November 30

Monday, November 30

Aaaaaaagghhhhh!   It's already the end of November!!! We are NEVER getting out of here!!!  We should just plant trees around us and move in next door to the Captain!!

The battery in the car has died twice now. Luckily, the second time it was a minor glitch and a bit of charge turned it back on. Rick will disconnect it when we leave so it will charge up when we get back.

BUT our battery issue is back to haunt us. Don't know if it's because we have been running purely on solar power and no engine, but the specific gravity is down again. Any battery acid geniuses out there???? It has been cloudy for the last week and it is RAINING AGAIN today but that should only affect the charge in the batteries, not the acid levels.  Oh, what do I know? I'm just a girl and anyway, electricity is magic, isn't it?

So we went to see the last Hunger Games, and now I can read the books one more time to "let it go". Part of me is trying to find an excuse to stay here until Dec. 18 so I can go see Star Wars...not going to happen. I need to find out if there is a theatre anywhere near Georgetown...probably not. And it's the kind of movie you need to see on a big screen. Our little 19 inch TV won't do it justice when we get it on DVD next year or the year after.  There are disadvantages to living in paradise...not that we are there yet. Sigh.

Rick sent an email about the batteries, but I don't trust those people to do anything about them. We are almost up on our one-year warranty.  I know what I'D like to do!!

I met a woman at the bathroom from Chicago. We were caught in the rain, [oh, no!] trying to go back to our boats. She told me about waking up at 5:30 am and scrambling to get the cardboard boxes off the deck and out of the rain, because the weather had forecast a 0% chance of rain overnight. Her comment was "...but a bad day in Florida is better than a good day in Chicago!"

Yeah, ok, I guess so. It's just that I realized that it's easy to live in a boatyard where you share the bathroom with hundreds of people, some of whom do not know how to flush a toilet, and cook a meal with one frying pan and two small pots every day; or boil water to do the dishes, wash your face. All it takes is lowering your expectations, and, projecting that to the greater world, I understand homelessness now.

OK Barb, before you freak out on me, I am not saying I am there. I am saying that if you actually live in certain conditions, you can understand how they can deteriorate and how you can deal with it. The trick is to keep up certain habits to a standard that you have to push for, and you can maintain a level of living conditions that sustain your needs.  Whoa ...enough philosophy!

There are fish around the boat here that are beating us up. Every morning there are fish about 10-15 inches long that bash the boat trying to catch smaller fish. They sound huge  but we have watched them and they charge into a little school of fish trapping them against the dock walls then grab what they can.  Smart eh?

Okay, gotta go... last laundry run before taking off. Ugh! And some small grocery items. They have this great snack down here; it's a squeeze tube like yogurt tubes but its chia seeds and fruit mush, gelatinized with lots of good energy. There are a dozen in a box for $3.00.  Banana & strawberry or Banana and Kale Yum!

ttyl

Black Friday and its raining again!

Black Friday, Nov 27 and getting Blacker by the day...

Glad our American friends all had a good Thanksgiving! We were fine. I guess I misconstrued the event, because it was mostly a non-event. We were hoping to meet up with all the Canadian boaters here, of which there are many! But most people didn't bother showing up. I guess they are all keeping their heads down and getting ready to leave.  It appears that the weather window will be Monday or Tuesday.   I just hope the part for the motor comes in time, and Homeland Security is not pissed off that we are still here.

So Toys R Us was a little busier at 7 am but the line-up to exit hadn't formed yet and we were able to get out easily. Quentin wanted to stop at Wal-Mart to experience a better rush. We said no, and went for breakfast instead.  We stopped at Harbour Freight for Rick to get a shopping fix in, and came back to the boat with very small tools and two new tool bags to put them in so they stop falling off the shelves and out of the stupid plastic boxes he tries to keep them in.  Oh, by the way, thanks, Mark...he really didn't need to know about that store!

Rob had Quentin go back up the mast to tape the boots on his spreaders. Later we will go and find the peacocks so we can take pictures of them. But for now here is the Christmas tree. It looks better lit up but the camera doesn't do dark pics very well.

About 3 years ago when I was still with cadets, the girls were gushing about The Hunger Games and having seen it at the movies. It was rated PG-13 and I wasn't impressed that people would let their 10-11-12 year olds see it. I know how old these kids were because we had age restrictions at cadets...

