Captain Barry is BEST on Chincoteague Island

While moving, my internet access was down.  Then I left for two weeks on Chincoteague Island  -  and I have to admit that I cried as I crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, leaving the Eastern Shore, and headed for the mainland.  Back in the mid-1980s, there was an extremely popular bumper sticker (on the Shore) that read, "There is no life and no intelligence west of the Chesapeake Bay."  I completely agreed with that sentiment as I was crossing the Bay itself.
  But I'm back in Boulder, Colorado now.  I see the Flatirons of Boulder, the eastern outpost of the Rocky Mountains, from my current seat.  They are gorgeous.  They are awe inspiring.  But I miss the rhythms of the sea, the call of sea birds, and the scent of marsh mud.  Had it not been for my two cats, my new year-long lease, my sister, and Rosie, I would not be here.  I'd be getting more sand in my shoes and in my soul....
   I went on several cruises and tour boat outings while I was on the island, and I spoke to a lot of tourists who had also taken the tours.  Most tours are 90 minutes to 2 hours long.  Younger children (and, me, too, at age 59) can get very bored just sitting in a boat and looking in the direction someone points while talking.  Some of the information is excellent, and some is a bunch of hogwash, depending on the Captain, or "guide," you have. If you are there for ponies only, Captain Dan's tours are the best available.  However, if you want a fun, exciting learning experience that just might encourage your youngster to do some research on his/her own, then Captain Barry is the man with the magic.
   I have to admit that I wasn't too sure that I would enjoy a two hour cruise with a 2 year-old (just turned) on board.  I guess I had forgotten how Captain Barry's charisma and charm works.  First, small children adore Captain Barry - I think they can sense his enjoyment of their company and his high spirits and true love of the water.  Barry's trips are interactive cruises, unless you take the Champagne Sunset Cruise, for adults.  The Sea Exploration cruises that Captain Barry delivers are the best to be found on the Eastern Shore - and probably on the entire East Coast of the United States.  "An incredible learning experience for the whole family," was the response I heard most often from the adults I spoke with.  The majority of the kids said that it was "lots of fun" and that they were eager and ready to go out with Captain Barry, again, immediately.
  I'll admit that it was relaxing, occasionally, to clamber aboard a boat and just sit and listen to someone else spout information.  All I had to do was tune out the other folks' conversation, and look at the birds, a few dolphins, and the ponies, as we came upon them.  Captain Barry, however had me climbing on and off the boat, going into the water, handling clams, shrimp, oysters, crabs, jellyfish, and all the creatures and things that appeared in the trawl net.  I had a wonderful time!  And Evelyn, the two year-old, was always entertained, had things to do to "help" Captain Barry and, even though it was well past her nap time, she stayed smiling and bright.  And it was Captain Barry that made it happen.  He is simply the best when it comes to cruises with kids.  Period.
  And, yes, I'll give him more free advertising!   Check out Captain Barry's Back Bay Cruises on Chincoteague Island, Virginia.  The phone number for reservations is:  (757) 336-6508.  You can e-mail him at captainchincoteague@gmail.com   If you don't believe my reviews, you can always ask the folks as they disembark from a trip with Captain Barry at the dock at old Marlin Street (west of Main Street) - where the Chincoteague Inn used to stand, and where the Jackspot is now open.  Captain Barry helped make our vacation dreams come true.  He's a wonderful man.

Little Kids, Big Love

I laughed until I choked yesterday - and I had a good time doing it.  I took Rosie out for her walk a little later than normal because she had an in-home vet treatment.  We strolled regally around the neighborhood, and ended up at Kathy and Jim's back gate.  We entered, and I removed Rosie's harness and leash, and handed her the orange squeak bone that lives in a tree when she's not there.  We walked over to the patio, where I placed Rosie's gear on the picnic table, and I grabbed my chair.  I saw sudden movement inside the house, through the double sliding glass doors.  I had forgotten that Evie was spending the morning with her grandparents.  Evie had spotted Rosie and me, and came at a run to the back door.
   Evie is 17 months old now, and everything goes into her hands and then her mouth.  Kathy followed Evie over to the door and opened them both by about eight inches.  Rosie, standing 6 inches lower than the house floor, immediately shoved her nose inside in hope of finding an edible offering.  She put her nose in Evie's face.  Evie gently placed her hands on either side of  Rosie's nose, opened her mouth wide, stuck her tongue out, and licked Rosie's nose.  A big, wet, juicy tongue lick...   Now Rosie is a full-grown Irish Setter, and she has a big nose.  Rosie looked at me by rolling her eyes; I managed to say, through snorts of laughter, "You're a very good girl, Rosie."  My sister and I looked at one another and again went into gales of laughter.  Evie, meanwhile, gently released Rosie's nose, wrinkled up her nose and eyes, and started giggling, while bouncing up and down.  Rosie eased slowly backward in retreat, leaving the foolish humans grinning and laughing at one another.
   Then, this morning, as I took Rosie out to the street, we ran into a group of six boys from the Waldorf Pre-School; the boys were aged between three and four, and their male teacher was taking them for a hike through the neighborhood.  The boys immediately stopped and asked if they could pet Rosie; I looked at their teacher, got an affirmative nod, and said, "Sure you can."  They made much of her, and she soaked it up.  Then they asked how old she was, and I said, well, you can see she's got white hair on her nose and around her eyes - and that she was 13 years old.  After a few moments, one of the boys asked me, "Do you have teeth?"  When I said yes, they asked me to show them, so I kept my teeth together and raised my lips up and around my teeth.  Then the kids wanted me to take them out of my mouth.  I told them I couldn't - and finally let one little boy try to wiggle and pull my upper teeth out.  They were impressed that I didn't have "fake teeth".  I told them that mine might be a little ugly, but that they were real...  They were asking their teacher all kinds of questions as they left the yard, after giving Rosie more pats and hugs.