Barns, Beans, and the Corn is looking good

  So, after you pass the Golden Domed WV State Capitol Building in Charleston WV. you follow I-64 over a little way past Nitro WV and pick up another one of my favorite roads.
  Actually for years it was one of my most feared roads. In years past, US-35 was a very narrow 2 lane road that ran along the beautiful Kanawa River in WV. It has since been replaced in part by a new 4 lane divided highway and it bypasses some of the scariest part.
  When I first started driving Big Trucks, one of my first trips was along this route. I was new, I was nervous, and this road was bumper to bumper with Big Trucks who were in a a very big hurry. It was dark, and to top it off this part is very prone to dense fog as well. The road runs along the Kanawa River, and I mean on places it is RIGHT NEXT to the River, and there are places where it is clear the land is shifting, and looks like it may slide away any moment. When you were going along and would hit one of these area where the road had shifted and been patched over and over the truck would rock violently sometimes launching your beloved coffee cup across the cab, covering everything with the needed caffeine juice.
  It follows the river over to where you pass what used to be the biggest Ammunition Factories in the country, several chemical plants, and a few refineries, all constantly being serviced by huge River Barges that navigate the Kanawa, and Ohio Rivers carrying anything you possibly imagine that would fit into a barge. It's a bit distracting trying to drive, and watch the big barges, being constantly amaZed at how they could possibly make these huge rafts of barges go where they want them to go. How they negotiate the constantly twisting river course, the never ending bridges, and then slide them in and out of any number of huge River Locks that make navigation on the Inland River System possible, is always so interesting  to me.
  Once you cross the the big bridge in Point Pleasant which I think is named after Chuck Yeager of "The Right Stuff" fame, you follow US-35 diagonally across southern Ohio in what I always enjoy as "the parade of barns".
  As some may know I am a huge fan of barns. I guess is comes from working in the fields as a kid in Ohio. I just love looking at all the different barn designs, and some of them are huge. It's hard to believe how they could have possibly built these giant wood structures back in the days without cranes, man lifts, and structural steel. Many of these giant beasts were raised by hand, and held together with "post and tenon" joints which basically means they are held together by hand driven wooden pegs.
  From Southeastern Ohio, to where I am not in eastern Minnesota you are treated to expansive green plains of mile after mile of corn fields, followed by bean fields, that alternate like that across a half a doZen states.
  The barn designs change as you go depending on the brand of Immigrants who were settled in that area. It also changes depending on the amount of "snow load" the structures were expected to have to support. The farther north you go the steeper the pitch of the roofs, and often the rounder the roofs would be.
  All along this route you are driving thru the Ohio Valley where the dirt is real dirt, not red clay. The dirt is dark, nearly black, very fertile, and you can smell it, because it smells like real dirt should smell.
  The rivers flow slowly, and wind in craZy snake like routes. One such river is the Scioto River which is a shallow winding river I played in, and built Tom Sawyer type rafts to float on when I was a kid. Looking back now I realiZe it was probably very polluted and it's a wonder any of us are still alive after swimming in it and probably drinking from it too.
  So the barns are looking good, the corn is very tall, and the beans are looking great.
  More later about Michigan, and the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. And by the way......I am pretty sure I have entered "Indian Country".

Driving The Dynamite Trail

One of the gifts of my truck driving trip to Minneapolis MN is that I got to drive what we refer to as  "The Dynamite Trail". Regular folks call it the West Virginia Turnpike.
  When I was a kid, my Father was an Iron Worker. He walked "tall steel" all over the Eastern U.S.
  In the beginning he worked for a company named American Bridge, and later for a company called Armstrong Construction.
  Back then the American Interstate System was being built in big sections. Some sections were completed fairly early, and some sections like I-95 thru South Carolina and Georgia were not finished until the mid 1970's.
  When I was maybe 6 or 8 the section of I-64 in WV was where Dad worked a lot and he would take me with him in the summer. The safety laws were very different back then and I would hang out on the job site  all day. The other Iron Workers would keep an eye on me, and the Crane Operator named Joe Armstrong took me under his wing and I spent a lot of time in the cab of the crane with Joe.
  When there was nothing to lift or place with the crane (between picks) Joe and I would take out fishing poles down to the river under the bridge they were building and fish until they needed something picked with the crane and then we would have to run up the steep riverbanks so Joe could operate the crane. Joe taught me how to operate a Bay City Friction Crane when I was 8 years old.
  I will never forget the sight or sound of when they would "shoot" the side of a mountain. That was when after days or weeks of drilling into solid rock they would stuff the deep narrow holes with Dynamite, tie them altogether with Det Cord (detonation cord), and then when it was all just right the sirens would go off, someone would yell over the radio FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!! and the earth under your feet would vibrate, and a whole side of a mountain would swell. Then you would hear the noise of the explosion, and the rocks, and giant cloud of dust would slide down the mountainside.
  Those Explosive Guys were almost artistic. The carved stone. They created shapes and slopes, and they did it all with TNT.
  I spent hours watching the D-9 BulldoZer Operators work on slopes so steep you would swear they somehow had figured out how to defy the Laws of Gravity with huge steel machines that weighed tons. Every now and then I would hear the Iron Workers, or maybe the State Bridge Inspectors talking quietly about how "So and so had one get away from him on the grade......the funeral would be announced after they recovered the body".
  Even now when I drive the Interstates that are carved out of mountains, I look up and I can still picture what were massive iron machines, that looked like some sort of bugs crawling up and down the grades that seemed be far too steep for anything to stick to.
  So......I have some history with The Dynamite Trail, and I love driving both I-64, and I-77 which is actually the WV Turnpike.
  West Virginia is one of the most underrated States in the Union. It is unique in geography and culture.
  We have some wonderful mountains in North Carolina, but the WV Mountains incredible. Once you cross the The Blue Ridge, and go thru the I-77 Tunnel at Big Walker Mountain you see that the mountains become much more rugged. They seem to be steeper, and more of them.
  In NC you often navigate by the names of hundreds of roads usually named after a Family, with the words CHURCH after it, Like Shiloh Church Road.
  If it is not named after a church it is probably named after a family with the word Dairy tacked on.
  In WV it seems that every road be it paved or little more than a mud path is named after the Creek it follows.
  Driving the Interstate thru WV you look out and get the feeling that if you ventured off the Big Road more than a quarter of a mile you would quite possibly be lost forever.
  The WV Turnpike is a fun road to drive. I am not sure but I may have exceeded the posted speed limit one time. It is even more fun on a Motorcycle.
  John Denver sang "almost heaven, West Virginia" and as a Motorcycle Rider, it truly is Motorcycle Heaven.
  I always talk about "taking the big motorcycle trip" by riding all the way across the country, but the reality of it is, I could spend the rest of my life riding and could not even begin to cover the range of EXCELLENT motorcycle rides just in North Carolina and West Virginia.
  So I command you........put down the controller, the mouse, turn off the computer, get in your car, your truck, get on your bike and head North on I-77, up over Fancy Gap Virginia, over the New River, thru the tunnels, and drive the Dynamite Trail, then follow I-64 West to Charleston WV and look at one of the prettiest gold leaf decorated Capital Domes in the country.
  I promise.....you will understand what John Denver was talking about.
 

