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.

Center Cockpit Designs

Center cockpit sailboats are suppose to be easier to sail (we'll find out in a couple of months) due to the height of the cockpit and the fact that about half of the boat is in front and behind the person navigating.  Our sailboat, a Hunter 420, has a nice roomy cockpit and a large deck behind. The other big reason for a center cockpit is that the design allows for a very large aft cabin for extended traveling.

All the comforts of home...away from home.

Sunrise over Still Waters

The sun crests the peninsula that protects the southern side of the entrance to the harbor at Green Turtle Bay. Off in the distance, a pair of fisherman try their luck where the channel from the harbor meets Lake Barkley/Cumberland River.

Play on Words

Boat names are notorious for their play on words. One that caught our eye this past weekend was the aptly named Byrd Ketcher. I assume that the "Byrd" is the last name of the owners and the sailing vessel is a "ketch".  Another assumption is that the owner(s) has an affinity for old Warner Brother cartoons---but I'm just guessing on that one.

Nautical Traditions

Proudly displaying both the Stars and Stripes along with a blonde on the aft deck of the Time and Tide.

Sitting on a Dock of the Bay

Assembling the seemingly necessary dock box for addtional storage. Fairly simple and straightforward.

Dock box completed. Have no idea why they use them yet.

Maybe it is because they can be used as "chick" magnets! Who would have known?!?!