Oh, How I've Toiled

You know, this going to work concept has its perks. Yesterday I began by taking six students to the local fish hatchery. For an hour and a half we walked around in the warm sun observing fish, while someone else told us all about the hatchery. Then we went back to Tabor and had a leisurely lunch to gear up for a sailing trip on a 72 foot schooner. For 3 hours we sailed around Buzzards Bay. It was my first time sailing and boy, what an experience! Talk about therapeutic! It's one of those experiences that I will file away and revert back to next January, when I'm stuck in the basement with screaming toddlers and 100 feet of snow outside.

Being the only rookie on board was kind of fun. For three weeks I taught my students the ins and outs of fish biology. But on this field trip, I was the student. I enjoyed having some of my 12-year-olds teach me all I needed to know about sailing. The "captain" of the vessel let me put up the main sail. OK, I mean he let me attempt to put up the main sail. Pulling down on the line nearly lifted me off my feet!

By the end of the day I had decided I need to go fishing more often and start taking up sailing. I came home, feigning exhaustion, and found John outside trying to calm a tantruming kid. "You know", I said, "Today was so rough, we ought to take it easy tomorrow. Let's go to the beach!"

And so we did.


Bird Island Lighthouse on the horizon

A student gets his turn at the wheel. Who says you can't drive at age 12?

raising the jib sail

Camera angle parallel to the water. When the wind caught the main sail I was introduced to the concept of heeling. We enjoyed the ride while heeling at about a 15 degree angle most of the way out to sea. To give you an idea- when standing on the port side of the boat, we were nearly touching the water. When standing on the starboard side, we were elevated about 10 feet above the water.


Main sail viewed from the deck