Week 23 & 24: August 23 - Sept 6
The coldest winter I ever endured was the summer of 2017 in Michigan! Lord have mercy! Even the locals are complaining. Our two tiny closets which were filled with t-shirts, tank tops and shorts have been emptied and replaced with long sleeves, jackets and hoodies. The mantra of Loopers is ‘chasing 80’ (degrees), but we would be content to find some 70’s somewhere. We turn the heat on at night. The witch that is known as Lake Michigan has also decided to throw some big waves and wind around, so we have been ‘stuck’ in Grand Haven, MI for a week.
So for fun in our downtime, we have been doing some deep cleaning and maintenance. Specifically, cleaning out the forward bilge where a small leak of our fecal material through a hose had gotten to a point of ‘what the hell stinks???” Fun, fun, fun! For those thinking of joining us at some point, be assured that the problem is fixed and nothing that a bottle of Clorox and bilge cleaner couldn’t overcome. So glad I brought some nursing gloves with me :)
On a much brighter note…..AFTER 3 MONTHS, WE ARE BACK WITH THE FRENCHIES!!!! We caught up with them in Grand Haven where they have been stuck for over 3 weeks getting a rebuilt engine and new propellor. Their situation reminds me that what we had to fix on our boat could have been much worse. All boaters will have their ‘stuck for repairs’ period sooner or later. Their bill will be close to $20K, so I have stopped whining about our many ‘minor’ repairs. But true to their form, and one of the reasons why I love them so, they are still full of love and life and ready to forge ahead. It was a sweet reunion, and we know we will be life-long friends. Plus, I absolutely LOVE their French wine!!!! We parted from Tom and Paula who wanted to get ‘the hell off of Lake Michigan’ ASAP, but hope to catch up somewhere on the rivers. Their sea-sick cat totally agreed with their plan!
Despite the cold and temperamental lake, we have seen some awesome sites. On sunny, calm days Lake Michigan can be as clear and blue as the Caribbean. Much of the eastern shore is a mountain range of sand dunes. Who knew!!! People actually sled down them. Monarch butterflies heading to Mexico by the hundreds are flying over the lake miles from shore. Salmon and trout are jumping out of the water everywhere. This is also the home of huge white swans, and the geese and mallards have started their long flight south.
Gypsea is growing and becoming more like a dog every day! She is now pretty much leash trained and comes when called. BTW…if any young man wants some attention from young women, he just needs to put a cute kitten on a leash in a public place! She talks all the time and loves to cuddle on laps and be rubbed on her tummy. Her new trick is ‘helping’ me make the bed. Every morning when I say ‘let’s make the bed’ she jumps on the bed and repeatedly slides her front paws forward to smooth out the sheet wrinkles as I pull them up. She also helps fluff the pillows by jumping on them when I throw them to the head of the bed. Her favorite toy is a mini pig beanie baby which she alternately hugs, then viciously attacks. But Gypsea was momentarily forgotten when a neighbor boater brought out his 11-week-old pug. I’ll be honest…I lost it!!!! Baby Tina was reincarnated for a few minutes with lots of puppy-breath kisses on my face. Miss my girl.
We have made our reservation for a month at Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon in the Florida Keys. We’ll be there from Dec 15 thru Jan 15. If anyone is thinking of a Florida vacation during that time, we would love to meet you down there. There is a Hyatt Place attached to the marina. We will be taking lots of boat trips to visit all the sites in the Keys from there and we’d be willing to be your own private charter!!!
Thinking of you all more than you know!
The coldest winter I ever endured was the summer of 2017 in Michigan! Lord have mercy! Even the locals are complaining. Our two tiny closets which were filled with t-shirts, tank tops and shorts have been emptied and replaced with long sleeves, jackets and hoodies. The mantra of Loopers is ‘chasing 80’ (degrees), but we would be content to find some 70’s somewhere. We turn the heat on at night. The witch that is known as Lake Michigan has also decided to throw some big waves and wind around, so we have been ‘stuck’ in Grand Haven, MI for a week.
So for fun in our downtime, we have been doing some deep cleaning and maintenance. Specifically, cleaning out the forward bilge where a small leak of our fecal material through a hose had gotten to a point of ‘what the hell stinks???” Fun, fun, fun! For those thinking of joining us at some point, be assured that the problem is fixed and nothing that a bottle of Clorox and bilge cleaner couldn’t overcome. So glad I brought some nursing gloves with me :)
On a much brighter note…..AFTER 3 MONTHS, WE ARE BACK WITH THE FRENCHIES!!!! We caught up with them in Grand Haven where they have been stuck for over 3 weeks getting a rebuilt engine and new propellor. Their situation reminds me that what we had to fix on our boat could have been much worse. All boaters will have their ‘stuck for repairs’ period sooner or later. Their bill will be close to $20K, so I have stopped whining about our many ‘minor’ repairs. But true to their form, and one of the reasons why I love them so, they are still full of love and life and ready to forge ahead. It was a sweet reunion, and we know we will be life-long friends. Plus, I absolutely LOVE their French wine!!!! We parted from Tom and Paula who wanted to get ‘the hell off of Lake Michigan’ ASAP, but hope to catch up somewhere on the rivers. Their sea-sick cat totally agreed with their plan!
Despite the cold and temperamental lake, we have seen some awesome sites. On sunny, calm days Lake Michigan can be as clear and blue as the Caribbean. Much of the eastern shore is a mountain range of sand dunes. Who knew!!! People actually sled down them. Monarch butterflies heading to Mexico by the hundreds are flying over the lake miles from shore. Salmon and trout are jumping out of the water everywhere. This is also the home of huge white swans, and the geese and mallards have started their long flight south.
Gypsea is growing and becoming more like a dog every day! She is now pretty much leash trained and comes when called. BTW…if any young man wants some attention from young women, he just needs to put a cute kitten on a leash in a public place! She talks all the time and loves to cuddle on laps and be rubbed on her tummy. Her new trick is ‘helping’ me make the bed. Every morning when I say ‘let’s make the bed’ she jumps on the bed and repeatedly slides her front paws forward to smooth out the sheet wrinkles as I pull them up. She also helps fluff the pillows by jumping on them when I throw them to the head of the bed. Her favorite toy is a mini pig beanie baby which she alternately hugs, then viciously attacks. But Gypsea was momentarily forgotten when a neighbor boater brought out his 11-week-old pug. I’ll be honest…I lost it!!!! Baby Tina was reincarnated for a few minutes with lots of puppy-breath kisses on my face. Miss my girl.
We have made our reservation for a month at Faro Blanco Marina in Marathon in the Florida Keys. We’ll be there from Dec 15 thru Jan 15. If anyone is thinking of a Florida vacation during that time, we would love to meet you down there. There is a Hyatt Place attached to the marina. We will be taking lots of boat trips to visit all the sites in the Keys from there and we’d be willing to be your own private charter!!!
Thinking of you all more than you know!
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