Well, we have had a great time back in NC this year. Our good friends George and Pam came down to Morehead to spend a few days and then take us back to Mt. Airy.
We had a great visit with our family and friends. Remember, we haven't seen most of them since Christmas. Well, we did see Jean and Jenny when they came to visit us in Green Turtle Cay, but for everyone else its been a long time. That's the worst part about our life style, we miss being with our family and friends.
 |
| Bad storm |
Back to Morehead to start working on our list of stuff to do on the boat. We have a list of stuff to do every summer. A lot of the things we do are just preventative maintenance things we do every year. We doing usually do any "work" when we travel, so we have stuff to do when we get back.
Travis and Sarah came down to spend a few days with us. We had a great visit and he got to go fishing. It was early in the season and he didn't catch a big one, but he had fun trying.
Lauren, Chris and Joaquin came up to Morehead to see us several times. They just made daytrips but we had a great time visiting, talking, eating and just being together. They went to the beach, flew kites, and saw real live pirates. Joaquin likes to come to the boat and pretend he's driving.
 |
| Joaquin driving as daddy looks on |
 |
| Hasn't quite got the VHF radio figured out yet |
 |
He's enjoying this
Feeding the fish
|
We took a daytrip to Ocracoke for July 4th. Travis, Sarah, Lauren, Chris, and Joaquin were there and we had a great day. We visited with them, went out to eat dinner then left on the ferry. As soon as we left the dock they fireworks went off. It was great watching them from the water. Hope the folks on land enjoyed them as much as we did. Travis and Sarah have gone there several times for the fourth and always have fun. Travis loves the pirate parade and wore his pirate costume this year.
We made several trips back to Mt. Airy during the summer. We were there for our nieces' surprise engagement party. It was fun to help decorate and I'm so glad we could be there to see her reaction.
 |
| Shay's mom |
 |
| Mother of the bride, mommie to be, and newly engaged. |
I helped give another niece a baby shower. It was fun decorating, getting the food ready, and seeing all the great gifts Baby Josie got. She got enough girlie clothes to last her a long time.
We have another niece that's expecting next February. Thank goodness we've got some time to get ready for her shower.
We had great visits with daddy all summer and fall long. Sometimes it was just me or me and Michelle and Billy or me and Billy or me and Michelle or me and Billy and Michelle and Shay
 |
| Billy and his pet deer after a visit to daddy |
 |
| Daddy enjoying a watermelon from Billy and Peggy's garden |
 |
| Daddy and his buddy, Rascal. |
 |
| Happy time |
 |
| Can't forget Rascal |
I went down to Wilmington to help Lauren get her classroom ready for a new year. We cleaned out and organized lots of stuff. I need to ask her how it looks now. I put hundreds of books in her bookcases. We set up her desks and when I left it looked ready for a new group of learners.
 |
| Eagerly waiting at the door for her new students. |
Of course while I was there we did some shopping, ate out a few times and just sat around talking.
We took the boat out of the water the end of August again. We've done this for several years. October is the prime time for a hurricane to hit our area so it makes it easier for us to be ready. It also makes it easier for us to get some quality time back home. We are constantly on the go trying to see everyone when we are there and spending more time there means we have more time with them.
So we worked like crazy getting things ready. It's a lot of work. We take all the outside cushions off, clean and dry them then put them in the V-berth. We take all the outside window coverings off, wash and dry them then put them in the V-berth. We take off all the bimini tops and side curtain, wash and dry them and put them in the V-berth. We wash and dry everything else that's outside the boat and either tie it down or put it in the V-berth or saloon. While all this stuff is inside the boat we try to clean the outside decks, walls, stainless steel and anything else we can find. It is a lot of work. We can't wait till the last day to do it because you have to make sure that everything is dry before you put it inside. We usually work on this stuff for about a week getting it all done.
While the boat was on the "hard" or out of the water I stayed in Mt Airy and Shay traveled back and forth working on projects.
We also made another life changing decision while there. We signed a contract to have a condo built. By he end of the month they had dug fittings, poured the foundation, poured floors, and started putting up studs for walls. Yes, its official. We shall soon be known as "CLODS" or "cruisers living on dirt". When we started this adventure, we said we'd do it 10 years and that was just a number. We thought health issues would end the adventure. Either one of us or one of our parents would have problems and we'd end the adventure. But that's not the reason. We have loved every, well almost every minute of these 8 years, but I want to travel by car or van and see the US. And I want to do it while I can still get out and really see it not just pull into the parking lot and say there it is.
So, we had a month to pick out EVERYTHING. Neither of us had build a house before and there were at least 12 million decisions to make. Everything from appliances to toilets. It's been fun and it's been exasperating. We've both woke up in the morning saying we didn't sleep because we were thinking about house building decisions. But, when we headed back to get boat ready to travel south, we had made all the decisions. At least all the ones we knew about.
 |
| First day of the build. Just dug the footings. Very exciting. Lot's of decisions to make. |
 |
Shay and Joaquin
Feeding the cows.
Lauren, Chris, and Joaquin went apple picking as they usually do. She loves to pick the apples then take them home and bake with them. She even makes her own crust. No, she didn't learn that from me.
|
 |
| Apple picking time. The only time he eats apples is when he picks them. I guess he knows they are fresh then. |
 |
| A beautiful day in the orchard. Lauren loves this time of year. |
We had a great time during the Autumn Leaves Festival in Mt Airy. Lauren, Chris, and Joaquin came up as usual. I have officially been named Mimi. My name is so hard to little ones to say so that's what I picked out for Joaquin to call me. We had a great time eating our way down Main St on several occasions. I liked looking at all the craft booths and local stores for things for the house. Shay said I was like a teenager with a "hope chest". I had already bought a couple of things before we even decided on the condo. I told people I had 2 quilts even though I didn't have a bed to put them on or at that time a place to put the bed. Well, at least now I have a place to put a bed, or I will in s few months.
Lauren, Chris and Joaquin went hiking on Pilot Mtn, a local landmark. Guess what happened on the mountain? She said YES. Chris proposed and Lauren said yes, so now she's engaged. Chris had talked to Shay and I the day before, so we knew it was going to happen, we just didn't know when. When he talked to me, I told him Shay had proposed to me on Pilot Mtn. He said he didn't know that. I didn't know that was his plan.
 |
| So happy |
 |
| YES |
 |
| Look at those big smiles. Hope they are this happy forever. |
When they got back I noticed Lauren kept her hand in her pocket for and while and told Shay he did it. He asked how I knew and I told him she was keeping her hand hidden. So we sat around for a few minutes and then she showed me her hand. Well, the ring was beautiful and she had a big smile on her face so she looked happy. There were a lot of relatives around and she kept taking people aside and showing them until everyone knew. So we were all smiling then. We all hope they have many years of happiness and love. It's a good thing I have my named picked out (MiMi) for my soon to be grandson. He's definitely a cutie.
Back to the boat and now I can't sleep because I'm planning a wedding. She thinks it may be in April, so the clock is ticking.
 |
| Our great friends, Pam and George brought us back to the boat. We left our car back home. |
Work continues getting Escape ready for its possible final trip south. Yes I guess she'll go on the market soon. I know there are people who have both a boat and a house, but not us. At least not for long.
