tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32836376779616932132024-03-05T10:24:39.535-08:00Adventure Us 2Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-2629575335333071852015-08-21T06:12:00.002-07:002015-08-21T06:12:58.455-07:00One Year Anniversary <span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> We have lived on board for one year as of </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 1, 2015</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I can honestly say that we have not had much difficulty adjusting to any part of living on board, but thinking back, it just may be that we prepared ourselves thoroughly for nearly 5 years before making the transition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">My Michael had previously owned a sailboat and we chartered in the Caribbean on a couple of occasions so we had some experience, but that didn't satisfy M</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">y Michael's hunger for knowledge He began researching the lifestyle in earnest back in 2009, and in 2010 we developed a five year plan.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In the beginning he</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> read everything he could get his hands on about sailboats, including blogs and forums written by sailors. Gradually he began to form his opinions on boats he thought would suit our purpose, and eventually he developed a short list of boats he liked. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After searching for boats </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on the net</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">for nearly 3 years, the adventure for us two started with a whirlwind, 36 hour trip to Annapolis, Maryland to look at, and consider two Morgans. We crawled all over both boats for most of the day and at night we cracked many a crab at the world famous Cantlers for dinner. On Sunday morning we strolled the quaint city of Annapolis on foot and eventually ended up at a local tavern on the wharf for Bloody Marys, oysters, and some hob-nobbling with the Sunday morning loca</span>ls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPazv7yTv2nG5XECapH_w4vB1aI3BEe_0GPV_ujgERuxSAbwqcn6QpgwdEFhX9BCuJZsshJJZTvG-BOQxHHjkxcHApvNBX2NEAVyHEdM6QFa2HiwzGw5QnhIIEmkQIj4d5MZ9Ra0kkSG8/s1600/crabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPazv7yTv2nG5XECapH_w4vB1aI3BEe_0GPV_ujgERuxSAbwqcn6QpgwdEFhX9BCuJZsshJJZTvG-BOQxHHjkxcHApvNBX2NEAVyHEdM6QFa2HiwzGw5QnhIIEmkQIj4d5MZ9Ra0kkSG8/s320/crabs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNcqvtUvgpUVNx4TEMgf53lhc-QXYwzmvozrlknUSrunLv8RUwwtboH6hhtk4HQJFkKRAGrb85epZci2Z-iaR49UKjPgmV4yrN4ba0R5a0Vd_neEGKhfKrN8v1Jqb4kQ3JKiPdzbgq3pi/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMNcqvtUvgpUVNx4TEMgf53lhc-QXYwzmvozrlknUSrunLv8RUwwtboH6hhtk4HQJFkKRAGrb85epZci2Z-iaR49UKjPgmV4yrN4ba0R5a0Vd_neEGKhfKrN8v1Jqb4kQ3JKiPdzbgq3pi/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+150.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXKMe_MwSuZ3OGCETavcTg38U6zRfvwmB_6CGZ9WqhQl5hMZm5GyB1qBWqR23X81G-du3W_Ug_YC-DgYb2-dbacYfA6vH4NZlRT5Wwmrdabf6CSvlxD9HNTFi6veaeoH6gbIWtEhGuFNT/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXKMe_MwSuZ3OGCETavcTg38U6zRfvwmB_6CGZ9WqhQl5hMZm5GyB1qBWqR23X81G-du3W_Ug_YC-DgYb2-dbacYfA6vH4NZlRT5Wwmrdabf6CSvlxD9HNTFi6veaeoH6gbIWtEhGuFNT/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+180.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxa9UohkK-AnxB5nsVKI8gXKEutqWjVXzYoynyhTyVB3XUZBai3kAi3idhccnBHjMrZe23BK0MjSpPQBG2GFKt9sydnB6YM1B44iPl28AlOJKbOd6Na_JpixQKskqB6AjEAFpTa7fxCKlx/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxa9UohkK-AnxB5nsVKI8gXKEutqWjVXzYoynyhTyVB3XUZBai3kAi3idhccnBHjMrZe23BK0MjSpPQBG2GFKt9sydnB6YM1B44iPl28AlOJKbOd6Na_JpixQKskqB6AjEAFpTa7fxCKlx/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+169.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGbghF37HnjvOs9A2SESgsOJ_MPVEWHbTg0uh2KdlgiXRj6Qq7Hvgxf8dT_xpZjPcGhIliM7d018nmeT8p6Sdp-c-Y1JNb1JzBfQ7tF4gKgmv5dfcENU3EGT0ksuk9vp5fKltGayENb1U/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGbghF37HnjvOs9A2SESgsOJ_MPVEWHbTg0uh2KdlgiXRj6Qq7Hvgxf8dT_xpZjPcGhIliM7d018nmeT8p6Sdp-c-Y1JNb1JzBfQ7tF4gKgmv5dfcENU3EGT0ksuk9vp5fKltGayENb1U/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbztpkBPV2xn7eXOGnX4cxP-3-iePJIcp6wrBnRcmgToBpj6FiuVT3oF0XxPj7IJ0Jxq1yMXLGGq_zWcIEdPpE9aZA75ebUw72azFxzMG9BzfHn0MmJyBjW88Z5Xm49owkk_6eN-mI_dtn/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbztpkBPV2xn7eXOGnX4cxP-3-iePJIcp6wrBnRcmgToBpj6FiuVT3oF0XxPj7IJ0Jxq1yMXLGGq_zWcIEdPpE9aZA75ebUw72azFxzMG9BzfHn0MmJyBjW88Z5Xm49owkk_6eN-mI_dtn/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNypbaDREOQL2iX3N0Q2uPpMnx1JZNd2MBjMH5AdqatUwP0KcTz5egtmuV3WSdxBqkt2zZgs19R_Bd6IOLPV7Xb8D7L0URo1rSYVOj8_9AbyRzlGEXFc_twuN4KPIbLQ6vHPiL6Bbs0rA/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNypbaDREOQL2iX3N0Q2uPpMnx1JZNd2MBjMH5AdqatUwP0KcTz5egtmuV3WSdxBqkt2zZgs19R_Bd6IOLPV7Xb8D7L0URo1rSYVOj8_9AbyRzlGEXFc_twuN4KPIbLQ6vHPiL6Bbs0rA/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8WjraS4qAc9bb19MAYOKPiL7X6Md2PK0Scg1bqKcOCWhi_w16NnT-bw9kVcqRI1YEtRj9tDQSvHSIZxEWj2gZblvWTnX0XdEMiHtJvbOo0PlyaoXU4sC4NDd5a5YvGJE_twuoqqNPAI-/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8WjraS4qAc9bb19MAYOKPiL7X6Md2PK0Scg1bqKcOCWhi_w16NnT-bw9kVcqRI1YEtRj9tDQSvHSIZxEWj2gZblvWTnX0XdEMiHtJvbOo0PlyaoXU4sC4NDd5a5YvGJE_twuoqqNPAI-/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+141.JPG" width="193" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvlXPs4UsA-u8UdX-rN33EDdinY6WbgS26m-w3Ka2pxiBropRJT6jLmb7r-QQe-uNA9Y8zecaXbOO1x_7niZ4Exo7dVOWKcL2H8o9P8RmjrH-iQmPDs2owmiVxs7Kle6UVoOVMVK2LTIQ/s1600/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjvlXPs4UsA-u8UdX-rN33EDdinY6WbgS26m-w3Ka2pxiBropRJT6jLmb7r-QQe-uNA9Y8zecaXbOO1x_7niZ4Exo7dVOWKcL2H8o9P8RmjrH-iQmPDs2owmiVxs7Kle6UVoOVMVK2LTIQ/s320/Annapolis%252C+MD++11-13-11+163.JPG" width="226" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All photos by JLee</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in Texas we discussed the pros and cons of both boats and eventually made a low ball offer on the boat we liked the least, just to see what would happen. Boy are we glad they didn't accept our offer. We quickly moved on to the next Morgan, which we thought to be in better shape. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a few weeks of easy wrangling with the owner and broker, we settled on a price and finalized the paper work. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, how do we get "The Contessa" from Annapolis MD to Seabrook TX? Obviously there are only two options: Sail her, or truck her. I had fears of putting her on a trailer and getting in an accident, so we chose to hire an experienced captain to sail her. If you have been reading our blog, you will remember that we ran into a huge cluster mess in having her sailed here by the 'good captain Bill'.... who I might add, came highly recommended. (You may want to read " </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">How the </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">2 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">of </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">US Met The Contessa'</span> <a href="http://adventureustwo.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-2-of-us-met-contessa-by-janet-lee.html">here</a>. )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once Contessa made it to K-Dock in Seabrook, via the assistance of a different delivery captain, the fun began. We tackled so many projects, I get dizzy just thinking about them. Some were required as maintenance issues, a few were deficiencies brought up in the survey, and some were aesthetic issues necessary to beautify our new home. We re- bedded all the hatches and some of the port lights, put in a new teak and holly floor, had custom teak cabinets built in the salon and v-birth, had a custom "little bit of Texas" mesquite cockpit table built, oiled all the wood inside, fought for months trying to get the refrigeration system to work consistently, removed the forward head, holding tank and all the pooh pipes in favor of a Nature's Head composting toilet. We had world famous Jackie Garrett make insulated hatch covers, an insulated companion way cover, cockpit seating, line bags, custom sheets for the V-berth, new salon cushions, and covers with accent pillows. Sundowner Canvas created a new enclosure incorporating some of My Michael's ideas. (They are now in the process of making chaps for our dinghy and motor.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE5AzwA37HroorwdqKp_PiUbN0df5m4RH91zZu7aWAwtEntuYnd12S4l-q9NcS3mvODx6-hvFaTpzofXPpn8X8TivAMTdzsZh3LTDlNBd6mNL7LtwRBhmnVaO9neUInwgnjEYbrUUGlxf/s1600/old.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE5AzwA37HroorwdqKp_PiUbN0df5m4RH91zZu7aWAwtEntuYnd12S4l-q9NcS3mvODx6-hvFaTpzofXPpn8X8TivAMTdzsZh3LTDlNBd6mNL7LtwRBhmnVaO9neUInwgnjEYbrUUGlxf/s320/old.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Before</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWPtbWJ4yIxtC4MVWwQMkkvmSw0rVneYaf0Lf_8hL8JCVRUDqv1g6RzaiJ4VZLa6_WqHkiocyIxPy-QNegFrCW7nnbFE4unSNLI_S6uGSo-ND_JV5U0s5TprJ7LVApRnixZwwMCQ5FG0C/s1600/picking+fabric+5-4-13+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWPtbWJ4yIxtC4MVWwQMkkvmSw0rVneYaf0Lf_8hL8JCVRUDqv1g6RzaiJ4VZLa6_WqHkiocyIxPy-QNegFrCW7nnbFE4unSNLI_S6uGSo-ND_JV5U0s5TprJ7LVApRnixZwwMCQ5FG0C/s320/picking+fabric+5-4-13+007.JPG" width="302" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Choosing Fabric</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsmrW2yvhuXqk7kt_t1dW1A0BuHeLv8uJY5NCS9nzyQenZN449k9FM-aPMKn3GkR2l80N9hvdSaHLJHMvS898STvc_I5P9kPmtvWgyVUO77gef1jfSeqjd7-gJHTEyb69OHWShxCK46xM/s1600/picking+fabric+5-4-13+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsmrW2yvhuXqk7kt_t1dW1A0BuHeLv8uJY5NCS9nzyQenZN449k9FM-aPMKn3GkR2l80N9hvdSaHLJHMvS898STvc_I5P9kPmtvWgyVUO77gef1jfSeqjd7-gJHTEyb69OHWShxCK46xM/s320/picking+fabric+5-4-13+004.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD3fJrq2cNKyShtkE7_v0rzkWx34TwQBcLGD269Dt4EngIkKcfyZplLVtlO7NjOL26gWCNpJFNFR7QOy2m0tgHlv6aQsEPaTRHb8LFid6-EZgsrk2z0EClLJi_Aq0CK118upyjLGxNAe8/s1600/picking+fabric+5-4-13+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD3fJrq2cNKyShtkE7_v0rzkWx34TwQBcLGD269Dt4EngIkKcfyZplLVtlO7NjOL26gWCNpJFNFR7QOy2m0tgHlv6aQsEPaTRHb8LFid6-EZgsrk2z0EClLJi_Aq0CK118upyjLGxNAe8/s320/picking+fabric+5-4-13+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3gVFLGPSJcimbOAzI6bAxxu22ehoIxn_cxH5LuxtmHUTVsXTTMmByfEA6AbICA3-Ysoq1MhnKw-xvTCovqh45tBJKnmwu66HheU7-YIycuIMv1X_BPP-nlFZCxhyN0bxqz9i8vpVifzK/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3gVFLGPSJcimbOAzI6bAxxu22ehoIxn_cxH5LuxtmHUTVsXTTMmByfEA6AbICA3-Ysoq1MhnKw-xvTCovqh45tBJKnmwu66HheU7-YIycuIMv1X_BPP-nlFZCxhyN0bxqz9i8vpVifzK/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLuuXeiv8UVSGMUuPNOs26mzCq85yQ4SpyiV9SoRGyChgbhVy_K9L4MkLIYbtaWyFfKzekeySctka8dlRbmgHlWsx9fKuTOm6jMH9BDFDLkRnTWgsO1PftyZ7LY6NQ5ZhHN1IXN8ULPfM/s1600/table+up+and+closed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLuuXeiv8UVSGMUuPNOs26mzCq85yQ4SpyiV9SoRGyChgbhVy_K9L4MkLIYbtaWyFfKzekeySctka8dlRbmgHlWsx9fKuTOm6jMH9BDFDLkRnTWgsO1PftyZ7LY6NQ5ZhHN1IXN8ULPfM/s320/table+up+and+closed.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mesquite Cockpit Table (closed)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F2IGisGoFXjOW1pVAJtHhoINR2a9KQ4CH7UbtShyphenhyphenQh2JoFGqZOc1_8uOe7y1M1iO9mKLz4ZH4lFawUotP212s_KvckYMRF00uXH-077dcK8WYbeBICHpukT1SI40-YUw0MVQmG-Ak84F/s1600/half+open+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5F2IGisGoFXjOW1pVAJtHhoINR2a9KQ4CH7UbtShyphenhyphenQh2JoFGqZOc1_8uOe7y1M1iO9mKLz4ZH4lFawUotP212s_KvckYMRF00uXH-077dcK8WYbeBICHpukT1SI40-YUw0MVQmG-Ak84F/s320/half+open+table.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">open</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lggVEgST57Qm9h9ybgqVv7Bq-Vf1hBaneJcvmXkhgTraul7UFKNyTcxQsx0mU_GDU2VyE02UBxcxpdbUMq7LkT3KOEKjEG0b7PZq7gyHohfQRegasfNr0MRJHkpwIH5Fz_fE3Ps1ue9-/s1600/to+be+edited+312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lggVEgST57Qm9h9ybgqVv7Bq-Vf1hBaneJcvmXkhgTraul7UFKNyTcxQsx0mU_GDU2VyE02UBxcxpdbUMq7LkT3KOEKjEG0b7PZq7gyHohfQRegasfNr0MRJHkpwIH5Fz_fE3Ps1ue9-/s320/to+be+edited+312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">We 3's new chaps </span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the most important things we did was to have K-Dock's High Priestess, Angela Henry, perform a smudging to rid the boat of any angry spirits, and officiate a name changing ceremony to officially change Contessa's name to Adventure US 2.</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1Wf65HC35JvqU6yMxX4YFSx2XsNXZ4F-dKOoDgch546qfAlwTadupHpgnpsUMnDIT5Z28U29SUH8Fk1e7a7srY6YpKtMKjSeoINaPyghi1oUm-Wso-mwfmyQAEeMYYwENfwM4c5BAiFz/s1600/angela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1Wf65HC35JvqU6yMxX4YFSx2XsNXZ4F-dKOoDgch546qfAlwTadupHpgnpsUMnDIT5Z28U29SUH8Fk1e7a7srY6YpKtMKjSeoINaPyghi1oUm-Wso-mwfmyQAEeMYYwENfwM4c5BAiFz/s320/angela.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> High Priestess, Angela</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNg-k9amBBpf3kRrfFcGGL9h_2hLERoR4SqaeppugeEgQfxs3pgDhb83TER7JkHS3DoweBDGeRUbRWc7otD5E4gaCGnAoXiHsNakFgvHO4CESH9alizW4G4bCLfsRqV_GU3dOWSRz8tgd/s1600/45th+CLASS+REUNION++Aug+2%252C+2014+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNg-k9amBBpf3kRrfFcGGL9h_2hLERoR4SqaeppugeEgQfxs3pgDhb83TER7JkHS3DoweBDGeRUbRWc7otD5E4gaCGnAoXiHsNakFgvHO4CESH9alizW4G4bCLfsRqV_GU3dOWSRz8tgd/s320/45th+CLASS+REUNION++Aug+2%252C+2014+039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ceremony Damage</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I have heard it said that the artist's job is not to surrender to despair, but to find an antidote to the hopelessness and emptiness of an ordinary life filled with dullness. I don't know If that is true, for everyone, nor do I wish to get into any discussions on the accuracy of such a statement. All I know is that since we have moved on board; life has been anything but dull. I can not wait to see what the next year living with Adventure Us 2 has in store for us two</span>. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-11017870115201721742015-06-08T08:45:00.002-07:002015-07-10T07:05:10.106-07:00And Still, It Didn't Get Done<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Projects on Adventure Us Two are an ongoing, never ending saga. Sometimes they are straightforward, and sometimes they are very detailed, regardless they are never dull. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Our refrigeration system has been working wonderfully except recently the digital readout for the box temperature decided to abandon the role it plays in keeping us informed of the temperature inside. Okay, the thing quit on us. Without it functioning correctly it is difficult to find the desired temperature so foods won't freeze, or get too warm. Frozen lettuce, unlike a frozen margarita, is not a good thing. To find a solution to the problem, Michael called the manufacturer and ultimately sent the controller to Sea Frost for an inspection and re-calibration. They sent a box temperature probe back with the controller because most likely it was bad. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eight o'clock Sunday morning was the time slot we set aside to pull the old probe out and install the new probe. The first challenge Michael faced was to contort his body into a boat yoga position kinda like this... </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlQtVTep6yWQBf-2seX0x-TikcEIfTzm4C2b_liCMjXXwILyMYYSt_EWwDRvivqSQYQ9hPycmAKOicxurj8JUNs0qnTMVCBddjejnGmE-1EsFu8zrNk7kTVS14xS9wgtIC3HSdhOwLpPj/s1600/large_gumby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPlQtVTep6yWQBf-2seX0x-TikcEIfTzm4C2b_liCMjXXwILyMYYSt_EWwDRvivqSQYQ9hPycmAKOicxurj8JUNs0qnTMVCBddjejnGmE-1EsFu8zrNk7kTVS14xS9wgtIC3HSdhOwLpPj/s320/large_gumby.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">internet photo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...but with his head inside a twelve inch opening in the counter. Our fridge doesn't have a light in it like land based refrigerators so I had to shine a flashlight just right so it would reflect off his mirror. Not only was he in an awkward position, but he had to clip a tie wrap with clippers by looking into the mirror and twisting his brain to work backwards. Talk about getting dizzy! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-SnBhc7zKBbXSZZ2VGLa0PIGt1IM0zitL2qOq8Wd7y_gknLdNp_1LcxWFzVFSQH6cOeh__Nnvf3vS3178C1pnBxKiWt1Jx7dFeoiDva2vo16jID9_XrQEOXf_G0sOA2xy8bMuPoDiBJ8/s1600/images+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ-SnBhc7zKBbXSZZ2VGLa0PIGt1IM0zitL2qOq8Wd7y_gknLdNp_1LcxWFzVFSQH6cOeh__Nnvf3vS3178C1pnBxKiWt1Jx7dFeoiDva2vo16jID9_XrQEOXf_G0sOA2xy8bMuPoDiBJ8/s200/images+%25284%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even after freeing up the probe on the inside he could not push it through the wall of the fridge, so he tried to access it from behind. He could see the damn thing from inside the engine room, but he could not reach it. He went into the bathtub/shower and opened the access door, but the opening was too low. Next he took the upper part of the shower wall apart and tried to reach the freak-en probe from above. Nope. He could see where it came down from the back of the controller, but of course he couldn't see where it went into the fridge. Okay, things are not looking too promising at this point, but my Michael is persistent, so as a last ditch effort he went into the cockpit and began removing part of a lazarette. He drilled out half a dozen bungs to get to screws holding teak trim in place. With the trim removed he could now remove even more screws holding a nifty tray in place and carefully pry it up. "WOW! Would you look at that? What a cool hiding hole for valuables we might want to keep hidden." But as for the stupid, freakin, pain in the ass probe? Not so good.</span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">It was now two in the afternoon and we were barely beyond where we were at eight in the morning. We sat in silence for a moment and I said to Michael, "Wouldn't it be easier to just leave the old probe, drill a small hole and connect the new one?"</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnGEg8Lac2H0DUHe4reLYM4TIUAllUAg2FVGwjr3ZN0m42V8E82_p5BFZ_5aUl6_yL4uRaQ2DTS233so5GDM4r4qr5sol87GOozKMrmzWwVsEPmqDJB4GmMBts5u50_wVhKQfsi_m_Pr7/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnGEg8Lac2H0DUHe4reLYM4TIUAllUAg2FVGwjr3ZN0m42V8E82_p5BFZ_5aUl6_yL4uRaQ2DTS233so5GDM4r4qr5sol87GOozKMrmzWwVsEPmqDJB4GmMBts5u50_wVhKQfsi_m_Pr7/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
internet photo<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More silence.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-62704001026198272332015-04-13T05:29:00.000-07:002015-04-13T05:33:29.683-07:00Tows and Towboat US (Part Two)<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday around noon we finally reached the waters of the ICW protected by land. The ICW is basically an inland waterway consisting of natural inlets, saltwater and freshwater rivers, bays, sounds, and some artificial canals. It provides an east west route from Brownsville, Texas to Carrabelle, Florida without the hazards of travel on the open sea.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMQ_XdHRWFjCvR4EVrJ_uKSNurr5eENHVln8hBCH0HNFt0DKYALkSjQX-zVzAvdKghNSqOpLgBsuG7VLZhOcLqNv5GCmwIxl_DfbKv02jgHpTCOe78mfSHyTbGvmPpHtaLEcBq8w7kBmo/s1600/1280px-Intracoastal_Waterway_Louisiana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMQ_XdHRWFjCvR4EVrJ_uKSNurr5eENHVln8hBCH0HNFt0DKYALkSjQX-zVzAvdKghNSqOpLgBsuG7VLZhOcLqNv5GCmwIxl_DfbKv02jgHpTCOe78mfSHyTbGvmPpHtaLEcBq8w7kBmo/s1600/1280px-Intracoastal_Waterway_Louisiana.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The waterway, </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">designed primarily for </span>barge</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> transportation,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> provides a channel of varying widths with a controlling depth of 12 feet in the center. There are shallow areas near the banks on both sides, but there is plenty of room for tows to pass each other, with room sometimes left over for recreational boaters. Sailboats with keels need to take extra precautions to stay off the shoulders so they don't run aground. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> Ask me how I know. Fortunately we were able to rock the boat side to side and pump the tiller enough to get us out of the mud in all but one instance. More on that shortly.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GNqgQOGDydo5riVgLomr4ofZhbWquMT_1MjGyIHe9Q1m0vgLUoG-BvLA0ydUh0wvyVzUw_hn_23i7vKpapkvvUKH2fg4RjIQ1q5kryJwkLPLJj_NzBlh2zF-HazmT0iuheV4aDCXNrIy/s1600/capt+Jerry+tow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GNqgQOGDydo5riVgLomr4ofZhbWquMT_1MjGyIHe9Q1m0vgLUoG-BvLA0ydUh0wvyVzUw_hn_23i7vKpapkvvUKH2fg4RjIQ1q5kryJwkLPLJj_NzBlh2zF-HazmT0iuheV4aDCXNrIy/s1600/capt+Jerry+tow.jpg" height="400" width="316" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;">Tows push barges loaded with petroleum products, foodstuffs, building materials, and manufactured goods.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7wJkAYKjAY_SIZV-aCJaC-0Rf9R8NPZ8OnsnWmTMsfRzKivIa-agCj9uJov5GpI9evUpLwD4L4qplBdubJ2GpSP686z2OCopI-QBmLDRVSTgeMTrhPm_zfQ73FCOq5aD7Aj_LgbDts2q/s1600/tows+passing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7wJkAYKjAY_SIZV-aCJaC-0Rf9R8NPZ8OnsnWmTMsfRzKivIa-agCj9uJov5GpI9evUpLwD4L4qplBdubJ2GpSP686z2OCopI-QBmLDRVSTgeMTrhPm_zfQ73FCOq5aD7Aj_LgbDts2q/s1600/tows+passing+2.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tows passing </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our original plan, before we spent two and a half days in Matagorda Bay, was to make it into the protected water of the ICW and stop for the night at Matagorda Harbor. However, our revised plan, since we were at Matagorda Harbor around 1400 hours, was to try for Freeport before we stopped. We were well aware that we would have to travel at night, but our running lights, VHF radio, AIS, and chart plotter were working well, and we both felt we could spot and avoid danger before we got in too much trouble.