Pinch me

We’re still enjoying a dream passage to New Zealand, one that’s destined to become legend, not just to those of us who are sailing it but for the weather watchers, too. After a few days of very light winds today we have a perfect 10-12 knots aft of the beam with a favorable current. You can’t ask for anything more than that. It’s nearly 4 o’clock on American Thanksgiving Day and with only about 140 miles to go to the Customs dock in Opua we have much to be thankful for.

Our families are gathering in clusters here and there and we wish them all a day of love and laughter and good food prepared and enjoyed together. We will miss, as we have since we’ve been cruising, my sister’s pies and the ceremonial distribution of the coveted jars of Dave’s homemade pickles and Nancy’s homemade jam. We just opened our last jar of Nancy’s blueberry jam, our favorite, and swooned over the taste of summer in the temperate mid-Atlantic states.

We’re upside down in seasons now and it’s taking some getting used to. I’ve spent much of my life at about 40 degrees north latitude and late November has always been one of my favorite times of the year. The sun gets low in the sky, the days are short, the air smells of wood smoke and leaf clutter and bread in the oven. It’s a time for hearty soup simmering on the stove, for turnips and parsnips and chestnuts, for cozy sweaters, for brisk bike rides on frozen river trails, for warming the house with good friends on a chilly evening.

We’re now at about 33 degrees south latitude and heading southward. The sky is still light at 9 o’clock and the air is warm enough for t-shirts all day. When we arrive in New Zealand I’ll find asparagus and spring peas instead of root vegetables and winter squashes. It’s November on the calendar but May in my head. Still, we’ll warm the boat with good friends and enjoy our good fortune to be living this life of perpetual adventure and discovery.

We’re thankful for our family and friends, for our comfort and safety aboard EV, for each other, and for all of you who share our journey. Happy Thanksgiving!