A long time between posts.

I have been trying to figure out the best method to pass on info while I am delivering these yachts South to Florida.
I started out writing everything in my logbook, but that meant I would have to recopy everything into Facebook if I wanted to share it with my Friends..
SO for now I am going to enter things into this blog, which is supposed to share things on FB, and I will save the logbook for just basic details of boat details.

July 11th Britnick at Jekyll Island GA

I had dropped a shallow anchor the evening before when we were aground. The tough part was we were nearly in sight of the marina I was headed to in order to make repairs.

I dropped the anchor without much scope. Scope is the amount of anchor line (rode) you let out to allow for the boat to swing with the wind and current. More scope means the angle is lower and lets the anchor hook into the bottom better.

I had gotten lazy, and did not allow much scope because I was going to have to haul it all in again in a few hours.

When I woke up around 0730 I peaked my head up through the companionway to see how things were and...................I did not recognize a damned thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The tide had come in, the boat had freed itself, and the short anchor line had just barely done it's job. It seems that we had drifted MORE THAN A MILE while I was sleeping!

The Crew was still alseep, and I was more than happy to them remain there until I figured out where we were, and had figured out how to ge t back to where we needed to be.

I sorted out where we were, but with no navigation charts for that area I could not be sure just how to get back without running aground again.

I identified where the channels was off in the distance, and could even see a couple of other boats running there.

There was no guarantee though that there was enough water between where we were, and where the channel was. I just had to try and read the water, and pray.....lol

Once I did get us back in the channel, I began sailing under just the jib sail, and sailed right past the spot we needed to be. When I finally figured out I needed to turn around, I was nearly a mile away again.

Once I had gotten us back to where we needed to be I woke up the Crew and radio'd the Jekyll Island Marina to let them know I was inbound under sail, with no other power.

I had thought I was a little silly to spend the extra money for a handheld VHF Marine radio, but it paid off when all the other radios and instruments went down.

By shear luck we made a very smoothing docking at5 Jekyll Island Marine, and the Crew looked like rats escaping a burning ship.....................lol

They had all had enough of that boat for a while, and I can't say I can blame them. It had not been a "wonderful" trip so far and I was very afraid I had spoiled them forever on the idea of sailing.

Miss Bonnie had been a great sport but the endless heat had taken it's toll on her. Even though she had skipped a chemo treatment she just does not have the strength it takes to participate in the actual sailing, and eventually even climbing the ladder (steps) from the salon to the cockpit became such a chore she had to combine trips. The ventilation in here bunk was not all that ggod either so even when she could get down there it was pretty hot and stuffy.

At the beginning of the trip I told the Crew that if anyone wanted to get off the trip they could. I had asked the question in St. Augustine FL and everyone wanted to stay for the next leg, which was an open ocean leg.

When I asked the question again in Jekyll Island GA everyone was more than ready to take the ride home.

The Jekyll Island marina is a great place with pool, jacuzzi, great seafood restaurant, and free loaner bicycles to use.

I figured out the problem with the boat was due to some bad connectors on the alternator which I had been a little suspect of, but it was running so I had focused on other issues.

So... the batteries were charged, the engine was running BUT........we were running out of time because Miss Bonnie had to be back for her chemo, and I needed to be back to do an event in Raleigh NC.

We decided to dock the boat at Jekyll Island Marina. I decided I would hitch-hike the 80 miles back to Jacksonville FL to get my truck. Jim Brady arranged for a friend to come from Jacksonville FL to get me and take me back to get the Suburban.

The crew spent the night at the marina, and I returned about 0500 (5am) we loaded up the suburban and took off to return Britney and Nick (BRITNICK) to their Parental Units in Hillsborough NC.

Miss Bonnie and myself finally arrived back at my house about 10pm, and my bed felt very, very good.

July 10 2011 0045 (12:45am) Leaving the ocean

So being very pleased with the first open water navigation in a long time, and with the Crew all, asleep in the cockpit, I entered the Cumberland Sound from seaward.

It was soooo quiet, and sooo clear, and there was just enough moonlight to be able to make out vague features. The water was like a flat mirror.

In the song Southern Cross, there is a line that says something about "knowing why we came this way". It was that kind of feeling, where you say to yourself "all that other junk was worth it if it got me to this moment".

The engine had been working at about half power. I was not sure just why, but we were moving, it was dark, I was very tired, and I decided not to mess with anything as long as we were moving.

Britney and Nick were out like a light, exhausted from a tough day on awkward seas. Miss Bonnie had taken her evening meds she needs to deal with the effects of the her chemo, and was sleeping sitting up in the cockpit so the kids had room to curl up on each side.

We passed the Kings Bay Naval base where the Triton Submarines live. You pass right by it, but not too near because they get pretty tense if you get too close to their "Boomers".

I had paper charts to work with up to the point where we entered Cumberland Sound, and had lots of electronic navigation stuff as well. I had intended stopping in St. Marys GA to get the other paper charts I needed to proceed, but it was late and I decided to deal with it in the morning.

I noticed that the navigation lights seemed a little dim, then saw that other instruments had gone dead, and the engine seemed to be getting weaker and weaker.

I made a bad call at this point. I needed to go below and see what was causing the electrical problem, but needed someone to steer while I did it.

I awakened Miss Bonnie out of a very deep sleep, said "take this tiller and steer for a minute" then jumped below to check things.

This was in a very narrow channel, and about a minute later I felt the boat come to a pronounced stop.........