However, I read the books and was bitten. I like Donald Sutherland even as a villain and knew he was in it.  So we picked up the first 2 movies because they have been advertising the last of the series and I didn't realize it wasn't over. We liked the movies so today, at Toys R Us, the 3rd movie was there for $19.99. It was the only copy and we couldn't find it in Wally world so I picked it up. By the time I got to the check-out, it was down to $10.00!!! Bonus!!!

I think we'll watch it tonight and the go to the show tomorrow or Sunday...our last hurrah on land. There are no theatres in Georgetown that I have found.

But for now, back to work...ttyl

 

Thanksgiving dinner

this is how they hide the transformer boxes. Cool, eh?
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Christmas tree in harbour

Quentin and me at the Tree...palms optional..NOT

Taping the spreader boots. Think he likes it up there!?

Thanksgiving cont'd

Thanksgiving cont'd

So we had a big dinner with the boaters who seem to be permanent residents here. They have the boats all along the far wall of docks.  The big turkey cooker and grill were rolled in behind a pick-up and everything was ready by about 2 pm. Of course we didn't get over there until closer to 3 pm because Rick was trying to get the van started. He worked on changing the motor that rolls up the window in the passenger side door all morning.

We had purchased the replacement piece in Canada but he couldn't figure out how to get it in, and didn't want to waste time on it. Basically we pounded the spot in the door where the motor was located and it worked for awhile. Lately it has NOT worked and the window was just down far enough that it howled and whistled when we drove over 25 mph.  Is this stating to sound like slapstick theatre?

Anyway, he had the door open all morning and the lights were on [OR we didn't check t last night and the lights were on because the side sliding door won't shut tight [See?? Charlie Chaplin] and the battery died just as he finished fixing it.

Bottom line, we were a little late but everyone already there was too drunk to care.  OK, the only Canadians who showed up were us and Rob and Brenda [Beguiler] so we sat together and all the others had already taken the good seats around the food. 

When we got there , the "cook" said, Oh no ...we don't have any silverware. We have plates but no knives and forks."

We said, "Hey, you live right here. Why not bring your own??"

But apparently they were imports of one or two of the boating families...tons of little kids and dogs running around. UGH!

The owners didn't actually show up, so we were kind of on the fringe. Some woman sat down beside me with two little girls and dropped all her stuff into my cooler bag. When Rick came back to the table with his food he had to find another pace to sit. Brenda asked her where she was from and she said, "Around here" Not a boater???  

We ate: I made sweet potato casserole with oranges and pecan glazing and Brenda made eggplant parmesan. The turkey and ham were good but I couldn't eat anything else because it was all breaded, coated or sauced, and people kept switching the spoons from the dressing back to the sweet potatoes!! I went through 4 of them trying to get spoons in everything g so they would stop!  Of course, desserts were all pies...grrr...so I didn't get any, and as soon as everyone was finished they lit up cigarettes!! We didn't stay because we were down wind.  Rob and Brenda weren't too impressed either because someone sat in one of their chairs and broke it! We all left as soon as we were finished eating. Not a fun meal.

Kenny [sheriff] and Mike [handyman] came by to make sure no boats were sinking and gave Rick a big charger to charge the battery. I lent Kenny a tape measure so if he wants his charger back he will return the tape measure!

All this time Quentin was bouncing because he was afraid he was going to miss the Big Sale at Toys R Us which started at 5 pm, 18 miles away. As it was, Rick got the van started and managed to get us there by 6 pm.  We got through the crowds with minor injuries and got back here by 8:30. [Kidding, it was fine. The exit line only went around the store once.]

So tomorrow we go back for the 7 am rush because some of the things he wants, aren't on sale until tomorrow. I think he's Christmas shopping for himself, not his siblings!!! Oh well, it's his money. I can't control it. He just won't have a car next year ...just sayin'

So going to bed early so we can get up and rush out to shop!  The boat is really rocking right now with the high winds. Looks like Monday or Tuesday, but we'll be ready by then.  Ttyl

Thanksgiving Day Nov 26

Thursday Nov 26 Happy Thanksgiving

So, today we are having Thanksgiving with the rest of the boatyard. The head mechanics wife will cook the turkeys and the hams and everyone brings odds and ends of food. It will be interesting because its outside and the winds are gusting to 35 mph and the clouds are speeding over.

