- Sailing Down This Golden River: Our mixed media sailboat collaboration

As I tried to come up with a title for this post, an Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger song came to mind. If you've never heard them do "Sailing Down This Golden River" (or even if you have) then click this link and let it play in the background while you read the rest of this post.

Sailing is a perfect metaphor for journeying through life, letting the current and the breeze take you where they will. We're glad we've drifted our way into the Hill Country, but we're equally glad we started our journey together in Virginia.

Sadly, when we left the Eastern Seaboard (we've learned not to call it the East Coast since that refers to Galveston, Corpus Christi, Mustang Island, etc. in Texas), we left some very good friends behind. While that was the hardest part of leaving, we go to see them every year and they have traveled to Texas as well. In 2012 they sent us the perfect Christmas gift: a photo montage from both the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Texas Hill Country:

In addition to the ACKERT photo montage, the picture includes a driftwood birdhouse sent by friends from
the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The swan was carved many years ago by Don's Dad ... we are fortunate indeed!

This Christmas we tried to return the favor by making a sailboat for their cottage on Urbanna Creek. Don shaped some reclaimed wood from Junkology into a hull skimming over the waves, then carved a mast and bowsprit from cedar driftwood found on our floodplain, while I fashioned canvas sails loosely based on the skipjacks that ply the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

It's one-of-a-kind ... as are our friends. Don't you love metaphor?