Peekaboo...

I was up early this morning; an hour or so before sunrise.  I debated taking the boat out to watch the sunrise - the wind was already blowing pretty good.  I checked weather: 18 gusting to mid-20s.  I stepped out onto the deck: a warm breeze, 78º and overcast.

Probably won't be much of a sunrise.  With the weekly forecast for wind each day, I decided to get out before the wind came up (as forecast) even more... it may be a few days before we take the boat out again.

I grabbed my boat stuff, a camera, and a glass of ice water.  While getting a cap out of the closet, Joan stirred and asked, "Are you going out?"

"Yep.  Sorry if I woke you."

"It sounds windy - be careful.  And, call me on your way in the canal; I'll catch you at the dock."

It was still dark when I pushed away from the dock...

Just the first hint of light from the east.  Out the canal and through the turning basin...

The lights on the drilling ship make it look like a city skyline.  I ran around the far side of our island to get the best perspective, but there was a pretty good cloud layer at the horizon...

Past our island, and into the ship channel.  Not going to be a sunrise, but there may be some sun-rays through the clouds...

Interesting to watch the changing colors as the sun rises.

Getting brighter, I looked around - not a lot moving here, yet.  I saw one small bait shrimper slogging in the chop in the ship channel.  Then, these guys came flying by...

From the looks of the beginning, it is going to be a sunny day after the sun clears that layer at the horizon...

So, only some peekaboo sun, but still nice to be out there this time of day.  The wind was coming up more as I headed in...

I was running with the wind in that photo above.  Coming into our canals, I had to use more power to keep the bow running straight; first into the wind, then two 90º left turns to get to our canal, and the wind at my back.  I rotate the boat when I get to our dock, putting the bow back into the wind; more protection at this end of the canal, but I was happy to have a pretty dockhand to get tied off...

She had her coffee cup with her, and sat on the boat with me for a while before I rinsed the boat and put the cover on it, since it may be a few days before we get out again.

Nice way to start the day.


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On edit:

Glad I got out this morning - by early afternoon, the wind was a solid 26 gusting to 36.  We had a ladder to pick up that Joan had ordered (another concession to aging: much more solid than standing on a chair to reach things at the top of closets).  Nice ladder, btw, but it was in a box and it took both of us to control that box when putting it in the CR-V, with that gusty wind.  We weren't the only ones - there was a lady wresting with an empty storage container, and an old guy whose hat blew off (his wife retrieved it for him).

Coming back home, there is blowing dirt/sand just west of our island.  The wind isn't going to let up for a couple days, so hopefully it will stay the same direction, since it isn't aiming directly at us.

Also glad I put the boat cover on.  Whew!