Virginia in Michigan

I have never been to Canada, although I can actually see it from my window here.  I'm currently living on a ship in Port Huron, Michigan, on a section of river which is situated close to the Bluewater Bridge (separates Michigan from Canada).  It's chilly enough to inspire great shopping sprees at L.L. Bean, but I only have one seabag and a small suitcase, so I'm not buying anything.

The ship is called the HOLLYHOCK, and I'm sailing with them for a month during their winter buoy run.  We go around the Great Lakes and replace lighted buoys with winter buoy markers.  The regular buoys are topped with cages and expensive lanterns complete with solar panels and sound signals (bells, gongs, or whistles), that are easily destroyed in winter ice.  Furthermore, they create a handhold for the ice as it flows, and can cause the buoy to be torn from its chain.  Once that happens, the buoy floats dangerously around under the ice or in open water, creating a future hazard to navigation.  So instead of leaving those buoys to chance, we trade them out with large floating markers that have no flat surfaces, but still provide navigational aids to mariners.

I have spent this past week almost entirely on the Bridge of the ship watching the buoy change-outs, and participating in a few as well.  I haven't gotten the hang of driving on a buoy yet, but if the weather cooperates, I should have a chance to practice next week.  The very best thing about this ship is Soup Break!  Everyday at 10:00, the crew takes a break to go into the mess deck and pick up bowls of soup and crackers.  If you find yourself hungry everyday before lunch, I highly recommend this practice.  It clearly raises the morale level onboard.  So far I have eaten potato soup, clam chowder, vegetable soup, and one more type I can't remember.

Sigh, it's snowing right now.  This is really fun.  :)