After winterizing the boat we made our way north to Salem MA. We had a short time to visit family and meet friends who wanted us to house and pet sit for them. After the hot summer on the Chesapeake we were looking forward to some cooler weather. We were not prepared for the shocking cold that we about to experience even though we lived in upstate New York for 30 years. The winter was mild through December but by mid January, the hard winter was upon us. We didn’t see snow until late January.

The slow start of winter was nice because we were able to prepare for the holidays since family was planning to visit us for Christmas and New Years. It was nice to have everyone around for the holidays again.

The house where we stayed was near Peabody Harbor at a place called the Willows. There was a park overlooking the harbor and Alfie and I would take our walks several times daily no matter how cold it was. It felt good to be near the water.