Century Club: Christopher Perez

A day of dock and boat projects kept me busy during my bachelor weekend.

Brisk air and steady swells for this morning's sunrise cruise. On the way back home I saw and heard some splashing, chirping otters swimming around Back Creek by Annapolis Landing's fuel docks.

Dedicated this sunrise to my first grandchild, baby Olivia Cole on her 3-wk birthday. Later that afternoon, I accompanied Olivia and her parents to her first-ever lunch at Davis' Pub here in Eastport!

This morning I learned of the passing of a good friend, Jim Sutton. Jim was 95 yrs old. Even though we first met back in the mid-80's, our friendship really began over the past five years when we both found ourselves re-settled in Annapolis. Jim's daughter is a very close friend and when she told me he was here and looking for companionship, I contacted him right away. Thus began a longstanding routine of morning coffee meetups that often featured a drive to nearby locations such as Greenbury Point, Carr Ck and Mill Ck marinas, and Beverly Triton Park in Mayo. One of our best outings was the time we took the boat for coffee and then did a 50mph run up the Severn River in glassy morning conditions. I can still see the big smile on Jim's face. I took a quiet cruise around Back Creek after getting the sad call from his daughter. It was a nice way to reflect on and be grateful for the gift of Jim's friendship.