It was totally wrong and unfair to have put Bonnie in that position, and she had not had time to wake up or focus and she strayed out of the channel, and we were aground, the engine stalled, and would not restart. The batteries were all dead, the lights were out, the navigation stuff was blank.

It was 0300, I had been at it for 17 hours, I was very tired, and told everyne to go to their bunks and get some sleep.

For the next 2 hours I did what is called "kedging". This is where you do your best to throw an anchor out as far as possible, let it set, then haul it in, hoping you can pull the whole boat in the direction you want that will get you ungrounded.

Using 2 anchors, for the next 3 hours I tossed and pulled, tossed and pulled, until I finally got us of the bottom. I was exhausted.

I decided to just anchor there, and get some much needed sleep.

3 hour later I woke up, only to see that I had NOT gotten up into deep enough water, the tide had gone out while I was sleeping, and we were now aground AGAIN!!!!!!!!

It was 0800 and there was nothing to do but wait for the tide to turn and bring back enough water for us to float off and be on our way.

At 1530 (3:30pm) I finally had enough water up me to try to get away. I began to haul in an anchor and it seemed "hung" on something. I tried the stern anchore and got the same thing. After and hour of hauling, grunting and cussing, I finally figured out that during the night, with the turning of the tide the boat had spun a couple of times and the anchor lines (rodes) had become twisted on each other.

More cussing, grunting, tugging, and with the help of the Kids, I was able to untangle the mess.

Finally we were floating free, but still in a narrow channel, with no power, now batteries, and I had NOT gotten the fresh paper charts I needed so we were really going to have to be "Real Sailors".

For the next 6 hours we sailed under just the jib sail, through narrow channels, thru salt marshes, in switchy winds, with no charts. I think it was actually one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip for the Crew. We were doing some difficult sailing, and doing it well.

At about 2330 hrs (11:30pm) with a marina where we could make repairs, eat, shower, and just plain get off the boat in sight.....I felt the all too familiar thud of the keel of the boat going into the mud AGAIN.

I had done pretty well in such shallow waters all day, but in the dark, and with only 3 hours sleep in 2 days, I had run us aground again, within sight of our goal.

I tried to kedge again for a little while and then decided to just sleep it off, and deal with it in the morning.

I dropped a shallow anchor, and layed out in the cockpit (where I like to sleep when it's nice weather) and pretty much passed out.

I woke everyone, told

July 9th We left St. Augustine

So with the repair made, we were better rested, and fed and left St. Augustine light behind us at 1100.

It was the first open ocean exposure for Miss Bonnie, Britney, and Nick and my first time "on the outside" with BRITNICK. (she is a fine sailing boat by the way)

The seas were wonderful, the wind out of the south, a clear sky and a good weather forecast.

The course from the St.Augustine sea buoy to St. Mary's Inlet GA is nearly due north, and with the south wind it should have been an easy sail.

There were some large thunder storms far to the south, and while we were not getting any of the wind, or rain, we were getting some confusing wave patterns, and in the light winds caused the boat to pitch and roll in some very awkward rhythms.

The rolly-polly motion sent poor Nick to the rail in short order, where he remained most of the next 10 hours or so.

Britney's runs for the rail were less frequent but still enough to make for a tough day. She seemed to have a little better time of it.

Miss Bonnie seemed un-phased, and I will have to admit there were a few times where I felt a little twinge of queezyness.

We sailed all day, then the afternoon t-storms began to build. We were very lucky that they seemed to move around us, but the flukey winds, and confused seas made the ride unfriendly.

Finally the wind died, though the seas retained a slight chop. We had to fire up the engine in order to make way.

They engine started very awkwardly (should have been a clue) and it never did run up to snuff the rest of the evening, and gave off more offensive exhaust fumes. The engine was weak as if only running on maybe 2 cylinders out of 4.

Once again due to my fear of the sour exhaust fumes I made everyone remain on deck. It was not a popular decision but I just could not figure out how to explain how I had let the whole crew die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Finally about 0045 on the 10th we left the open ocean, and entered the ICW again. I was very pleased with myself that after the issues of sick crew, fluky winds, confused seas, and engine issues, we had arrived only about 1/2 mile form the St.Mary's Inlet sea buoy. Not bad for being off the water for the last 20 years.

Then it gets a little interesting. See the next post.

Getting it all caught up

So we ended up leaving the dock on the morning of the 4th of July. We sailed during the day and decided to anchor in the St. Johns River where it runs thru downtown J-ville.

They towed in 2 huge barges loaded with fireworks and we watched a great fireworks show from the boat, then slept there at anchor for the night.

As we were setting anchor, with Miss Bonnie at the tiller I heard the tone of the engine change (bad sign). When I checked it out I found that a connection in the exhaust system had blown out. It was very noisy, and releasing heat and ugly exhaust fumes below decks.

I worked up a patch from an olive can and 2 soda cans which solved the heat and noise problem a little, but the fumes were still terrible and dangerous.

We motored all day and until about 2230 (10:30pm) and I could not let anyone go below for more than a couple of minutes. Everyone had to stay on deck for the whole long day, and it was tough on them.

We got close enough to St. Augustine to see the glow from the city, and we anchored out for the rest of the night.

I was far too tired to try and pick my way into a strange harbor at night so we just went to sleep. At least we could all go down below since the engine was shut down and the fumes were not an issue for a while.

The next day (July 5th) we motored in to St. Augustine early in the morning, got a slip at the City Marina, and spent most of the day just getting well needed showers, doing a little laundry, and looking forward to dinner at the Santa Maria Restaurant which is right next to the City Marina. It was good but not great. The kids enjoyed feeding the fish thru the trap doors though. See santamariarestaurant.com

The original idea was to sail south to watch the last Space Shuttle launch. When we started hearing that there was a 76% chance of no-go due to weather we decided to just hang out in St.Augustine and enjoy it.

I removed the offending exhaust parts, did a little 4 mile round trip hike to the local muffler shop, where the guy made a PERFECT replalcement part from looking at the broken bits I had brought along. When I asked how much, expecting to really get gouged, he thought for a minute and said "$5.00 should cover it". I shoved a twenty in his hand and walked out the door. He was an Artist of the Exhaust Tube Bending Arts.

I really fell in love with St.Augustine. I see myself going back there often. I love the old feeling of the city, as well as the flavor of the ocean setting. It's also a college town so it's also a bit of a freak show, which I like too.

