by Judy Handley | Sep 16, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 330, Year 9: Ziggy’s First Day of School in PR; Boat Work in MA
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Weather: Partly Sunny, Daytime Temp 70 degrees F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
We were so excited to see a photo today of Ziggy on his first day of school. Justin and Jo had thought that they were going to home school him for his kindergarten year, but they found a Waldorf school that they love and he started there today full time (9am to 2pm). Justin said he went kicking and screaming but came home all excited about the tie-dyed shirt he made and a new best friend. So hopefully this is going to work out just fine.
We had a good day here working on Windbird. I attacked more cabinets, cleaning and organizing everything in sight. We have basically been sitting still for the past year and it is time to check to see that everything is battened down properly. So while I have everything out of a cabinet to clean it, I make sure all glass containers are surrounded with bubble wrap so they don’t rattle or break when we are underway. While I did this, Mark tore the boat apart to install the new auto pilot heading sensor also known as a gyroscope. When I reread last night’s log, I realized that I didn’t do a very good job of explaining what this ‘thing’ does. So here’s a second attempt. You can steer a boat by hand or you can turn on the auto pilot and let ‘auto’ do the steering job. When we do that, Windbird looks like a drunken sailor going from one side to the other. In the end, we get where we are going and when we are in the open ocean, it just isn’t a problem. But when we turn on the auto pilot in tight quarters, we have to constantly make adjustments to keep a straight course or just hand steer. This new heading sensor should make us look more like we are walking the straight and narrow when ‘auto’ is engaged instead of looking like a drunken sailor weaving all over the place. Mark completed the installation today, but he still has to wire the sensor to the ‘ship’s’ compass. And then we need to take the boat out to see if it really works. But little by little, Mark will get it done.
Cold season is here and I’m not talking about the outdoor temperature. Heather called this morning to invite us to dinner tonight and to also tell us that she was home with Ollie. He has his first cold of the season. At least we made it two weeks after the start of school this year before one of the boys got sick. Last year Sam didn’t get to go to his first day of first grade because he was so sick and Ollie had the same thing. So last year instead of the first day of school, the boys went to the pediatrician. This year there are indications that Sam and Jonah are probably coming down with whatever Ollie has, and the rest of us will probably get it as well. But let’s hope this is just a common cold and not some more complicated virus.
by Judy Handley | Sep 15, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 329, Year 9: Finally . . . Done with Tomatoes
Date: Monday, September 15, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Daytime Temp in the high 60’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Finally . . . I’m done with tomatoes for this year. Mark and I went to Heather and Jed’s today to finish canning the last batch. The Goldstones will have plenty of marinara sauce to make it through another year and Mark and I will have plenty to take with us when we sail south. So it was a successful year for tomatoes. And when we arrived at H & J’s today, we saw another success. Jed finished the installation of the new flat screen TV and the new shelves in the living room that will house all of their audio and video equipment. Heather has to do one more coat of paint on one of the shelves, but basically that project is completed. And it looks great. Congratulations, Heather and Jed! And a third success–all three boys seem to be settling nicely into their school routines. So things are going well.
Tomorrow Mark and I will turn our attention to boat projects. Today Mark worked on bureaucratic issues. We just discovered that our Ham Radio licenses (mine and Mark’s) expired in April, so he applied for new ones. He also found out that our boat call sign for using our single sideband radio expired in 2011. Oops! He was filling out an application for a reciprocal Ham license in the Bahamas when he made these discoveries, but he now thinks he has done what is needed to get all of those licenses updated. He is also still trying to decide whether or not to change our boat insurance company. We read some pretty damning reports on our current insurer, but we have been reassured that they are aware of the problems and have made changes to solve the issues. Mark has quotes from other companies and is making comparisons. We have until October 1st to make the decision, so we’ll keep researching. Today Mark also went to the Post Office to send the Airmar heading sensor that we bought last year to a new owner. Raymarine and Airmar could not figure out how to get the Airmar heading sensor to ‘talk’ to our Raymarine autopilot controller, so we finally gave up and sold it on eBay. We now have a Raymarine heading sensor that should work with our Raymarine auto pilot and Mark will probably spend tomorrow installing that. The heading sensor helps to keep the boat on a precise heading when using the auto pilot and we will need that in the waterway. It’s not quite so important when you are in the open seas, but in the confines of the waterway, it is very important. I, on the other hand, will not be doing anything quite so interesting tomorrow. I will continue to clean out and reorganize cabinets. Fun, fun.
by Judy Handley | Sep 14, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 328, Year 9: Happy Birthday, Justin
Date: Sunday, September 14, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Daytime Temp in the mid-60’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Our baby boy turned 37 today. Happy Birthday, Justin! We talked to him late this afternoon and are looking forward to a Skype video call soon. And two other very important people in our lives also had birthdays today. Mark’s brother Steve turned 70 and our good friend Kevin Russell turned 40. Oh Lordy, where does the time go?