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Readers familiar with the first chapter of this voyage recall we could not get our SOG up higher than about 3.2 knots. Even sheltered from waves and wind in the ICW we still were struggling to get more than 3.2 out of Avery Christine. Tows travel around 6 knots. Given the numbers it's easy to understand that we were constantly being overtaken by tows heading in our direction (east), only to pass them later when they stopped for a shift change, to eat, rest, or whatever else they do when they pullover. Tows ease there barges into the shallows, effectively grounding them; put one, or both, of their big 1800 horse power diesel engine in idle; and they can stay put until they reverse direction and pull the barge out of the mud. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same group of tows ran up on us time and time again. We would pass them when they pulled into the bank for a rest; they would catch, and pass us once they resumed navigation. We would pass them as they staged for the Colorado flood gates; they would pass us when they got through. The west bound side of the Brazos River flood gate was under construction and closed to tow traffic until 1800 hours, but there was just enough room for us to squeeze through; they caught us later that night. Talking to the same tows as much as we did; we both felt we were developing a kindred spirit with them. Little did we know we were about to test our relationship theory in earnest.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 21:00 hours the following radio communication took place.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"William J Klunk this is Avery Christine."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Avery Christine go ahead."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">William J Klunk we are the little sailboat approaching on the east bound side. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I've got you Avery Christine, see you on the one whistle."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Roger William J Klunk, see you on the one."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The above verbal exchange meant we would pass each other port to port. Getting closer to each other I mentioned to captain Ken that I thought William J was taking his half of the channel out of the middle. "Holy shit. He's going to hit us." About that time Ken said "we are stuck on the bottom". William J Klunk just kept coming and hit us with the last 15 feet of his second barge, midway down our port side. The first bump pushed us 3 feet to starboard and deeper into the mud. The second bump sent us even farther into the mud and heeled us over to starboard at a twenty-five degree angle.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />"William J Klunk you hit us"</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Avery Christine, I couldn't see you," </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and with that he kept on truck'en west bound down the ICW. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heading towards the William J Klunk we noticed the east bound Mia Kelly pulled over on the west bound shoulder. We were about 60 yards past the Mia Kelly when we were hit. Mia Kelly having heard the whole exchange, between us and William J,</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">on the VHS radio</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">; hailed the captain of William</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> J and urged him to pull over, which he did. Mia Kelly then contacted us and asked if we were okay. He said he would put his skiff in the water and dispatch his crew to inspect the damage and see if they could help us.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We sometimes associate class with knowing the correct club to pull out of a bag on the golf course, or perhaps knowing how to select the right color of belt to wear with your shoes of the day. Any trained monkey can be taught to make those kind of selections and be right some of the time, but you can't train a monkey to show character in times of peril, to be selfless, to be kind when there's is no percentage in it for him. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Class is more about self discipline and </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">integrity. It's about empathy and kindness. It's about </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">exercising pride without arrogance, it's about accountability without blame. It's all about the kind of </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">self confidence that develops after getting so close to life that you can smell your own fear, but not turning away with apprehension or panic. I</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">t's about standing tall when it counts.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Luckily the Avery Christine was not severely damaged. Just a few scratches, and a small section of rub rail was pulled off. The young men that were dispatched by the captain were extremely polite and considerate. I tried to get them to use their skiff to pull us out of the mud, but because of the nature of the event, and after contacting the Coast Guard, the captain of the Mia Kelly said he was sorry, but he could not. The captain of the Mia Kelly said he would stay on the scene until we could get Avery </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christine out of the mud. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately after calling the emergency number for Towboat US, and dealing with the local skipper, we could not get them to respond to our predicament until the next day at 08:00 hours. It was 21:00 hours at the time of the accident. Towboat US gave "low tide" as an excuse for not coming out to help us, however the app on my phone clearly showed it was high tide. Incidentally, as the tide went out Avery Christine heeled over more and more until her starboard side was resting on the bottom, leaving us with a world askew at 45 degrees. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We stayed healed over, stuck in the mud, for 11 hours until Towboat US arrived at 08:30. It took them less than 15 minutes to get us out of the mud and on our way. True to their word Mia Kelly stood on the side all night long, and shined a spot light on us each time a tow approached. The coast guard had issued a slow bell for our co-ordinance to all concerned traffic which in actuality released Mia Kelly from any obligation, but she stayed anyway. Like I mentioned earlier: class is more than knowing which fork to use at a banquet. Thank you Mia Kelly. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Monday morning at 09:00 we were once again underway headed for Freeport. We arrived at the new Freeport Marina around 16:30 in the afternoon. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We didn't want to risk spending another night stuck in the mud, so w</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">e decided to fill up our diesel</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> tank, hang out at the Marina, take a shower, get a hot meal, and maybe get a cold drink or two at the local pub. Our plan was to leave at 06:00 hours the next day, which given our blistering, record setting speed would put our arrival in Seabrook around night fall. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But guess what? It was so foggy at 06:00 we couldn't see the end of the slip we were tied to. We finally pushed off at 11:00. We both are familiar with the approach to our final destination, Seabrook Marina, and felt we would be okay if we arrived at night.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZggs1bt2B4dtrwrvoDIn4pebVdpn7aEpmdOLHIiQq6hvaIbtouH2HZEf3yEveljcSdE7NJMsh997r9T1Y2SwD6XCvka6Y4pTGwhKSNlwrF22AW1mGSIzUavgJDkIHrOocQxPxqsCbZKZM/s1600/fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZggs1bt2B4dtrwrvoDIn4pebVdpn7aEpmdOLHIiQq6hvaIbtouH2HZEf3yEveljcSdE7NJMsh997r9T1Y2SwD6XCvka6Y4pTGwhKSNlwrF22AW1mGSIzUavgJDkIHrOocQxPxqsCbZKZM/s1600/fog.jpg" height="302" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The fog is burning off.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Early in our travels on what we hoped would be our last day the fog was making it touch and go until about 13:00. After 13:00 the sky cleared, the sun came out, and the rhythm of life on the ICW was spectacular. By far the best day on this trip.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekiC9WAUfJ8N2TcterOvOo_Q3yJsEEyeaWKwcWginwuAgRyHQU-ATwDMRDuTEsqHm4M-KKCuptpOSLJBkYDmUz38qpHx-mkwM6ZZxsvORg194U6aX-MxF_BAodn9KIZUTkUCebFKt9gzI/s1600/IMG_447107964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjekiC9WAUfJ8N2TcterOvOo_Q3yJsEEyeaWKwcWginwuAgRyHQU-ATwDMRDuTEsqHm4M-KKCuptpOSLJBkYDmUz38qpHx-mkwM6ZZxsvORg194U6aX-MxF_BAodn9KIZUTkUCebFKt9gzI/s1600/IMG_447107964.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Typical landscape along the ICW near Chocolate Bay.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxGSChA8ZzIRBBLeMS5Yxal7xZ-Q90zPgxjJLU0zo90W7HCnuLfcsVAmScz3Hoj4_OlnC4FFaH6gzwegaTA8WV60nVRjTlQW943OVodebGTpLji0HCZwPa_bC7u4fOz8jomtn02357jEg/s1600/following+tows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxGSChA8ZzIRBBLeMS5Yxal7xZ-Q90zPgxjJLU0zo90W7HCnuLfcsVAmScz3Hoj4_OlnC4FFaH6gzwegaTA8WV60nVRjTlQW943OVodebGTpLji0HCZwPa_bC7u4fOz8jomtn02357jEg/s1600/following+tows.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tows in front of us, a</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">pproaching Flamingo</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Isles.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Approaching the Galveston causeway bridge we began to hear about two southbound trains that would require the bridge operators to close the waterway for the train to pass. We lucked out and made it through before the trains came down the track, but our luck was short lived because no sooner had we made it under the causeway bridge than fog began to settled in. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcL993ev3SXsDOG_RoXt1aSgCSTWU2EUWvWzMgDgqdIukOEv6M2nsosb-TPrD-2_l94f0ukzYQYxrVSjIQZXLeJgH65FXe-QVb6NzF_f_nxkUf8IG5y6X9QxwtHY1WyiEK037Hl8Zzk5i/s1600/causeway+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcL993ev3SXsDOG_RoXt1aSgCSTWU2EUWvWzMgDgqdIukOEv6M2nsosb-TPrD-2_l94f0ukzYQYxrVSjIQZXLeJgH65FXe-QVb6NzF_f_nxkUf8IG5y6X9QxwtHY1WyiEK037Hl8Zzk5i/s1600/causeway+bridge.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The causeway bridge is down for a train and the sky is falling.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tows on the outside of the causeway bridge were reporting clear blue skies, but it was a different story on the inside. I guess Poseidon enjoyed our company </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">on this trip, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">so much, that he contacted Mother Nature and had her provide a fog event for the Galveston basin. Five minutes after the above photo was taken the fog was so think we could not see the bridge, and it became very difficult to see the lateral beacons marking the channel to Pelican Island. Radio traffic between the tows ahead of us made it clear the fog was even thicker ahead. There were eleven tows hunkered down in the Pelican Island cut making our passage through, and beyond, almost impossible. The weather forecast we were able to get from the internet stated the fog would persist until the next morning, so we </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">decided to move out of the channel about one hundred yards, drop anchor, and spend the night. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wednesday morning both of us were chomping at the bit to get moving, but <strike>it was a no go</strike> <strike>we couldn't see squat</strike> we were still socked in with fog. We sat around telling each other <strike>lies</strike> stories until 11:00 when Mother Nature finally released her strangle hold on our visibility. The fog lifted so fast that all the tows were in a mad scramble to get moving. When we passed through Pelican Island's cut, and were making our turn down the Houston Ship Channel, I counted 17 commercial vessels headed in various directions. </span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were in the middle of our sixth day on a two day delivery, and we could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. The warm wind was sufficient enough for us to unroll the head sail and let Avery Christine kick up her heels.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> She must have liked the action because we screamed down the channel on a broad reach into Seabrook at 6.8 knots. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We made it into the Seabrook Marina work dock without any trouble, tied up in our assigned slip, and unloaded the boat in record time. I was surprised at how little food we had left when we finally made it to Seabrook. Remember when we left Palacious we had enough food for an army. Way to much for two guys to eat in two days, but when we arrived in Seabrook we only had a half jar of peanut butter, three slices of bread, and two bottles of water. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv_aR6lsCjFxgMGRRBX25Qnx0REp2qZ7XrQiHpcvrFTa5hFjnFTE4Dk5m994dPyV2Pozcgcdy_kmEmqVZTihS_M7VjNuSoPOiU_CUW_o2zCKmpgXUDHTvbmXk2wHFZFHe0ZlmreAyr3XO/s1600/dana+prop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNv_aR6lsCjFxgMGRRBX25Qnx0REp2qZ7XrQiHpcvrFTa5hFjnFTE4Dk5m994dPyV2Pozcgcdy_kmEmqVZTihS_M7VjNuSoPOiU_CUW_o2zCKmpgXUDHTvbmXk2wHFZFHe0ZlmreAyr3XO/s1600/dana+prop.jpg" height="320" width="276" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The prop was fouled with barnacles and prevented us from reaching SOG higher than 3.5.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvn9DG3NNIVFGpFZwjpTE-t1ZqgVmYOXNFiaMUDsUlQG9Ylyu97_qEnxejvSgXrK4HxFaUb_p8FIMJAOEiYfgIEQep71jL2tEeBqyxxVNrUKLaOY2M55VVYAWlNpzRbPiIQzyUpL88tdF/s1600/dana+scrape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGvn9DG3NNIVFGpFZwjpTE-t1ZqgVmYOXNFiaMUDsUlQG9Ylyu97_qEnxejvSgXrK4HxFaUb_p8FIMJAOEiYfgIEQep71jL2tEeBqyxxVNrUKLaOY2M55VVYAWlNpzRbPiIQzyUpL88tdF/s1600/dana+scrape.jpg" height="319" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Damage from the tow collision.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I ran into captain Ken on our dock yesterday and he asked if I was ready for another delivery. "Hell yeah!"</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-60969643872278549262015-03-20T05:39:00.001-07:002015-03-21T14:43:26.615-07:00Splashes in Palacious (Part One)<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It started with an innocent request by a friend to help him deliver a Pacific Seacraft, Dana 24 from Palacious TX, to Seabrook TX. Under normal circumstances the trip should have taken about two (2) days in the ICW. It took six (6). </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTbXAlVPOmNebHhGdYc8zcMSascJHKcAuOesf3dBS96NOzo-dFmX1EGiZVH2hWuABQc-Cac8UYRLU38XAoHH41vJXUdmorIZbVgxRhKWD72YPq7Fru9S8fefujxu7vvyQ07ClRHSmpmbB/s1600/IMG_447451374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWTbXAlVPOmNebHhGdYc8zcMSascJHKcAuOesf3dBS96NOzo-dFmX1EGiZVH2hWuABQc-Cac8UYRLU38XAoHH41vJXUdmorIZbVgxRhKWD72YPq7Fru9S8fefujxu7vvyQ07ClRHSmpmbB/s1600/IMG_447451374.JPG" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Avery Christine</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> on the hard in Seabrook Marina</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
The broker that sold the boat, and requested the delivery, drove us down to the city of Palacious after work on Thursday. The plan was to leave early the next morning (Friday) and start back to Seabrook. Thursday was warm and sunny and the 2 hour drive was uneventful with very casual </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">conversation</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. I was on the phone most of the way down setting up my reports for the next day because I didn't think I would be available by phone while we crossed Matagorda Bay. I vaguely remember captain Ken talking to our chauffeur about a mutual friend that had just gone through a twenty-four hour bout with some sort of stomach virus or purging bug. Poor bastard. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Upon arrival in Palacious we met the owner of the boat we contracted to move, and he agreed to drive us to the grocery store so we could get some supplies. I find it interesting to grocery shop with other males when the mission is to provision for a cycle of anywhere from a couple of days to several days. It reminds me of a pack of wolves gorging on a fresh kill. Who knows, we may not kill another deer for a while, perhaps we should eat double our needs just in case. I was a little embarrassed when we walked out of the store with enough food to last us a week. All I was thinking about was: how will we ever eat all this stuff.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next stop was PMR (Palacious Mexican Restaurant) for dinner. The food wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. Just nondescript Texmex. Leaving the restaurant I noticed the temperature had dropped a bit and inquired about blankets on the boat. Next stop, the Dollar Store for a couple of blankets.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the boat we checked all the liquid levels, running and standing rigging, chart plotter and assorted instrumentation. We fired up the diesel and generator, and generally gave the boat a good state of health. We put away our food stores and turned in for the night.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About zero two hundred (2:00 am) I heard Captain Ken hit the head and barf, and then I heard him barf at zero three hundred (3:00 am) , then zero four hundred (4:00 am), zero five hundred (5:00 am), and again at zero six hundred (6:00 am). I really thought he may have had some bad Mexican food at PMR. It never occurred to me he had a stomach virus. At zero six thirty (6:30 am) I decided to get up and sit in the fully enclosed cockpit and wait to depart while Ken gracefully tried to recover. We prepared to make way around zero eight thirty (8:30 am) and backed out of the slip around zero nine thirty (9:30 am). A late start, but considering the night Ken had; I was just happy to be getting underway. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being in an unfamiliar marina is always a challenge, and being in an unfamiliar marina with a 11 knot tailwind, at low tide, is even more interesting. We were dead center in the channel when I noticed we weren't moving. Yep, the wind had blown just enough water out of the marina that we ran aground. Stuck in the Texas mud. We were fortunate the tide was coming in and we only had to wait two hours before we re-floated enough to power up and carry on with our mission.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some readers may believe in foretelling the future based on events of the past. True clairvoyants might even say we should have taken the two strikes dealt us in less than twelve hours as a warning to re-think our departure. But, I can assure you such thoughts never once entered our minds. How is it possible to forecast the next forty-eight (48) hours based on two unrelated events? Captain Ken and I, as hard as we tried, were unable to explore the unfamiliar realm of fortune telling based on signs handed down by the cosmos. It should therefor come as no great surprise that we failed to see the truly rotten can of tomatoes we were about be force fed. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The weather window for our trip wasn't the greatest, but we only had to travel </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">from the marina, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">14 miles </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">into Matagorda Bay, via the channel, to the Intercoastal, hang a left, and travel another 9 miles northeast until we would be surrounded by land, and </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">protected from wind and waves, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in the ICW. Simple enough, and although a Pacific Seacraft is a heavy, boat we should be able to make at least four (4) knots. It was only around ten hundred hours (10:00 am) so we should be able to make it to protected waters by fifteen hundred hour (3:00 pm).</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HhlHCB2DEoRGkb6Ekrs8V15ZGKKWv6mUrZyAddYHwY_E3Xa_g3p4nN8gDPfpNHhnsuelIrLzx26tm3nyyaZj1Duypi1B9a3A4PU-gsqWwMkYGDqkpNC-b0BNtGUO7gIRFqgm8T58ppOK/s1600/matagorda+bay+nav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HhlHCB2DEoRGkb6Ekrs8V15ZGKKWv6mUrZyAddYHwY_E3Xa_g3p4nN8gDPfpNHhnsuelIrLzx26tm3nyyaZj1Duypi1B9a3A4PU-gsqWwMkYGDqkpNC-b0BNtGUO7gIRFqgm8T58ppOK/s1600/matagorda+bay+nav.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Our intended travel path</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The waves as we started out were running about two feet high on our port rear quarter. With the 11-12 knot wind, the push from the waves, and assistance from the diesel we were only able to get our SOG (speed over ground) up to about 3.2 knots. Still plenty of time to make our goal. The Avery Christine had a full enclosure and the traveler was in the cockpit. In order to utilize the main sail we would have had to unzip the enclosure so we could sheet out the main. More trouble than it was worth, bedsides it was starting to get cold, and rain was in the forecast. We broke out the auto pilot and plugged it in only to find it was drifting and would not hold a straight course. No big deal we would take turns hand steering and still make it to the Intercoastal in good shape. The </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">radio </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">chatter from the tows pushing barges in the ICW t</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">o the tows out in the bay </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">focused primarily</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> on the condition of the water. Not once did we hear any of the tows say conditions were too rough to attempt a crossing, It was only when our personal observations noted wind speed, and wave height were increasing did we tune to NOAA radio for a weather forecast. A small craft warning had been issued and winds from the north, northeast were expected to steadily increase to 30 knots. Less than ideal but no problem for a Pacific Seacraft.