Sunday last day in J-Ville Florida.

FINALLY made it out for a sea trial with the green crew.

I am very pleased to say that everyone did very well with it.

This is a tough thing though. They are trying to learn a whole new language about sailing, with new terms, and lots of procedures. I am very rusty in my skills, and am trying to get back up to speed myself.

When you add the problem of two "very large" adults who are hard to get around in a small space, the heat, and the fact that for the most part none of them have ANY boating experience to speak of....well I think they did great.

Britney has called "dibs" on that spot way out on the bow, and seems to enjoy the quiet as we are moving thru the water.

Nick is doing well with trying to stay focused with all this new information flowing in, and while his stomach is a little uneasy, he seems to be learning ways to deal with that too.

Miss Bonnie is watching everyone flying around, listening to all the new weird terms, and being very concerned about where "all this junk" is going to go?"

I have to be careful and remind myself that she has the Cancer, and even in her good weeks the chemo makes here tired. It's hot, and a lot of activity, and she has been being a real champ.

When I am giving directions, especially on the boat, I speak loud, and get a little stern, so it can easily be misconstrued for being mad, when I am not. It think it is a leftover from the Marine Corps, and most folks don't know how to take it. To some folks it sounds like yelling, but I am really just trying to make myself clear....."crystal clear".

So far the plan is to actually depart Jacksonville FL today, probably sometime in mid afternoon.

We will try to leave in time to take advantage of the outgoing tide in the St. Johns River where we are berthed, and ride it out towards the ocean, where we will go south on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) towards St. Augustine FL.

The is an Air Show scheduled for for over around Amelia Island FL for around 1630 (4:30pm), and I would like to be out there in time to see it but my guess is it will be a miracle if we make it out there by dark....lol

I had thought about seeing the local huge fireworks display, but then The Crew informed me that I was running a day ahead of time in my brain and seeing the J-Ville fireworks would involve staying another day.

So the sun is coming up, and it's time for me to get rolling on some things I need to do before the Crew wakes up.

I do want to say that while there has been a lot of work to do, and money has been spent, this boat so far has exceeded ALL my expectations. It sails like a champ, is very stable, seems pretty fast even when I am not trying to squeeze every bit of speed out of her I can get, and it's a pretty boat as well.

Because I did not have the time to bring all my sign stuff with me, I have not painted the name on the boat.

Miss Bonnie insisted we could not travel without a name, so I finally relented and went down to the local "Signs this very freakin second" stick on sign shop", and was going to order some vinyl letters from a local place. This was ALL very much against my ego to pay some other Dude over a hundred scoots for some stick on crap, but I was trying to be sensible. After all I can only be some many things at one time.

Evidently the "stick on, crap sign business" is good enough around here that the local "Sign Guys" do NOT need to work Saturdays, so I was rescued from the prospect of doing all that.

I just don't think I can deal with someone else's plastic on my boat. I'll deal with it after I get it back to NC.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July! While this holiday has so much to do with our history if rebellion, and revolution, I think it would be a great time fr us ALL to take a look at things that are going on around us in our country, and ask some very serious questions about if we are conducting ourselves in a manner of "the loyal opposition" and just how damaging all this divisiveness in our country is. I think of folks that call themselves Christians but have no charity or compassion. Call themselves Patriots, but then put profit over people and ship much needed jobs overseas.

I see trouble on the horizon, and it's not from China (although they do scare me) or Muslims, or the Russians......it's from US....the Citizens of the U.S. who are becoming so polarized that I am afraid we have become our own worst enemy.

Greed, self centeredness, and concentration of wealth in the hands of too few may well be our downfall. It's a historical thing that has repeated several times throughout history.

We have a lot of questions to answer and it's not about President Obama, it's about each and every one of us, our values, and if we are on the SAME TEAM or not?

Am I REALLY "my Brothers keeper", am I REALLY following the instruction to "Love One another"? Is this one nation or not?

I am a Veteran, and some days I hear a LOT of stuff that I just don't understand. They say "this is what we fought for". Well a lot of what I see and hear these days is NOT what I signed up to Honor, Protect, and Defend.

We have met the enemy......and unfortunately.....he really IS US.

Saturday July 2 STILL in Jacksonville FL dammit!

Yesterday was a bit of a challenge.

Let's see....battery cables fried on Suburban and had to clean and fix all that.

One Crew Member was down all day with the "monthly flue".

It turns out that some things that I needed to finish some tasks on the boat were left back in my garage in NC.

I tried to wear a pair of used deck shoes someone had willed me a few years ago, and they immediately caused multiple blisters.

Then the truck ran out of gas (bad gauge) and I had to walk a good ways barefoot, on the hot pavement, with all the sand spurs to get the refill.

And did I mention it's so freakin hot I can't think?

The good news is....I own several vehicles that I can drive.

My Crew member will bounce back.

There are plenty of stores, and I have the money to get the stuff I need to finish the boat.

I have more shoes than any "straight " man should own.

I had a gas can in the truck, and the station was not too far.

I am in Florida on a long vacation, with my Grandkids, and Sweetie, so we can play with MY sailboat.

I did NOT have to put on Body Armor before going to work this morning.

It's not NEARLY as hot as it is in Iraq.!!!!!!!!!!

We hope to sail this afternoon, and move aboard the boat in the morning. Then actually move on toward central Jacksonville FL. There should be great fireworks from the barges, and bridges, and they do a radio simulcast, and time the fireworks and strobe lights to the patriotic music.

Friday July 1 2011 Still in Jacksonville FL

Soooooo like usual, something that should have taken maybe one day has taken all week

I broke off a bolt in the shift/throttle control, and it took the better part of 3 days to get it out, drill out the broken bolt, re-tap the thing, then get it all back where it needs to be, and adjusted.

I have also spent a lot of time running around getting other stuff I have needed or just wanted. It's a never ending list....lol

Today I should actually get everyone out on the water for some sailing instruction. For most of the week "The Crew" (Britney, Nick, and Miss Bonnie) have been safely tucked away in the hotel sheltered from the heat, and steps away from the pool. They have also not had to put up with all my cussing every time I bust another knuckle.

The original concept was to leave here this morning, sail north on the Atlantic Inter-coastal Waterway and arrive in the Savannah GA/ Beaufort SC area to visit friends and share the Fourth of July.