Mark worked at West Marine today while I went to Heather and Jed’s and chopped veggies to make marinara sauce. The sauce needs to burble on the stove for a few hours, so while that was happening I helped watch the boys at play. Well, the boys, meaning Sam, Jonah, and Ollie plus neighbors kids Molly, Joey, Zach, Asa, and Cassidy. We had quite a crew for most of the day and at some point, the kids got the idea of setting up a lemonade stand. We had no lemonade, so Heather suggested they sell cheesy popcorn and sun tea. I think the idea was Sam’s so he put himself in charge and off they went—some making signs to advertise their stand, others posting the signs around the neighborhood, while others set up the stand. They used their Radio Flyer wagon as the stand and rolled it out near the street. They were in business. Well, they didn’t really get much business but the activity kept all the kids in the neighborhood engaged in a productive activity for over an hour and they all enjoyed eating the popcorn and drinking the tea. It was fun to watch them in action. And the cheesy popcorn (with freshly grated Parmesan) was really tasty.
Meanwhile the marinara sauce was still burbling away on the stove and Heather and Jed were deep into projects. Jed worked all day on installing the new shelves in the living room and getting the swinging arm for their new flat screen TV set up. Heather worked all day on cleaning out the den. It is getting a complete makeover and everything needs to come out so the painting can begin. So they could use as much child care help as they could get and I tried my best to help in this area.
Mark got off work today at 4 pm, so I picked him up and we changed gears . . . and clothes . . . and headed off the Cape to Marion. This is a little town across Buzzards Bay so to get their by car you have to drive north across the Bourne Bridge which spans the Cape Cod Canal and around the top of the bay. Mark’s brother Steve knows Jack and Nancy Braitmayer and has encouraged us to get together. It finally happened tonight and what delightful people they are. Jack and Nancy used to spend their winters in Florida at the same marina where Steve lives, so that’s the connection. They did this in a trawler, but they have had a number of sailboats. Jack spent a number of years determined to place in the Marion-Bermuda Race and had four different sailboats built to reach his goal. He finally placed 6th which was good enough to get a trophy, so he retired from that venture. He and Nancy live in an absolutely beautiful home on the water in Marion and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the comfort of their living room. Jack and Nancy are also great fans of public radio and television and are enjoying Heather’s science reporting. We had so much in common that we could have talked all night. But we tore ourselves away and will look forward to seeing them again next summer.
by Judy Handley | Sep 13, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 327, Year 9: Soccer Saturday, Tomatoes, and Dinner with Friends
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Daytime Temp in the lower 70’s F, Nighttime in the 50’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
It’s late and I’m tired, so this will be a short log. We started our day by heading into town to see Jonah play soccer at 9 am. He had a great time running and kicking that ball. I headed home before everyone else to get started on blanching and peeling tomatoes. Shortly after I arrived home, so did everyone else. But then Jed turned right around and took Sam and Jonah back to town to shop for soccer cleats for Sam. Heather did a little painting while I continued blanching and peeling tomatoes and Granddad took Ollie on a walk to CVS with him to pick up some items we need for our winter stores. All too soon the work halted as it was time to go back into town to watch Sam play soccer at noon. He’s on a team with a lot of his good friends from his years at the Woods Hole Daycare Cooperative and it is fun to see how much they have all grown over the years. Mark had planned to take Sam and Jonah out to Quissett to kayak after soccer, but neither boy wanted to do this today. Instead, Jonah went to Hyannis with Heather and Jed to go to the unfinished furniture store to shop for cabinets for the den and Sam came home to play in the backyard with Ollie and Molly and Joey from next door. Ollie fell asleep on the way to the soccer field at noon and had his nap on the ground. While everyone was running around kicking balls here and there, he slept soundly. I had planned to work on processing tomatoes all afternoon while he was sleeping. So much for plans. But Granddad took over child watching duties and I did get all of the tomatoes peeled and de-seeded. I even had time to do a little painting for Heather.
Mark works at West Marine tomorrow and I will continue processing tomatoes. Heather and Jed should finish up the book shelves in the living room and can then turn their attention to the renovations in the den. Jed leaves next weekend for ten days in Japan and when he gets home, it will be time for us to leave. So time is running out. We need to work faster, but I think all of us are already out of breath from the current pace of work!