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We negotiated the left hand dog leg and reached our red lateral turning beacon, which had been replaced with a nun, later than we expected. It was already around 1500 (3:00 pm) and the wind, once the turn was completed, was going to be on our nose. The water was now showing it's angry side and consistently delivering four and sometimes six foot waves running at three to four second intervals. The first few lateral beacons in the direction we wanted to travel were missing and had also been replaced with nuns making them a lot harder to spot in the waves. No problem we could refer to the chart plotter to help us make the correct turn and set the correct heading. Neither one of us realized at this juncture that the owner had set the chart plotter up with a delay. That in and by itself would not have been a big deal, but in a twenty-four foot boat bobbing in four to six foot rollers, with the occupants being thrown around the cockpit, it was a very big deal. We would initiate our turn, look for the nun, confirm on the chart plotter, turn some more, look for the nun, turn some more, look at the chart plotter; shit we're off course. Then the whole process would start over again. I am embarrassed to even think about how long we were stuck in the wash tub trying to determine our correct heading. Take my word, it was way too long. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We eventually found our correct heading, but we could not make any headway because of the wind and the size of the waves. Avery Christine apparently new nothing about the little engine that could. We tried tacking back and forth along our rhumb line and were able to make a small amount of progress, but after 4.5 hours we only advanced .7 miles toward the shelter of land. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The energy and concentration</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> it took to keep the boat heading in the right direction, stay balanced in the cockpit, and hand steer was intense. At one point I looked down at the tiller and noticed it had a 16 inch split down the middle. Oh shit. We used a whole roll of electrical tape on it and made it as secure as possible. (Believe it or not it held for the entire trip.) </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Night was setting in and we were </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">still</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> about 8 miles from the protected water. We decided to get out of the channel, drop the hook, and try to ride out the weather. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As soon as we dropped the anchor I started barfing, and continued barfing for about an hour. I think we both experienced a round of the intestinal virus Ken's friend had. Both Ken and I were unable to do much of anything but lay horizontal or sleep for the next 40 hours. Finally on Sunday morning the weather began to break and water in the bay started to lay down. Let's get out of here. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About four hours later we left the waters of Matagorda Bay and entered the portion of the ICW protected by land. Little did we know at the time that our adventure was just beginning. More on that in part two.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-5681307431741703432015-01-22T12:17:00.000-08:002015-01-30T10:15:30.078-08:00The Last of 2014, The First of 2015 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now that our house has sold and we have recovered from all the holiday insanity, this might be a good time to bring everyone up to speed regarding our first Christmas and New Years while living on our boat, Adventure US 2.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8pcnvx7EvMWyl2HyXONK4MfV-mHOT4WXjI71TfKiJ83EBVCJizGnjWcIZV_YTaGAKfRtvaSzFgqPdtc74ktvJTDS2MlXCYWugz26YyktonBelPlVh0w0RXBvCzycKq2TxlmENJ_5CXRO/s1600/Pics+of+AdventureUS2+++11-09-13+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8pcnvx7EvMWyl2HyXONK4MfV-mHOT4WXjI71TfKiJ83EBVCJizGnjWcIZV_YTaGAKfRtvaSzFgqPdtc74ktvJTDS2MlXCYWugz26YyktonBelPlVh0w0RXBvCzycKq2TxlmENJ_5CXRO/s1600/Pics+of+AdventureUS2+++11-09-13+007.JPG" height="267" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">JLee's photo</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Adventure Us 2 is tied up in a slip on K Dock at a marina on Galveston Bay in Texas. Somehow, probably through some kind of cosmic intervention or similar extraterrestrial mumbo jumbo, we ended up on the same dock with a few equally minded couples who <strike>are as crazy as the two of us</strike> mesh well together. It seems that every time we get together the conversation goes straight into the bilge and we laugh until we cry. The cast of characters is extremely diverse and I would be remiss in any description of our holiday gaiety if I didn't at least qualify our antics by taking up a small portion of your time by offering descriptions as to their character <strike>flaws</strike>. Please be advised. The words that follow are my own observations after years and years of </span><strike style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">therapy</strike><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> practice observing people in the wild frontier.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Introducing the cast:</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Angela, Martin, and their dog Chloe drive from our sister state Oklahoma every chance they get, to spend time with </span><strike style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">me</strike><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Mystic, their Hunter sailboat. Angela is a very creative woman and can craft most anything from scratch. I suspect she can even make her own clothes from cotton bolls she collects from the cotton fields lining the roads of OK. Martin, her service provider, is a connoisseur of peppermint patties and other fine after dinner mints. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Dr62petjCDJBN4C3EbTi_efqdmZRQewFcQaR3_fmN1LWZYmQ1-A3UwkwtCtXooegQgetePgL5CPYQ7llPFubXW0gRSdNUxid0vEh3Et6rycoUZ2is1q6jdbKtj1M2JUH5ytJlvxJusnj/s1600/The+Martins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Dr62petjCDJBN4C3EbTi_efqdmZRQewFcQaR3_fmN1LWZYmQ1-A3UwkwtCtXooegQgetePgL5CPYQ7llPFubXW0gRSdNUxid0vEh3Et6rycoUZ2is1q6jdbKtj1M2JUH5ytJlvxJusnj/s1600/The+Martins.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Martin, Angela and Chloe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cheri and Alan are from Dallas and just recently moved on board after accidentally selling their home. (How does that happen?) Last month Alan <strike>was kicked out of</strike> retired from the fire department and is preparing their boat, Consort, for adventure. Cheri is K Dock's wine connoisseur, quick witted red head, and resident judge of local talent including, but not limited to: My Michael and Martin's tongue contest. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't ask.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMVdsyipDWo1Mi4_rYSPwZ1S2LO9xoopqDTWhqfj4rx0_lK9S_xZlEknbmJQC0gsvtYMWgG4oFUd72iwSmV4cfX6_CvP8QtGT6OxE4gMfrWoYo1Ttet_86W4PEIjaASfVUGR3CxwC39jB/s1600/the+Hanes.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMVdsyipDWo1Mi4_rYSPwZ1S2LO9xoopqDTWhqfj4rx0_lK9S_xZlEknbmJQC0gsvtYMWgG4oFUd72iwSmV4cfX6_CvP8QtGT6OxE4gMfrWoYo1Ttet_86W4PEIjaASfVUGR3CxwC39jB/s1600/the+Hanes.PNG" height="317" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Alan and Cheri</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Steve and Deidra are the highest ranking couple on the dock because they have been here the longest. Local legend has identified a possible connection between Deidra and the wine fairy, but that is strictly a rumor. Their trawler, Osprey is the closest boat on the dock to shore and therefore they have been appointed "K Dock's" sentinels, and as such they get the honor of dealing with our late night boat rocking antics. (I swear it was Martin's idea.) Trouble, their dog, is aptly named for her lady like manners and outgoing personality. Close your eyes and imagine the phrase "here comes Trouble" and you'll get the idea.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvn8q_58WuF3-xV1r-bfybGBkS3fNvyIoaKnixjsBVeshJFZ2QMc4YewnU3weLWTgvXd-SJqqylBvbu8Y4QUwvBtUJClRp9kUD6_HjlmxeGleECzENVQWaWHtQP-no9yS8Voyl-6XJ8Of/s1600/Steve+and+Deidra.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvn8q_58WuF3-xV1r-bfybGBkS3fNvyIoaKnixjsBVeshJFZ2QMc4YewnU3weLWTgvXd-SJqqylBvbu8Y4QUwvBtUJClRp9kUD6_HjlmxeGleECzENVQWaWHtQP-no9yS8Voyl-6XJ8Of/s1600/Steve+and+Deidra.PNG" height="320" width="251" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Steve and Deidra</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Angela's Photo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rounding out the group of personalities is the keeper of the golden fleece, marine, and scuba instructor; <strike>Gilbert </strike> Gabriel. Gabriel is always quick </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with a</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><strike style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fork and plate</strike><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> joke and keeps us all entertained. A few vagabonds always seem to find their way into the mix, but the main players seem to remain the same. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_u7boFDSMxISaj_dRLZSYRWDCv9_peiu1hfGsMoSZIzIPXnxLAelybF34HfpMhelXOdI0GEebVWL603YkBw-zcT0FuriQjtq0lvrWY84UGEQZ1w82r0R3u-odY9x-_qQABm7bA7AbEcy/s1600/gabriel+surfing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_u7boFDSMxISaj_dRLZSYRWDCv9_peiu1hfGsMoSZIzIPXnxLAelybF34HfpMhelXOdI0GEebVWL603YkBw-zcT0FuriQjtq0lvrWY84UGEQZ1w82r0R3u-odY9x-_qQABm7bA7AbEcy/s1600/gabriel+surfing.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6DWXoV3GSyLOPVwvFxx_vwSIT34s4x312EcdsL6GolUp31HnX5BM0bJDgb3Mwdvpk3WOsPjrOHPSqyKqayQ1SKV5Ukgb4hDE9hJPI3QyJkfDptNrmMocXSZm1HBchZgrBduEQuVuqwry/s1600/gabe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6DWXoV3GSyLOPVwvFxx_vwSIT34s4x312EcdsL6GolUp31HnX5BM0bJDgb3Mwdvpk3WOsPjrOHPSqyKqayQ1SKV5Ukgb4hDE9hJPI3QyJkfDptNrmMocXSZm1HBchZgrBduEQuVuqwry/s1600/gabe.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"> Michael's Photo</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having described the cast, on with the story line.</span>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each year there is a Christmas boat parade in Seabrook that kicks off the holiday season. Our little group decided to have a 'wine and cheese' party on the peninsula of our marina so we could 'oh' and 'ah' at the Christmas lights. It was cold that particular Saturday night with temperatures in the 50's, but as the adult beverages began to flow the temperature seemed to warm until we were all <strike>toasted</strike> toasty.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn8gyRR_z1WzsM0MYaByKTMDNw6A94VCOLX_SSWzfcTz8LWH7BIalH7Oh33UrogEnTYl2jkRyzDHSiJWL8ztB0II5woJWu_vEh21J1lEQGuVevk3egZTX4ICH-6-q0bI2MsbH3Y-COeDW/s1600/RITA385+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn8gyRR_z1WzsM0MYaByKTMDNw6A94VCOLX_SSWzfcTz8LWH7BIalH7Oh33UrogEnTYl2jkRyzDHSiJWL8ztB0II5woJWu_vEh21J1lEQGuVevk3egZTX4ICH-6-q0bI2MsbH3Y-COeDW/s1600/RITA385+(1).JPG" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Internet Photo</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the close of the parade, we gathered our remaining beverages, food, and lawn chairs and headed to K Dock. No sooner had we all settled into place when Alan appeared with a milk crate full of liqueur bottles ranging from an unopened bottle of Patron, to a mason jar of vodka half full of pulverized habaneros, (this was truly the hottest firewater any of us had ever tasted) only adding to the mix of beer, wine, and Uncle Sneezy's moonshine that we were already passing around. This led our conversations right into the deepest, darkest, recesses of the bilge. I'm happy to report however, no one fell off the dock, but we probably should have all been sporting some kind of life <strike>preserv</strike></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strike>er</strike> jacket . </span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aJraj6jczefzZ3aSC8JpbGDg8_wid7AN4V2CNCCgeBjsYheE0tG1DDdf18w8bUXkcex2FJ6Mk4I_O6v0XgqV_UcQydF_bVj1PsXzETaRBtcUESwE2sotK6QA707d5qdE4dySE3PB22eI/s1600/photo.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aJraj6jczefzZ3aSC8JpbGDg8_wid7AN4V2CNCCgeBjsYheE0tG1DDdf18w8bUXkcex2FJ6Mk4I_O6v0XgqV_UcQydF_bVj1PsXzETaRBtcUESwE2sotK6QA707d5qdE4dySE3PB22eI/s1600/photo.PNG" height="320" width="280" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Martin's Photo</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Christmas break found all of us abandoning ship and heading in different directions, but the sentinels were waiting and punched everyone's card upon our return to make sure <strike>no one escaped</strike> every soul made a safe return. Once we were all accounted for; Steve suggested we spend new years eve on their trawler, anchor out to watch the fireworks display Kemah puts on each year and then return to port to spend the remainder of the year on their boat. Good thing we planned a simple menu because the last day of the year decided to go out with a roar. Wind was howling out of the north east at thirty knots, and the ice cold water had two to three foot waves. On the way out our marine took a few full frontal waves over the bow, but quickly recovered and retreated to the safety of the top deck. Even a soaking wet marine couldn't curb our <strike>insanity</strike> enthusiasm. Everyone else held on to <strike>each other</strike> Osprey's grab rails as she bucked, kicked, and thrashed her way out of the channel into the bay. The coast guard was standing by at the entrance monitoring vessels crazy enough to attempt a late night expedition into the pitch black, cold waters of Galveston Bay on a night all sane boaters should be tucked away safely in their slips. We only saw two other boats off in the distance when normally there's at least sixty or a hundred.</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mdGf9p_nTTQDvH0YrCposy4L4uVz7dMozVVyf6S1Kfit9hFD6OqMuLPxVU-UneAM-vchEpBk4pasYiGHDZ84Jkt1_Rx5F00YQkdBvZHbyDbDcEj3ZIMr_XxdA37O2-ZQyRqIQHzPQzNf/s1600/kemah+fireworks.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Internet Photo</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Captain Steve did an outstanding job keeping us all on board, and he expertly docked Osprey in her slip with plenty of time to toast to the new year. We all decided to toss together a pot luck morning brunch the next day which consisted of: wholesome steel oats, fresh fruit, nuts, honey and Angela's home made scones. Oh, and lots, and lots of champagne. Have you ever tried champagne with orange mango juice? It's our new dreaming of the Caribbean sunset Mimango brunch drink. Yum!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke3294BM2bKCnb8iwRSfkSl5UkmjMqtdNes9UyQjTSJrSueVV3bI6kmE_WQ_FtJnrx5LggyG7JlIwhsrbBfJQVVMAarSwj-syMcTEFydlWfp1O5EqDpKZUIy9jFDJlziO8OK-PZPTQJkv/s1600/brunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke3294BM2bKCnb8iwRSfkSl5UkmjMqtdNes9UyQjTSJrSueVV3bI6kmE_WQ_FtJnrx5LggyG7JlIwhsrbBfJQVVMAarSwj-syMcTEFydlWfp1O5EqDpKZUIy9jFDJlziO8OK-PZPTQJkv/s1600/brunch.JPG" height="320" width="258" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Janet Lee's Photo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brunch gave way to dinner with a rest period in between for power naps. Dinner was hosted on Adventure US 2 where we enjoyed My Michael's scrumptious New Year's Black Eyed Peas. Other contributed culinary delights included corn bread and awesome greens. Desert was several games of Cards Against Humanity and as you might suspect, wine. Yep, our conversation went straight to the bilge. How could it not? The 9 of us, adult beverages, and Cards Against Humanity is a dangerous combination!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2MlgwwglxHpfuiEHYMabWvRakOAwJGKC-JPKEV1mWVaXTA5iv5sZm89f-R19IvkjqnTUhCRg7tJtgVOU0MbX8kz7RK8IXhik6F-SqlZxEvbuu2kqbyy-3vOrf2kRj7-LhXGzwH8zfwwU/s1600/wine+bottles.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2MlgwwglxHpfuiEHYMabWvRakOAwJGKC-JPKEV1mWVaXTA5iv5sZm89f-R19IvkjqnTUhCRg7tJtgVOU0MbX8kz7RK8IXhik6F-SqlZxEvbuu2kqbyy-3vOrf2kRj7-LhXGzwH8zfwwU/s1600/wine+bottles.PNG" height="230" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Janet Lee's Photo</span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKny3a4p1e9BGmnACk52vYDEbM8HG9q2hBTVwZJn97MV_L-7Wj7cG1LP8hGQeZjj2ZzTtJuosSzGV0U9byFSQUdY-s6alRxESWXvBaPCw7Cw7vIrgrsoP0OzL_tjNIfs1dYwSsfoWXZ1sx/s1600/Cards-Against-Humanity-Box-Open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKny3a4p1e9BGmnACk52vYDEbM8HG9q2hBTVwZJn97MV_L-7Wj7cG1LP8hGQeZjj2ZzTtJuosSzGV0U9byFSQUdY-s6alRxESWXvBaPCw7Cw7vIrgrsoP0OzL_tjNIfs1dYwSsfoWXZ1sx/s1600/Cards-Against-Humanity-Box-Open.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The start of the new year was so fabulous I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for what shenanigans the remainder of the year has in store for The K-dockers. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the way, </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">K Dock</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> throws great parties!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-73884096913955078392015-01-20T05:38:00.000-08:002015-01-20T05:38:03.765-08:00It's a New Year, 2015 to Be Exact<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">2015 has arrived
and as is usual for this time of year, I have a cob stuck in my butt
because of something that was said to me. Last year I wrote about the same kind of incident, and you can read about it </span><a href="http://adventureustwo.blogspot.com/2014/01/it-is-always-now-by-h-michael.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">here</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Why this time of year? Well, maybe it has to do with some unfathomable, unexplored, or undiscovered,
physiological flaw in my genome. I was born on the fifth of January and it always
seems, at least to me, I get overly sensitive each year around this time. Perhaps I arrived in this world kicking and
screaming to such a degree that I have to deal with the remnants, or fallout
from the trauma on an annual cycle, like a form of annual déjà vu. (think Bill </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Murray</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> in </span><u style="line-height: 115%;">Ground Hog Day</u><span style="line-height: 115%;">) But now it gets translated by my psyche into introspection, rather than physical discomfort. Whatever the case may be for my rumination; my thoughts
cogitate until I find a suitable release. </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Lucky</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> for me I get to regurgitate my feelings by </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">heaving</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> up my thoughts in text, and you, unfortunate reader, must suffer through, or move on to the next blog.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So what has caused me to bury my </span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">conscious mind in thought? It's not all that heavy; I was simply asked if I had made any "new year's resolutions". I know right? That should not translate into a stumbling block of sorts, and it wasn't at the time. I answered the simple question with a straight forward response and said I was going to drink less, or eat less red meat, or give up some other pleasure that isn't good for me. (When I told Janet Lee about this incident she called my resolutions dim-witted because: "A.) you can only give up pleasurable vices at Lent, and B.) you don't even follow iconic western religious doctrine because your not Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, or evangelical". (She has such a great way with words.) That should have been the end of the whole shebang, but because it is still January, and not Easter, I am sitting at my desk trying to get my thoughts transcribed before I find myself perpetually stuck in the labyrinth. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I am not a Buddhist but I find the Buddhist concept of viewing reality as it is, and not as it appears to be, very alluring. In other words being truly present in life. To do so one must give up all notions of the past and future. The past is irrelevant, except as a source of experience, and the future has yet to unfold. Frankly it will never unfold because it is always yet to occur. The future is for all practical purposes make believe, or as a friend of mine would argue, useful fiction. The only usefulness of the future (and the past for that matter) comes when we start to measure time. The very second future becomes reality; it no longer exists, because it can't exist in any other form (other than the future). Preparation for the future by western standards however, is not necessarily a bad thing as long as one doesn't use the future to escape the present. T</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">he goal is to stay focused on the present. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Here is an example. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">It is winter in Texas. Although not as cold as some parts of the country, w</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">inter still means colder temperatures. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> Being focused on the present, in this case, means recognizing the environmental change and living with the change. Wearing clothes </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">suitable</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> for colder temperatures and not pretending we can still wear clothes we wore at other times of the year. Focus on the present and understand what the present represents.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">So what does this prologue have to do with New Years Resolutions? Simply this: A resolution made at New Years, or for New Years, no longer exists. It symbolizes an escape from the present because to change that which we wish to change requires future action, and that can't happen. It's a prescription for disaster unless you do it now. Right now, this very second now. Now, now, now. You get the idea. So dear reader, time to show up and be present, stay in the present, because that is all there is.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Thanks for listening. Peace out.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-24461797958457417332015-01-06T07:37:00.004-08:002015-01-06T07:37:48.871-08:00It's Been Awhile, By H. Michael<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kQk183haesRvID3Baf9vXpw0KQo9JIfdZUm4UekSIeZXDls2O_M8g141jz00UeGEXY3k76cQ_6V99oSOZe7ZtOa7Xx9r9U8Uil2Z60VdhTyrL43ui36UY4LY2TzgU0RGYDTKRLT_bqer/s1600/spinning_clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kQk183haesRvID3Baf9vXpw0KQo9JIfdZUm4UekSIeZXDls2O_M8g141jz00UeGEXY3k76cQ_6V99oSOZe7ZtOa7Xx9r9U8Uil2Z60VdhTyrL43ui36UY4LY2TzgU0RGYDTKRLT_bqer/s1600/spinning_clock.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Occasionally