I remembered that the LAST Space Shuttle Launch is on the 8th, and have decided that we will instead sail south to the Titusville FL area so we can watch the final Shuttle launch from the boat.

Then we will sail north to the Pamlico Sound area of NC where we need to arrive by July 17th. It was the 15th but Miss Bonnie got her chemo appointment changed by a few days.

I feel like today things will start falling together and everyone will feel like we are actually on a sailing vacation, and not being held hostage in a hotel.

This evening should be a shopping night and tomorrow we should leave on the 1000hrs ebb tide. That will make it easier to get out of the St. Johns River to the Atlantic Ocean entrance.

We will still stay in the Inter-coastal Waterway (ICW) but the junction of the river and ICW is near the mouth of the river.

When we head south towards the Kennedy Space Center for the launch, we will be able to make stops in St. Augustine FL as well as Daytona Beach FL.

The biggest challenge of today will be getting The Crew up, fed and out of here by 0800. They have been on a pretty slack schedule, and when I say we need to get an early start, there is a fair amount of frowning and eye rolling, with Mis Bonnie being the ring leader.......lol

Wednesday June 28 2011 Jacksonville FL

We got here after midnight and I got a late start. We are staying in a hotel for the first few days while we get the boat ready.

I took the Crew (Miss Bonnie, Britney, and Nick) to West marine and there was a 4th of July sale on. I decided to go ahead and spend the extra money to but automatic inflating life vest for everyone. They are very comfortable to wear....not like the big orange things. IF you hit the water they auto inflate. Pretty pricy stuff but if it motivates everyone to wear the life vests more, then it is worth it.

It was so hot we pretty much ended up back at the hotel by 6pm.

Britney volunteered to get in the Bosun's chair and be cranked up the 44 foot tall mast to change out the bulbs in the masthead light which is all the way at the top. Then she did the Steaming Light which is half way up, and the Foredeck Light as well. I need to get the replacement bulbs and today she will go back up an reinstall them.

We are getting off to a very slow start. I hope to take them out for a little training sail this afternoon or evening.

First day in Jacksonville FL

All the plans (which I prefer to call CONCEPTS) changed. The train trip to get here was going to be ALL at night, so I switched to a one way rental car, which would be over $500.

I decided that I could better use the 500 scoots to bring the Suburban back to life. So after I put in new brake lines, plugs, wires, fixed the A/C, new insurance, and over a hundred freakin dollars for a registration........we arrived here in Jacksonville FL a little after midnight last night.

The next few days will be taking care of some thing on the boat "BRITNICK" and doing some sailing lessons for the "very green" crew, and I hope to be out of here maybe Thursday morning on the outgoing tide.

There is a GREAT kind of junk store/used boat parts place over in St. Augustine FL call the" Sailors Exchange". I is all things boat. It is a fantastic place to find used treasures. We will also tour around St. Augustine a little. Right about now I could use a little of that Fountain of Youth juice.

I am soooo disorganized

We are set to leave for Jacksonville FL on Monday morning and I am running WAY behind on everything.

This is not uncommon, but I had great hopes that maybe this time I would pull it off without being down to the very last minute, leaving grouchy, and with no sleep.

The Grand Kids Britney, and Nick will be there and Miss Bonnie will have just gotten out of the hospital from her Chemo, and she will be very sick. I need to be on my best behavior.

I need to get away from this computer and get at other tasks but I also am trying to get back to the habit of writing something everyday.

This will probably be what I use as a "Ships Log" so I need to get in the habit.

Looking at the dates of the postings here it is very clear to me that life is running away from me at a break neck speed.

I am in Nashville right now nearing the end of a big corporate gig at the Gaylord Opryland complex.

I will return on Monday the 2oth and then soend the week getting ready for a trip where Miss Bonnie, Britney my 16 yr old Grand Daughter, and Nick my 14 year old Grand Son will take the train on the 27th from Raleigh NC to Jacksonville Fl where we will board my 30 foot Tartan sailboat "Britnick" and spend a couple of weeks sailing back up the coast to the Pamlico Sound area of NC.

I am hoping on the trip things will slow down enough so I can get some posts up to date.

Remember.....play nice, and ENJOY!

So I have been doing the Facebook thing, and not enjoying it. Since I recently acquired a used 30' sailboat, and would like to share the experience I have decided to go back to the blogging format.

I will TRY to get things caught up but I would spend nearly all my time writing if I could. It would seem there is far, far too much junk floating around inside my brain.

Plz feel free to share with others, and to comment on what ya think.

As for the kiosk....I have now moved it back to Nov 1. I MAY be able to go in mid Oct if they will do a half month deal.

I have been working so much doing video/event stuff that I a still NOT prepared for the kiosk.

Next week things should slow down and I can concentrate on the kiosk.

I am finding that I am tired of what feels like the chaos of the event/entertainment industry. I am grateful for the income, and like really like being good at what I do....BUT.....it is not serving my creative side, and I want to have more control over my life and time schedule. Life is getting shorter by the minute and I am finding that the stuff that was important is not so anymore.

I am craving more quiet time, less drama, more slow interaction with people rather than wham bam!

Have NOT given up

I have not stopped blogging. Just trying to find a routine where I will take the time to do it consistently.

I am also trying to write in a place where it will reach the most people, and I don't think very many folks are looking at this.

All I ever wanted for Christmas

First off, I need to say that I did not grow up in any kind of poverty. If fact it was just the opposite. My Father was an Iron Worker. Even a little more rare, he was a college educated Iron Worker, and he was
always in great demand, as the construction industry was booming. It was the years of building the Interstate Road System, The Alaskan Pipeline, and any number of other huge projects being built in the
post Korean War boom.

My Father worked on the first Nuclear Power Plant in the country in Portsmouth Ohio. This is where he met my Mother. He was a young handsome Iron Worker, with a pocket full of money and a love for fast
cars, motorcycles and the good times, and she was a young woman born in Scott's Hollow Kentucky, who had decided that she needed to get out of the "last house in the last hollar" and had moved to Portsmouth, and was working in a beauty shop there.

Somewhere there are some pictures of them out riding horses. He was so handsome, with a wide smile, a straight back, and broad shoulders. You could tell as he sat atop the horse that this was a man whose body was strong, and quick.

My Mom..........well my Mom was beautiful.

