By Riesling A. Conway

January 1, 2013

On January 1^st, 2013, my family and the Boyer family went on a long hike.  It was a jungle in there.  At first, it was pretty easy and we saw what I thought was a blue-headed hummingbird.  We also saw ants carrying tiny leaves to their nests.

“I wish I could just take a handful of leaves and dump it on their house for them,” said my dad, helpfully.

Then we got to a “path” that included taking long leaps from one slippery green rock to another slippery green rock and peeping around boulders to see if there was anywhere to step.  Here’s a tip about hiking.  Green rocks are slippery.  If it’s a wet, green rock, don’t even try clinging to it.

author Reese likes swinging on vines when she isn’t writing stories

“You know what?  It is probably ten times safer walking through the water than walking on land,” I said.  So in my not-waterproof sneakers, I walked through the water.  Soon we heard a screeching noise and figured it was probably a big bat.  Finally, we got to a staircase that led to a road.  We were all pretty dirty.  On the way back, we saw a cow pasture, and a bull tied to the side of the road.  When we got back to the boats, I thought, “I’m glad I didn’t change into clean clothes this morning when my mother told me to!”

 Boat Vocabulary:

Cabin- bedroom   head- bathroom   right- starboard   left- port   kitchen- galley           downstairs- down below   table- dinette

This blog is about the first few days of my year-long sailing trip. If you like it subscribe below. The first day of my year-long sailing trip was very fun! During the ride to our first stop, Port Washington, we passed a lot of bridges. My friend Christina was on the George Washington Bridge looking for us. When we got to Port Washington, we saw one of my dad’s friends from college with his wife and two kids. Their names were Eric, Ilene, Max and Jack. We went to a pizzeria for dinner with them. Bryson, Porter, Max, Jack and I got dough to play with while we waited for dinner. After dinner, we went to Carvel for dessert. I got mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cone. Once everyone had finished their ice cream Eric drove me and the rest of the kids to the harbor. I said good-bye and went back to our boat. Bryson, Porter and I slept in the same room because the other room was full of stuff.

The next day we went to Port Jefferson. My dad sometimes calls it Port Jeff for short. At Port Jefferson we saw my mom’s friends Sue, Mindy and Mike. First we went to a seafood restaurant with Mindy and Sue. I had shrimp covered in bread crumbs and fish covered in bread crumbs. After dinner my mom took Mindy and Sue to the boat to show them around while my dad took Bryson, Porter, and I to a nearby playground. At the playground Bryson, Porter and I met a boy named Travis and a girl named Kira. We played freeze tag and went down the slides until it was time to go.  Before I left, I told Kira about our website and Bryson explained it to Travis. Bryson, Porter and I said good-bye to Travis and Kira. Then my dad took Bryson, Porter and I to a dock and then we met Mike. We watched the sunset and got a picture before we got off the dock because it was closing. Then we went to an ice cream shop. I got mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cone but also got a cup so I didn’t spill it. My ear was in a lot of pain so I didn’t finish my ice cream. Mindy left but Sue went back to the boat with us because she is an acupuncturist and she may be able to make my ear feel better. We took the launch back to the boat. When we got to the boat Sue came over and helped my ear feel better. First she did some pressure points and then moxabustion, a stick that you make very hot and then put it close to the painful spot and it might make it feel better. When Sue was finished with the moxabustion, she asked my mom for a cup of salt to put it in. I looked at the stick in the salt and noticed that the salt around the stick was a little black. I told her thank you and good-bye. Then she left. My mom hadn’t finished cleaning up the second cabin yet, so I slept with Bryson and Porter again. Port Jefferson was a fun place!

The next place we went to was Newport. We stayed in Newport for seven days. My dad woke up at five-thirty in the morning and began sailing. My mom woke up with him and got everything ready, and then went back to sleep while my dad sailed. He sailed alone for two and a half hours, then Bryson woke up, and then finally my mom woke up around ten-thirty. Soon I woke up. The whole trip was like twelve hours! It was late when we got to Newport. We went to the New York Yacht Club for dinner. I drank Shirley Temple and ate my first lobster roll. It was yummy! Before dinner came, they shot off a cannon.  They do this as a tradition at every sunset. Once we were finished with dinner we went back to the boat and I finally got to go in the starboard cabin. Newport is a fun place to go… and we got to stay there for seven days!

The next day in Newport we took a hike on the cliff walk.  On the cliff walk we hiked along the side of the beach.  We passed lots of mansions on our way.  At the beach the sand and rocks were very hot.  Once the cliff walk hike was over my parents went to the boat again to work while the kids went to Lana and Dave’s house to play.  We made a movie called Haunted Mansion though we didn’t finish it. We only did the first section.  Then my parents came to Lana and Dave’s house for dinner.  All the kids ate at one table while the adults ate at another. After dinner my parents left and went back to the boat and Bryson, Porter and I stayed at Lana and Dave’s house for a sleepover.  Bryson, Porter and Liam slept in Liam’s room while Calan and I slept in Calan’s room. 

Here I am talking to the sailing campers about our trip.

The next day we took our boat to the New York Yacht Club to wash, get water, and pump out.  Lana brought the kids to Ida Lewis Yacht Club and my parents met us there.  We gave a presentation on our voyage to the teenagers who were at sailing camp.  Then we took the boat back to the mooring and had dinner with Lana and Dave.  The kids ate dinner on the slide or in the swing set. We had ice cream for dessert.  Then we all went back to the boat though we couldn’t find it.  Then we figured out that the New York Yacht Club had moved it to a different mooring. Then we all went to bed.

The next day my mom went to town to look for a foul weather jacket.  My dad was working on the boat and Bryson and Porter were playing by the New York Yacht Club.  I sat under a tree ride in front of the club and drew on a little note pad.  Then we went to an art show in Wickford.

playing with Liam and Calan on Patronus

At night in Newport Liam and Calan’s babysitter came to watch us while my parents went to dinner.  She even played on the trampoline with us!

The next day we went to Wickford and had dinner with Bryson and Cindy.

Cindy and I at dinner in Newport

That is the end of Newport!