time gets all fuddled up and Adventure Us 2 seems to always come out on the
short end. </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: #0b5394;">In part, attribution can be
ascribed to our complicated lifestyles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seems forever a challenge to carve out enough personal time to get it
all accomplished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The month of November
alone found us getting re-acquainted with the Twisted Sisters motorcycle ride on hunter's weekend in Bandera, diving in Cozumel for a long weekend, and hosting the
mother of all garage sales to liquidate our possessions prior to closing on our
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention three (3)
birthdays and Thanksgiving thrown in for texture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, we closed on our house the very
next Friday after our garage sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Yea
that’s right, we are officially homeless.) We did this all while still feeding the
job monster for, what is normally, a forty (40) hour work week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If truth be told, on average, we actually spend
over fifty (50) hours with commute times added. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><s>JL invests closer to sixty hours taking
care of her work habit.</s><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
understand I’m not offering this as an excuse, or even, as Janet Lee believes,
a cheap attempt to get some sympathy, and compassion flowing in my
direction.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TpsOesWvElDUehLPIaRCcKsRw1GzaQISt8MmEScA6Nof09uJh7h91KCKnZuvHBlYMw7QPxcZ1ybB0ST8A3ZFTmyN83xtvYvJpvkEQTKlukVcD-7SpmBH7kxZi3SSjququ0pKV3orvnGu/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+002+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TpsOesWvElDUehLPIaRCcKsRw1GzaQISt8MmEScA6Nof09uJh7h91KCKnZuvHBlYMw7QPxcZ1ybB0ST8A3ZFTmyN83xtvYvJpvkEQTKlukVcD-7SpmBH7kxZi3SSjququ0pKV3orvnGu/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+002+-+Copy.JPG" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvwSHiTjv6_MCVkt3rI84taaTII4S0LjEr20JnWwmXatc8oObPNFshU2wnre-0xmC3FsYrsX0m30mKMw5oPIOB_TCAMSPWSMBnwIwYO1_mj5b4dvvedjYtHkWP-fk_fz7N3xvssk9VR5B/s1600/Michael's%2B2013%2B022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdvwSHiTjv6_MCVkt3rI84taaTII4S0LjEr20JnWwmXatc8oObPNFshU2wnre-0xmC3FsYrsX0m30mKMw5oPIOB_TCAMSPWSMBnwIwYO1_mj5b4dvvedjYtHkWP-fk_fz7N3xvssk9VR5B/s1600/Michael's%2B2013%2B022.JPG" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2FIroDfJt06xoxYu80UVlPgOIF7yviO9GlEh0SvzgKYNLb9hPy4MkvTtDtcrDTMl0y-FhkfcxHscx1CKY6NzTCEVnvS2ZPk3v0UmrW4Zl3Owm_ST8AUU8EyRRoPqhdxu7_0PMPRA_C9Y/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+009+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2FIroDfJt06xoxYu80UVlPgOIF7yviO9GlEh0SvzgKYNLb9hPy4MkvTtDtcrDTMl0y-FhkfcxHscx1CKY6NzTCEVnvS2ZPk3v0UmrW4Zl3Owm_ST8AUU8EyRRoPqhdxu7_0PMPRA_C9Y/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+009+-+Copy.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUBtBBM19qxF4P9Y_6HGewzWGGyCPWK3YGwOFmDeZZmMbZz7KUsUVkQIIIOCsBMdVpJmC8R2AwXV3-WCJAK34NZTLEsaxTqsamJO_v-t9Ae6iUCNcUShArDZhvdhcQeuObLxoWSzXpF-X/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+003+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgUBtBBM19qxF4P9Y_6HGewzWGGyCPWK3YGwOFmDeZZmMbZz7KUsUVkQIIIOCsBMdVpJmC8R2AwXV3-WCJAK34NZTLEsaxTqsamJO_v-t9Ae6iUCNcUShArDZhvdhcQeuObLxoWSzXpF-X/s1600/Bandera,+Texas++4-13+003+-+Copy.JPG" height="139" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoApICPO6AGbDZydelbN9997WeQLB3AdQdu8ObkJt0QtNEWlP02sCocQ6ykh_eU6MfzGGAR7HQJd7yWYfY6-Mfw_ZCA_jNnn7IbhNR5J2qYWaENN7cNHy_SszQfp08iOqRTWxvg2dC2msC/s1600/Bandera+++3-12-13+051+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoApICPO6AGbDZydelbN9997WeQLB3AdQdu8ObkJt0QtNEWlP02sCocQ6ykh_eU6MfzGGAR7HQJd7yWYfY6-Mfw_ZCA_jNnn7IbhNR5J2qYWaENN7cNHy_SszQfp08iOqRTWxvg2dC2msC/s1600/Bandera+++3-12-13+051+-+Copy.JPG" height="158" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Janet Lees photos of Bandera</span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;">The truth
of the matter is I have always admired people with the ability to work a full
time job, spend time hunting and gathering, work on their boat, play with the
kids, tend to the livestock, paint the house, go to the moon, and still find
time to write a blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I occasionally
read a blog and the author does all of the above and has twins under one (1)
year old, and another young daughter under four (4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeez. Where does she get the time?</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: #f3f3f3; color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Previously
I mentioned that we sold our house and we are now officially one crucial step
closer to living the dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Janet Lee
and I have been working toward this moment for the last five years, so don’t
wake me yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to bask triumphantly
in the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment, oh I don’t know, for at least
the next five years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We still have an
eight (8) by eight (8) storage locker and an SUV that is functioning more like
a closet than a car, but at least we have cleared the major hurdle. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now if I can just get JL to realize she doesn't need thirty pairs of shoes; we’ll be on our way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WGON8qtNAYc8XYlpRu8hzHt-Odbj2TBoMyoEdFG1xloFnRSH7X1iJ-zIPM2UD-ggg_CydJScQr8E4qzi8Wl8iiuNDjFpWfJ0a7d9i1lgkOWs8eJfVghsbdkETaxdZUw7WmPP-TpiOuwK/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WGON8qtNAYc8XYlpRu8hzHt-Odbj2TBoMyoEdFG1xloFnRSH7X1iJ-zIPM2UD-ggg_CydJScQr8E4qzi8Wl8iiuNDjFpWfJ0a7d9i1lgkOWs8eJfVghsbdkETaxdZUw7WmPP-TpiOuwK/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is only JL's boot collection.</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-44468216600687314892014-09-26T06:58:00.001-07:002014-12-18T12:13:18.121-08:00Observations After Living On Board for 60 Days<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">We moved on board Adventure Us 2 almost sixty (60) days ago. It shouldn't be a big surprise to the folks that know us because we have been methodically working towards the goal for over four (4) years. Prior to the move, I worried that our lives would change </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">in a way I could not completely wrap my mind around. I was worried the modification to our lives would amount to a whole lot of trouble in paradise. Change after all is when something is made different from what it would be if left alone. We were comfortable, and happy in our surroundings, so why mess it up? You can change your clothes, change your shoes, change your address, change your mind, and even change a prince into a toad. But what if the new shoes don't fit? What if the new clothes are the wrong color? What if my Michael starts ingesting bugs? Uncertainty was churning in the deep waters inside my <strike>bladder</strike> soul. It turns out, at least so far, I fretted for nothing.</span> </span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am extremely happy that my Michael hasn't started eating bugs, and as a bonus we don't seem to be bumping into each other more than usual because we have most everything organized, even our morning routine. We both have showered on the boat, but both of us prefer the bath house about two hundred (200) feet down the covered dock. So far the early morning walk, 5:30 am to be exact, is very pleasant but the weather has not turned cold. Final judgment will have to wait until I become a member of the polar bear club. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">We usually amble down the dock before the ducks, egrets, and herons are awake. The first morning I woke up earlier than Michael and headed for my shower. I discovered a pissed off duck can make a whole lot of noise, scare the crap out of you, and leave behind gobs of poo. When I told my Michael what happened he said he knew something scared me because he had to dodge the evidence I left behind all the way down the dock. </span> <span style="color: #0b5394;">I'm pretty sure duckzilla lives on our dock.</span> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD10l12yk3jTqIOR9xCn0tHQ7K37jpLf1dWAi2y8IIiT6RAdo5fI7YHwaFvrMoVSzzAQX5PsaMAq9uUfgtdfPb36uMPPgPvh4zIQIcsYU8qPNarq280956mHHCXxyPF3DBAV9OJ8Ca40f/s1600/duckzilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD10l12yk3jTqIOR9xCn0tHQ7K37jpLf1dWAi2y8IIiT6RAdo5fI7YHwaFvrMoVSzzAQX5PsaMAq9uUfgtdfPb36uMPPgPvh4zIQIcsYU8qPNarq280956mHHCXxyPF3DBAV9OJ8Ca40f/s1600/duckzilla.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">duckzilla</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></u></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">One adjustment we have had to make has to do with preparing dinner in our galley. Our home had a nice size workable kitchen. Counter space went on for miles, with a large island, a four (4 ) burner gas stove top, microwave, large double sink, and a seventy-two (72) cubic foot side by side refrigerator freezer. Michael and I worked together in preparing our meals with plenty of room to enjoy each others company and make messes.</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemFD2mImBKmhZfyVYn7WBEbj0owx9NDreYzr99YArHVeys-iLlNQbunlLHK_8gqjkshzTIhfqTgzr5jcjEIoB6h0Yd19KGPz-PgWVDmuaBaqrU_Dic9mxWzbhHruJKRsvI-DdJuIzBWz-/s1600/kitchen.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemFD2mImBKmhZfyVYn7WBEbj0owx9NDreYzr99YArHVeys-iLlNQbunlLHK_8gqjkshzTIhfqTgzr5jcjEIoB6h0Yd19KGPz-PgWVDmuaBaqrU_Dic9mxWzbhHruJKRsvI-DdJuIzBWz-/s1600/kitchen.PNG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;">before</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenQsVWE99-tl4Bn2jUjAx0HrFX3P1aMzl_Se_0-twLFiyrcYbNRwEjsgYG7Uw2YEUt3um0MPRC55PsemCRhB2-nAKcw-gb9_gdrayNMLiLF2qRi3Cx4e1Dr1U2yb44undMKanIT4GKZId/s1600/gally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghyphenhyphenQsVWE99-tl4Bn2jUjAx0HrFX3P1aMzl_Se_0-twLFiyrcYbNRwEjsgYG7Uw2YEUt3um0MPRC55PsemCRhB2-nAKcw-gb9_gdrayNMLiLF2qRi3Cx4e1Dr1U2yb44undMKanIT4GKZId/s1600/gally.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;">after</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now my Michael won't even let me in the galley to help him. He keeps telling me to go sit down and look pretty. That's too easy. I'm more the hands on type. My cooking job when we were on terra firma was to cut up all the vegetables. I can't wait to get my hands on <strike style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">him</strike> a sharp knife and fresh veggies, but first I have to find a big cutting board to fit over the sink, or perhaps on the salon table. The other evening while preparing dinner, I utilized the companion way steps as a work space. That seemed to work, but I still need a custom made cutting board. Now if I can only remember where I put my Michael's to do list.</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot of galleys have top opening refrigeration systems, and the top doubles as counter space so an organized plan is paramount. If not, you have to keep moving things off the counter to retrieve more stuff from the fridge. We are fortunate to have a front and top loading refrigerator with a shelf dividing the two areas. When stocking the fridge we try to keep frequently used items in the lower section with the front door, but we keep in mind the coldest section is at the bottom. Needless to say my vodka likes the bottom section.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cleanup after dinner is easy. Since there is no where to put dirty dishes, everything gets cleaned and put away as we go.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Our house has just recently been placed on the market, so we still have the best of both worlds. We have access to our washer and dryer, a walk in closet , (we both still have jobs) and a garage for one of our cars, motorcycle, and tools. In just 60 days, we have made numerous trips to the boat with "stuff" and within a few days, we take the same "stuff" back, because we can't find a place on the boat to stash it. It's been a back and forth journey, but we are getting closer. Once we have all our necessary items on the boat, if something new comes aboard; something will have to leave. We are very thankful that only three (3) miles separate the house and the boat.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Views between the house and the boat.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2Na7gOjy33GwkkCxW1RwrEQL48UpMwZmXd2dmpR2XrAxSwYkldZSs9zUvhL2He8xBGzot5QD0bKZyz9lR1S5m86s2ummoPwJvKuMdyd1RQT0xLgpqcWayRK_0xckXeStVlvopNGdipr0/s1600/view+on+todville+road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2Na7gOjy33GwkkCxW1RwrEQL48UpMwZmXd2dmpR2XrAxSwYkldZSs9zUvhL2He8xBGzot5QD0bKZyz9lR1S5m86s2ummoPwJvKuMdyd1RQT0xLgpqcWayRK_0xckXeStVlvopNGdipr0/s1600/view+on+todville+road.JPG" height="141" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-g-f3c_3hlaZIratpvv25j6T_jC9IHJEGR_4bIqFEasFnJMsU715iE-fvnYXOlgnPyA8oPE-ojIv_cszngL5uorg8wQ5PlhX65txsLe4qlYXI9kLBV8ekFZ8IBdreoG0bR5BSCXrcD7J/s1600/another+todville+road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-g-f3c_3hlaZIratpvv25j6T_jC9IHJEGR_4bIqFEasFnJMsU715iE-fvnYXOlgnPyA8oPE-ojIv_cszngL5uorg8wQ5PlhX65txsLe4qlYXI9kLBV8ekFZ8IBdreoG0bR5BSCXrcD7J/s1600/another+todville+road.JPG" height="154" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Galveston Bay</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the evenings I was accustomed to throwing in a load of wash, taking care of the garden and plants, mixing a cocktail and preparing dinner. After dinner we would sit and enjoy our favorite sitcom, Animal Planet, or Nat Geo. Now that we are on Adventure US 2, we don't have a TV, but we have more time. After dinner we retire to the cockpit with sundowners to watch the sunset and spend time talking, and planning our future sailing off into the sunrise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg39cYUQKK0FXj34U6KXgyXj5Zsq0EDUbvmY_32aytOkmUbS91GS_Jbi-wEyN2_OOMq2R8XuNfmDNUD0sSiAPahvaVdDdTH_uPtL8TvuHwKobvqglyXz6UvOJBaHDEbXgMCaz8KlTvoIx/s1600/michael+relaxing+on+the+dock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXg39cYUQKK0FXj34U6KXgyXj5Zsq0EDUbvmY_32aytOkmUbS91GS_Jbi-wEyN2_OOMq2R8XuNfmDNUD0sSiAPahvaVdDdTH_uPtL8TvuHwKobvqglyXz6UvOJBaHDEbXgMCaz8KlTvoIx/s1600/michael+relaxing+on+the+dock.JPG" height="320" width="238" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Michael chillaxing</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Storage, or lack there of, has probably been my most difficult adjustment so far. I keep hearing, "Your Morgan has so much storage space". I'm either missing something, or I just don't get it yet. Michael had some cabinets built in the salon, v birth, and under the companion way steps to supplement our existing storage. That seems to help, but it is a big transition from a twenty-four hundred (2400) square foot house with two (2) car garage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmh514uFX4oag7tjSyVUVBW9aHjnXjOIcuWVNHoJI4aL5_Cl4io9nD7LWYAbJBJA1fKHMGhyYkoGWn98zH59WH3WYl6bzK3_Zmfx2fGhIwo1Otl_rjhQog5k8InCG2Lv_qEx6BtdOeJfe/s1600/cabinets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmh514uFX4oag7tjSyVUVBW9aHjnXjOIcuWVNHoJI4aL5_Cl4io9nD7LWYAbJBJA1fKHMGhyYkoGWn98zH59WH3WYl6bzK3_Zmfx2fGhIwo1Otl_rjhQog5k8InCG2Lv_qEx6BtdOeJfe/s1600/cabinets.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS1G9nxC4AUo0xyvlmhgAqaNq4V0NaU3Db_arHoTa0Zhgsg3SJcFhDRrgWzfPsOzImLSlsw9XX_VoVC3DdnXTxSS106tkl0_v3UAtPb7YLJ2P4YWwEQfmb1SSU5YEt4T8ALn_45hsixLI/s1600/salon+cabinets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdS1G9nxC4AUo0xyvlmhgAqaNq4V0NaU3Db_arHoTa0Zhgsg3SJcFhDRrgWzfPsOzImLSlsw9XX_VoVC3DdnXTxSS106tkl0_v3UAtPb7YLJ2P4YWwEQfmb1SSU5YEt4T8ALn_45hsixLI/s1600/salon+cabinets.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC61Px3VhvvHjKmcOQdTvmjrTWIHqCtTXKjNM8yZx1sqy5lQxwG2FXJ-VDvb_hROfN-S1MDKlYj77hYIIHFVIFP6HT79ajlKGXlKjA1Eg1hx8yQ4utJcHob0tOT-l5bQ_RG7xk0hya2QY/s1600/v+berth+cabinets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC61Px3VhvvHjKmcOQdTvmjrTWIHqCtTXKjNM8yZx1sqy5lQxwG2FXJ-VDvb_hROfN-S1MDKlYj77hYIIHFVIFP6HT79ajlKGXlKjA1Eg1hx8yQ4utJcHob0tOT-l5bQ_RG7xk0hya2QY/s1600/v+berth+cabinets.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEGvWE5qfCkuaCFQGU3JLX9mssQSChvqOoCyX6AVYbSdzvWZabHLbV2e2Z_Z0EZSKeuS0KqfOvzLgA9CtmHm2lEsSX2efNEZZ2BOe0hhW9gbXmXVVZhtA8_VhCU7KLorQvKqZhv3DbUBX/s1600/kitchen+cabinets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEGvWE5qfCkuaCFQGU3JLX9mssQSChvqOoCyX6AVYbSdzvWZabHLbV2e2Z_Z0EZSKeuS0KqfOvzLgA9CtmHm2lEsSX2efNEZZ2BOe0hhW9gbXmXVVZhtA8_VhCU7KLorQvKqZhv3DbUBX/s1600/kitchen+cabinets.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Janet Lee's Photos</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a few weeks on board, we decided to utilize the v-berth for short term storage and make the forward head my clothes closet. (Remember, we still have our day jobs so clothing and shoes are very important.) We removed the Nature's Head (we really don't need it until we cut the dock lines) and purchased a shower curtain rod and placed it where the toilet was. We located the rod above the towel rack and toilet paper holder for support so the rod would not come crashing to the floor. I have hooks on the inside of two doors, one for the dirty laundry bag and the other for my bags. The floor is for my shoes. Michael added a few shelves to the existing storage for his clothes, but keeps saying he is giving up clothes when he retires. I can't wait for his retirement.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze4S9yLNpNiTjkOcVyvlCwDIqn0r2arUdpk1ZVe3nbWZNqzjIo8qKTKZ8DTJNB4FgsHzM0QZROmdn9i0o-xVinLfBe2XSWpoZIaNd98s7p5IpTWVqE9dKWo_oHENxzmPdx4zfg_o5sXIc/s1600/forward+closet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze4S9yLNpNiTjkOcVyvlCwDIqn0r2arUdpk1ZVe3nbWZNqzjIo8qKTKZ8DTJNB4FgsHzM0QZROmdn9i0o-xVinLfBe2XSWpoZIaNd98s7p5IpTWVqE9dKWo_oHENxzmPdx4zfg_o5sXIc/s1600/forward+closet.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am still at a loss when it comes to the stuff I carry with me back and forth to work. With all the kitchen counter space we had at the house, I would just put my stuff at the end of the counter and I was good till morning. Now I don't have counter space, and don't like the cluttered feeling with it laying around.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lBYOKE7JXmOi99591Keg4s_N7Xa6I5WTFPjId8VDDHF2U5c2ti3V0jyXkAOziZtJtOVsvUVhqOtxB38oALJs5CdsAqrhvZE91wkHXYlteFpOcNK_MdK_5Rw_EO1S-PeV56LPREtV0p0X/s1600/stuff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lBYOKE7JXmOi99591Keg4s_N7Xa6I5WTFPjId8VDDHF2U5c2ti3V0jyXkAOziZtJtOVsvUVhqOtxB38oALJs5CdsAqrhvZE91wkHXYlteFpOcNK_MdK_5Rw_EO1S-PeV56LPREtV0p0X/s1600/stuff.JPG" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thank God we still have the house for our laundry. The thought of sitting in a laundry room in the heat of the summer is not in the least bit tantalizing to me. I don't know how this has happened but since we have lived on the boat, it seems we don't have quite as much laundry so lugging dirty clothes back to the house is not a big deal. Once the house is sold, we, and I do mean WE, will be going on field trips to the laundry facility in our marina. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So far our hearts appear to be in sync as we reach for the final chapter in our five year quest. Once the house sells; we will set in motion the final push through the last transitional phase to become full time live aboards. It is the phase where we get rid of the remnants of our old land locked lives. No more extra closet space, no more garage, no more laundry facility, and no more cable TV. Someone said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I think I have taught my Michael a lot about my needs in just a short period, and as long as the blender makes it to the boat, all is good.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-wltoxgqwFTJCqrtiqKF3ssMxddIXJjq21MBXPKCZ6-U-eeRQ9DidW_e1ahXmvOb47wzztXmVMjToSCUkamptbrBt6Ov2IUsbssznBWfEaGXq1AtdHSS6zi6b8wKy2wgi1h0m3xJArpr/s1600/B00CUJVWDS-main._V380626312_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-wltoxgqwFTJCqrtiqKF3ssMxddIXJjq21MBXPKCZ6-U-eeRQ9DidW_e1ahXmvOb47wzztXmVMjToSCUkamptbrBt6Ov2IUsbssznBWfEaGXq1AtdHSS6zi6b8wKy2wgi1h0m3xJArpr/s1600/B00CUJVWDS-main._V380626312_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Internet Photo</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">My next challenge...How to convince Michael we need a TV on board.</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Adventureustwohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907977203760780280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-78534339220139819942014-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:002014-07-24T05:00:26.154-07:00WHAT? NO GARAGE? by Janet Lee<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contract signed. CHECK</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Climate controlled storage secured. CHECK</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bubble wrap, packing tape, and boxes purchased. CHECK</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Run ad for estate sale. CHECK</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG5VFuhy5oYOKLlsJqR4Gm-HLuuNM8mZQssVPi-lhnu9oylimxSJvOSTDDKr8Q56g5Ia862fAgEv4G0ExzuhpbJqft9Tb27HW3TUfrpBExjvUpVAvuf95k9Ks7TlyUB_zOa7E6LWj-9R6/s1600/checklist-4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKG5VFuhy5oYOKLlsJqR4Gm-HLuuNM8mZQssVPi-lhnu9oylimxSJvOSTDDKr8Q56g5Ia862fAgEv4G0ExzuhpbJqft9Tb27HW3TUfrpBExjvUpVAvuf95k9Ks7TlyUB_zOa7E6LWj-9R6/s1600/checklist-4.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After almost 5 years of dreaming, and planning our future, we are finally moving aboard the boat we purchased two and a half years ago. The closing of our house on terra firma is still several weeks away, but we have started packing up items that will either make the transition onto the boat, or end up in our eight foot, by eight foot storage space. Every thing else is for sale. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are certainly not pioneers when it comes to downsizing and moving onto a boat. Many before us have given up their lives on land to pursue dreams of sailing the world in search of new experiences and adventures. When <strike>we are</strike> I am having trouble imagining our current lives reduced to roughly five hundred and seventy cubic feet of storage and four hundred square feet of living space; <strike>we</strike> I turn to the experts. I read their sailing blogs and sometimes I communicate directly with boats that are already out there living the lifestyle. Their stories are inspirational, and their opinions and advise help to reinforce our endeavors. Knowing others have made a successful transition makes <strike>us</strike> me more comfortable with the concept. <strike>We are</strike> I am actually beginning to feel the experience of downsizing may even prove to be liberating. </span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