It must have been 1950 or so, and I guess Mom was one to be on the cutting edge of fashion, because she had on one of the sweaters that seem to be associated with the time, and she was as they say .... BUILT. There were other pictures of them laughing, and always smiling.

In later years when I would see those pictures the thing that seemed so very out of place were their smiles. I don't recall the smiles when I was growing up. Oh they would smile individually, but the smiles 
between them as a couple must have stopped by the time my memory began. Still....looking at the pictures....I'm sure that there was a time when they must have been in love, or lust, or something.

Dad had a drinking problem. Later I would come to understand that Dad had always been.....different, even as a teenager, he had always been in trouble as a kid, and by all accounts, had "never been the same since he came back from the war". That would be World War Two. Dad had already ruined one short marriage before he married my Mom. It seemed he drank too much.

As the year went by Dads drinking too much would come to dominate all of our lives and just about anyone he ever came in contact with. As I was growing up, I always got what I wanted for Christmas. One year I got the John Deere pedal tractor I wanted. Back then those pedal car type toys were made of steel, and if you were not careful, you could drive half way thru a sheetrock wall if you built up enough 
speed. I got a nice tricycle one year, and there was also the year that I got the "Cisco Kid" Cowboy outfit. It came with a Cowboy Hat, a vest, some chaps, and a holster with two of the shiniest chrome pistols I have ever seen. This set up the critical decision of whether one should wear his pistols in the regular way with the pistol grips facing rearward, or if you should wear them facing forward, so you would have to cross your arms when you drew your guns in a shootout. I opted for the latter because it was "neat". I later embarrassed myself showing the outfit off to the relatives at my Aunt Sammy's house. Seems nobody had informed me that you were supposed to wear PANTS under your chaps!!!!!!!!
Now it's going to bother me which TV Cowboy wore his guns backwards like that?

I even had a BB Gun. I don't recall if it was a Red Rider or not, and I never "shot my eye out" but I can tell you a used to buy my BB's in bulk. I really was not sure that "shooting an eye out" would be all that bad. At the time there was a show on TV called "Have Gun Will Travel" and the guys name was Paladin, and he was a gun for hire. "Have Gun, Will Travel. Wire Paladin San Francisco" was how his card read. I can't recall if he always had one but sometimes he would wear a patch over one eye, as kind of a disguise. I really kind of always wanted an eye patch. Besides, when I was a kid we ALL knew someone who had shot an eye out, or poked an eye out, or something. It was always entertaining if you had a buddy who could do glass eye tricks when things got slow or you wanted to impress a girl.
When I was 8 years old my parents decided to get a divorce. They could not settle on the house that my Dad had spent 3 years building himself, so it was put up for sale, and me and my Mom moved in with my 
Aunt Ethel, Uncle Dick, and my 2 cousins Kenny, and Brucy. Mom didn't want me to have to switch schools in mid year, and we didn't know where we were going to live yet so every morning she would 
drive me back out to the country where our house was so I could catch the bus to school. I guess she could have just as well driven me to school, but back then EVERYBODY rode the bus to school unless you missed the bus, in which case you arrived about the same time as the bus anyhow, but with a few tear stains, and a very sore ass.

I couldn't go in the house because it was locked, because it was up for sale, and there had been such a nasty fight about it, nobody but the Realtor was allowed to go inside it. Now the house Dad built was a nice ranch style, though I don't know if we called them ranch style back then. I think we just called them a 
one story house. The house had a nice 2 1/2 car garage and was connected with a "breezeway" to the house. This breezeway was made of block and this really ugly mustard colored stucco just like the rest of the house, and had a sliding glad window facing the road, but no doors. Just two doorways, one front, and one back, which were kind of staggered so there could be a "breeze" blowing thru. It was winter, and along with the breeze, in the winter a little snow would blow in and pile into a snow drift inside the breezeway. Still, it offered good shelter while I waited for the School Bus to arrive.

When the Driver would toot the air horn twice, I would run down the driveway to get on the bus. After I got on the bus it was my job to ride in the seat right behind the Bus Driver, and when we would pull in front of a stop, I would reach up and pull the cord that blew the air horns so the other kids knew to run down their driveway to get on the bus. That was my job. I don't remember how I got the job, I just know I did it till the last day I rode that bus, and I have had air horns on several of my vans and pick-up trucks over the years, and even today I love to blow the air horns on the big trucks I drive. It's funny where things get started.
So it was Christmas time, and my Parents were locked in a bitter divorce, Mom had been a stay at home Mother, and "now things were going to be different, and we were not going to have much money".

That year all I had asked for was a new 26" Western Flyer bicycle. I had out grown my red 24" Western Flyer bike which was in pretty tough shape from several years of riding the trails in the woods behind the 
house, being dunked in pond where we would see who could go the farthest out before going under, and jumping the ramps that seemed to get progressively taller and taller, until someone drew blood. Besides, Punky McMannis down the road had a 26" bike and he was shorter than me so I was sure it was time for me to move up. Punky's Dad owned his own dump truck, and according to Punky they were rich, and that was why he had one of those Shwinns that has the special rear hub where if your rocked your pedals back just a little it would switch into "2nd" gear....and just ride off, leaving me "in  the dust".

Punky was the guy who taught me how to put playing cards clipped with a clothes pin in my spokes, so it sounded like we had engines. If we were out of cards, we would save our cereal boxes, cut them up into 
rectangles about the size of a playing card, and clip them in. The cardboard from the cereal boxes just never had that crisp sound that a nice fresh "Ace" from a deck of Bicycle Playing Cards had. Later Cousin Kenny and Brucy would show me how to use a balloon tied to each fender bracket and rubbing against the spokes, which made this deep rich sound that we were sure made us go faster. The balloons didn't last as long as the cards but they sounded so good, and when they would wear out they would explode, and we would lock up the rear wheel making a long curving skid mark, yelling "shit...I had a blowout". We could say "shit" out loud when nobody was around, because we were tough guys.

So I had this incredible yearning for this new bike. It was this beautiful two-tone metallic blue trimmed in white, and it had whitewall tires. I was pretty sure I wouldn't get it "because we were getting divorced" 
but that didn't keep me from wanting it badly. At that time Dad would come and get me on every other weekend, and I actually had not seen him in a while because he had missed a couple of weekends.
Mom said it might be because he was working on a job out of town, but I heard her tell Aunt Ethel it was because he was too drunk when he came to get me and she would not let him take me.

