the insane people out there, who will do strange acts. Dad and I both are rock climbers, but there's no adventure in that anymore.... no we ice climb! and hike. and ski. and attach eyeballs to the roof. and go on long bike rides. and ice climb blind folded (that one is only dad. i have more sense than that.). Above all else... we never stop sailing! the Shoal survivor is still in the water because we are going out this weekend; although we may go ice climbing... depends on the ice. Dad went out last weekend, when it was too windy to go out for a simple bike ride! apparently there was only one other sailor crazy enough to try those icy waters, and icy they were! the only reason dad could tell was because of the tracks broken through the ice!

the family will be taking a weekend and sleeping on the boat this month. We have installed a new heater! this amazing device will let us survive, and hopefully not turn us into a walking Frosty! Well, we will face the wind triumphantly, and perhaps learn that Dad, for once is right, at least when he tells us that the boat is no longer cold!