Another Repair Day

Still Creek MD, N39 19.975 W076 28.521, June 20, 2006

There's a stationary front near us that's maddening. It is so stationary that I could see it across the bay for much of the day. It constantly threatens rain and we hear thunder. The radio keeps talking about flash floods all around us. Yet, we've remained dry all day yesterday and today. I hope this dang front moves on before David and Bobby get here.

It was also a little bit cooler today. Yesterday I swam five times to cool off but today only twice.

We did an oil change. Cleanest one yet. We're gradually getting better at it. The numerous bottles of transmission leak stopper that I put into the transmission in the past year also appear to have done the job. We now have over 400 hours of engine use with zero decline in the transmission fluid level. I'll keep trying with the main engine. I put one bottle of oil seal conditioner/stop leak in but perhaps repeated treatments will work better. It leaks about a cup of oil,and burns (I think) another quart of oil. per 100 hours.

We also cleaned and did repairs for most of the day. I fixed the batten pocket. Libby cleaned.

Tomorrow we head for Georgetown where I reserved a mooring. Monday at noon Enterprise Rent-a-Car will pick us up and we'll be on the way up to meet Dave and Bobby. I hope that they're not late. There are not much excess hours in our schedule.

There's a big flock of soaring birds here that we have been watching. I counted as many as 23 riding the same updraft. We've been debating about whether they are hawks or eagles or turkey vultures. It's hard to tell when flying. When sitting on a perch their heads look like eagles but their bodies are fatter and rounder than I expect. We have bird book, but it does not have eagles or vultures. How does one tell them apart at a distance? Why is is that we admire eagles so much while we despise vultures. They are both scavengers.

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