Author: Phil

4 July — We stayed in town, enjoying a fully packed town with everyone else that was enjoying the great weather and water.  Fireworks on the Sunday the 3rd capped a festive weekend as everyone crammed the streets and beaches to observe another superb fireworks display.

8-11 July — We enjoyed a CYC sponsored boat trip to Spring Cove Marina in Solomons.  The River and Chesapeake Bay were absolutely beautiful on Friday the 8th as we motored to Solomons.  And with this trip we were reminded of the great boating on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.  Scott Such was the master chef all weekend.  We ate very well!  Saturday was full of heavy rain but the planners had obtained use of a covered pavallion near the boats that made for a great place to talk, relax and enjoy all who came to the event.  Sunday proved to be a windy day so all the boaters decided to stay and motor back to Colonial Beach on Monday.  Good decisions as the water was like glass on our trip back Monday, and we all enjoyed a nice evening out in Solomons Sunday night at one of the better restaurants.

 

22-25 July — As we ended July the weather turned hot!  With temps in the high 90s, we boated to Coles Point again for the PRYCA Float-In.  About 50 boats and 100+ people joined the festivities for the annual boating event.   It would have been fun except for the 95+ temperatures.  We did enjoy catching up with some old PRYCA boating friiends throughout the weekend.

During the time in Colonial Beach we enjoyed many of the local places haunts.  Below is a picture of the Eatery and Bar at the Ice House Marina, a new and very nice venue.

Early May — Tommy Burrel, the owner of Legacy Custom Homes, framed the new room addition, the last of the remodel projects for the house.  We suffered a few delays with electrical and flooring contractors (COVID related) but the new sunroom was finally completed in mid June.  We’re now enjoying the room and waiting for winter when we can start up the new fireplace in the room.

We also had Greenacres Lawn service in to plant shrubs in the back yard then dress up the drive way and area surrunding the screened-in porch.  It is looking better and better every day.

Mid May — we were reminded that COVID is still around.  Carey and I both tested positive and self quarantined for 5 days.  Luckily our symptoms were mild and we are praying we will not suffer the long-term COVID symptoms.  For a while we’re taking it easy so we fully recover.

June started a full schedule of activities in Colonial Beach that we are enjoying.  “Peggy’s Pier” opened with the first of the monthly gatherings with music and food; a great event as shown below.

Also during the month we enjoyed the Colonial Beach Potomac River Festival (10-11 June) and a boat trip to Cole’s Point (24-26 June) with the Colonial Yacht Club.

It is great being back in Colonial Beach.  We get to watch winter turn to spring as the trees and plants bloom.  The Town wakes up from the winter and more activities are available to enjoy with local friends.   The grandkids are strarting sports’ activities and we are close enough to Annapolis to travel for some games.  All is good.  I’m enrolled in a lung rehab exercise program through Mary Washington Hospital that is helping me improve my physical conditioning.  Also good.  After that’s over I think I’ll join Carey at her YMCA classes.  I’ll have to do something like that.

Here is a picture of the house this spring.  The trees are filling out with leaves and the azaleas are blooming with red flowers.  The roses will bloom later.

Here you catch a glimpse of Carey as we are sitting on the deck at the Riverboat for an afternoon lunch.

In late April the new windows we ordered for the home arrived and were installed — a major plus to the looks of the house (not in for the above picture).  The major item we are waiting for now is the completion of the Sunroom we are adding to the house.  Hopefully the contractor will get it completed in May.  The delays we’ve experienced with this portion of the remodeling have been frustrating, but we’re hopeful that we are close to getting it done.  The original schedule for completion was February.

In the house since November 2021 and it’s feeling like home.  We’ve made the decision to change a few other things and we are waiting for the contractor to add the sunroom.  All the windows and material for the sunroom have arrived so the plan is to add the room in January and February.  Fingers crossed for a fast completion.  We just need good weather.

Carey has been unpacking and sorting all that Allied Movers dumped on us from the Florida home.  Down-sizing is never fast nor fun, but it’s getting done.

We packed up and traveled to Virginia Beach, VA for Christmas, visiting Karen for several days, one of Carey’s college roommates.  It was a great time and we really enjoyed visiting Karen and Virginia Beach.  During the stay, Carey and I drove by the first home I every bought, back in 1974.  It is located in Norfolk, VA and as you can see below, still looking pretty good.  I’ll just bet it cost a bit more now than the $30,000 I paid for it in ’74.

After Christmas and returning home we traveled to Annapolis to visit the grandkids for our family Christmas celebration.  It has been fairly quiet for January.  We are waiting for the weather to allow the contractor to put the sunroom on the house. It appears we may be in for a wait as we’ve had several snow events.  Even now, the 2nd of February, I’m looking at some melting snow and listening to the weatherman forecast snow coming the day after tomorrow.

 

This was a busy time.  We’re on the boat and anxious to get into our new home (new for us).  The contractors are working to complete the remodeling that includes new paint inside and out, new floors, central air conditioning, and as mentioned before a new trey ceiling in the living room and removal of a chimney, plus updating the kitchen with new cabinets.  That work was completed before the 13th of November and the furniture arrived — yes, you guessed it, more furniture than space.  We moved some of it to the storage locker we rented and placed the other as possible.  We have contracted for a new sunroom to be added but that will be done in December after the windows we ordered for the room arrive.   And the good news is that we are in the house now (17 Nov) and it is great!

Carey is busy unpacking a bunch of boxes and arranging the furniture.  It’s a lot for her but she is doing a super job.  We are also enjoying the town — we made the right decision to come back — and the short distance to get to the grandkids.  It feels like we’ve never left.  We’re home.

We are also busy connecting with our new doctors and dentists and setting up all the new associations we need to live comfortably here.  It’s good.

We spent Thanksgiving with our daughter Lauren and her family.  Loving it.

We still have our 37 foot Maxum and it is now winterized and ready for the cold weather it has never seen before.  We’ll decide what to do with it in the the Spring.  The boat is just 3 blocks away at The Boat House Marina owned and run by our friend Bill Bowman.  I should have taken more pictures and recorded all the things we’ve done during these two months, but it was just too much fun doing them that we’ll have to use our memory for this time.

We’re now in December and getting close to settling in, and we’re hoping for a great 2022!  Here are a few pictures.