I know that once Seabrook Marina becomes our home address, uncertainty will dissipate and confusion will give way to a new and different mind set. However, I am anticipating the first weeks living aboard will be outright chaos. One example is our morning routine. It will need to be changed to minimize the lack of space and to take advantage of the space we do have. <span style="text-align: justify;"> We are used to showering in shifts, and using various accouterments in shifts, in the same bathroom. That will no longer be possible. Fortunately we have two heads, and very comfortable bathrooms, complete with shower facilities, at the end of the dock. I can use the forward head for my makeup counter, and H. Michael claims he will streak the dock each morning, but where do I hang towels to dry? Where will we keep our dirty clothes? There isn't a dishwasher on board to put our dirty coffee mugs. Yikes!</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYj7V40xKkNp1ajRI71AnQPYhDEHVV63WDu0Z-Vmp7oD0WT67XN1MqVFqjO31yuNtqbkjSOJ5AXvENRpWfRigrTLZPF2PDNN5pZR8tJWwE1NZZ7zRGCrHxiIW1XtStQTT9mrcSh0vIu4O/s1600/question+marks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYj7V40xKkNp1ajRI71AnQPYhDEHVV63WDu0Z-Vmp7oD0WT67XN1MqVFqjO31yuNtqbkjSOJ5AXvENRpWfRigrTLZPF2PDNN5pZR8tJWwE1NZZ7zRGCrHxiIW1XtStQTT9mrcSh0vIu4O/s1600/question+marks.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As <strike>we</strike> I work through the next few <strike>months</strike> weeks I will keep the sound of distant steel drums, the warmth of the sun on our tanned bodies, powder-soft sand under our feet, clear turquoise water, and the gentle breeze blowing through our <strike>dreads</strike> hair in my mind. Oh, and let's not forget the rum!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlrsTMiz14g2t573rR81Za8HXEm4_vlKlC0hWKQoRoX0XrM2PdA0RQIegaLfGWD__uM-916BBOgPBszK0XJofB-qI2mQcvvihDh6JZtOWpnzPM-CXj_wdNFVG_8PP_UUVJXEEUmEnGQcW/s1600/various+photos+804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlrsTMiz14g2t573rR81Za8HXEm4_vlKlC0hWKQoRoX0XrM2PdA0RQIegaLfGWD__uM-916BBOgPBszK0XJofB-qI2mQcvvihDh6JZtOWpnzPM-CXj_wdNFVG_8PP_UUVJXEEUmEnGQcW/s1600/various+photos+804.jpg" height="307" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-5519407952274653682014-07-11T04:46:00.001-07:002014-09-26T06:35:33.436-07:00Time Passes On<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is nothing we can do about the passing of time. The clock just keeps ticking no matter how desperate we become trying to slow it's pace. Recently I told <strike>a young adolescent kid</strike> an acquaintance I was about to attend my 45th class reunion. He looked at me with that 'deer-in-the-headlight' look and said, "I wasn't even a twinkle in my parents eyes when you graduated from high school!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon4O4dYDazsjNdmda3BO28n_21Wk4UqQexRxMfqtPUaiogok4eyjpc3uwPrJ6IcpGa5zeOqn9yvNr50Q3tgwz8BCUwnGmcHZfH5N4BBcKGTSoLRwU3NWer1BXUmxFcyj92VkYR5qDlhNG/s1600/deer+in+the+headlight+looki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjon4O4dYDazsjNdmda3BO28n_21Wk4UqQexRxMfqtPUaiogok4eyjpc3uwPrJ6IcpGa5zeOqn9yvNr50Q3tgwz8BCUwnGmcHZfH5N4BBcKGTSoLRwU3NWer1BXUmxFcyj92VkYR5qDlhNG/s1600/deer+in+the+headlight+looki.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">internet photo</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Gee thanks for the reminder. Once the initial shock passed; I thought "Did that little smart ass actually just say that to me?" But he wasn't finished. His brain cells continued to fire in rapid succession and he realized that I was alive 18 years before graduating from high school... "so that makes you even older than rope!" he said. WHACK! <strike> I hope the bruise heals soon.</strike> Needless to say he learned <strike>the hard way </strike>not to talk about a women's age while she has a big ass umbrella in her possession. </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Michael and I graduated from high school in the same year. We went to Dallas for his 45th reunion last month. I did not know a soul other than my Michael, his best friend John, and a friend Michael introduced me to on Facebook, Lynne. I actually had a great time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People would walk up to me; read my name tag and look at me with a perplexed look on their face. "Do I know you?" they would inquire. After several honest answers, I decided to be a bit creative and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">have a little fun!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6m3Xe4bkSj0Qoie3LVoafHPpGmYGC8FcHNObZ6s5LCX9wz6Bwr9x8YrvOohpHZIHUvjZ-sYnA-NWzPbGTtS6BP7Hz2E-pcE-2PMh5tQK_bDVcdigBQQkdoX3510FOwA2Q7mmeZatbu9w/s1600/snidley+whiplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6m3Xe4bkSj0Qoie3LVoafHPpGmYGC8FcHNObZ6s5LCX9wz6Bwr9x8YrvOohpHZIHUvjZ-sYnA-NWzPbGTtS6BP7Hz2E-pcE-2PMh5tQK_bDVcdigBQQkdoX3510FOwA2Q7mmeZatbu9w/s1600/snidley+whiplash.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">internet photo</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">I told one dude that I remembered him but he probably wouldn't remember me because my name in high school was Jack, but 20 years ago I changed my name to Janet Lee after my </span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sex change operation. Upon inquiry from another guy I told him I weighed 300 pounds in high school, but ten years ago I lost 175 pounds after having gastric by pass surgery. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Being the honest person that I am, and feeling uncomfortable setting them into a downhill spiral towards shock, I would fess up and inform them I was just kidding. </span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week it was my turn. I travelled back to Greensburg, Pa. to attend my 45th reunion. Why do we go to these reunions? Do we go to brag about our accomplishments? Do we go to re-connect with friends and 'share secrets' from our past? Or is it to re-experience the feelings of youth, immortality, and to remember the dreams and confidence that we once had? In high school the world was our oyster. We had our whole life in front of us, and we felt as though we could truly accomplish most anything in life! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We really shouldn't get all weird about growing older. After all, the alternative is not so great! Our age is merely the number of years the world has been enjoying us!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the big picture, it's all good. We are all here on this side of the dirt looking at each other saying, "Who are all these old people?"</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh156XwCfqN-CozlAru4Un6vg8hj6ZQgXWVYsjftqq_abYfW9rVqD8PiMwLVaT_pZf0Spt4iki_lIbKryzyL71WHdHO3dp2h4fot8m5hCuE4LUZY1tV4OZvd7eLLm7ec6wDfvJ3iFhdTttr/s1600/cartoon-school-reunion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh156XwCfqN-CozlAru4Un6vg8hj6ZQgXWVYsjftqq_abYfW9rVqD8PiMwLVaT_pZf0Spt4iki_lIbKryzyL71WHdHO3dp2h4fot8m5hCuE4LUZY1tV4OZvd7eLLm7ec6wDfvJ3iFhdTttr/s1600/cartoon-school-reunion.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">internet photo</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK_VF8H0ELycDaFEPxEsFFIQzfLV_UP7AfqBm5FnBIRZNhiofkrap60D0pNffXLhTT-PFYjhQ_xILKopmvRAsIOTMlQ6RtL-Qq2wiJ9jRmoyMdARgr9AUQD2PfxNqkCJo07gPluDz1R_7/s1600/45th+CLASS+REUNION++Aug+2,+2014+059+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqK_VF8H0ELycDaFEPxEsFFIQzfLV_UP7AfqBm5FnBIRZNhiofkrap60D0pNffXLhTT-PFYjhQ_xILKopmvRAsIOTMlQ6RtL-Qq2wiJ9jRmoyMdARgr9AUQD2PfxNqkCJo07gPluDz1R_7/s1600/45th+CLASS+REUNION++Aug+2,+2014+059+(1).JPG" height="188" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Greensburg Salem Class of '69</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo by Janet Lee</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And a great time was had by all!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-26369039450866311022014-06-27T05:38:00.000-07:002014-06-27T05:38:31.553-07:00It's All About Vanity, by Janet Lee<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I know that trying to decide which items we should have on Adventure US 2 will be trial and error. Not having the convenience of items we are used to in our every day lives will be an adjustment for the both of us, and just might cause me to have a mini-meltdown.</span> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvV0F7hWKqBdSSGzQLtf_7c2yYUKm27IyBc_loXqUPBSiu-ysKXzru_WRcsScRLUfQw_ywiudiKieMO0W9ze1KG0xeDZ6n0tXuzEG5NH6qhyBQ7tMWr13xOlFAE3seupwiKLm6nnla0QX/s1600/TemperTantrum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvV0F7hWKqBdSSGzQLtf_7c2yYUKm27IyBc_loXqUPBSiu-ysKXzru_WRcsScRLUfQw_ywiudiKieMO0W9ze1KG0xeDZ6n0tXuzEG5NH6qhyBQ7tMWr13xOlFAE3seupwiKLm6nnla0QX/s1600/TemperTantrum.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> i<span style="font-size: x-small;">nternet photo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lately, I have been asking myself: 'do I need, or do I want' to have a particular item on board? It doesn't matter, at this point, which item. It could be any item.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">In Michael's case, he will have difficult decisions regarding which tools should make the cut. Obviously, commonly used tools will need to be on the boat, and probably more than one or two of them, incase one is dropped over board, or one breaks. Presently, he has many, yes many, small, blue zippered bags that hold an assortment of useful tools. The problem for me is all the little, bags look alike! I suggested <strike>we</strike> I purchase a silver sharpie and mark each bag with it's contents so if I am sent to retrieve an item, as his gopher, I won't waste 15 minutes on a search and find mission just for a simple flat head. I'm not sure he appreciates how pretty I can make his tool bags look by adding some real nice <strike>frilly</strike> calligraphy.</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6E9LQIGlYYD4NzVk3MDkJKgXpT0RJ1KbyTiq_uSEBhTnE96KU6fbFbzjfr4WltilCsUXJlZ42ac6w7c2d0Xk4NOCbHjVlPwsUbogKCaQCF3ZYkdz50tDxzFBAp9uh9aU1salR5ZC6MRM/s1600/tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6E9LQIGlYYD4NzVk3MDkJKgXpT0RJ1KbyTiq_uSEBhTnE96KU6fbFbzjfr4WltilCsUXJlZ42ac6w7c2d0Xk4NOCbHjVlPwsUbogKCaQCF3ZYkdz50tDxzFBAp9uh9aU1salR5ZC6MRM/s1600/tools.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
i<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">nternet photo</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, my case is a little different because I am woman and I <strike>want</strike> need a few items that will aid in keeping what I call my 'vanity sanity'. A flat iron and a hair dryer will be two of my most important items, along with the obvious; mascara and lip gloss. I don't have curly thick hair to deal with so a powerful hair dryer is not necessary. I was blessed with fine, straight hair, and I think I could get by with a 12 volt hair dryer and 12 volt curling iron. (Is there such a thing as a 12 volt curling iron, or hair dryer?) My hair can dry in the sun and breeze in less than 5 minutes, but it will dry flat and straight. A hair dryer will help give my hair height and fluff, and the flat iron will help add bounce. Yes, I know it will probably be hot and humid, but there is something to be said about trying to look better. Even if the results of the attempt do not last, I will feel prettier. And remember, I am woman and when I feel prettier; <strike>H Michael</strike> everyone is happier!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtmQxQLYX3WRfEpf9t1WfFTjxnrWs2MnROqdW7n4grOpMmd5v4J1jlyr3KLGUO8SxbJGp3m_DdTAdIpwiyyYucbZcO8CEFbtRsivgQwa6Y-0S6jozrYOjuQWCyPPBWOuCupBK9gc-kDP2/s1600/retro_clipart_beautiful_retro_woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtmQxQLYX3WRfEpf9t1WfFTjxnrWs2MnROqdW7n4grOpMmd5v4J1jlyr3KLGUO8SxbJGp3m_DdTAdIpwiyyYucbZcO8CEFbtRsivgQwa6Y-0S6jozrYOjuQWCyPPBWOuCupBK9gc-kDP2/s1600/retro_clipart_beautiful_retro_woman.jpg" height="287" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> i<span style="font-size: x-small;">nternet clip art</span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course maybe I could just buy another hat <strike>or two</strike>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFCGmmRWkInhYlmh36XueS1ZtClNVqkcPywEQ46yL0cGgg6Ku53N-L2_6O8kKfyL4bYyu0Z-8ByZGe34aJsLi9__Pvz9pnipkuCULYqy4JIKFMXFpAiNSfLxRWlyQVpOWR2Q6D9LGqVwi/s1600/JL+IN+THE+BIG+HAT+++04-017-11+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQFCGmmRWkInhYlmh36XueS1ZtClNVqkcPywEQ46yL0cGgg6Ku53N-L2_6O8kKfyL4bYyu0Z-8ByZGe34aJsLi9__Pvz9pnipkuCULYqy4JIKFMXFpAiNSfLxRWlyQVpOWR2Q6D9LGqVwi/s1600/JL+IN+THE+BIG+HAT+++04-017-11+009.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">photo by H. Michael</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-62505827179016684582014-05-09T05:57:00.000-07:002014-05-09T05:57:47.555-07:00Thanks Mom, by H. Michael<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">When I was a
young boy of eleven or twelve growing up in a suburb of Salt Lake City, I
decided I wanted to make some money while school was out on break for the
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Utah is very popular with
fisherman and it was easy for a young kid to make some cash catering to those
using earthworms, or as we referred to them: night crawlers, for bait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose worms were called night crawlers
because one had to hunt them at night when it was cool, and the grass was damp
from watering or rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I embarked
on my scheme to sell worms by first making a place to put them once I caught
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recall building a box, open on
the top and bottom, about six inches deep, from scrap lumber.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t a need for a bottom because I put
the box on concrete in the breeze way of our carport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I filled the four foot, by four foot box with
dirt and peat moss from the flower beds around the house and I was set to begin
hunting for worms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">On most nights that summer my mom would take me
to Riverside Park after the sun had set to hunt down, and take into custody,
the <s>creepy</s> crawlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
find an area in the park that had the right amount of moisture in the soil and
begin our hunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both would crawl on
our hands and knees with a flashlight and tin can, sweeping our flashlights
back and forth, until a night crawler was spotted stretched out on the grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Concentration was necessary in order to sneak
up on the worm because it seemed like they could sense they were being stalked,
and if we weren't careful, dart back down their hole.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cautiously we would reach out and try to grab
the dirty buggers. With practice we learned
if we could get our fingers on it, before it completely disappeared; we could
usually get it out of the hole in one piece. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, oh what a mighty battle it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQuaqEnk9cLng14GF8A89O6XUdGheSjB5JAbPoJPM9ZskV02wTas5jLf27uBLZme8vWKdmCFs0a1z2c1w-6DN0MZYYcGGMf9tkt2ycfbZ17hyphenhyphenBc4wCHNjJRkrnPRNza2FSifZ81u0DDQM/s1600/nightcrawler.jpg+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQuaqEnk9cLng14GF8A89O6XUdGheSjB5JAbPoJPM9ZskV02wTas5jLf27uBLZme8vWKdmCFs0a1z2c1w-6DN0MZYYcGGMf9tkt2ycfbZ17hyphenhyphenBc4wCHNjJRkrnPRNza2FSifZ81u0DDQM/s1600/nightcrawler.jpg+2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">We would
labor on our hands and knees on the wet grass well into the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
mother would crawl in her preferred direction, and I would crawl in mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, I would look up from my single
minded task and just watch my mother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She would be at least fifty yards away, in the pitch dark night, with
her flashlight casting a glow on the ground in front of her, pinching night
crawlers off the grass, and depositing them in her can. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a mother would help a young boy on summer
nights catch fish bait. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcJt3xBUDsJeb8YUzdOQE1zcosS6DgmHOFJBBuagdV3YL-KqTr6OOuoUjMTe4-BJA8pqm0tDCACpsdNsO81dX8fJRFHYt5btgIMZv4UOc1onoDDibGnAuPyUQzzKh5q_pUumIgb6kIyWZ/s1600/night+crawler+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJcJt3xBUDsJeb8YUzdOQE1zcosS6DgmHOFJBBuagdV3YL-KqTr6OOuoUjMTe4-BJA8pqm0tDCACpsdNsO81dX8fJRFHYt5btgIMZv4UOc1onoDDibGnAuPyUQzzKh5q_pUumIgb6kIyWZ/s1600/night+crawler+3.jpg" height="148" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I have seen
more than fifty summers come and go since I sold worms to fisherman. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Becoming wealthy was never part of the
equation because that summer night crawlers sold for about 25 to 35 cents a
dozen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have come to realize the real
wealth I made that summer is the deposit in my memory of my mother, with
dirt caked on her palms, and muddy knees, whooping and hollering with joy
because she won another battle with a worm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Thanks mom!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExjL41B_xbjK4gLt5pyTGDwX6Li5VWYL4gb4TQ1W4iRvrqHMajV_oyFh4LpxWXEBPOIiFLDU8fhBXnIRyiLv5NKboRMDonaVI2RDYDk3iGIdXDDUuttpmQTv54xUV6z2GEMYr4ZArughyphenhyphen/s1600/Santa+Fe.+NM+~++Mothers+Day+2013+115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExjL41B_xbjK4gLt5pyTGDwX6Li5VWYL4gb4TQ1W4iRvrqHMajV_oyFh4LpxWXEBPOIiFLDU8fhBXnIRyiLv5NKboRMDonaVI2RDYDk3iGIdXDDUuttpmQTv54xUV6z2GEMYr4ZArughyphenhyphen/s1600/Santa+Fe.+NM+~++Mothers+Day+2013+115.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-3901292419762459392014-05-02T17:06:00.002-07:002014-05-05T06:00:46.247-07:00Moving On(board) by Janet Lee<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week Michael and I reached a significant milestone in our predetermined five year blueprint to shift our lives onto AdventureUS2. The strategic objective leading us headlong into the final phase began with a swift and decisive motion of the pen, and ended with a sign from a local realtor being placed in our yard. Yep, we did it. We put Casa del Dos up for sale. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-TaroEtALFv3LrzJ9HAvIm8bHq3qfiYAUQrc1VQplVZ1U3R-G7-mYXMy4-msGcqAMcmfe4kqHBVdWsXlttuBHFCGM679S5CaQb3MSe48ED0BjASG2RG9DQsF2HduF7Sz6hGgJxrX8dZM/s1600/for_sale_sign1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-TaroEtALFv3LrzJ9HAvIm8bHq3qfiYAUQrc1VQplVZ1U3R-G7-mYXMy4-msGcqAMcmfe4kqHBVdWsXlttuBHFCGM679S5CaQb3MSe48ED0BjASG2RG9DQsF2HduF7Sz6hGgJxrX8dZM/s1600/for_sale_sign1.jpg" height="200" width="187" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How do I feel? I feel anxious and excited. Up until now the impact of our decision to downsize and move onto AdventureUs2 has mostly been on an easygoing path, and at a casual pace. However the trail has reached a major crossroads, one in which the pace will ramp up several notches, and changes will occur at a much faster tempo. Suffice it to say I must somehow find the strength, courage, patience, and endurance to run an excellent race because the end reward is a prize we have been training for, and dreaming of, for a long time.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We have had 3 garage sales in the last couple of years, but still need one more gargantuan, mother-of-them-all sale. The do or die sale. The sale to relieve us of <strike>all</strike> most of our stuff. I love our home, and I love our stuff. But in the end, it is really only just stuff. Am I ready for this? Will this be life altering? Will it be liberating? Will it be disengaging? I hear that it is, I hope that it is, after all, it is just stuff. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sure could use <strike>a good shoulder to cry on</strike> some counseling and encouragement from any of the experts that have already gone through the cleansing.