Fort Pierce is on a boil-water notice today because a water main broke yesterday in the storm [I guess it froze.]

We drove up to St. Augustine yesterday and went to the sailor's exchange. Rick found a few on the small things we needed and O managed to find the yellow sunbrella for the sail cover. There is a wall 12 feet high of rolls of fabric at the back of the store where it's dark and dingy. I made Quentin climb the ladder and pull out rolls so I could see the colours. Apparently blue is the most popular boat colour so there was every other colour except blue.  He managed after about 50 rolls to find me a blue one! So I got 4.75 yards of sunbrella for the cockpit cushions and the sail UV strips. I forgot to find out about the spinnaker!!!! AARRRGGGG!

Yesterday was like having a holiday. We spent the whole day driving. It took 3 hours to get up there and the traffic was insane. Everyone was heading out for Thanksgiving. Considering that it is less than a full month to Christmas, Americans make a bigger deal of Thanksgiving than they do for Christmas. The schools are closed the day before and the day after so it's a three day holiday, which is great when it attaches to a weekend!! Also makes it more fun? when Black Friday is the day after.

Quentin did some of his Christmas shopping, but he didn't get the deals he wanted so he wants to go to the Toys R Us on Black Friday to get a special gift. I guess we'll suck it up and try it.

Today and tomorrow we'll finish all the small jobs while we wait for the gasket. How many times have I said that??  I am hoping we can get out of here in time to hook up with C-Soul, Windreka, Anneteak, Modaki, and everyone else heading down to south Florida to cross over.

Still haven't taken the camera to see the peacocks and the Christmas trees here. Maybe later today, if it doesn't rain. The sky is really clear and its getting warm again, but the winds are high and the seas are rough. Fast moving showers are forecast to come through.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Have a good day! Stay warm and dry!

Sunday - Monday

Sunday- Monday Nov 23

The rain stopped in the afternoon.  Tim, the mechanic came in and Rick got the motor out of the shop. He started to take it apart and Tim got him started.  Then one of Kenny's [ the sheriff] friends stopped working on Kenny's dune buggy to give Rick some advice. Rob [Beguiler] also came over to help. We went over to "Beguiler" for coffee in the afternoon and had a good visit after we started on the dinghy motor. I managed to get the laundry done ...mostly wet clothes from being caught in the rain over the last three days!

We have been playing Mexican Train dominoes after dinner. It's fun and good practise for when we get to Georgetown... it's what everyone plays while they sit around and talk! Quentin seems to like it too. It's definitely not rocket science but it is slightly strategic so you need to pay a bit of attention.

This morning is sunny and COLD -- 58 degrees here! I almost dug out the blankets last night! Today we are going to finish all the tasks today we need to get done.

Monday...or not...

When Rick took apart the dingy motor he found that we needed new gaskets. There wasn't actually a thermostat in the motor and we need one of those obviously. We also need a head a gasket but this is not a made-in-USA or a made-in-Canada motor; it's international so we have to order the G*#$^@% parts!!!

Today is cold again. I am going to dig the long sleeved shirts out of the van. We will need them for the next few days.

So we are not leaving until the parts arrive...3 to 5 days! Aaarrrrgggg!! I think we might be sending Quentin home from Miami.!! Although it appears that once we get the parts the motor will be in good working condition again. Tim figures it will be good for another 20 years. He stops by every once in a while to make sure Rick is doing it right. That's his mantra: any motor he works on is good for 20 years. I sure hope he's right!!! Of course it takes him 10 years to get it done...

On a different note...every time we drive somewhere out to a fringe store [Home Depot, Wal-Mart etc.] There is a section of the downtown that we drive through where peacocks wander all over the streets. No-one drives over the. Of course we never have the camera with us...but I will try to remember it today when we go back up there.

So, C-Soul is being launched in the next couple of days. They are in Beaufort, NC. They will probably beat us down to Miami. Modaki is ready soon to be launched and they are hoping to catch up with us. So as long as they slow down that might happen!  Beguiler is almost ready to go too, so as usual we will be bringing up the rear! If you guys all end up in the same place, introduce yourselves! We'll catch up eventually.

