This morning’s destination was Meijer to get some produce since Buddy, a/k/a Broccoli Boy, was nearly out of one of his favorite treats, so I dutifully made my three-mile trek by foot to get him some more. I told Buddy the other day that he and the Prez have something in common – their favorite food is broccoli. Yesterday, I watched a video clip online wherein a cub reporter queried what the President’s favorite food was and he described his affinity for broccoli. The video went on to illustrate President Obama’s endorsement of broccoli was in sharp contrast to former President H.W. Bush who got an attitude when the White House and Air Force One chef tried to serve him broccoli and he protesting saying: “I’m President of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!” Can’t you just imagine the elder Bush, hands on hips and stomping his feet while having this little tirade?

On the first leg of my mission, I was perusing the produce at Meijer when a young couple wheeled their shopping cart near mine as they likewise picked their produce. While they lingered near the cut-up fruit and veggie bowls, their little boy, who was sitting in the cart seat, was happily “sailing” his toy boat along the deep blue sea … er, shopping cart handle. I waved and said “Ahoy Sailor – what is your boat’s name and where is it headed?” and he just giggled and kept moving the plastic vessel along the blue handle. His parents, having heard the interplay, came over to deposit their produce in the cart and told me they were headed up to Bay City for the Tall Ships Extravaganza on the Saginaw River, and they, and their son, Josh, were excited about the trip. I regaled them with my own visits to the tall ship Christian Radich in 1976, first when it was moored on the Detroit River at Hart Plaza, and then I saw it again the following week on Lake Ontario near the Toronto Exhibition. Both ports of call were visits scheduled during the Tall Ships Parade for America’s Bicentennial. In Detroit, co-workers and I boarded the Christian Radich and got a first-class tour, both below deck after descending a very narrow, rickety ladder to see the sailors’ cubby-hole sleeping quarters and the galley, followed by an above-deck, up-close look at the riggings. It was very hot and rather cramped inside the ship but quite fascinating to see how these big rigs, which harken back to the tail end of the 19th century, travelled and survived on the high seas. Though I was, and still am a landlubber, both tours were alot of fun and very festive and presented some good photo ops. I didn’t have a camera handy in Detroit, but my friend Leslie and I were vacationing in Toronto and had our picture snapped next to some of the young Norwegian mates. We were both done with shopping so I wished the family safe travels and suggested Josh stand watch for pirates while he was aboard the ship. I left for home, travelling at 5.21386 knots per hour with very smooth sailing and all the while humming The Beach Boys’ hit “Sloop John B”.