Gentle Trails journal

To the Captain, my husband:

For all those years you made us sit through countless hours of YouTube sailing channels, dreaming of horizons we couldn’t yet see.

Thank you for having the courage to turn those videos into our reality. This was your lifelong dream, and though the seas were rough, it was an honor to stand strong on that deck beside you.

To my children and grandson:

I wrote this so you’d never forget the time we brought the prairie to the deep. Never be afraid to leave the shore, but always remember the way back home. You are the heart of every voyage. Watching you transition from the quiet woods to the wild indigo of the Gulf made me prouder than words can say. You proved that our family can weather any storm as long as we are in the same boat.

To the First Mate:For your steady hands, your hard work, and for being the anchor we needed when the winds shifted.

And finally, to the Morgan 51:A sturdy vessel that carried our dreams and brought us safely back to the river.

We are the Salty Crackers—home is where we drop the hook.