Dolphins of Everglades City

Last May while we were on our way into Everglades City Pam shot this video of the dolphins playing in our wake. Being the computer geek that I am it took me this long to figure out how to get it on the blog. You can tell we are technologically challenged by listening to the end of Pam's commentary.
 I must confess that I couldn't have transferred this video to the blog without my trusty Popiel Pocket Thinking Cap. (see below)

Beam Me up Scotty!

Pam the Stalker

So I'm just getting settled on the sofa late Saturday afternoon when Pam says to me. "Let's go over and see Sig Hansen". Now this wasn't the first time she had mentioned this outing, just the first time today. She's been bugging me all week about going to see the star of The Deadliest Catch who was making an appearance at the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque.

Not wanting to disappoint my bride I got my carcass up, put on my best sweatshirt and away we went. Upon arrival at the casino we found a line of people waiting to see Sig that looked to be about an hour long. Immediately I had flashbacks to my times at Disney World waiting to get on Mr. Toads Wild Ride! Needless to say we got in line and wound our way up to Sig. Sig of course is the captain of the Northwestern fishing boat on Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. I didn't know Pam even knew who he was! We shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and asked to have our picture taken with him. Let me tell you this was the highlight of the day for Pam. She stood between the two of us and got a big squeeze from Sig while the picture was snapped.

Our impression of him is of a very nice man. Patient and congenial considering he probably shook hands, answered questions, and took pictures with groupies like us for over 2 hours. He even commented on what a beautiful area we live in.

Hey Sig! I'm here too!

 While we stood in line we found out that The Mighty Short Bus was going to be playing later in the bar. One of my son Ryan's best friends is the lead singer for the group. Let me just say that these guys are good! They're based out of Madison, Wis. and play throughout the Midwest.

Thought I'd include a few scenes of the Mississippi as it looks right now for all of you who may be in the southern latitudes.

Lock chamber at Lock & Dam 11, Dubuque, IA.

Looking south over the main channel of the river with the Wisconsin bridge in the distance.

Trailer parking. Really?

Dubuque Marina

Unfortunately the weight of the snow and ice caused the roof of the dock Tourist used to reside in at Mid-Town Marina to collapse. These are (were) 50' covered slips.

Ours was the third slip out.

One More Haircut

That's right. I have one more haircut before Pam & I head south. Back when we wintered Tourist here in the cold, snowy north country I used to count down the number of haircuts I had remaining before we could start boating again in the spring. Same thing now but a different season and location.

Pam decided "we" needed to get rid of the wallpaper in the downstairs bathroom and while "we're" at it replace the sink, faucets, and light fixture. Not having had a lot of experience in this arena I'm slowly working my way through it. Fortunately Pam gives me a break periodically to get out in the community and see what's new!

View of the Mississippi above Lock 11 a few weeks ago.

Our backyard after freezing rain and snow.

Found this larger than life reproduction of Grant Woods' American Gothic in Dubuque, Ia. Looks like Mr. either sprouted some white hair or has a bad case of dandruff!

We're bracing for another 4" to 6" of snow tonight. Thank God. I was afraid I wouldn't get to use the snow blower anymore before we got out of here!

Highlight of the week; watching Grandson Luke in his H.S. wrestling meet. He lost a close decision after having 2 points deducted for body slamming his opponent. I thought it was wrestling not a limp wristed game of tag!

Winter Wonderland

They'd been predicting it for a week. But then how often is the weatherman accurate? Well, maybe this time! We woke up Saturday to 8" of fresh, fluffy, beautiful* snow.

First view from our deck. I'll bet our friends in Florida wish they were here with us!

The snow blower got a workout and so did I while Pam cheered me on from inside the house.

On the Oscar front the new Mom, & Dad, along with Franklin arrived home Saturday. Now as I write this they have experienced first hand the joys of parenting. I think you spell that "sleepless night"!

Think this grandma isn't proud?

So what you ask do we do here when the weather outside is frightful?