What should I do with the little rocking chair that my mother rocked in as a child? The same one I rocked in as a little girl. The same one my daughters rocked in and played mommy with their baby dolls and stuffed animals? I don't know. I guess that too, is just 'stuff. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MT3rsH811f3gJYhSrnDiqZcJpKGZ27ivAHOnna8DdkE2aPn7USxrMm8cuuSkur_6U6gVwS8PLArgW2GNKAt8gg_Z5GH8bDLO84OqcDDUvuDilMyZyM3U3Dm5tUgI2tXm3kPa9NQ8lfr2/s1600/childs+rocking+chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_MT3rsH811f3gJYhSrnDiqZcJpKGZ27ivAHOnna8DdkE2aPn7USxrMm8cuuSkur_6U6gVwS8PLArgW2GNKAt8gg_Z5GH8bDLO84OqcDDUvuDilMyZyM3U3Dm5tUgI2tXm3kPa9NQ8lfr2/s1600/childs+rocking+chair.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know this current stream of emotions shall pass when we, as Jim Morrison and the Doors once said: "break on through to the other side". Once there; will we be open to a different kind of life journey because we are free of most our material stuff in life? Will we explore new avenues and experiences based on our lack of material encumbrance? Will we be able to set fresh goals and discover, yet to be told, adventure stories? Our lives will most definitely be altered, because we won't have much 'stuff', but then what? </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Stay tuned to find out.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSo3ku5GknC0zoQJcNQUyFsgOSeHxTBxU_Pakolu7ayOpyvgDriPCLDfgLCXr28V9krombHXkvsjoJNxIjdmv-ZZOXecElxyP_BUSZKUA6n8d0RwtNcgT4hKuOVAyFPdn0RDxzklI9EKs/s1600/OLD_TV_FAMILY_full_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSo3ku5GknC0zoQJcNQUyFsgOSeHxTBxU_Pakolu7ayOpyvgDriPCLDfgLCXr28V9krombHXkvsjoJNxIjdmv-ZZOXecElxyP_BUSZKUA6n8d0RwtNcgT4hKuOVAyFPdn0RDxzklI9EKs/s1600/OLD_TV_FAMILY_full_600.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-71443776958402838952014-04-17T06:13:00.000-07:002014-04-17T07:50:27.599-07:00I'm a Rebel Rebel, by H. Michael<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">B</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">y now, most of the free world has heard about the misfortunes of the crew of Rebel Heart. Their tribulation has been plastered all over national media, forums, blogs, and I'm sure in many private conversations. Some outwardly and passionately admire them for their undertaking and chosen lifestyle, while others heatedly condemn them for undertaking such a challenge, and way of life. Both sides present well founded reasons for their choice, and are equally quick to point out fault with the counter view. I am not at all surprised by the attention they are receiving on all fronts or by the contrast in opinions. Let me emphatically state; I am not hear to weigh in on either side. (I have my opinion, and I intend to keep it mine.) Thankfully they are safe, albeit a little poorer for the loss, or perhaps richer for the experience. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
I have been waiting for the maelstrom of opinion to subside, but I can see a second round of turbulence is beginning to unfold. Hold on tight to your britches because the profiteers are starting to swarm, and I certainly have an opinion regarding this infestation. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
I understand the psychological need to feel as though one is part of a group. After all, there truly is safety in numbers. The more tribe members that have the same lifestyle or opinion as me; the more protected and secure I can feel that I am making the right choices, and the less careful I need to be to survive. And by aggressively assaulting the opposite opinion or code of standard, I can add justification to the pack, gain momentum, and add value to the belief, or lifestyle, or even my very existence. However, and let me be brief because it is not really my point. Certainly the righteous have no need to bolster an opinion because being right doesn't allow for an alternative, and without opposition the need to promote is eliminated. I get it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
All of the heavyweights on various sailing blogs and other social media have expressed opinions and have made there presence known as to which side of the fence they sit. I really don't have any objection to this form of dialogue with readers. But, and here is the point: It is wrong to sell a personal opinion of what is truly not your story, but someone else's story, for profit.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
There is a story, and it is the story of Rebel Heart. Once the story is told by them; you may all, once again gather to scrutinize and further dissect the carcass. But until they bring their story to us, stay out of it, muthafucaas.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
Peace, out.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav0TQJktO1z5Sa9SjEY9W1Eo7paQxvyc-O7w_aMBlHdV6p8-SK9viGavWT17P9BTcAPBF7-yImJVG4N-Zyk-14Lsz-RGXj-NSKLM9AP6M9aer-DNsLDAOxnYQF8Qn1cMrenPss1lDcRHL/s1600/James_Dean_in_Rebel_Without_a_Cause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav0TQJktO1z5Sa9SjEY9W1Eo7paQxvyc-O7w_aMBlHdV6p8-SK9viGavWT17P9BTcAPBF7-yImJVG4N-Zyk-14Lsz-RGXj-NSKLM9AP6M9aer-DNsLDAOxnYQF8Qn1cMrenPss1lDcRHL/s1600/James_Dean_in_Rebel_Without_a_Cause.jpg" height="320" width="288" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-87760787717985622632014-03-28T07:28:00.000-07:002014-04-01T11:53:34.744-07:00My Heart Cries - by Janet Lee<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twenty-five years after the Exxon Valdez disaster a sheen of oil still shimmers across the waters of Prince William Sound in Alaska. Will mankind's carelessness ever cease?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After witnessing the collision of a ship and barge at the Texas City Intracoastal intersection and the Houston ship channel on Galveston Bay a few days ago, I ask myself these questions. Why were these ships out in the dense fog? Visibility was so poor when we left the Harbor House dock and approached the ship channel the very same tanker that hit the barge was ghosting in and out of sight as he passed 100 yards in front of us. I'm sure they are accustomed to traveling in such poor conditions, but why didn't they pick each other up on radar or AIS? Was this just pure carelessness? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My heart is crying. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQSp-N0LhyphenhyphenzQveXGjjI_qhZsprb_Jg2BthMg9PJoIr4PNYVj-A848EPHq6gLhWXh3ZTwAtUlOtPAttA2P5MeUwGVNbGlo3a0yL839UFIrzvouZD6UNG6XEkqJz9oPj94Wb87naTtr-BVg/s1600/Barge+with+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQSp-N0LhyphenhyphenzQveXGjjI_qhZsprb_Jg2BthMg9PJoIr4PNYVj-A848EPHq6gLhWXh3ZTwAtUlOtPAttA2P5MeUwGVNbGlo3a0yL839UFIrzvouZD6UNG6XEkqJz9oPj94Wb87naTtr-BVg/s1600/Barge+with+hole.JPG" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EjjdmORBWvgIvke07bONIrsIZM42MI8ZNY7uJXEgN2b2JthTstJdFwFxyMyyLZhOrgaaOZUuEFqW-Ihg6QJZN8YGU_6ZNubMGmcGRcFGXO5ih1-B0Xzf8a7U5SJNKKaRjFYpoCkJ5xtc/s1600/ship+backing+off.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EjjdmORBWvgIvke07bONIrsIZM42MI8ZNY7uJXEgN2b2JthTstJdFwFxyMyyLZhOrgaaOZUuEFqW-Ihg6QJZN8YGU_6ZNubMGmcGRcFGXO5ih1-B0Xzf8a7U5SJNKKaRjFYpoCkJ5xtc/s1600/ship+backing+off.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Janet Lee Knizner-Enders</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bay life that break the water's surface such as dolphins, birds, fish and other aquatic life forms are in obvious danger. What makes matters worse, if that is possible, is during this time of year this area caters to spring migration and the Bolivar Peninsula is part of the Bird Looping Trail. http://www.bolivarchamber.org/BirdWatching.aspx</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4f_1UQ7b34hOopjfj7b6zDmP_CtUEYCGu0Ej3MvQL3c0j0DRHRkvhfFvGc2ckjjtHy42WFdkTCnYh4-t592zPtHBva_DcCsk8YZGiV29iHIA68PtMtcuDZpRDiaKzLoKboortW1wp_Bz/s1600/b03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4f_1UQ7b34hOopjfj7b6zDmP_CtUEYCGu0Ej3MvQL3c0j0DRHRkvhfFvGc2ckjjtHy42WFdkTCnYh4-t592zPtHBva_DcCsk8YZGiV29iHIA68PtMtcuDZpRDiaKzLoKboortW1wp_Bz/s1600/b03.jpg" height="117" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Texas, the brown pelican is already endangered because of man. The runoff from land was, and still is, polluted with pesticides. This nearly devastated the population around the Texas Coast by damaging the pelican's eggs. But in recent years the population of the brown pelican is slowly recovering. Coastal power lines are another hindrance. These huge birds would fly into the lines killing them instantly or breaking their wings, sending them into a dive bomb to a painful death. Now, once again, oil in the Gulf....mankind's error. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9EBDEZWdyGQBYmT4-43o-W95WnUqvp2sJlOTgorpGYkTBqLCsjkYlvS6IbHbrTEPmNsysQQGaaG6yoQ7Fl4vb3q1VRgci22eGHl7VLXB7naeN6PwInRoVvclV8GKKlf0wCaZ6RNrraJb/s1600/Oiled+brown+pelican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9EBDEZWdyGQBYmT4-43o-W95WnUqvp2sJlOTgorpGYkTBqLCsjkYlvS6IbHbrTEPmNsysQQGaaG6yoQ7Fl4vb3q1VRgci22eGHl7VLXB7naeN6PwInRoVvclV8GKKlf0wCaZ6RNrraJb/s1600/Oiled+brown+pelican.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When will we learn? Why can't WE adapt to nature? Do we just think we can move into their territory and take over? We did it to the American Indian... now we are doing it to our God given gifts.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgof4PpnZ4t_l6O8c5TAkqL1kLgfPr7WsS1_eD0ajBLyWHXP2rxVRQAn_b7IMfsTUH0AbYmA5lE-4eboHT7WOJ-cefqpICtSSqMB_Ht0Z68Gef1vY1lurgkL7RdOh1aDsWB3Av0Is3vfgPK/s1600/dsc_31651-1024x367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgof4PpnZ4t_l6O8c5TAkqL1kLgfPr7WsS1_eD0ajBLyWHXP2rxVRQAn_b7IMfsTUH0AbYmA5lE-4eboHT7WOJ-cefqpICtSSqMB_Ht0Z68Gef1vY1lurgkL7RdOh1aDsWB3Av0Is3vfgPK/s1600/dsc_31651-1024x367.jpg" height="114" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Internet Photo</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-74041381391139126962014-02-17T12:35:00.000-08:002014-02-17T12:35:36.829-08:00I Welcome the Future, by J Lee<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An unusual incident took place the other day at work. Charlie quit. Walked out. Terminated his employment. He just left. Did not tell anyone directly. Had enough. Kaput! Auf Wiedersehen! Hasta la vista, baby! F#&$ off! That's it! Like I said... he just left. It was time, the perfect time.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHF0W5p-0g8DHuhUclH2qewuzqWaDr4p0Zl_h3I5cW0fnrT2rcuZ7oVTfG-WTZglOdgEmGydc6443aBpv1DQsuddjJMYYAX0ieLWhNO6Iu-dNyewNISWKZg3IrwKUjwe3o5tZH22GC1uf/s1600/download+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHF0W5p-0g8DHuhUclH2qewuzqWaDr4p0Zl_h3I5cW0fnrT2rcuZ7oVTfG-WTZglOdgEmGydc6443aBpv1DQsuddjJMYYAX0ieLWhNO6Iu-dNyewNISWKZg3IrwKUjwe3o5tZH22GC1uf/s1600/download+(1).jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will miss him. </span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> He made me laugh, often pissed me off, but he also made my day enjoyable. </span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was agitated at first... then I thought about it. </span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How wonderful it must be to change course, re-program and try a new path in a major part of your life without getting bogged down with anxiety. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would never condone walking out on an employer without giving appropriate notice but, have you ever </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wanted to do that? Ever want to pull a Charlie and just bolt? </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeDf_kUJEmASpCKNel7XAYGqlKErehYr7Mrvw1X9zkZH0VcgcsXe2-O2W8Uz0i-ESvz4qZdVNMuAfH8FVotLhxNINXEM8qTuqkxXEeEn7oonUKgGcIrqCz5JE8OhkQuX4_-KW9qmzOh3v/s1600/bolting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGeDf_kUJEmASpCKNel7XAYGqlKErehYr7Mrvw1X9zkZH0VcgcsXe2-O2W8Uz0i-ESvz4qZdVNMuAfH8FVotLhxNINXEM8qTuqkxXEeEn7oonUKgGcIrqCz5JE8OhkQuX4_-KW9qmzOh3v/s1600/bolting.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Iternet Photo</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I think about leaving on our boat, it is almost the same thing, except Adventure Us 2's departure will be planned. Ten years working in downtown Houston, day in, day out, same ol', same ol', and in a brief moment a major part of my life and H Michael's life changes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't imagine the feeling of liberation one must feel to wake the day after a major transition, not knowing, or not overly concerned about what the day will bring. Not relying on a clock to make it through the day. Living in a non-restricted world. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will time stand still when we bolt? I hope so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will we get bored? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think not.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NxbFBIAwDgi-vTZuTz5vDCPaIjWq5f8rHWr6YhWe2_2uAr_svYFnl7C6tKRjSilDABO60fJeQrTY2B925WSZeK49sd4Ew9EAtRkz4QWzLrJodp1eFu2GltznuLlJABLhZrgQbiYVDaXi/s1600/various+photos+518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NxbFBIAwDgi-vTZuTz5vDCPaIjWq5f8rHWr6YhWe2_2uAr_svYFnl7C6tKRjSilDABO60fJeQrTY2B925WSZeK49sd4Ew9EAtRkz4QWzLrJodp1eFu2GltznuLlJABLhZrgQbiYVDaXi/s1600/various+photos+518.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I welcome the future</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">. Bring it on baby!</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Adventureustwohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08907977203760780280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-27776418896104555792014-02-07T05:20:00.000-08:002014-02-11T06:01:17.916-08:00Enough is Enough, by H. Michael<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Water leaks into the rear lazaretto on Adventure Us 2. This is a big deal because I expect to use the space to lay up supplies when we untie the dock lines and water getting into the space is no bueno. (Especially when I know it is happening.) Two ninety (90) degree half (1/2) inch barb fittings installed to allow water to drain from the hatch cover channel continually clog with all kinds of debris. The ninety (90) degree bend in the fitting is so small just about everything jams it up. Once that happens water overflows the channel and ends up in the lazaretto. I tried to convince myself (and Adventure Us 2) that I could tighten clamps on the exit hoses, use a little caulking to seal the fittings better, and <span style="color: #0b5394;">be vigilant about cleaning the trash out of the reveal, </span>but in reality I wasn't very effective. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last weekend I decided enough is enough.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have always been one to plan projects with a certain amount of attention to detail, and this project was fairly straight forward once I found the fittings I wanted to use. The reason half (1/2) inch fitting were used in the first place is because the hatch channel width is barely wide enough to house the outside dimension of the barbed elbow. For the record I didn't install the original fitting, but for a replacement I chose a one (1) inch slip, by three quarter (3/4) inch threaded elbow because you can drive a truck through the ninety (90) degree bend. I added a three quarter (3/4) inch threaded barb fitting to the elbow so I could attach a hose and run it to the existing through hull. With the old fitting removed, and a little grinding on the underside of the channel, with my Dremel, I had a nice, stable base for the new fitting to rest, and I was ready to start some fiberglass work. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wise and astute readers this blog attracts have already realized a "certain amount of attention to detail" does not necessarily make the planning comprehensive. In fact, it leaves the door wide open and allows for the possibility that perhaps some of the finer details were omitted. Possibly to the extent that Mr. Murphy had little trouble entering and lounging for a while as I scrambled to not FUBAR the whole undertaking. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In all fairness to myself, I completely understand the effects of gravity, but sometimes I can be a little naïve. Like the time I jumped off the roof of our house holding four (4) corners of a bed sheet as a parachute. Anyway, lacking extensive experience with all things fiberglass, I basically thought I would mix the resin a little on the stiff side so it would cure quickly. In the mean time I would hold it in position until I could let it go without it falling. Simple. Just in case, I placed a roll of blue tape close by lest I need some reinforcement. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The plan was well executed on the first (port side) fitting. Although I did have to use my tongue to get the tape started, my teeth to hold the loose end of the tape as I unrolled it, and then my mouth to hold the roll of tape while I positioned the loose end of the tape because my left hand was busy holding the fitting in place. Not bad though. I had the same plan for glassing the second fitting, however about this time Murphy arrived, decided to have a little fun at my expense, and everything proved a little more <strike>intense</strike> challenging. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">To work on the starboard fitting I had to rotate my body inside the lazaretto one hundred eight (180) degrees. Now it was necessary to hold the fitting in place with my right hand while trying to positioning some tape with my left.</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> My left hand behaves admirably as an assistant to my right, but has never really been comfortable taking the lead. Unrolling the tape, moving it into position, and getting the right supportive angle proved a frustrating experiment. Good thing Janet Lee showed up. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">"Honey can you please rip off a piece of tape for me? .... Uh oh.... </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Maybe a bigger piece will work better.... Hmmm, it worked on the other side.... </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Shit!"</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At this point the fitting had moved way out of position because of fumbling around with various pieces of tape. I had to remove the fiberglass cloth, reposition the fitting, re-apply the cloth, and smooth it over with more resin. Good thing I was wearing gloves cause I would've had resin all over my hands. Of course all the old tape we tried to use was coated with resin and somehow ended up stuck to my pants, shirt, shoes, hair, whiskers, and various parts of my exposed skin.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Okay I'm ready JL, let's try again."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recalling this incident I am reminded of a job I had in college working with a crew framing houses. There was a guy on the crew whose irritation and frustration levels would peek, usually because of a "stupid board", to the point that he would scream at the top of his lungs as a warning of what was yet to come. The entire crew recognized his raucous outburst as a sign to hunker down and wait for the explosion. Inevitably he would throw his hammer across the project and it would crash to the ground, sometimes from the ridge of whatever we were framing. Every single time he would climb down, from wherever he was, walk over, retrieve his hammer, and go back to whatever he was working on before the outburst. I always found this home grown psychotherapy behavior interesting because I recognized by screaming he could clear his mind, and throwing his hammer gave him the opportunity to take a few moments, by </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">retrieving the tool, to: rethink his approach, and regain his zen. After the third time I removed the resin soaked cloth from the elbow, essentially starting over for the third time, can you guess what I did? </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"F*/#ing shit! Stupid ass elbow." </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The only difference is I didn't have anything I could throw, and if I had; it probably would have stuck to my glove. </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">With that one explosive verbal outburst Janet Lee cocked her head a little to one side and promptly disappeared in what I believe was an effort to hunker down in a safe place. I think I scared the crap out of Murphy too because all of a sudden I had a clear vision of the five single hand bar clamps in the bottom of the dock box patiently waiting for a chance to contribute. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am always amazed by the amount of insight I gain when on the verge of panic. It seems to me that as intensity ramps up, if I can remain attune to the mission and confront my weakness head on; a better plan develops. Clouds part, the sun comes out, and a rainbow with a pot of gold magically appears within grabbing distance.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYffURF0QbCdsovKVAJWCXN5J2U3FEwzLMC4PomewraIRepDDHyPBhmFPirDvaRvw-R8n44HbzWMrs4kYPX1HQWvhWRn3jtMRVs_YnIqQolmKsy4wRYWQuhodRjComzgbSLisOxEMxN4sG/s1600/lazaretto+drain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYffURF0QbCdsovKVAJWCXN5J2U3FEwzLMC4PomewraIRepDDHyPBhmFPirDvaRvw-R8n44HbzWMrs4kYPX1HQWvhWRn3jtMRVs_YnIqQolmKsy4wRYWQuhodRjComzgbSLisOxEMxN4sG/s1600/lazaretto+drain.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Can you see the rainbow?</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<strong><em>“When I’ve lost my way or when I am confused about a path to take, I remember that most answers I need I already possess – deep inside. I am naturally creative, resourceful and whole. If I consult my invisible compass, I’ll know what to do.”<br />~Steve Goodier</em></strong><br />
<strong><br />
<em><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Borrowed from :</span><br />
</em></strong><br />
<h1 id="site-title">
<strong><em>
<a href="http://artofhookie.org/2014/01/" rel="home" sl-processed="1" title="Art Of Hookie"><span style="color: black;">Art Of Hookie</span></a> ~ Will work for food or money.</em></strong></h1>
<strong><em>
</em> </strong><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-3953545964442906302014-01-25T05:51:00.001-08:002014-01-25T05:51:36.239-08:00Someone Got Run Over by a Reindeer, by Janet Lee<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Celebrating birthdays is always interesting, fun, and from time to time results in a story worth telling.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdnCEE4o69Xs9uIuZGnATv7Lu6wlxEJ5csQQKsDBp-WU1lzZUW9ESGG8TCQonG3OMjKtFfHDQigqbLb-ArI7hJaxisppWe9ucCIMWFUMRKfh_aibg-0lt0Pv2avrrf9Ts6QwDfvtNWAyM/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> Recently my daughter and her beau, Mindy from Indy, </span><span style="color: #0b5394;">and many others came to our side of town to celebrate my Michael's birthday. Festivities began at our favorite sushi restaurant, </span><span style="color: #990000;">Masa Sushi</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">, followed by an evening of cheerful fun, revelry, and dancing at Big Texas South. After several hours of camaraderie, rounds of jello shots, and other libations too numerous to mention, the night progressed with about ten cowgirls and cowboys walking the length of the parking lot to IHOP for more indulgences.</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdnCEE4o69Xs9uIuZGnATv7Lu6wlxEJ5csQQKsDBp-WU1lzZUW9ESGG8TCQonG3OMjKtFfHDQigqbLb-ArI7hJaxisppWe9ucCIMWFUMRKfh_aibg-0lt0Pv2avrrf9Ts6QwDfvtNWAyM/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdnCEE4o69Xs9uIuZGnATv7Lu6wlxEJ5csQQKsDBp-WU1lzZUW9ESGG8TCQonG3OMjKtFfHDQigqbLb-ArI7hJaxisppWe9ucCIMWFUMRKfh_aibg-0lt0Pv2avrrf9Ts6QwDfvtNWAyM/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">After we gorged ourselves on waffles, bacon and every other extravagance we could stuff into our mouths, the designated drivers took the helm of their assigned carriages and in the wee hours of the morning headed to our house to celebrate <strike>a late night</strike> an early morning birthday gift exchange. Turning down our street we were greeted with a very unusual sight to behold! Three deer were grazing on flowers left over from summer in my front beds. Being of semi-sound minds, both designated drivers turned off their headlights so as not to disturb the deer, but before I could pull totally to a stop, the passenger of my car, who shall remain nameless, jumped out of my Corvette and started running and screaming toward the deer in what I believe may have been an attempt to get a closer view of Prancer, Dancer, and Vixen. Prancer and Vixen darted past him cleanly but he was able to get in front of Dancer, and with his arms extended over his head made an attempt at one last dance of the night. Dancer didn't want anything to do with a six foot two cowboy cutting into their nocturnal salad bar foray and from a dead still posture jumped over his outstretched arms and flew off into the night. I assume tiny Dancer was displeased at not taking off with Prancer and Vixen because at the last moment, before clearing his outstretched frame, she reimbursed him for damages with a kick to his um.... arm.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJfVi-WfSAjbdKKAbRwKVF1kMUqA0WgWI-t1EIinCWbHnmqzV56TV0RmW1DkqXDGpttlc3KZuauZJogguF7QCJAzZClXPy_Zx-IhQTDc5ha-K62ytTpdjXgZBfGAzSrvn_keLWzPHbICg/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJfVi-WfSAjbdKKAbRwKVF1kMUqA0WgWI-t1EIinCWbHnmqzV56TV0RmW1DkqXDGpttlc3KZuauZJogguF7QCJAzZClXPy_Zx-IhQTDc5ha-K62ytTpdjXgZBfGAzSrvn_keLWzPHbICg/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-small;">Internet Photo</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">I was reminded of a five year old set free in a penny candy store! The long, tall cowboy began jumping up and down, squealing and laughing.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"OH MY GOD!!! I JUST GOT KICKED BY A DEER!" </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