More and more I focused on my desire to have that new blue and white 26" Western Flyer, and got lost in how life would be when I was riding down the road on it all shiny, with balloons in both tires. I would add blue and white steamers to the handlebar ends, as well as one of those horns that when you squeezed the black rubber bulb would make oonka-oonka sound. Not the one with the straight horn... that one was pretty high pitched, and was for girls. I would have the one with the horn tube that had a curl in it and a much larger horn opening and a deeper sound...it went honka-honka. It was more for guys than that other one. And a light... it would have a light! It would have that big chrome light.... the one that you had to open up and put in two flashlight batteries. Later I was sure I would get the turn signal set for the rear. It took those little skinny batteries. I wasn't sure where I was going to get them though. Oh... and mud flaps!!!!!! I ALWAYS had mud flaps, with little red reflector in the middle. They didn't come with the reflector, but Dad would let me use his drill, and I would drill a hole with the electric drill, and bolt on the reflector. I guess most folks don't teach their six year-olds to use power tools like they did back then.

So it was the last day of school before Christmas vacation. Mom had driven me to the "old house" so I could catch the bus, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that the "blue bike" was a lost cause.
It was snowing, and was "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey". I learned that from Punky. He said he heard it from the men down where his Dad hung out with his dump truck. I think that's also where we found out just how cold it had to be to be “colder that a Witches tit, on Halloween". All pretty manly stuff, when you are eight. So me and Mom pulled up in front of "the old house" and the driveway was deep in snow because nobody lived there anymore to shovel it out. Two deep tire ruts were running up the driveway, and there sitting right in front of the 2 1/2 cars garage that Dad had built with his 
own hands was a bright red 1960 Chevy Apache pick-up truck. Dad's trucks were always red... bright red, and he always took them to the local Sign Painter and had "Fred" painted on the door just below the window, in letters about 2'' tall. It was always a nice script letter, white with a black drop shadow for accent. It had those little "  “ marks on each end. I wasn't sure what those were for. I don't think we 
learned about the " “ marks yet in school.

Mom said she was afraid she would get stuck in the snow in the drive so she just dropped me off and left. I knew it was because Mom just didn't want to see my Dad. I didn't like the idea of "us being divorced" but Mom had not had a black eye in a while, or covered up any bruises, and now it was Christmas time, and Mom always had some bruises at Christmas when Dad was around. It must have been some kind of a Christmas tradition or something because later in life, my wife would end up with some of her own bruises around the Holidays.

I was ecstatic to see Dad's truck in the driveway, as I had not seen him in a while. I ran up thru the deep snow in the driveway, my book bag in one hand, and my lunch box in the other. As I rounded the corner of the door opening onto the breezeway THERE IT WAS!!!!!!!! There sitting on it's kick stand in the middle of the breezeway, was a shiny new metallic blue with white trim, 26" Western Flyer bicycle! It already had the big chrome headlight AND the blue and white steamers hanging from the ends of the hand grips.
It seemed as though the sun was shining in the breezeway window, and I can't tell you how beautiful that metallic blue bike, with all the chrome, was there with the snow drifted behind it in the breezeway. Then when my eyes focused on the background I saw him. It was my Dad. He was lying down on the cold cement of the breezeway. He had passed out drunk, and the snow had drifted, nearly covering him up.
His tan colored work boots were sticking out. He always wore those tan boots that laced up, and had the kind of cream colored soles. He climbed steel for a living, very high steel, and he said the soles gripped the steel better than leather. His head was not covered with snow, and he still had his hat on. He always wore a ball cap, unless it was something really dress-up, and I learned that the cap sort of acted like a gauge. The more to the side the bill of his has turned.....the drunker he was. It was very reliable. There he was passed out cold in the snow drift, with his hat very much to the side, and this sickening feeling came over me that maybe this time he wasn't just drunk, because he really looked like maybe he was dead in that snow drift.

I remember that all of a sudden.....that's what folks say where I come from in place of suddenly.....so all of a sudden, here I am with the bike of my dreams....and I realized that what I wanted, all I really wanted, all I had ever really, really wanted was for my Dad to be sober, to be sober on Christmas. I wanted him to be sober at school functions, and I didn't want Mom to have any bruises, and I wanted for us to be back in the house that MY dad built with his own two bare hands. I wanted to be inside the 2 1/2 car garage that my Dad built, standing around the pot bellied, wood stove, having Dad teach me how to operate another power tool, or maybe listening to Dad and one of his Iron Worker buddies tell stories. I was sure they had much better stories that the guys that Punky's Dad hung out with down at the dump truck place, and I wanted it all back.

Dad finally came to.....and was kind of pissed because I was crying, and how he had gone to all the trouble to get me this bike and all I could do was cry.......and how I should be grateful, and happy.
That blue metallic bike became what was to be a long list of "escape machines" I would have over the years. I still love bicycles to this day, and love to just ride around and look at how other people live.
I still love just about anything painted blue metallic, and drive a 45 year-old pick-up truck with my name painted on it, though it' a little larger than "Fred" because now I am the Sign Painter, painting stuff 
on other peoples’ doors.

I guess there is just about nothing better than hanging out with my Son OR my Daughter, out in my garage. A few months back we started teaching the Grandkids a little something about power tools, and 
tomorrow when they all come over to my ranch style (one story) house with a "breezeway" we are going to fire up the chainsaw, and cut some firewood. I think a kid should know about chainsaws and drills, and 
loud circular saws, before all they can think of is "gasoline and perfume". They will all be here for Christmas... the two kids, my Son-In-Law, the Grandkids, my X Wife and her Husband (my Husband-In-Law) and if she gets any bruises it's gonna have to be from falling off the chair at Christmas dinner. There will be a few others as well, and some will come and go. My Younger Brother will be here too. He never even got to know our Dad. He never even got the good part from Dad that I was able to get before "he got really bad". Yep tomorrow, and for the last few years we have all gathered up here at my house, and eaten far too much. These days I always get what I always really wanted for Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did I mention it's been cold enough to freeze the..............well it's been cold.

Recently my Son came home with a book written by the Southern Humorist Lewis Grizzard.

I'm pretty sure he didn't pay for it, but I doubt that he stole it, so if you are missing yours....I'm pretty sure he'll bring it back after we have finished it.

