Weather that has folks scurrying for cover often holds the most dramatic impact. If you happen to be anchored in a totally protected body of water, with the pick well dug in, you can concentrate on soaking up the view.

The Chesapeake shoreline is so rich in treasure that it is hard to know where to start. If you chose the Wye River, on the eastern shore, and the leaves are just beginning to turn, you’d have one of the loveliest cruising environs on the planet to enjoy.

We were fortunate to have snowbirds passing through and a full moon to liven up night and part of the day.

Toss in a dose of disturbed weather to liven up the sky, turn down the breeze, and magic happens. One segment of the admission ticket is shallow draft. At high tide our keel, just five feet (1.5m), is barely clear of the bottom, and we usually have a trail of mud in our wake.

When we find something special, like the Wye, we tend to linger, sitting in one spot, absorbing Mother Nature’s workmanship.

The very first tickle of light in the east has us standing on deck, waiting, watching, holding our breath in anticipation. Our warm bunk is no match for this show.

There is, of course, the odd bit of rancor. These young eagles are fighting over a stick, or maybe that  is just an excuse to see who is the alpha male, while teaching us a valuable lesson. You see, we left our best long distance lens in Arizona, lightening the carry on load for the flight back, and leaving us short in the big glass department, when this photographer’s dream took place. We won’t repeat that mistake any time soon

Meanwhile the older generation looks on at the youngsters antics.

With more time at our disposal we could sit for weeks in a place like this.

But we have a date in a boat yard a few weeks hence, and a folder full of items to take care of for the business, so this experience must remain transitory, leaving us with the need to come back again.