Somomons - Last day at anchor

A "Woolie" from 1865, all made with thread

At last we got through the rain and wind with a morning that dawned with blue skies and warmer weather. Now this is more like it! Two other boats left this morning but we stayed on, we wanted the promise of 10 kt winds out of the north and 1 to 2 ft waves on Saturday.

Below a guard rail was a wall of riotous color!

We still had the rental car so we decided to explore Annmarie Gardens, only a few miles from the Holiday Inn anchorage. What a great place to explore! They are art exhibits and a path through the woods with stops along the way highlighted with sculptures on loan from the Smithsonian. The the warm temperatures in the 70's with full sun, it was a delightful stroll.

Upon closer inspection, the wall of color was made up of water bottles, painted, cut and heat treated

In the art center they had what they called "Woolies" on display. They were made by sailors on long voyages during the middle 1800's. The attention to detail and the time it must have taken is staggering. The art center had a large collection on loan for display, we enjoyed every bit.

A closeup of the wall of color

In another part of the center they had a multicolored collection that wasn't entirely obvious as to the source. Every color in the rainbow was represented. On getting a closer look from behind the display, it appeared to  be made up of water bottles that had been spray painted, split and then heated to distort their shapes. It made a stunning display.

The workshop mural

They had an art workshop for kids and the main effort was on a huge mural on one wall made up entirely of bottle caps. You would never guess that from a distance and it only became apparent upon closer inspection.

The source of the mural

In the gardens were many sculptures and the walk was through the woods, enjoyable in itself. We had a grand time and a great break from yesterday's overcast day!

A "fairy house" in the woods

It now looks like Saturday will be a good day for resuming our trek south. If the prediction holds up we'll leave at 7:00 am for the Fishing Bay YC, 57 miles south of here. They offer a free dock for visiting yacht club members and we've stayed there on every trip south. As always, we'll make our final decision on the morning of the trip.