Post Election Anxiety

Post Election Anxiety

Thursday November 5, 2020

Three years ago, this was the date that Mike, Rod, Dave and Brian set off from Norfolk on the Caribbean 1500 rally.  It’s also Guy Fawkes Day—a (sort of) holiday in the UK to memorialize the attempt to blow up the British parliament. It seems like a strange thing to celebrate with a holiday but....we may start to be able to see why that might be something to celebrate. (Mike: I think it actually celebrates the execution of Guy Fawkes, the leader of the “Gun-powder Plot” to blow up the House of Parliament. There are bonfires to represent his burning at the stake and fireworks to represent the gunpowder … it still seems a little gruesome)

On Cotinga we are all suffering, to some degree, with post election anxiety (PEA).  I imagine that all across the nation there are many others who have symptoms of this disorder.  We seem to have different strategies for coping with the lack of information.  I’m trying to ignore my PEA and focus on the landscapes and seascapes that present themselves as we make our way along the ICW.  Rod seems to check his phone a lot. (On Tuesday night we had no cell phone reception so we were really in a news black-out. Thankfully, Sue sent some information by text—not that it was the news for which we had been hoping).  Mike alternates between checking his phone and nervous eating. (According to CNN this is a nationwide phenomenon) Then every so often we start speculating on how did the election come to this, what does it mean for our nation, what will we do next, etc.  Then I need to go find the jar of chewable antacids. Maybe my coping strategy isn’t working out so well!

This morning we had a slow start with a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast.  By 8:30 am the anchor was up and we were underway.  After a short while we unrolled the genoa and motor-sailed down the Pungo River.  When the wind faded away or came from an unfavorable direction we furled the sail.  We made about 45 statue miles in six and a half hours.  We are now anchored in the South River, which leads off the Neuse River.  Approximately on the opposite bank of the Neuse River lies Broad Creek, scene of two of our earlier boating adventures.  The first was at the River Dunes Marina where we waited out Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012 (and made great friends).  The second was a intense night-time thunderstorm during which we believe we were dragging our anchor and set about re-anchoring as lightening was flashing all around and the rain was hammering down.  

Gloria

34 58.233 N, 76 34.847 W

First light in Belhaven, NC

The yacht "Journey" in the Belhaven anchorage at sunrise

Reflections of sunrise