May 18 (Sunday): To Baltimore

With the prediction of thunder storms and high wind for the afternoon, we changed our plans for this morning. We got up early this morning and took the narrow channel out through the rock jetty at Rock Hall to make the run back to the Yacht Center in Grasonville. Bob and Penny took us in their car to the Kent Island Methodist church.where the youth minister brought a message for their young people on the characteristics of Faith (comparing faith to various games and toys). This was a friendly church, and it was a blessing to be there this morning. I took a picture of the wonderful farming scene we passed along the way as we dashed back to the boat just as the rain began. Bob and Penny headed home after a quick lunch with us. We were hesitant to proceed to Baltimore, but the wind calmed in the late afternoon, and we decided to brave the trip. Luckily, it seemed the storm was running before us and the Bay was calm until we met a deluge just in the outer harbor of Baltimore. This is where the huge seagoing vessels were moored with all their commercial goods in transit. We also passed some major gray Navy ships with massive loading ramps and a large Red Cross vessel.

We cruised under the Francis Scott Key Bridge which marks the location where Key was imprisoned aboard a British warship during the British attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. This was the event that inspired the writing of our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner – which I sang as we came by the fort and saw the American flag flying there. We are docked at the inner harbor just under Federal Hill and it is just beautiful. We are directly across the water from the architectural wonder of the National Aquarium and next to the Science museum (where you can see the dinosaurs through the multistory glass window at the end of the building). I guess I will be able to sleep tonight!