I did actually break out the blankets last night. I used mine and was warm! 

Nov 22 Sunday... more rain

Nov 21 Saturday

We have had three days of solid rain. The parking area is 3 inches deep in water and the washrooms are having difficulty coping with the water-logged systems.

Watching the weather news it sounds or looks like you guys are going to have a white Christmas.

So, the prop arrived for the dinghy motor. And then the mechanic asked us if we wanted to do the tune-up on our motor ourselves?! He's had it since June and I'm wondering if he thinks its toast but doesn't want to tell us.

Yesterday Rick and Quentin loaded the sails on, and I spent the day cleaning the freezer, the fridge and once again ruthlessly going through the clothes, storage, and galley stuff. I had 15 storage containers...how many leftovers can I put into a bar fridge? Even the freezer will only hold so much, and why would there be leftovers for very long...eat them! So I culled the non-Rubbermaid plastic boxes and odd dishes I have not used since we put them on the boat. Rubber scrapers... really did I need 5??

We had two blankets for every bed here... kept half.  We have put a lot of stuff in the car including the propane heater we needed all the way down last year. Rick is currently culling his hardware store so we can float above the waterline. Of course if we have to fix the dinghy motor ourselves, that will take a day at least.

This morning as I started writing this Rick realized that not only was he out of cereal, he didn't want to make pancakes so we got dressed and went out to the Golden   did our shopping and managed to get rid of some of the discarded clothes.  We got back here around 12:30, discovered we had a full coffee pot that was still hot and invited our new neighbours over, Brenda and Rob from Brighton. They also know Amazing Grace.

Rob said he needed to go up his mast and didn't look too thrilled. Brenda said he 'wasn't fond' of heights, so we let Quentin help him. Quentin went up and installed their radar reflector while Rob stood below and directed him.  Quentin thought it was cool.

Tomorrow we will work on the dinghy or, if the shop is closed, we will do all the other jobs and leave the motor until Monday. Right now Quentin is putting all of the cotter pins in the turnbuckles, and Rick is finishing up the wiring for the radio... two more jobs off the list.  I am watching the black clouds gather over us again, ready to dump on us. We had a thunderstorm this afternoon while we were having coffee. Everyone agrees that this weekend will not be the one to head out, but next week is looking better... cooler but calmer. We are going to go for dinner with Rob and Brenda to the Steak and Shake.  This will be our last restaurant meal for many weeks as we cross over and head!  Today I bought enough groceries to balance out the crap that we have in the front of the boat!

Sunday morning: it has rained incessantly since yesterday afternoon, and will be raining all day today as well. Tomorrow it's supposed to be clearing up for the week. Hopefully we will get way by Wednesday but it all depends on how good we are at fixing the dinghy.

 

attaching the radar reflector

his new friend

off the ground

neighbour going in before us

We are launched!

Friday Nov 20

We are launched! It took all day. We got picked up at 2 pm and didn't make the 300 yards to the water until 5:30. [dark] Then we had to move from the slip further into the pond to a dock because we don't have our dinghy motor back yet.

Of course the continual rain all day didn't help. We got about 4 inches of rain

We still have a bunch of things to do before we can leave and the most important is wait for the weather to settle. Someone said this morning "Oh yeah, the Christmas winds..." Oh good, this means we will have unstable air for the next month?? Didn't notice it last year; of course, last year we were in Lady's Island SC for Christmas and not in a rush

Our other issue is Customs and what they will say.  Not sure what reaction we'll get when we ask for an extension, but some Canadians are having a very positive experience and some are so dismissive and anti-rules that I wonder why they are even here if they don't like the rues they have to follow. Most are saying they just ignore the regulations. I try to avoid those people...don't want to get tarred with the same brush.

So we are at a dock but no further away from the trains. I cannot wait to get off the dock, and get away from land.  We went to 'visit' our neighbours last night. 'Beguiler' is an Endeavour Cat from Brighton Ont. Rob and Brenda are former Canadian military people who are retired and have a cat here and a cat in Ontario. This will be their first crossing over to the Bahamas.

We still have the 'administrative' things to do...groceries, laundry, tidying up and waiting for the dinghy motor.