What is the first thing one does when kicked by a deer? Recall the event on social media of course. A post was made on </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Facebook and funny comments were plentiful. The thrill of the moment, although tainted with anonymity, will linger for many years, and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am sure, as years go by, the deer will get bigger, jump higher, and the story of the unnamed deer wrangler will grow in the minds of all those involved.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-11102508076629700452014-01-10T13:52:00.000-08:002014-01-14T06:11:49.300-08:00It is Always Now, By H. Michael<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was talking to a guy a few days before the new year arrived, and somehow the topic turned briefly to regrets. Although the conversation was brief, I have been ruminating on it ever since. I feel I have got to get this off my chest, brain if you prefer, or I will just keep thinking about it. Janet Lee will probably challenge this remark with a comment like: "just put your brain back in your pants and let the sleeping dog lie", but I can't.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CWuoRplfFwVAC-qtpvpdz__8zlwrgOIfRP-ZH6IzYSERiUHyojFQPSz-abqvFfgoKj3GF2tKacnx_cwqwxlNz7vC20dhnSc4vx82TQjeL53Vitr8F0My5xL2UX9Bxqu3OpZlfWz_AxOn/s1600/sleeping+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CWuoRplfFwVAC-qtpvpdz__8zlwrgOIfRP-ZH6IzYSERiUHyojFQPSz-abqvFfgoKj3GF2tKacnx_cwqwxlNz7vC20dhnSc4vx82TQjeL53Vitr8F0My5xL2UX9Bxqu3OpZlfWz_AxOn/s1600/sleeping+dog.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I won't go into details regarding what the regret(s) were because that is not the point. The point, as I see it, is how the past is always pulling us into an illusionary perspective of what we should have done, how we should have acted, or changes we should have made to make just about anything imaginable, different. But it's a trap, there is only the present, only now. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">True, we should all learn from our mistakes, and it's also true that revisiting past decisions and making different choices, if given the same set of circumstances might work to our benefit. I put too much garlic in the stew last time; I think I will add less this time. I cut the board too short, I'll add an eighth on the re-cut, I should have reefed sooner, or the oil in the diesel was really black last time I changed it; I think I will change it more frequently. You get the point. When dealing with a task it is beneficial to call on your memory and make alterations if required to make the outcome different, and definitely if the outcome is perceived as better. But, and here in lies the rub, when memories and emotions get all wrapped up and cozy in a blanket of (perceived) change, and past emotions are not part of the current equation of change, remorse can surface; which may lead to regret, and if severe enough; guilt. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If I say for example "I regret not going cruising sooner", after I have been cruising for many years; my memory allows emotions and other mental experiences to surface that are motivated by current behavior, and not the actual experience that caused me to perform the way I chose. The market may have been soft and I couldn't sell my house, my children may have been living at home, or a host of other reasons that were applicable, but were somehow tempered with time. The point is:</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> the emotional relevance of a past decision was lost, and regret surfaced because a new, contemporary standard is being compared to the past. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only way I can see to prevent regret is to always live in the now. So my mantra for 2014 is: It is always now.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWry7IAfKVSCpri2onmA6DJ-tsmZt0ZLGr3YE6GrZrJqsxb-3_EyX63N4aD6J6P5A8kDGK9TTjJEHFWdURqTFzh3x8oAgKwJmiHkCCynxf8_SYNxYcd7HNRG10X3L2jvPQYj2SjlmbCxVX/s1600/2014.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWry7IAfKVSCpri2onmA6DJ-tsmZt0ZLGr3YE6GrZrJqsxb-3_EyX63N4aD6J6P5A8kDGK9TTjJEHFWdURqTFzh3x8oAgKwJmiHkCCynxf8_SYNxYcd7HNRG10X3L2jvPQYj2SjlmbCxVX/s1600/2014.png" height="176" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo used with permission of</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robert Grice, Extreme Photography</span> </span><br />
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-85878969271684466532013-12-13T08:48:00.001-08:002013-12-13T08:48:51.056-08:00Raison d’être, My Captain ~ By JLee<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While seeking inspiration for a blog post the other day, I serendipitously turned to Facebook and began communicating with one of my daughter's race fans. We were discussing what I imagined as my future before I met my Michael. That's when the light bulb went on and inspiration struck.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1hp-1dJfmrJ483rGbOzQgokQ63RWOWdvCGm8gBah6NPg9QDiIJ8R4EOnkoUp8Fqo14JPP_IsiqYqDCOXQg55ZeAU4YlfDPXQJUjNOWQxI3pg-RCIUBZYVb2sWafv3nPxg59u1f68Y5U/s1600/lightbulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1hp-1dJfmrJ483rGbOzQgokQ63RWOWdvCGm8gBah6NPg9QDiIJ8R4EOnkoUp8Fqo14JPP_IsiqYqDCOXQg55ZeAU4YlfDPXQJUjNOWQxI3pg-RCIUBZYVb2sWafv3nPxg59u1f68Y5U/s320/lightbulb.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Internet Photo)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nine or ten years ago I seriously thought the future would find me with long, flowing hair living in the mountains, perhaps Wyoming, Colorado, or Montana, nurturing an organic, peaceful life. On my back porch would be a pottery wheel overlooking my vegetable and herb gardens. I would still be preaching about saving our Mother Earth and refusing to purchase anything contained in plastic. I even started to prepare myself for the transition by returning to my creative roots and exploring my inner self through art work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqZegkpqhnO1D3HftLQ7XZ99QeYeufkLtw2RwfN56lh76YhmTjsxnrJV222uo-GhTZgBF1mwA_33l3F84aPKtgVVdZy6Bx_SHRas5AfP5MXB7oryrbKm5dz-nQhhrzRNOof4sv-BHvN9b/s1600/the_beauty_of_a_hippie_chick_face_lift.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqZegkpqhnO1D3HftLQ7XZ99QeYeufkLtw2RwfN56lh76YhmTjsxnrJV222uo-GhTZgBF1mwA_33l3F84aPKtgVVdZy6Bx_SHRas5AfP5MXB7oryrbKm5dz-nQhhrzRNOof4sv-BHvN9b/s1600/the_beauty_of_a_hippie_chick_face_lift.jpg" /></a></b></span></div>
(<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Internet Photo)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">had</span> just purchased a smaller home and was beginning the process of making it mine! The first project I tackled in my new home was making it reflect who I am. I replaced most of the light switches with dimmers so that the atmosphere would reflect my calm, and tranquil inner being. My brother <span style="color: #0b5394;">Marty</span>, who lives half way across the country in Phoenix, talked me through the first couple until I was comfortable completing the project on my own. Oh yea, that was fun. The simple truth is one should not drink wine while working on electricity unless you are prepared to get ZAPPED. Next, I hired someone to redo the kitchen. I had the contractor leave an area above the stove top so I could create a mosaic of a Kokapelli to represent my inner fun loving spirit, love of music, and disobedience for normal rules and conventional behavior. Ahhh! My home was becoming an extension of me. The only thing missing was the mountains.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEwZnyOrohJTqThWXp-dFfayqpgrMQKPCfmzkA0aV2lw8g5Lwid8waL7kG0D9hg2W_xtDtJbqn-VuS93LuwSVYytQj7lll3ZFjm3fNzNqDz3gPw_e7YW7TJuzaqC_2nMUpOu368SCcwSJ/s1600/Kokopelli+and+atrium++10-07+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEwZnyOrohJTqThWXp-dFfayqpgrMQKPCfmzkA0aV2lw8g5Lwid8waL7kG0D9hg2W_xtDtJbqn-VuS93LuwSVYytQj7lll3ZFjm3fNzNqDz3gPw_e7YW7TJuzaqC_2nMUpOu368SCcwSJ/s320/Kokopelli+and+atrium++10-07+012.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ap3ae5Dv_qmQ_KRXTLd81B-nO1hD1fmTQoqOWlmwOS-yRpMtSbXkJZQ3rQt1Wgjq_Dcme0sQKmYNTaLQTzQEUwyL6baTBCf-_wlvUa-ansqsecDg_rYsnXA0jQWAw1s8ixJnWYTF5BNV/s1600/ALICE+IN+ADVENTURELAND++08-08+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ap3ae5Dv_qmQ_KRXTLd81B-nO1hD1fmTQoqOWlmwOS-yRpMtSbXkJZQ3rQt1Wgjq_Dcme0sQKmYNTaLQTzQEUwyL6baTBCf-_wlvUa-ansqsecDg_rYsnXA0jQWAw1s8ixJnWYTF5BNV/s320/ALICE+IN+ADVENTURELAND++08-08+116.jpg" height="268" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being just over 50 years old, I felt there was a number of years before I would be able to move to the mountains, so I continued to enjoy my home. It was quite beautiful, very comfortable, and relaxing. Several friends described it as cowgirl chic. I liked that depiction. I felt it was a reflection of who I was, and in some regard, still am.</span> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Doae0iWCfkBrECQauxlwoz27X8EjAazXbKKxFQbK3PDy6AYsinjPLSVZjhW-O8XOzdXaTwEaFuhCBWXfVgvV18XH3R52MeF78yulkq5oPsE5zkfpnmmEJiOGfW0qvKmLeOnwS5yFnBA4/s1600/18067+Partridge+Green+~+interior+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Doae0iWCfkBrECQauxlwoz27X8EjAazXbKKxFQbK3PDy6AYsinjPLSVZjhW-O8XOzdXaTwEaFuhCBWXfVgvV18XH3R52MeF78yulkq5oPsE5zkfpnmmEJiOGfW0qvKmLeOnwS5yFnBA4/s320/18067+Partridge+Green+~+interior+007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now what? I have a wonderful, chic cowgirl abode and no one to share it with. I asked myself, what does a red-blooded American cowgirl-wanna-be do when she wants to find someone to share her life? She hits the single bars, of course. Not my style. Country western dance saloons? Maybe. All male strip clubs? Definitely maybe. Instead, I opted for becoming a voyeur on Match dot com. Yup. I bit the bullet and joined Match. For over a year I would come home from work and spy on unsuspecting men via the internet. What a great concept.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">After a little more than a year of false starts, many half truths, and outright untruthfulness; I decided to give up and cancel my subscription to Match. The nerve of some people. What makes a person believe they can say they are 55 and 6 ft tall, when actually they are 75 and 5 ft 8? Do they actually think I would not notice 20 years and several inches? Not to mention starting out a relationship with a lie. No thank you! I was prepared to try the all male strip clubs, but Match inadvertently hit my credit card for another 3 month payment, so I decided to give it one last shot. That is when I noticed someone of interest viewed my profile. Hmmmm ... not bad! I winked at him. He winked back. I wrote to him, he wrote back. I called him up, he called me back.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that is how it all started.</span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXqLcLEYdrK6RfIejmuVF2AFAm_0r1mje8PM4KvyD3oBg-sGIEMIpM0PPa_AXmqHC6pmyOAW1qqnhiC7iPuOre5Uq9bM26JV53llACFN3DAbzZli075PTLDGbcG8w0s-1U_DknzZvbg4/s1600/110901800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXqLcLEYdrK6RfIejmuVF2AFAm_0r1mje8PM4KvyD3oBg-sGIEMIpM0PPa_AXmqHC6pmyOAW1qqnhiC7iPuOre5Uq9bM26JV53llACFN3DAbzZli075PTLDGbcG8w0s-1U_DknzZvbg4/s320/110901800.jpg" height="320" width="316" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Internet Photo)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m8FGOSb2EcBSeM4ObvDGVfxHpjfdmYndqDweKOOyd-N8YEiFg2tyXkL-qPT_h3cwstgrw-tXT5zLwDLiEHKAwhoZYhEgCFe1PJKLc2DTQVCAdrj1q__8hSGAxT_9zyARD_ryS39u4KM/s1600/Holding-Hands5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-m8FGOSb2EcBSeM4ObvDGVfxHpjfdmYndqDweKOOyd-N8YEiFg2tyXkL-qPT_h3cwstgrw-tXT5zLwDLiEHKAwhoZYhEgCFe1PJKLc2DTQVCAdrj1q__8hSGAxT_9zyARD_ryS39u4KM/s320/Holding-Hands5.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
(<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Internet Photo)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward six years to current day and we are preparing to celebrate an anniversary of sorts. We met six years ago this month. Since meeting I have traded my future of living in a little mountain cottage, reading poetry, throwing pots on a wheel, and tending my gardens, for an adventure on a sailboat with the sun on my face, wind in my long flowing hair, reading cruising guides and nautical charts, and enjoying sundowners in varying locations with my Michael. I thank God daily for this man beside me. He is my dream partner, my </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raison d’être, my captain. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg_tI7P7x9g1GHFA-2mf8swdqGcKi7rAjdVPiqXwuVA8qegzbT8pfwxFuqY3nWTkkvVrllb2bnTIwQE4fBSAwI2PA91GBfBpJftrMgdmmbPl_bTObXuSjAdRIufzuAVei0_euLdcXd_4/s1600/sailing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtg_tI7P7x9g1GHFA-2mf8swdqGcKi7rAjdVPiqXwuVA8qegzbT8pfwxFuqY3nWTkkvVrllb2bnTIwQE4fBSAwI2PA91GBfBpJftrMgdmmbPl_bTObXuSjAdRIufzuAVei0_euLdcXd_4/s320/sailing.jpg" height="320" width="319" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey H Michael. Do you think we can find room for a pottery wheel, <strike>200 pounds of clay, a wood fired kiln, and a cord of hardwood</strike> on Adventure US 2?</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-80005640013474012712013-12-02T11:25:00.000-08:002013-12-03T05:24:08.205-08:00Adventure Us 2 Talks to Me, by H. Michael<span style="color: #0b5394;">If your attitude is such that you believe one can only communicate with humanoids; don't read this post. If your stance on life allows you to look at an object, but not consider the energy emitted from that object; don't read this post. If you are of the mindset that non living objects can't communicate with people who are willing to listen; don't read this post. If you are able to view an object and walk away without acknowledging the vigor sheathed inside the object; don't read this post. However, if you have ever looked at a sunset and felt the power of the sun and earth communicating in a brilliant display of partnership and alliance; you may choose to continue reading. If you have ever looked at an old, used, piece of wood and thought about the message buried deep within the character of the wood; you may choose to continue reading. If you can relate to Robert Duvall in </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvG_M_fAkXU"><span style="color: #741b47;">this scene</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"> from "Days of Thunder"; you may choose to continue reading.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">The first part of the paragraph above should be considered a warning. Do not get angry at me because you have decided to read the personal thoughts I am about to transcribe. Do not send me mail subjecting me to an angry diatribe because we do not share the same philosophy. I am not being blasphemous, nor am I being sacrilegious. I am simply relating personal feelings, sentiments, and emotions the Great Creator has bestowed upon me as an individual. I will respect your thoughts, if you will respect mine, but if yours don't agree with mine; keep them to yourself. (JL thinks I should add a smiley face emoticon here.) Therefore. <strong>:-)</strong></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhys1OUBezLL1bajMT6YWFn3H0lL4cJ8HqR3mug84lki6duavNDCAdUDDTTcBmIdDKyUuc8eZ1p4daNBlRvJbZA39vwqt-VxlgIY00sDG9vKnPnBgfFYgbSDEtWIt9xvBw0leB2Ih9l2E37/s1600/AdventureUS2+++11-09-13+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhys1OUBezLL1bajMT6YWFn3H0lL4cJ8HqR3mug84lki6duavNDCAdUDDTTcBmIdDKyUuc8eZ1p4daNBlRvJbZA39vwqt-VxlgIY00sDG9vKnPnBgfFYgbSDEtWIt9xvBw0leB2Ih9l2E37/s1600/AdventureUS2+++11-09-13+008.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Adventure Us 2 speaks to my soul. Occasionally I sit in the cockpit and listen to her declare all the places she wants to go. Out into the Gulf of Mexico, down to Corpus and back. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">"Oh, and let's go to Mexico, and maybe stay awhile. And when the time is right let's go east along the Gulf Coast, all the way to Marathon. I've been there before and will show you some cool places. We can round the corner of Florida and go into the Atlantic, continuing east to the Bahamas, I've been there several times. We can travel down the thorny path to the windward and leeward islands of the Caribbean Sea. Oh, I know I will absolutely love the warm waters of the Caribbean. After a while, when we feel like it, we can transit the Panama Canal and go north all the way into the Sea of Cortez." </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">It is impossible for me to ignore Adventure Us 2's tenacity. I am often awe struck by her persistence, vigor, and spirit of adventure.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Just the other day, after<em> </em>I had finished a large project and was wondering what project to start next, she unexpectedly and surprisingly whispered in my ear. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">"Michael, please check my belts for proper alignment."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">I did, and the alternators were whacked way out.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">"Please look at, and tighten these screws."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">I did and they were all very loose....</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">"Look at this bolt."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">It was showing signs of fatigue....</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">"Replace this hose."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Cracked, and weak....</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4TYOPf-1m6jEGNxup9Cdh7qH24evupNvxKWsOcTPXTEsSzSXEtGBnSLwoiF4weD7o0ZM4F9xNEH6-hIrVm5IIdCF4qlZy46-VQiRd0jZbSvX8miAAOGuZhnIXH8YjWmOT0nopH1jlsXk/s1600/plumbing+pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4TYOPf-1m6jEGNxup9Cdh7qH24evupNvxKWsOcTPXTEsSzSXEtGBnSLwoiF4weD7o0ZM4F9xNEH6-hIrVm5IIdCF4qlZy46-VQiRd0jZbSvX8miAAOGuZhnIXH8YjWmOT0nopH1jlsXk/s1600/plumbing+pipe.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">She is never bossy, but very persistent with her suggestions. I believe she knows the demands water travel can place on her, and I am always happy to respect her recommendations. She is a lady with great desire, and aspirations. I feel I must do my part to prepare her for her destiny.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Just last Saturday, after I had invested a long day in her character, she seemed to sigh a breath of relaxation for the evening. She appeared grateful for the hard work and devotion I had bestowed on her that day. During these special moments I tell her about all the things I want to do to her to make her stronger, and prettier. She listens intently and responds in her magical way known only to those of us that pay attention .</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fxz-fvJ_6_LTy4Y-S10ojneyJRMyqLOv3D1GLoN-1EUD7V489LpCOKHLCAugjFfWC9gbQDoJ_ioc3F5ldUlRgK187KeLJPu-570921Vih89mPwx65YuzuIOS-zUPCK1yFWw6TPkiUdRS/s1600/Au2+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fxz-fvJ_6_LTy4Y-S10ojneyJRMyqLOv3D1GLoN-1EUD7V489LpCOKHLCAugjFfWC9gbQDoJ_ioc3F5ldUlRgK187KeLJPu-570921Vih89mPwx65YuzuIOS-zUPCK1yFWw6TPkiUdRS/s1600/Au2+sunset.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-51708380449263423882013-11-22T06:58:00.001-08:002013-11-22T06:58:18.429-08:00Enlightenment, By H. Michael<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Janet Lee has accused me of teasing readers that may have found their way to my November 12th </span><a href="http://adventureustwo.blogspot.com/2013/11/im-not-sailor-by-h-michael.html"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">post</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> because I failed to explain how I became enlightened. "But JL," I said "don't you enjoy a little foreplay prior to getting down to business?" </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yes, I do" she said "but I prefer to be stimulated with continuity, and without interruption." </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again her cunning intelligence left me speechless and with a lot more insight into that thing called love. Here then is my enlightenment story.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a dirty December afternoon in 2003 when I stumbled into the youngest brother of my best friend at a local restaurant. He mentioned that, along with a friend, he had just purchased a really cool used twenty-four foot sailboat. I was curios regarding his desire to own a sailboat because he is one of many I spent time cavorting with on the water. His acquisition definitely tweaked my interest to the degree that when he offered to take me out sailing; I accepted. We set up a time to meet the next day on an area lake where they kept their boat . </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was not a sailor, but I trusted both of the owners of the little POS boat we were going to take out into the frothing waters of the lake. Frothing? Yep. The wind was clocking at around 30 miles an hour and gusting to 35 or 40. The grey, sunless sky provided limited light, and the low, fast moving clouds were threatening rain, or perhaps worse. I would not have ventured out in a power boat in similar conditions, but to my uneducated sailing mind set the strong, gusting, cold, north wind just meant we would have a great sail. My first warning should have been when one of the guys started taking hits from a flask about every ten minutes. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hey Michael go up on the front of the boat and put this sail on that wire thing going up to the top of the mast. Just make sure those little clip things are closed all the way and are in the right order. Oh yea, and make sure that rope is attached to the first piece of hardware on the sail." </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Uh, okay" I said. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My second warning should have been how spongy the deck felt when I went forward to hank on the jib, but I trusted my companions because they had been sailing on the old decaying boat before. </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Do you guys know how to sail this thing?"</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yea we took her out last week for the first time, but we didn't know we had to put the retractable keel down. When the outboard ran out of gas and died we were pushed sideways into the back of the cove and Kevin had to jump out and keep us from hitting the shore. He had to push the boat all the way around the cove, in waste deep water, back to the dock. That was a really good learning experience."</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The water was so cold I lost feeling in my legs." Kevin chimed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After we got the boat set up to sail we headed out of the cove and into the main body of the lake. At first we were traveling in the lee of the cove but once we rounded the corner and cleared the tree line the little outboard mounted on the stern began struggling to maintain forward momentum against the oncoming wind and waves. Occasionally a big wave would crash into the bow and throw a spray of ice cold water into the air toward our totally exposed bodies in the cockpit. With the onslaught of every wave my host took another hit from his flask and offered it around. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No, none for me thanks." <br /><br />We had attached the halyard to the main sail back in the cove and now Bob said "Okay, it's time to pull the sail up the mast." Wrap this rope around the winch a couple of times and start pulling."<br /><br />I did as I was told and the sail started inching up the mast. Immediately upon being exposed to the wind, the sail began a disorderly complaint by dancing wildly side to side. As the sail neared the top, Kevin added a handle to the winch and began to crank. In no time the sail nestled tightly into place at the top. As the sail gained height up the mast, the outboard increasingly struggled to keep the boat moving forward. The little sailboat fought back bravely but labored under the attack from the waves hitting the bow. She launched into her protest by bobbing up and down like a bronc at a rodeo. I was beginning to understand.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lGpCbi0fKLA6I1w9S15e1kRwZhnXuhsXfafUadBMqlK3Wq4FWaTI9vyoTUUEk_Nf8ttg3_UhB2OeIAxs15gyfgbI9LSN9dyh9NNNhUccsBenhihha2HMi4MID_vWsUYlbtV1iObnKHy5/s1600/sailing+in+high+winds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lGpCbi0fKLA6I1w9S15e1kRwZhnXuhsXfafUadBMqlK3Wq4FWaTI9vyoTUUEk_Nf8ttg3_UhB2OeIAxs15gyfgbI9LSN9dyh9NNNhUccsBenhihha2HMi4MID_vWsUYlbtV1iObnKHy5/s320/sailing+in+high+winds.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Bob was at the tiller and asked if we were ready. He should have said hold on cause the shit is about to hit the fan, <strike>but what did I know.</strike> I was sitting on the starboard side of the cockpit and when Bob turned the boat to port, the wind immediately filled the sail, heeled the boat over about forty degrees, and buried the port toe rail three inches below the water. I had to brace my feet on the bottom part of the port lazaret to keep from falling on top of Kevin and Bob. The boat took off </span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">like a NHRA dragster, and my heart started pumping adrenaline as if turned on by a switch. Eventually I took a turn on the tiller and even discovered I could maneuver the boat by pulling in on, or easing off of, the sheets. (I learned the terminology later.) We incredibly sailed for about an hour until we were so cold and wet we couldn't take it any longer. <br />