As evening approached, Mark and I got ready to go to Bruce and Jane Woodin’s for dinner. Their daughter Kate, her husband Matt, and their two beautiful three year-old twins, Jasper and Aurora, are preparing to travel in Southeast Asia over the next year. Bruce and Jane invited us over to talk to them about how we dealt with health issues and to share with them our experiences in Thailand, Malaysia, and parts of Indonesia. It is always great fun for us to go back and revisit some of the most beautiful parts of the world. So thank you Bruce and Jane for giving us the opportunity to meet with Kate and Matt. What a wonderful adventure they are going to have. Jane and her sister are leaving for Ireland tomorrow, so here’s hoping they have a wonderful adventure as well.
by Judy Handley | Sep 12, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 326, Year 9: More TOMATOES
Date: Friday, September 12, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny but Cooler, Daytime Temp in the upper 60’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
The ever-so-large stainless steel pot that I traded for tomatoes has turned out to be a gold mine . . . of TOMATOES. I am now working on processing another 45 pounds for a grand total of 135. This has been a banner year for tomatoes here on the Cape and we have certainly reaped the benefits. When we went to Peachtree Farm to pick up today’s harvest, Carrie said there would be more. But I almost shouted, “No more.” I love cooking and canning the marinara sauce, but it does take a lot of time and there are so many other things that need to be done. Mark and I continued our cleaning spree on Windbird this morning and then went to Heather and Jed’s to help out with the painting project happening there. I got a start on the tomatoes but will have to continue that tomorrow. Heather did get another coat of paint on the new book shelves in the living room and hopefully that project will be completed by the end of the weekend.
In the morning Mark and I will head to Falmouth to watch Jonah play soccer. I will sneak away early and go to Heather and Jed’s to continue the tomato project. Mark is hoping to bring the big boys here to Quissett Harbor in the afternoon to kayak after Sam’s soccer game while I go home with Ollie for his nap . . . and continue processing tomatoes. Heather and Jed are driving to Hyannis in the afternoon to check out the unfinished furniture possibilities for their den renovation. And then tomorrow night we have dinner with Jane and Bruce Woodin and their daughter Kate and her family. Kate and Matt and their three year-old twins are taking off in November for a year of travel in Southeast Asia. Tomorrow evening we will share some of our experiences in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand with them. Busy, busy times.
by Judy Handley | Sep 11, 2014 | Cape Cod USA, Sailing Logs Year 9 |
Day 325, Year 9: The Joy of Cleaning
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2014
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Daytime Temp in the mid-70’s F
Location: Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Massachusetts
Yes. I’m being facetious. There is no joy in cleaning, but it is one of those things that must be done. So you make the best of it. Our plan for the next couple of weeks is to spend our mornings cleaning and organizing on the boat and our afternoons working on the storage unit and helping out with the grandkids while Heather and Jed chip away at their renovation projects. If we stick to this schedule hopefully we’ll make a dent in what needs to be done before we head south for the winter.
Today’s cleaning and organizing projects were productive. I attacked the cabinets in our aft and forward heads that house cleaning products and Marked worked on our drawer of electronic gadgets. He got out the Satellite phone, charged it, and put it up for auction on Ebay. He did the same with a few other electronic gadgets and threw out an old Toshiba Libretta notebook computer that no longer works. The cabinet above our forward head sink is full of boat cleaning products and I sorted through, got rid of some things that we no longer need, and made of list of things we need to purchase. That cabinet was easy as it just has two shelves. But the cabinet in our aft shower was another story. I keep inside boat cleaning products in that cabinet along with personal cleaning products. If you go by the contents of these cabinets, we must be the cleanest people in the world! The aft head cabinet was a bear because when you take out the two shelves, there is a storage area underneath that I had forgotten about. That is where we keep extra water and fuel hoses. So they needed to come out and be cleaned. And that storage area continues on down to the area under the seat in our shower. So in addition to cleaning the storage area, I ended up cleaning the shower walls, the teak grate in the bottom of the shower, and . . . it felt like it went on forever, but I was successful in getting all of that cleaned.
We then went to pick up Ollie from daycare and take him home for a nap. While Ollie slept, Mark did some consulting work and I did a laundry and picked little cherry tomatoes for Heather and Jed to roast. Jed picked the big boys up after school and then I did a little painting of shelving for Heather while Mark took Sam and Jonah to storage to do a bit of work. So went the day. Tomorrow will be a bit of a repeat of today and then on Saturday morning we will change gears and go to town to watch Jonah and Sam play soccer. Mark works at West Marine on Sunday and then on Monday morning, we’ll start the cleaning cycle all over again. Is there a book about the Zen of cleaning? I need it.
Attached to this log post are a couple of photos Heather sent to us of Ollie in ‘school’. In one photo he is in the lotus position doing yoga and in the other he is in music class keeping the beat with wooden spoons. In both photos you can see just how serious he is about doing just the right thing. He moves at a slightly slower pace than both Sam and Jonah. For example, after nap today, he sat in the front yard with Granddad for a very long time just contemplating the swaying branches of the trees in the wind. Special moments.
