Return of the First Mate

While she didn't get that exclusive I-4 Overview and Lakeland flight again, the little woman is heading back home!

Heading North

Many flights of geese have been cruising northward the past few weeks following the weather fronts coming from the west and southwest.  This flock of snow geese (at 12x optical) were merrily honking all the way across the sky.

Why do geese fly in a "V"?  Because it is too hard to fly in an "S"!!

The Handyman Will Play While the Wife's Away

Yours truly purchased a ladder stabilizer that rests the extension ladder off the edge of the roof along with giving a wider, more secure, stance.  The little woman is off in Florida enjoying family and the warm sun while the weather here is clear and a cool 50F---a great time to do a little work "up high" without traumatizing the spouse :) 

The unit assembled quickly and the attachment was fairly straightforward.

Up we go!!!!!!!!!!!  Boy, it's a long way up :O

The sturdy feet are doing their job.  Giving me great support and allowing me to do some much needed repairs to our gutters without that nagging "is my ladder sliding?" feeling.

This photo could have gone viral under much different circumstances with a "Darwin Award" heading--(my ghost would have never rested being lumped into that crowd!)  But I played it very safe---note the requisite three points of contact, warm quilted flannel shirt (with extra pockets) and the manly, one day beard growth of an experienced DIY'er :)

First Mate off to Florida

The little woman is off to Florida for a few days to visit family and soak up some rays!

Hopefully not her pilots :)

Polly wants a Cracker

Whipped up some simple dough to try my hand at cracker making

The basic ingredient

The healthy ingredient

Rolled out on parchment paper, seasoned and sliced

Baked....

Cooling....

Reference sized....

And boxed by a leading independent bakery!!!

Vinyl Appliqué

Pre-packaged vinyl stencils are so 20th century.  Create your own design, logo or style for just a few dollars and have the creation delivered to your mailbox in a matter of a couple of days.

(Next up for the letters is the application !)

Boat Drinks

During our usual early Sunday morning grocery shopping, the little woman and I ran into some new Crystal Light flavors. Perfect stuff for storing onboard nautical craft---and listening to a little Jimmy Buffett sing about "Boat Drinks" :)

Powered by 55.2 Ponies

We're all diesel with the main drive being a reliable Yanmar 41.2kW.....and for those nerds among us, 746 watts=1 hp :)

Batteries Included!

Getting into all the nooks and crannies of our second home.....in most cases it requires the removal of floor panels designed for easy access. This one contains our 12 VDC house batteries which power everything when we are not on shore or generator power.

Pineapple Jerky

Our new oven has a "Dehydrate" feature which I've been wanting to try out.

First test subject was an entire can of sliced pineapple. When I first laid out the slices the rack was almost full.  I am going to have to make sure the whole oven is full of fruit next time!

And in case you were wondering what dried pineapple slices look like in 3D.....

Taking the last few rays of the day

Another great day on the water. Granted, we're tied up dockside, but still not shabby :)

On the Fore Deck of the Time and Tide

Enjoying some sundowners on a crisp afternoon sitting on the deck of the Time and Tide. Spent a few hours this afternoon on a "motorboat" touring the immediate areas around Green Turtle Bay on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. The boat was worth nearly a million dollars and calls the covered slips behind the Time and Tide home.

So How Do Hummingbirds Stay Clean?

They take bird baths of course!!!!  A bit different than their cousins though :)

Video is complied from a series of photos.....

Here is the "splash down" photo

Everybody gets friendly

We're having some wintry mix, stiff winds and cold temperatures (in the 20s) the next few days. The bird feeder is suddenly a cornucopia of feathered friends--4 varieties in the photo, but we've had easily twice that at times. You know it's tough when House Wrens are eating seeds (not shown)!

Happy 85th Birthday!!!

The crew of the sailing vessel Time and Tide wishes you the best of birthdays!!!

Safety Accessories

I have a pretty good idea what most of the bling on the boat is about, but I truly had no clue what the purpose was of the item in the photo that is mounted in the rigging of the mast. I had teased my First Mate, with my tongue placed firmly "in-cheek", that it was lightning detector that would glow if a strike was imminent.  "Make sure you watch it!" :)

It wasn't until I was talking to a slip neighbor on the pier that suggested it might be a radar deflector, though he himself was not sure as only one other boat on the pier is equipped with one.

I looked it up, and it is a reflector for radar that allows other boats (read large commercial ships) "see" a sailboat that is nearby---assuming that they have a radar, that it is in the "on" position and someone is actually monitoring the screen.

Proud Stance

The helms of center cockpits generally sit a bit proud compared to most other designs and ours most defintely rides high. The color anaglyph below attempts to show just how much!

 Note the steps on the left

Thing-a-ma-jigs on the What-cha-ma-call-it

A photo of the mid mast of the Time and Tide with a few, formerly just guessed at, accessories.

Still many things to learn about just moored to the slip.