My biggest concern is getting Quentin to the Bahamas in time to get him onto a plane and back home for Christmas. I wish he would decide to stay with us over Christmas and go home for a visit in January. We can't wait here until it's time to send him back and we can't move any faster than the weather will let us move safely. Sailors should NEVER be on a schedule.

The next three days are supposed to be rainy and stormy and then next week it supposed to get cold... 60-65 degrees [16-18C]. Good thing I still have blankets on the boat! I hope that everyone at home is surviving what looks like some real winter weather. I know Julie is ecstatic and if it makes you feel better, Julie, the public Christmas trees and decorations are up here and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet!!!

So time to go and get the rest of the work done so we can get outta here!! ttyl

Tuesday Nov 17...Wow, sorry about the gap!!

Tuesday Nov 17

For some reason this date seems significant to me; however I cannot find it. So, if it's someone's birthday I have forgotten, please accept my apology. The brain is turning to mush and I don't know how to stop it. Maybe it's this machine...we rely on them so much we let them take over our thinking too much, although Rick is just as bad and he doesn't even use it...so much for that theory. And I refuse to accept the "getting old" excuse.

We sat down this morning and said, "Oh, we should look that up before we leave."  Great, but what ???Neither of us could remember this afternoon what the great idea was this morning.  Scary.

So drive is done and we are ready to launch, except that the dinghy motor is not ready and we can't leave without it. We could go into the water and anchor out in the ICW [remember that? Inter Coastal Waterway?  Been so long I had to think about it too!]  But we still need to be able to get to shore so we need the dinghy motor!

There is really nothing going on here until we get wet.  The weather sucks... it goes from cloudy and rainy to stinking hot and steamy. The winds are on shore and gusty. It's hard to tell what the weather is really like out there. AHA !! I remembered!!!! I'm supposed to look up passage weather for the next 7 days !!!

We watch the news every morning and its different here. We are seeing the world through American eyes, and I am becoming increasingly aware that we are foreigners. There is no sense of danger but as the threat to this country increases, I become more aware of the fact that we are "non-belongers".  It's also very hard to separate from world events and ignore what is happening.

Well, it's time to go find Quentin. He is parked in the Canadian history section of the library...I think. At least that's where he SAID he was going. I need to get water and something for supper. Joseph is on his way over to talk to the Marina mechanic [owner]...needs motor help.  I hope it's nothing serious!!

Will be back when something positive occurs! Oh, but they stuck another boat into the gap so we have a baffle against the trains again...not very effective but the noise will bounce a little. Speaking of bounce, I need to do laundry too! ttyl

Remembrance Day / Veterans' Day

Wed. Nov 11 Happy Veteran's Day

Such an odd greeting...I never thought of this day as happy... solemn, serious, reflective, even sad, but not happy. But that's the greeting everyone here uses.

We took the time this morning to attend the Veteran's Day service at Veteran's Memorial Park. They gave out poppies although not recognizable by Canadian standards. These poppies are formed to look like real flowers, not flat and stylized like ours do.

The services down here are much less formal and much more personal than Remembrance Day in Canada. The veterans wear such different uniforms that it's hard to tell who is what. Today there were Marines, Navy, Army, Air force, and Coast Guard represented here. It was a short service outside with presentation of flags by the Legion and a keyboard and an accordion playing the music. We heard from a Marine and a retired Naval CPO, and the minister. The program said there would be paying of wreath but it must have happened while someone was talking because we didn't see it. After it was over [it took about an hour and they didn't stop at 11:00 ... they didn't have 3 minutes of silence; just a 21 gun salute at 11:45 and someone playing Taps very slowly...no Reveille either....also no bagpipes!!!]

We spent about 15 minutes talking to a couple of Marines, about their service and who is Senior down here. Apparently it is at the discretion of the Parade Commander, but they both agreed that the Navy was formed first in a pub in 1756 [give or take a few years.] He then told us about getting into the Marines when he wanted to be an Airman. It got lost in the details but he was very funny, and told us that there were some Canadians down there with him at that boot camp. I should have asked him if he remembered the names. My Uncle Albert Greenwood crossed into the States to train as a paratrooper with the US forces until his dad found him and dragged him back home. But this guy was too young to know Albert. He was only in his mid 60's.