<br />
I have heard it said that love will either set a man free, or make him a prisoner. I'm not sure if that's true, but since that fateful day in December, love has become my alibi. That day was a turning point in my life. We were the only boat on the lake, and really had no business being there. The extraordinarily bad conditions undoubtedly threw caution to all the sane people. But, there we were, out on the lake. Few people recognize important defining moments in there lives, but I knew in the short time we were on the water sailing that worn out, little sailboat that I would make sailing a long lasting part of my life. I started to research sailing classes the next week and soon after started taking ASA sailing courses.</span> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-46397139998595401502013-11-12T05:27:00.002-08:002013-11-12T05:27:56.243-08:00I'm Not a Sailor, by H Michael<span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always enjoyed being in, or on, water. In my youth it really didn't matter if I was in a swimming pool, lake, or backyard sprinkler; I felt happy when around water, as though I was receiving some sort of unexplained emotional benefit. Later in life I naturally gravitated to friends that receive similar reward from water, but always our interest was connected to power boats. Whether we were on top of the water skiing, or under the water diving, power boats were our preferred style <strike>of water toy</strike>. I am not a sailor, but I vividly remember the day I became enlightened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPORMcb8C0EMadEFGKlDwhNFJ1TeOXsKGxV40l197UpK5wicw7LUlFNXDeUt-mfDwrZHV8VroAtyzhEzIRgVS8RwLNS1n47jwiHH0IilLqKJqhS21tUIEphuT9Waeu5kvIZCJjI3mkus6Q/s1600/tige-20i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPORMcb8C0EMadEFGKlDwhNFJ1TeOXsKGxV40l197UpK5wicw7LUlFNXDeUt-mfDwrZHV8VroAtyzhEzIRgVS8RwLNS1n47jwiHH0IilLqKJqhS21tUIEphuT9Waeu5kvIZCJjI3mkus6Q/s320/tige-20i.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From the above one may presume that I do not come from a long line of sailors. I was not born with a sailing pedigree, and to the best of my knowledge no one in my family tree was, or is, a sailor. Please allow me at this juncture, to take occasion and explain my use of the noun "sailor" in this transcript. My desire is to reference those individuals that employ <strike>bits of fabric</strike> sails to move their watercraft, not as reference to a crew member in the navy. Permit me to further declare; I did not take sailing lessons during summer camps, enjoy summers on a lake racing sailboats, or create any other form of youthful sailing memory. I have never had a mentor that was a sailor, and if fact be told, I thought sailboats were for indolent individuals. How exciting could moving a vessel with the wind be compared to the speed with which wind blows through your hair on a powerboat? I have never known a sailor, and I am not a sailor. But, I clearly remember the day I became enlightened.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNkBpk9b0nPSz1ZTuNPI7LvzRQL4f4tCbV6gU9753yYsP7-Uo3DV5DAdU80per-n-MnelKuoje0HRE838GVKQNkS8AfVg3lpMXC2BeXXVGllPjuUvi3fxJ37q4BvWxjXmtjAHmpzcQL2o/s1600/DADDY+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNkBpk9b0nPSz1ZTuNPI7LvzRQL4f4tCbV6gU9753yYsP7-Uo3DV5DAdU80per-n-MnelKuoje0HRE838GVKQNkS8AfVg3lpMXC2BeXXVGllPjuUvi3fxJ37q4BvWxjXmtjAHmpzcQL2o/s320/DADDY+005.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week Janet Lee and I were visiting with a group of sailing friends (you can read their blogs </span><a href="http://thingswedidtoday.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://svourwaytoo.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #073763; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and the conversation turned to a specific component recently installed on one of their sailboats. Everyone present, at least the men, the women were discussing different kinds of rum, knew the function of the devise being discussed but no one knew the proper name. My excuse, and lack of knowedge in this regard, is most certainly because I am not a sailor, and I might add, make no pretense of being a sailor. Oh sure I understand the dynamics of moving a vessel through water using a wing or combination of wings for propulsion. I have even skippered sailboats in the leeward and windward islands of the Caribbean, navigated successfully between islands in all kinds of conditions and arrived safe and reasonably sound. I have owned a couple of sailboats the smallest being 35 feet. I can identify some of the parts of a sailboat and sometimes even know their intent or function, but I could sail from now until my last day and I would never consider myself a sailor compared to resumes of some I have met. But, I definetly remember the day I became enlightened.</span><br />
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-74878141210701214172013-11-05T05:36:00.001-08:002013-11-05T06:13:44.920-08:00Flying Without a Net, By H. Michael<span style="color: #0b5394;">The other night Janet Lee and I were having cocktails with some friends. We shared our goal of moving onboard Adventure Us 2 with them (they shall remain nameless) and one of them responded with, "oh, I could never do that". I thought to myself, well isn't that precisely the point? Allow me to explain.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">When I was a teenager growing up in Dallas, I was lucky enough to have parents that loved going to the movies. Even before we moved to Dallas, we would go to "drive in" theaters and watch double features into the late hours of the night, and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. This manner of distraction allowed my imagination to run out of control with unrestrained frenzy. I easily identified with the lead character, or any other character I choose, and in that context I would make choices and decisions for the character based on my own youthful idealism, and perception of the world. Whether I was identifying with Lloyd Bridges in his role as the Karl Wallenda, John Wayne in the Alamo, or Omar Sharif in just about anything, I created my own sensibilities. Movies somehow filled in the gap between who I thought I could be, who I would like to be, and who I really was. Yea, in my youth I could totally perform a high wire act without a net. To do anything else would be so uncool. Besides if you are confident in your ability, skillful at your craft, and courageous in your mission what could go wrong?</span><br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMvEf_MSTXaTGQbqXTJ0e3XnO-tTFJq0P0EhSGbxlr6y7uNC1Xcagxl4tCEeuC6Cv5xw5bU6uEDqPLN8KgPZSg23ZdNir14wD9lyoIJmJNCo9HAtpZjDKwoscE-RutAUuc7HnHiuHGEge/s1600/omar+sharif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMvEf_MSTXaTGQbqXTJ0e3XnO-tTFJq0P0EhSGbxlr6y7uNC1Xcagxl4tCEeuC6Cv5xw5bU6uEDqPLN8KgPZSg23ZdNir14wD9lyoIJmJNCo9HAtpZjDKwoscE-RutAUuc7HnHiuHGEge/s320/omar+sharif.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Somewhere along the line I stepped away from a romantic perception of life and allowed conventional structure to dominate my existence. I became what I was expected to be; a consumer of everything traditional culture told me I wanted from life. Now don't get your butt up in a roar because this post is not a rant about consumerism, and it certainly is not a cry of regret for things I have or have not achieved. The fact is I have been blessed with a life free of depravity and full of adventure that has left me sane, healthy, happy and free of undesirable habits. But, always bubbling just under the surface in the cauldron of life was an irresistible essence, or spice I wanted to taste.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Occasionally someone, or some event would stir my soul and quixotic thoughts would invade my spirit and bestow an irresistible desire to swim against the grain of convention. Some of you (if anyone is reading this) may say that the very spirit of quixotism makes for an ugly blend of impracticality at the expense of romanticism. I ask you; did Rooster Cogburn fuss over the impossible, or impractical odds stacked against him when he mounted his horse, a Winchester in each hand, reins in his mouth, and charged hell bent for leather toward the bad guys? Hell no he didn't. He was prepared to stay the course, trust in himself, his abilities, and his equipment because he learned from his quest for self realization that he had true grit. </span><br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-epmHemXMScZUY3LICBMpAfoIUU6RUo1GQFuzGDs05Fd30PDv7BgSfnsuIkZNTfLeCI0l-aL20SsFTT50QeMi8zDRlo4RqP-y9f7rLZaRx9UANIRr86vy3z4eaCgyXIn3CZ_-QV6ZQhMU/s1600/true-grit-john-wayne-rooster-cogburn-classic-weste1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-epmHemXMScZUY3LICBMpAfoIUU6RUo1GQFuzGDs05Fd30PDv7BgSfnsuIkZNTfLeCI0l-aL20SsFTT50QeMi8zDRlo4RqP-y9f7rLZaRx9UANIRr86vy3z4eaCgyXIn3CZ_-QV6ZQhMU/s320/true-grit-john-wayne-rooster-cogburn-classic-weste1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">The roads we travel in life are many, and a few of us must lead the way for others to follow especially when it means going against conventional wisdom of how our time on earth should be spent. Romantic, impractical, or naïve as it may seem to those who do not share our mindset, Janet Lee and I have decided to explore the undeniably different lifestyle of living on a cruising sailboat, and if required to make personal changes in our lives to achieve our goal. Do I want to wash clothes in a bucket? Not really. But, if it is a necessary requirement then I'll take the ugly along with the bad and the good. Perhaps somewhere along the way we may even discover that flying without a net can be fulfilling, as long as we stay away from uncontrolled landings.</span> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03395193643469526380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283637677961693213.post-61548228129729556852013-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:002014-01-27T06:37:04.779-08:00Spider, Shadows, and Bears! Oh my! By Janet Lee<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michael and I recently went to Greensburg, PA (near Pittsburg) so I could check several items off my bucket list before we sail away. 1) I wanted my extended family to meet My Michael. 2) I have always wanted to take my mom to see my daughter, Erica, race (mom is 85 and has never seen her race), 3) I wanted to spend some time with my cousin Teddy, in the mountains. And 4) I wanted to see and smell a real autumn again! And trust me, it's only coincidence that the world's largest Steeler fan store in Station Square along the Monongahela River, at Liberty Bridge, happens to be not too far from where we were to land.</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgof_3vkNoNAC_8gnLemvcHyhTcWOPuQkftFflfudsqzIbF9QA2Na-TVRro1Kw8kiiUTyP3pkhiI46LdayjjPEOvR43ZSq83P-r-KNq18xHq7EYZiRIpLcrbfZsuOxk3aPmS5McvIVU46ik/s1600/steeler+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndJSkoqAJQAq4LciR3Oh1fgglNmgr_Ak6_RGxWJ887nsrteXQHhoBLRk3AgogJMpngEM_33wMXxEwAPvsO7DOiJxbNk9h-Xkuq8p4pfGEoeszgEywcDb_A-lbsrSoSVUrcHmlx_HYLO_7/s1600/pittsburgh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjndJSkoqAJQAq4LciR3Oh1fgglNmgr_Ak6_RGxWJ887nsrteXQHhoBLRk3AgogJMpngEM_33wMXxEwAPvsO7DOiJxbNk9h-Xkuq8p4pfGEoeszgEywcDb_A-lbsrSoSVUrcHmlx_HYLO_7/s320/pittsburgh.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmX_qap77w2_MrjNeikie47KJ7jAXCqw4gpB1rJKsEl3Zs7PSMbfvGDBGMiSXns3Qtc6HxL1XRbA7V-b8KZGylXFOKfxjKl9QVKl5lkCRXYd-MDaqwBywWvmamosPTZApOeyemL9jcnb7-/s1600/steeler+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmX_qap77w2_MrjNeikie47KJ7jAXCqw4gpB1rJKsEl3Zs7PSMbfvGDBGMiSXns3Qtc6HxL1XRbA7V-b8KZGylXFOKfxjKl9QVKl5lkCRXYd-MDaqwBywWvmamosPTZApOeyemL9jcnb7-/s1600/steeler+fan.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first morning, after arriving in PA, we traveled across the state to the Reading area to surprise my daughter on her 30th birthday. She and her husband, Richie, were racing in an NHRA event there. When she saw me walk into her race car trailer, her jaw dropped and she said, and I quote, "What the heck are you doing here?? You are crazy, momma!!!!"</span> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlASNrjjjkkT04j-jzm5ghG8Ze6LfOe3DwvvzXF5k3w3ZZhAbhKMLejBb_JuHs-2a9c7F1yQ9RigZxOLpQkRnzb6VpPZX_JVP8LbHMDFBiLfL4RCC_z__MlXkycmVe6DZL7kF1NtHwwY-/s320/knizner+enders.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">My mom, yours truly, and Erica </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19isJMJkaFRIGI9bZEfBX0YnMTDVoUYsNeRndOfI6uOUQy1Yw5xEbA3-BBjeKvKz_w_nxi4Z8kZNiJ4utMCGKL1q1Fq9qFscwogiwuRZWQXyRc8C7Oz_Cj6E8HGtDgJfOMViHZFTwrPCf/s1600/erica+and+ritchie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19isJMJkaFRIGI9bZEfBX0YnMTDVoUYsNeRndOfI6uOUQy1Yw5xEbA3-BBjeKvKz_w_nxi4Z8kZNiJ4utMCGKL1q1Fq9qFscwogiwuRZWQXyRc8C7Oz_Cj6E8HGtDgJfOMViHZFTwrPCf/s320/erica+and+ritchie.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">First time a husband and wife</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> have run against each other in pro stock.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMRGPGJVJWrJfW1_d5OE0Q1_dMsO_fy5-Zsebu96i0sNCwq1mWRNnXkt0mGj8_jXKaothk7wYS_hmJ9kbDIwFDqSKzB-QiPgmk0mW4Aju_gS57SlQecswZN8zHPaYc_pRjNOpwL5lZBQo/s1600/Pennsylvania+Oct.+2013+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMRGPGJVJWrJfW1_d5OE0Q1_dMsO_fy5-Zsebu96i0sNCwq1mWRNnXkt0mGj8_jXKaothk7wYS_hmJ9kbDIwFDqSKzB-QiPgmk0mW4Aju_gS57SlQecswZN8zHPaYc_pRjNOpwL5lZBQo/s320/Pennsylvania+Oct.+2013+002.JPG" height="191" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Mom & My Michael watching Erica & Richie race</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">My cousin Teddy and his wife have been living totally off the grid for over 40 years, and leave behind a zero carbon footprint. Teddy has written a book about living carbon free called <u>Off on Our Own</u> and you can find a copy of it </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Off-Our-Own-Independence-Self-Reliance/dp/0983272603"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">here</span></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">.</span> It is truly an inspiring book full of encouraging ways to become better stewards of the planet. If you think you know how to re-cycle; read this book and learn from the ultimate re-cycle pros. (Teddy has even figured out how to capture methane gas from his compost to heat his sauna and hot tub.) Teddy and Kathy call their home Stone Camp and it is located on Laurel Mountain just outside Ligonier, PA. For power, they rely totally on wind and solar, everything else is wood fired. Spending a few days at their home is always a memorable experience. They live in a 12 volt world, which is where Michael and I are headed!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolBdRP1-c7F65FVgqXXckjBbXibCjNnfWsqQXhFnHqfk5Bz6336S4S8Fn26A37Mq-BJDGKX4KpOTJMeWOP5nz0slOyqtRct10O2AFODzUwmLoc0NTBtrGPzBjq-NYP0-J3k3xBjE0Z3a-/s1600/PA+071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolBdRP1-c7F65FVgqXXckjBbXibCjNnfWsqQXhFnHqfk5Bz6336S4S8Fn26A37Mq-BJDGKX4KpOTJMeWOP5nz0slOyqtRct10O2AFODzUwmLoc0NTBtrGPzBjq-NYP0-J3k3xBjE0Z3a-/s320/PA+071.JPG" height="171" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The road to Stone Camp</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcShNcLsEJ_kDXtPkZdxpud1IIPKu2_MJbExANjG2mwQbOKsb9x6RtvmesECZMOJqgKndraIgOddShRDCrvpiMRvWLB78dNl632rlwJeT85Ii2lz2mFJ5eyBngVyo1vQnJyjZy1t-CyUCl/s1600/PA+069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcShNcLsEJ_kDXtPkZdxpud1IIPKu2_MJbExANjG2mwQbOKsb9x6RtvmesECZMOJqgKndraIgOddShRDCrvpiMRvWLB78dNl632rlwJeT85Ii2lz2mFJ5eyBngVyo1vQnJyjZy1t-CyUCl/s320/PA+069.JPG" height="204" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">I snapped a picture of this handsome buck </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> hiding in the fall colors. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH1bflBdudstPPnz0D6WGwz_7gja-Up8YGeCwRXPeXLCoxj9WH2BxE4o8PQOXALfVcl2s_aoFAYiRglQ3b_z0-gB_EBJwdaryR0Gxalak9isJz9EpbNJyWtSpX7MiDg6Eel2oobkCa4Oz/s1600/TEDDY'S+++03-08+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRH1bflBdudstPPnz0D6WGwz_7gja-Up8YGeCwRXPeXLCoxj9WH2BxE4o8PQOXALfVcl2s_aoFAYiRglQ3b_z0-gB_EBJwdaryR0Gxalak9isJz9EpbNJyWtSpX7MiDg6Eel2oobkCa4Oz/s320/TEDDY'S+++03-08+021.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stone Camp </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fist thing Teddy told us upon our arrival was to get up to the guest cabin and build a fire since it was predicted to get down into the low 40's that night. He told us where we could find some dry wood and a hatchet. The little guest cabin in the woods is not wired to Stone Camp, has no electricity, and occupants must rely on candle power or a flashlight for sight, and the wood stove for heat. Any water that is needed throughout the night must be carried in and out. After chiseling some of the wood into slivers, we accomplished our first job by making a fire without paper!</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDbQaxJ_wxwigQAGr99FSFD2ltbfKT7snU5QEeQtHYKNUu87THufF3s89zF7UY38uzKnNDyxLUo5YWUy1RWw_NgsaxEbbNOMnkMVo77-1h4XlcSNgmaJv1b43Kp4yOm0AT32mWEhOjwM7/s1600/STONE+CAMP++2002+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDbQaxJ_wxwigQAGr99FSFD2ltbfKT7snU5QEeQtHYKNUu87THufF3s89zF7UY38uzKnNDyxLUo5YWUy1RWw_NgsaxEbbNOMnkMVo77-1h4XlcSNgmaJv1b43Kp4yOm0AT32mWEhOjwM7/s320/STONE+CAMP++2002+020.JPG" height="191" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">The little cabin in the woods</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a wonderful dinner of soup, assorted cheeses, and bread, we visited with Kathy and Teddy over some wine. Before long Uncle Sneezy (Teddy's dad) and Aunt Janet (my name sake) showed up with Timmy, Teddy's brother, his son, Casey along with his wife and two kids. Yep, we had ourselves an Appalachian Mountain, homegrown, backwoods social, complete with triple distilled 90 proof moonshine. Teddy, being a flamboyant story teller, entertained us with stories about a 750 pound black bear, and other stories of unrecognizable cries in the night that he could not identify. (Note to self... such stories are not conducive to a restful night's sleep.) A black bear has actually broken into the breezeway between the house and garage at my uncle Sneezy's house (he lives a half mile down the mountain from Teddy) and vandalized his triple locked freezer to get to his stash of ice cream. Hearing how the bear ripped the lid off the freezer and sat eating the ice cream was comical until I compared the door at the little cabin in the woods to the heavy metal locked door on the breezeway at uncle Sneezy's house.</span> </span><br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6I9S92wOBixZDsN8-2NxPre8iWhHTky2QZYUZ4LGVs6b-Xz2j1Sj_2K1xILhc5o1ZFEbmZgDMxK7DdIqqHcfGG66Gb8jQGNbedfRAQHYTkl3QAaRSA1e17sCb1d-ShVhbgw1oTOiMnH8/s1600/2308313-771094-brown-bear-eating-frozen-melon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6I9S92wOBixZDsN8-2NxPre8iWhHTky2QZYUZ4LGVs6b-Xz2j1Sj_2K1xILhc5o1ZFEbmZgDMxK7DdIqqHcfGG66Gb8jQGNbedfRAQHYTkl3QAaRSA1e17sCb1d-ShVhbgw1oTOiMnH8/s1600/2308313-771094-brown-bear-eating-frozen-melon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The impromptu family gathering began to wind down so we grabbed a flash light and several candles and headed up to the little cabin in the woods. Once in the cabin, I opened the trunk to find clean sheets for our bunks. With no moon to cast any light, the dimly lit room gave way to a spooky scene that nearly chilled my bones. When I opened the first sheet and saw movement on Michael's bunk I said: "Michael, flashlight please!" I'm not one to scream because of critters, but after Teddy's stories of unidentified wales in the night, if Michael had not creamed a certain unwelcomed bed buddy, Teddy may have heard yet another unidentifiable blood curdling scream!</span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPqD882eS0sr1qluXswRAHR_jDQA8F8w-2NDD_3Qe6VQLJBx8f3n679PCoN5amqZG0m-wU5InAe26w7GMTdjVymX7RZPQJQl7PILp4ueBSrfn5XfrKU6uOOu6fvwKwW3X0KRo9Y7nTnlL/s1600/big+brown+spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPqD882eS0sr1qluXswRAHR_jDQA8F8w-2NDD_3Qe6VQLJBx8f3n679PCoN5amqZG0m-wU5InAe26w7GMTdjVymX7RZPQJQl7PILp4ueBSrfn5XfrKU6uOOu6fvwKwW3X0KRo9Y7nTnlL/s1600/big+brown+spider.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Spider, who was about the size of a quarter, was making his way across the center of the bunk when from out of nowhere, with lightening quick reflexes, My Michael pulled off his cowboy boot and brandishing it as his weapon of choice, ended the spider's life. If I didn't know better, I would think that spiders make Michael squeamish because he moved with such stealth, agility, and quickness that the poor spider didn't see it coming. RIP Mr. Spider. As you would expect, I thoroughly inspected the whole area for any friends or relatives of Mr. Spider and continued to make our beds. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you remember my post on things I will not miss, you know I have a lack of love for 'the bra', but on this night I was sleeping in everything I owned. I removed my cowboy boots, but kept my socks on, and slipped into my PJ bottoms. Bra, shirt, and hoodie stayed on. I was so inspired by Michael's skillful dispatch of our unwanted bunk mate that I put my hood up and tied the strings so that nothing was exposed but my eyes; like a Ninja. Now dressed confidently in my spider fighting Ninja attire I was prepared to kick, wrestle, chop, brawl, or squash any friends or relatives of Mr. Spider making their way onto,<strike> or into</strike>, any part of my body. If they are seeking revenge for Michael's actions; I'm ready.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The silence surrounding the little cabin in the woods, combined with the moonshine, and blackness of the cool October night, permitted me to fall asleep quickly but, with rigid shoulders. At one point in the night, Michael got up to stoke the fire, leaving the stove door cracked open when he returned to his bunk. Uh oh. Big mistake. The flickering flames created dancing silhouettes that jumped all around in the little cabin in the woods. My mind went on a journey filled with big man eating rats morphing into gigantic blood sucking spiders, mean grizzled black bears, and an assortment of zombies for good measure. Yea, I was a little freaked out when the dawn started to show the next day. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yu1Yc-xJKrc0ujBXhCLDSiJGgXJ2LmSU5we_JO76tpJtLEMllN0jedPLfc5tAZXnp_fkbKcKRQPwmG4I5mhYQLS_Mi-kCxkdNBNTWQVFs0ZLxsLXt3LXb32iU7SQeKVvjjoZZFy_bVh1/s1600/Eyes-on-Fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yu1Yc-xJKrc0ujBXhCLDSiJGgXJ2LmSU5we_JO76tpJtLEMllN0jedPLfc5tAZXnp_fkbKcKRQPwmG4I5mhYQLS_Mi-kCxkdNBNTWQVFs0ZLxsLXt3LXb32iU7SQeKVvjjoZZFy_bVh1/s320/Eyes-on-Fire.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"></span> </div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Now that we are safely back in Texas, at sea level, I can say our trip to PA was a complete success, and I got to cross items off my bucket list.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 1) Family got to meet My Michael (and we got to meet my </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> moms new boyfriend, Fred).</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">
</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 2) Surprised Erica for her 30th birthday.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 3) Mom got to see Erica race.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 4) Spent time at Stone Camp with Teddy and the Family.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 5) Got to taste, smell, and see a real mountain autumn.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;"> 6) Stocked up on Steeler gear (just in case).</span></div>
<span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Happy Halloween!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSUmxPAFlMQKyZjYRstOgP45bF-i6ByAB6Ejgcm0tJxu07ZuenOCqtMCC8Gh7bHoOgFo6GW1zXscVSgR24misQEn6amKsvbJtOWhEwvf2u1p8Qurv7tYG_IBwnI0gXAxkVFzyKoELD-ZD/s1600/pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSUmxPAFlMQKyZjYRstOgP45bF-i6ByAB6Ejgcm0tJxu07ZuenOCqtMCC8Gh7bHoOgFo6GW1zXscVSgR24misQEn6amKsvbJtOWhEwvf2u1p8Qurv7tYG_IBwnI0gXAxkVFzyKoELD-ZD/s1600/pumpkins.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td height="96" style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0);" width="86"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16581662746042217882noreply@blogger.com0Seabrook, TX, USA29.564118399999991 -95.02548389999998329.50887689999999 -95.106164899999982 29.619359899999992 -94.944802899999985