All Roads Lead to the Bean

Sunday afternoon was so glorious, so balmy and breezy and perfect. I took a bike ride.

The river sky put on a show.

How many different kinds of cloud can you see?

I pedaled to the park to find Adam and the puppies.

He sat in a chair, and had pulled another one up for me. He was waiting.

I became chilly, and he offered me his sweater. Then he asked, "Do you want to get something warm to drink at the Bean?"  The Coffee Bean. The local watering hole. The only coffee shop in our little town. So we did. We sat on their elevated porch (elevated because of regular flooding), and watched the town harbor and town dock, across the road.

There's always something happening at the town dock. Boats have free 48 hour stays at the town dock. It's a popular place for cruisers.

One boat had puppies on board that barked at everyone walking by.

Almost immediately this catamaran cruised in, but turned about and left. I think there was not room enough for him.

But then another new boat came in, a boat from Quebec with two women aboard. Adam dashed over to help them tie on to the dock.

Then he stood and chatted with his buddy, Jim.

Soon another power boat backed into a slip at the marina.

And then another power boat. This marina is popular on the weekend. Adam and I chatted quite a bit with a couple at the Bean. They'd been living aboard for three weeks, and had come down the ICW and were in Oriental until they repaired their engine. They were sailors with a view to the long haul, having sold everything in St. Louis, left their jobs, and headed out to sea.

Here are the three sailboats tied up at the town dock (well, two on the dock, and one on the side). They are neighbors for a day. Sailors are friendly and rely on each other. In only a few minutes, this is what we saw on the dock:

They will chat, swap stories, beer, wine, food, meet pets, help with repairs, give advice, and exchange email addresses. When your home is in a state of constant motion, it's good to make ready friends. A dock like this is a temporary neighborhood, and sooner or later, they all come to the Bean for coffee.