So the last part finally came in today and we hope to be the water by Friday, assuming we can get everything re-assembled. So of course that means the weather is changing. We are supposed to get a low pressure bringing a cold front through. And if it works out right, we will be heading down the coast and over to Bimini by next week.  We are so tired from the heat and climbing up and down the ladder, it will be a pleasure to sit on the boat and just chill while she sails herself over to the islands.

And Mark & Gail, we were just talking about when we met you and where we were this time last year!! We were in Cape Charles at the Veterans' Day service...we met you about two weeks later heading into the Dismal Swamp! See you soon!

The catamaran behind us had its owners arrive yesterday. They are both former military from Brighton, Ontario! I hope we leave first... if they go, there is nothing between us and the trains!!

So helping time and getting back to work! Quentin is at the "office", posting his blog and hopefully getting some other work done. We are finishing the history unit this week. Stay warm... or cool, whatever you prefer. I hear the dandelions are flowering again in TBay...what no snow? Julie will be going crazy! How can you put up Christmas decorations without snow?!?!?

Quentin and Me

Storm coming

fixing the traveler deck

mess of masts 

service today

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...but mostly Trains Nov 10

Tuesday Nov 10 ...Planes, trains and automobiles...well mostly TRAINS

Seems to me that this time last year I was nowhere near the Bahamas either. I am about 4 states closer than last year but it doesn't feel like it!

Rick's glasses came yesterday and he won't wear them while he's working on the boat so they should last FOREVER! The part still hasn't arrived...of course we didn't expect it until tomorrow anyway. And we aren't ready for it although we are closer. Today Quentin and I cleaned up under the boat while we were waiting for Rick to come back with the propane and specialized motor paint. [It's funny but every time I type the word "paint" I leave off the the "t" ...Freudian slip??]

We went to the beach yesterday and enjoyed the surf for about an hour. We can't stay there very long because it gets dark earlier down here...like 6 pm, so we need to be out of the water at feeding time and get back to the boat before we can't find it!

Right now Rick is finishing the traveller track...putting the hardware back so we can hook up the boom. I have finished the white pain although you can't tell because our feet are so dirty from the dust in here that there are grey tracks all over it. I will be able to wash it when we get out to sea.

We have had a few planes flying very low over the boatyard, but I'm not worried... there are too many Canadians here for them to find us easily...just kidding... we can prove that we have taken so long to get out because we were waiting for parts.  If the boat won't go...

There are a growing number of Ontario plates down here. In fact, Sunday when we went to the beach there were about 50 cars parked along the road and over half of them were from Canada...a couple from Alberta, and several from Ontario but mostly Quebec!

 It was the 30th Anniversary of the Navy Seal Museum this weekend and we should have gone but we forgot about it until we went to the beach Sunday. I say we should have gone...I should have gone...Tatum O'Neil was the guest speaker ['Magic Mike']. But really, I'm old enough to be his grandmother!! Right?

Well, I've not got much to tell you because we haven't got that much accomplished...I now know what hell is...living and working in a boatyard! Especially with the TRAINS right behind us. I was taking to a Floridian who lives just across the tracks in the Village of St. Lucie. He says he's used to it but he admits that the engineers take great delight in blowing the horns as loud and as long as they can.

 Today the internet is really slow so I'm not sure I will get to post pictures with this. Tomorrow we are going to find a Remembrance Day service so we can attend. I think Quentin will find the contrast interesting.

ttyl

 

Painting the traveler deck with non-skid

Quentin found live sponges

Salt Shaker and Pace

All the boys...Daniel and Pace, Quentin, Sam and Amariah [boy]

More waiting ... more heat ugh!

November 6, Friday

So we are waiting for ANOTHER part...the one we got to cover the shaft where it was scored is too small so we need an extra one. In the meantime we are painting the boat decks white. OMG what a difference! It drops the temperature by about 10 degrees in the boat...covering up the primer finally and getting a reflective white paint to deflect the sun.

I know that you guys are getting colder up here and I am finally going to admit this heat is really getting to me. It is abnormally hot here... everyone is complaining about it!  We are starting to work at 6 am just so we can do it without passing out !

