I did not row on the morning of the 22nd – too tired. Next day, Sunday, I rowed upstream to the University of Vermont dock and back, about 10K meters. This is such a fine rowing venue.

Meredith didn’t take BETTER ANGEL out on Saturday, either, because she was looking after the kids and the house.

Sunday she had her turn. She set out on the shell, taking time to visit with an upstream neighbor, then cruised past the dock and came in from downstream. As I grabbed the tip of her port blade to pull her in, she exclaimed, “What a happy boat!”

I had never thought of a racing shell as happy, or as having any emotion whatsoever. Maybe “happy” referred to how she was feeling,

It did, I think, but she meant the boat literally is happy.

She is right. This is a happy boat!

Below: Meredith Breiland launching BETTER ANGEL