Church Creek, South River, Maryland

Yesterday evening, we kayaked around the area where we had anchored in the Rhode River. We were mostly surrounded by the 2650 acre property of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center of the Rhode and West Rivers, which includes forests, wetlands, marshes and 15 miles of protected shoreline. The site serves as a natural laboratory for ecological research. For us, it was pleasant to paddle around the area and observe great blue herons and osprey. Almost all the waterfront in the Chesapeake is developed, mostly with grand, expensive homes. Trees were cut down, wetlands filled and marshes destroyed to created unobstructed access and views of the water. Because of these modifications to the natural shoreline, the removal of the things that protected it from erosion, many of these homes have had to resort to lining the water's edge with rip-rap, which is not nearly as attractive as the original natural environment.

During the hour or so we were paddling, the humidity seemed to rise dramatically and the air became still. We could see large storm clouds looming on the western horizon. We showered on the swim platform as the sky darkened. In the distance, purplish-blue curtains of rain intermittently obscured the rosy glow of the sunset, creating a strikingly dramatic sky. We expected thunderstorms, but we only experienced some rain in the night. The lightning, thunder, heavy rain and high winds waited for today.

Sunset with rain and clouds

This morning, we pulled up anchor and motored north to the next major tributary of the western Chesapeake. During our short trip, we sighted the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, the gateway to the eastern shore, the Atlantic coast. Every year for decades we have crossed this bridge for the annual Rodgers family vacation at the beach in Ocean City. The bridge means we are almost there!

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

We had time to enjoy brunch on deck before we had to dog down all the hatches for the first of several rainstorms. During the most dramatic one, strong wind, which varied from southwest to northwest, moved us one direction and then the other. The wind propelled thick sheets of rain successively across the water as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Peter and I sheltered under the hard dodger and watched in wonder. Between the storms, the sun reappeared, and we were able to sit in the cockpit and enjoy the cooler air. I read and did embroidery while Peter worked on lines, and we played backgammon. It's nighttime now, and another rain shower has set in, pattering on the deck and dripping from the spars and rigging as thunder sounds in the distance and flashes of lightning appear through the portholes. 

White clouds at the front of the next storm