You get together with Mike & Nancy to watch the Packer game. Nancy insists everyone has on the appropriate apparel. My Packer lounge pants weren't quite enough to satisfy her dress code so I had to wear the Christmas Packer hat. Since I don't have a big head I had to utilize my big ears to keep it from sliding down over my face. Oh yeah. The Pack won!!!

*Just trying to convince myself that I like it!

HELLO OSCAR!!!

Franklin Matthew Diercks (a.k.a. Oscar)
Born 5:52 pm Wednesday 12/1/2010
8lbs. 11oz. and 22" long

STILL.... waiting on Oscar

Yep, that's right. Still no baby. Just like the women in our family, Oscar has his/her own schedule.

Speaking of babies. We received an e-mail from Donnie & Marilyn (M/V Kasey's Choice) the other day along with a few attached photos of Tourist (our baby). I had asked them to check on her if they had time when they got to Florida. Donnie (looking to stay out of Marilyn's way while she cleaned Kasey's Choice) drove over and got the tour from the folks at River Forest. Every thing checked out OK. Just waiting for our return.
Back in May when we left the boat we had concerns about the humidity in Florida during the hot summer months and the possibility of mold growing inside the boat. We were also concerned that our Space Bags would lose their seal and allow moisture to get inside and ruin the items we stored in them. Happily I can report that all is well and intact.

Interior shot of Tourist. Notice the space bags on the table with the air still sucked out of them! Perhaps we can do an "As seen on TV" commercial for them.

Tourist with Broulee behind her inside the building at River Forest. Nice to know our boat had a friend close at hand. Just a note: Tourist is 48' and Broulee 42'. They look like toys inside the buliding.

Thanks to Donnie for checking on Tourist and taking the photos. It was reassuring to know that the service we're paying for is being delivered in fine fashion by River Forest.

Waiting on Oscar

Well, the boating season around northwest Illinois has come to an end. The marinas have been popping boats out like popcorn with almost every slip now empty. Seems strange to be sitting here thinking about putting Tourist back in the water in about two months. Why two months you ask and not now? Well we're waiting on Oscar!

That's right. We're waiting on Oscar, our soon to be born grandbaby. Seems Matthew (Pam's son) and Mandy were having a watermelon seed spitting contest and Mandy forgot to spit one of the seeds out.

That's water in her glass!

Needless to say Pam is beyond excited. Oscar is her first grandchild. Just  for the record, Oscar isn't going to be the name of the baby but since they don't know what the sex is yet they refer to it as Oscar. (Guess who will call it Oscar no matter what sex it is?)

Pam has been busy with baby showers and all the stuff that goes with being a Grandma. She's even trying to will the baby into the world early so she can spend more time with it before we head to Florida. As for me, I've been getting things put away for the winter and even decided to start sanding and teaking our deck chairs from Tourist that we brought home with us. No sense waiting till the last minute!

Sanding. One of my favorite things!

It got cool enough to stoke up the fire pit while I was sanding.
Once back at Tourist the plan is to hang out at Legacy Harbour once again until mid-March. Send Pam home for a baby fix and then start or continue (we've done the rivers section already) on the Great Loop. The Loop is roughly 5,000 to 6,000 miles by water that encircles the Eastern half of the U.S. You can check it out at http://www.greatloop.org/. The trip will take almost a year to complete when you consider visits to home, sightseeing, weather delays, etc. It should be grand adventure!

Is It Time To Leave Yet?

Life has slowed way down since we arrived back home from our Nova Scotia adventure. So much so that I have taken up trapping as a hobby. Well, it started out as a hobby. It quickly became a mission. I'm talking about all out war on the moles that have invaded our yard!

Step 1 was to get the proper equipment. I started out with a trip to the local hardware store where I purchased a box of Motomco Mole Killer worms. Supposedly you drop these worms into the path of the mole with the thought (hope) being that they eat them and die! They may work for one mole but who has just one mole?

Step 2 was to get out the trusty old mole trap. You know the spring loaded kind that when tripped sends six pointed spears down through the mole pinning him to the ground until he gasps his last breath. Well moles are smart. They simply burrow around the trap and keep going. The only one speared is me while trying to set up the trap!

