I was dreaming away on our back deck in Menemsha when the first drops arched over the railing.

Walking into my first college class at the age of 38 I should have known my world was about to expand.

I’m back at my desk in Manhattan now, wiggling my left index finger in my ear, hunting and pecking on my keyboard with my right. Overall, very little “work” is going on.

Life after Labor Day; it’s the best sailing time in New England. Harbors are emptying, waters are reasonably warm and light northerly winds give us crisp, clear horizons.

On Sept. 11, 2001, in the early morning hours I could hear the stirring of my fiancée, Bobbi, a flight attendant for American Airlines, standing at the dresser in our bedroom.

This is a sad day for a lot of people that got to meet the most beautiful Rhode Island Red rooster known. I rescued him four and a half years ago.