Yesterday was a surprise!  Joe and Yvonne stopped by to see us n their way to their boat in Okeechobee. It was nice to see familiar faces!  And just as they were leaving Gail and Mark called us to say they were starting out for their boat! Quentin will be losing his friend tomorrow or Sunday...Daniel and his family are heading over to the Abacos and Hopetown, so he won't see them until we get over there and only if they head down to Georgetown. So he has the day off today from school so he can spend the time with Dan. He's helping them get the boat ready... good practise for when it's our turn.

Yvonne gave me some good shopping tips for Ft. Pierce...places that I hadn't discovered yet.

Today is going to be clean up the inside and re-pack the sail locker and the workshop.  Our goal is to get everything done so the last thing we need to do before we launch is assemble the prop shaft.

Not much news today. I'm sitting in Wendy's parking lot using their internet...not too stable right now, so I'm going back to the boat. I've checked email and sent some messages. So ttyl...stay warm J

Whaddya mean it's November?!?!

November 4

OMG - one month away from Christmas and we are still stuck in Florida!!!

Sorry, I've been slack here but things are heating up literally and its taking longer than we ever expected to get off the land. Hopefully we can be in the water by the weekend. For some reason Rick is dragging his feet...not sure what that's about except that we are still waiting to find out if our dinghy motor will live and I suspect that's what's taking so long.

If you caught Liz's message on facebook re: Quentin and his focus, I had said that he could go back to Canada next year and re-do grade 10. Liz's comment was that he could leave paradise now and go home to do it.

Let me be clear: THIS IS NOT PARADISE!!! 

·         It is 239 +/- steps from the boat to the bathroom...one way. How far do you have to walk to YOUR bathroom?

·          Lots of times there is a wait time of 10-15 minutes before someone in there finishes their cigarette, their book or simply wakes up. 

·         Does the expression "Crapped a cow" hold any meaning for you?  The bathrooms are revolting at the best of times

·          You cannot drink the water. It is so sulphur-y that it is hard to believe we don't smell like rotten eggs after we shower.

·         The freaking trains are unbelievable. We compare notes in the morning as to how many times we heard them. I think engineers here get to pick their own horns and they hold contests to see who can blow it the loudest and longest!

·         The dust in the yard is a combination of limestone and shells. There is the constant feeling of grit in your teeth, in your hair, in your eyes, in your ears...

·         We are buried in the back of the yard and all the other boats around us block the wind so there is no breeze that reaches us in the boat.

I think if it weren't for his friends he might have opted to go home already...I know I've been considering it!!

Hallowe'en [I don't care what your computer tells you...this IS the right spelling] worked out better than I expected. Quentin wanted to go trick or treating with Daniel and Pace, and their parents were fine with it. I was a little iffy since he is 5'6" and doesn't look like a little kid but that's me.... so I had a brain wave!  We dressed him up in his ordinary clothes, including socks and a tie. Put on some nerdy glasses frames and I made him up a name tag that said he was from Statistics Canada, and he carried a clipboard. His question was: At what age should kids give up 'trick-or-treating'?  Brilliant, right?  He didn't look like he was begging for candy but he got a good haul anyway: some people recognized that he was a nerd right away; some people even had a name for him!! The only problem was everyone wanted to talk to him and he was holding up Pace and Daniel!!

Sunday night we decided to go back to the Steak and Shake because I was too tired from working to cook, and it is still stupid hot here.  We took Daniel with us and then stopped at the Carnival...good move. Quentin and Daniel each got to ride all the rides and we didn't have to! They were on the assorted shake-up machines for about 2 hours and we just sat on the grass and watched the world go by! The toughest part was getting back on our feet!

This morning we were up at 5:30 and by 6:00 a.m. I was painting the decks. Rick got up and helped and then Quentin came out and we got it done by 8:00 a.m.

The parts arrived for the drive and Rick is taking them up to a machine shop today to have the bearings pressed on and then we can re-assemble it and try it out.  MY worst job is to try to re-organize all the stuff we have on the boat that has to stay there. I am putting most of the cold weather clothes in the van and they will be ready for us when we get back next year but not take up so much space.

So, time to go and find him. He went out to the van 20 minutes ago to get a chocolate bar and hasn't returned yet. I think Daniel is upstairs working and that's where he's gone. I need a leash! ttyl

The nerd but you can't see the socks!

Swimming again

The new toy

A stormy day ... too rough to swim