Step 3 on the advice of my neighbor, was to spread a fertilizer type substance across the lawn that kills the grub worms that the moles feed on. He says he hasn't had a mole all year since treating his lawn. OK. Back to the hardware store. Purchase. Apply. Wait.

WMD's (weapons of mole destruction)
Turns out waiting is the hard part for me. Every morning I get up and look out over the yard to see if any new mole trails have appeared overnight then go out and stamp them down. While doing my stamp dance in the yard one morning I noticed the ground moving at the end of a mole trail. Ah Ha! My mind races. Do I go back into the house and put on my camouflage? Do I get the gun? Where's that old fish spear I had when I was a kid? I have to act fast! Then it hits me. The trap with six pointed spears. Like lightning I spring across the yard and pull it out of the ground setting it off as I pull. Now I slowly work my way back to the spot where I saw the ground moving. Good! He's still working.  I align myself at the proper angle. Get a firm two handed grip on the trap and lunge at the spot where he's working. The ground stops moving as the points penetrate whatever is beneath it. Did I get him? For good measure I'll let the trap stay here for a few hours.

Demonstration photo of proper spearing technique.
Well my spearing was successful! One down. Many to go! Now I have the solution, although Pam thinks I'm obsessed.

Is it time to leave yet? I think I hear Tourist calling.

Last Day in Lunenburg

For the past several days we've been going to go to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic but always turned away because of the crowds. Always busloads of tourists pulling up and unloading right at the main entrance. Now I know how the other folks felt every time I pulled in somewhere when I was driving a bus!
Sunday came and since it was our last day in Lunenburg we had to hit the museum no matter what. Suitcases packed and full tummy's thanks to Marilyn, we headed over to the museum. Buses! But only two. Admission was paid and in we went. Through the aquarium and several other exhibits. At one point Pam tried to take over the shucking demonstration but couldn't get the guy to move out of the way.

Pam trying to take over the shucking.

After viewing most of the exhibits inside we went out to the wharf to view the ships. My favorite was the Theresa E. Connor. Built in 1938 and used into the 1960's the Connor was a sailing ship with a single diesel engine. Her hold could accommodate 425,000 lbs. of fish layered either in ice or salt to preserve the fish until it could be off loaded back in port. Walking through the hold you could still smell the fish almost 40 years later. Those sailors must have had every cat in town following them when they came into port!

Theresa E. Connor

Officers quarters. Bunks are behind the curtains on either side.

Sailing excursion from the museum.

The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic (www.museum.gov.ns.ca) was a very informative and worthwhile stop and a must if you ever find yourself in Lunenburg. We spent several hours strolling around looking at boats and exhibits. And surprise! They even have a gift shop.

Back to Donnie & Marilyn's to get our bags and take one last picture before heading to our airport hotel.

No Pam, you can't take Chloe with you!

They say time flies when you're having fun and that is so true. All too soon it was time to head out. Donnie, Marilyn, & Chloe are great hosts and hopefully we didn't overstay our welcome. Lunenburg and the surrounding area is a must see destination. Pam & I can't say enough about the hospitality shown us by everyone we met. Thank-you to all, especially Donnie & Marilyn for their generosity and for sharing their part of the world with us. See you in Florida!

Our flight home was smooth and only a few minutes late. The only annoyance was the lady sitting behind us who sounded like Julia Childs and never shut up the entire time!

More Scenes Around Lunenburg

My favorite perch while visiting was in the front window looking out over the harbor. Sometimes however I had to share my vantage point with Chloe. While I was watching the boats coming and going, Chloe was keeping an eye on the squirrels and birds that would sneak into her yard.

Chloe keeping vigil.

While travelling around town we went past one of the oldest Anglican churches in North America.

Lunenburg Anglican church built in 1753.

We also drove past the Lunenburg Academy where Donnie went to school and which is still in use today. We drove past since it sits atop the highest hill in town and I'm too lazy to walk that far just for a picture!

Lunenburg Academy built between 1894 & 1895.

We did walk past this old French cemetery. Fortunately no one rose up to greet us.