The book ended up on the shelves in the bathroom where the towels are stacked, which also doubles as the toilet paper holder, until one of the three slackers that live here decide to fix the one that's supposed to be hanging on the wall.

I should say that it ending up in the bathroom is not a comment on Mr. Grizzards journalistic talents as much as it is a testiment to the fact that every other flat surface in the house is covered with something else and it was the last place to lay something down.

I decided to pick it up one day while...I was doing my business......Lewis would say "doing my business" then he would tell a story about where he learned the term from an Uncle, a Cousin, or some other strange small town character from the little town where he grew up in South Georgia.

So I was "doing my business" and decided since it would be awkward to practice my juggling, and singing seems to annoy the stray dog that's been coming around because my Little Brother, and Bonny have been secretly buying it expensive Doggy Treats, well it just seemed easier to pick Mr. Grizzard's books and read a few words.

Now I used to keep books in the bathroom all the time.

I was married to a woman who for some reason could not stand for me to just sit and read a book, relaxing or otherwise.  I developed the ability to read a complete issue of Cruising World Magazine, Soundings, or any other magazine that promoted the idea of buying a small sailboat and slowly relocating myself to a latitude much closer to the equator, where I would play out my days relaxing and reading a book without being nagged. There was also the issue of the Naked Pearl Divers I'd read about in National Geo when I was a kid but maybe we can talk about that later.

I could read a complete issue in the bathroom while doing my business, and she would never know I was breaking the rules and reading purely for pleasure.

The only negative consequence of this plan was the lecture I always got about "all those sailing magazines laying around that you never read".

Now I used to keep the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous in the bathroom to read while doing my business, but it tended to put me to sleep, and then there I would be snoring on the throne, only to wake up with a ring around my bottom that would not go away for days, my legs so asleep that I would have to fall of the seat until the circulation would return to my legs enough for me walk out of the bathroom in an upright manner. It also left one with the distinct feeling you had somewhere along the line sat down in a bowl of corn flakes.

Besides I never drank in the bathroom.

I will admit the feeling of laying on the bathroom floor, unable to walk was somehow vaguely familiar.

There was a time when I would keep a Playboy Magazine hidden between the towels but now that all that I can really do is read the articles....and Mother told me one should not rush "doing your business" so I need something with a few more pages.

Now I guess my Son  is reading Mr. Grizzards book to, because there is a bookmark of sorts marking the place where someone has stopped.'

I'm pretty sure it is my Son's because it is marked with a fall out card....the kind of annoying ad card that falls out of a magazine until they finally wear you down enough to subscribe to the magazine because you are so  damned tired of picking the card off the bathroom floor when it falls out while you are doing your business.

I'm also pretty sure it's his, left over from the days when he was married, and learned to keep a magazine in the bathroom so he could read about distant trails to distant places, where you could just relax and read a book without being nagged.

Now sharing a book between father and Son can be a wonderful bonding experience. I'm looking forward to when I am in the hospital fr my heart by-pass, and my Son and I can share thoughts about Mr.Grizzards thoughts while he was in the hospital for his by-pass.

Since my Son started the book before I did, he got a head start on me.

Each time I go to do my business I try to read enough to catch up to where his bookmark from the camping magazine is. 

Now I don't want to say there is too much competition between us, but I had to complain that he was reading to fast and I was having a hard time keeping my place.

Since he spent all that money going to UNC Carolina Law School he is pretty sharp and suggested I get my own bookmark. I thought maybe  going to one of those Liberal Schools had made him a little selfish, but in the end it is not an issue.

This morning I went in to do my business, picked up Mr. Grizzard's book, and read until I had finally caught up to where the camping magazine bookmark was.

I can't tell you what a satisfying thing it is when Father and Son are finally on the same page. 

After all the reading, and all the catching up, and enjoying all of Mr. Grizzard's wonderful observations of life and the human condition I have a little concern.

If I was able to catch up with my Son........I'm pretty sure he's not getting enough fiber.

More about the rain

  I decided that I needed to get out of the shorts, and into some long pants as I knew the temp would be dropping. I looked for a place to change, but there really was no place to hide, besides it was raining and getting in a hidy-spot would require getting soaked.

  I decided that all the cars were focused on the road and the rain and just "dropped trou" right there next to the bike and it was done. 

  There is something liberating about standing on the side of the road in a rainstorm in your underwear........lol

  When the rain passed, I decided to get rolling. It had been a long day, getting up early to get the band, then driving the 11 hours down from HELL (New York City), then the bus change over, and now I was wanting to see my own bed!

  I rolled out on the wet pavement, and built up road speed. It looked as though things would be fine until I drove right into the back of the storm that had just passed. I decided to press on.

  I was trying to focus on the road surface, where the puddles were, and spotting anything that might require  a ride in the big van with the flashing lights. I was driving in a pounding rain, 45 mph on a 70 mph freeway, with Big Trucks flying by me, throwing up huge water sprays that felt like getting hit with a big bore garden hose. I needed all the concentration I could muster, as I could only see a few yards in front of my front tire. I was well aware that the road could reach out and bite me at any moment. My experience told me it was raining far too hard to be out there in the dark......but I just kept pushing on against my better judgement. 

  As the rain increased it rain down my face, and as it touched my lips it tickled a little. I licked my lips and the taste of the warm rain sent me back in time.

  My mind left the rain slicked North Carolina road, and took me to to our side yard in central Ohio, where we were all kids, in our "swim suits" running around in a beautiful warm summer rain shower, jumping in the warm puddles, splashing each other. 

  Now I am not sure just WHY rain water tastes so special, and I had not had it happen for years, probably since I was out on the Appallatian Trail and it was a daily thing to keep walking thru the daily thunder storms in order to make the miles you needed to the next camp spot.

  Each time the rain water would trickle down my face, and I would run my tongue across my lips to capture it, I would wonder why it is that we go to so much effort and expense to avoid it?

  We buy umbrellas, and stand under shelters for long periods. We check the Weather Man, to see if it MIGHT rain, then we stay home if it MIGHT.

  I wonder what it is in us that lets us forget what it tastes like to go out and play in the rain, on a warm day?

  By the time I finally finished the 80+ mile ride home, I was tired, soaked to the bone wearing a leather jacket that must have weighted 50 pounds wet, and near the point of hypothermic shivers, but I would not trade anything for just a little time travel back to a time when we went out of out way to taste the rain.