One of the last nights we spent in Lunenburg Marilyn made scallops on the half shell. Words can not describe how good these little morsels were! I'm still drooling just remembering them.

Upper photo; Chef Marilyn serving the goodies.
Bottom Photo; Scallops on the half shell before being devoured.

Around Lunenburg

A few pictures from the Lunenburg area.

Pam & Marilyn with a section of the Berlin wall. How many people looked at that wall and wondered what life was like on the other side?

Unemployed lobster traps.

Fish shacks.

Road along the coast.

Red house used in filming Jesse Stone series which starred Tom Seleck. (Personally I've never seen the series so I have to believe our guides on this one!) Lunenburg has been in many movies over the years often portraying a New England fishing village.

Lobster boat waiting for the season to open.

Another fish shack.

Lunenburg waterfront.

Everywhere you turn it's like a scene from a movie. Pop over a hill and you see water. Open the car window and you can smell the sea. Stop and listen and you can hear the gulls and the water crashing against the rocky shore. Something for all the senses to feast on!

Cross Island

One evening Donnie got a call from Wayne, a good friend who had stopped by earlier to chat. Wayne wanted to know if we would like to go with him to his cottage on Cross Island the next day. Is the Pope Catholic? Of course we said yes!
Morning dawned with a fog hanging over the harbor. Somewhat normal for the first few days of our stay. Not prepared to go to sea I had to borrow a sweater and jacket that would fend off the water that may get splashed along the way. When we arrived at Wayne's the fog was still present and I expected him to say we wouldn't be going. I was wrong! Into his truck we climbed and off to the boat we went.

Wayne & Donnie loading the boat. Notice the absence of electronics!

It wasn't long before we were motoring past moored lobster boats and fish houses making our way to the open sea. That's right. Cross Island is roughly four miles from Wayne's dock across open water.
Unfortunately due to the fog and salt spray I wasn't able to take pictures on the way out or back.  Wayne navigated the course through the rocky outcroppings twisting and turning at points only he could see from 30 plus years of going back & forth. It wasn't hard to determine when we hit the open water of the North Atlantic as the boat started to rise and fall over the ocean swells. While we travelled along I couldn't help but wonder which way I would swim if we had to abandon ship? There was no way to know where the closest land was due to the grey/white fog surrounding us.
A few minutes later Wayne announced that we should be coming up to his buoy marking the start of his route around and through the rocks to his cottage. Bingo! Right on cue a floating marker appeared out of the fog.
We twisted and turned through the rock ledges sometimes barely missing them and then we arrived. Even in the fog words cannot describe the beauty of this place. It's easy for me to see why Wayne keeps coming back.

Wayne's little piece of heaven.

Other cottages further in the cove.

Wayne has all the comforts of home in his cottage. Heat (wood & propane), electricity (solar, battery, & inverter), refrigeration (propane), and stove & oven (propane). The main house even has indoor plumbing for sink, shower, & toilet. Freshwater comes from barrels that collect the rain water and any other water comes from the sea via electric pump. What we take for granted in our homes has been carefully thought out and implemented by Wayne into his hideaway. He even has an electric winch in the boathouse to retrieve the inflatable.

Wayne retrieving the inflatable.

Wayne & Donnie walking on Cross Island. Notice the rocky composition of the island.

Looking out to the Atlantic during a brief respite from the fog.

Interior shot of the cottage. Simple but functional. Sleeping quarters are upstairs.

I enjoyed lunch at the cottage listening to my two companions exchange tales of their past encounters. It's a wonder their wives's still let them play together!

All too soon it was time to go back to the mainland. All it would have taken to stay would have been to open a bottle of rum. Who knows. We may still be there if that had happened. Sometimes being responsible sucks!

Before we got back to the dock we took a detour and headed over to an area called the Back Harbor. A much shallower bay that lays just over the hill from downtown Lunenburg.

Passage to Back Harbor.

Before long we were back at the dock securing the boat. My thanks to Wayne for the unexpected privilege of his company and being able to share a little piece of his world. A great day, with great people, in a beautiful part of the world.