Saying Bon Voyage...

Jim and the Dilligaf

This morning I helped cast off the lines for Dilligaf, Jim's sweet little trawler.  I hope Jim and Kathy both have a safe and fun journey for the winter and I can't wait to see you again in the Spring.

Kathy, getting ready to catch the lines

Jim, happy that the anchor was "un-stuck" so he can continue the trip

*Photos to follow soon...ran out of photo storage and had to buy more~lol  Waiting for it to load:-)

~Pamela

Random photos...

So I took the camera out when I left the boat this evening and thought I'd post a few pics.

Beautiful clouds seen through the rigging on The Mystery

Max gathering his fishing supplies

Still waters at sunset

Have not seen one here yet, but they are out there somewhere:-)

Low tide at the salt marsh

Max, hiding from the camera

My "super-cool" bike.  Yes, I have a three-wheeler~roflol

Notice the nice and room basket:-)

The cool handle bars...



and a nice cushy (and wide) seat for comfort~lol  No tiny seat for me!



I even have a bell!

The pavilion

Bob in the pavilion...the blur tarp in the background is ours~lol

Wish we WERE in the Caribbean right now!

The "greeter" at Hurricane Patty's

Still waters, low tide at the salt marsh

Better view with the 312 bridge in the background

Honduran Tacos!  Thanks for the fabulous dinner Pam L.!!!!!

MUST learn to make these!  They were the best tacos I've ever had! 
None were left by the time we got done!

Bert trying to decide if he can steal the tennis ball.  That's our neighbor, Don giving him a pet

A simple truth about boaters...

I've been aboard The Mystery for about 2 months now and still living in the marina (darn that missing engine!) and I've decided that there are a few truths about boaters and marina life in general.

Boaters come in every variety you can imagine.  You have everything from the yuppie boaters to the old salts straight out of the old sea adventure movies.  Where they come in every description you can imagine, they all have one basic thing in common (with a couple of exceptions...of course), they are all willing to bend over backwards to help you when you need it.  I have had suggestions and actual physical help from a retired military boater who owns a rather nice (and expensive) trawler.  He didn't bat an eyelash at our rather cramped and chaotic lifestyle.  I've gotten help from an "old salt" that is a retired lobster fisherman (I hope I'm calling that by the correct name!) who was willing to stop what he was doing and come right over to answer a "What's that thing and why do I have it?" question.  I've really only had 1 "bad" boater experience and that was from a non-live aboard who only visits on the weekends.  Obviously, I can't call them a "real boater"~lol

I've also decided that there are obvious advantages to marina life and glaringly obvious disadvantages.  It's nice to have neighbors and really nice not having to dinghy in and out of the harbor every time you want to see someone.  Marina life provides an "instant community" complete with a ready supply of people who immediately have boating in common.  But, it also provides an instant community that may not be exactly to your liking all the time.  Normally, you would simply move your boat, but we're stuck (not to mention we love it here with only a couple of exceptions).  I think there's always going to be that "one" boater who's going to get on your nerves.  You know...the one that has to "push your button" every once in awhile.

Overall though, I have to say that this life is what you make of it.  I have totally embraced this lifestyle.  I'm happy with the yuppie boaters (where I was never tolerant of yuppies before) as well as the old salts that are a little rough around the edges but SO nice.  I seem to be able to move from group to group here and be accepted by all.  I'm so thankful that I've had the chance to meet so many people and learn so much in such a short time.  Everyday, I learn something new and I can't tell you how patient everyone has been with us "newbies".  Even the "dumb" questions are answered in all seriousness and I've never been made to feel stupid for asking them.

To all my fellow boaters, I tip my hat and say thank you, thank you, thank you.

~Pamela

Another night of fishin'...

Bob, Max and our friend Pam Fishing on A Dock

We decided to try our hand at fishing again tonight.  I caught 4 catfish and 1 other fish, but I have no idea what it was and didn't think to take a photo.  It looked a little like a bream, but it had a spot near the gills and a few light stripes on the body.

Anyway, Bob caught a couple of catfish, but the "winner" of the evening was our neighbor, Pam.  She managed to land 9 pretty good size catfish.  Hot dogs seem to be the favorite treat for them~lol  Maybe we'll try a different bait tomorrow and see if we can't catch something else.

We did enjoy watching a couple of dolphin swimming in the river.  We got to see them swim up towards the salt marsh and back down again about an hour later.  I have to admit that I am really enjoying our evenings sitting out an the docks.  Not only are we having fun catching the fish, but it's nice to also be able to sit quietly for a while.

The Coffee Club

Marina life actually revolves around socializing to a certain degree.  I'm finding that, while I enjoy living on The Mystery (and boat life in general), I am enjoying the social life with the other marina people.  Every morning, there's a group that sits near the office to have a cup of coffee.  It seems to be the same group every morning and it gives us a chance to talk and find out a little more about each other.  We also find out what's happening on what boats and the projects that are being worked on for the day.

This opportunity to socialize is not simply a chat session some mornings though.  I have learned so much about living on the boat from the Coffee Club.  Not only do I get to meet new people and discuss current events, but I've also learned a wealth of information about living on board.  My new bed came about from a member of the Coffee Club.  Adjustments that will soon be made to the new bed are a direct result for talking about a simple issue I'm having (it's a pain to set up and take down alone!)  Tapping into the experience of people that have lived on boats for years is not only important for me, as a "newbie", but I truly appreciate the help and advice.  Thanks to all my Coffee Club pals.

Socializing and afternoon naps...

Since my husband works and Max is in school all day, that puts me on the boat with just the dogs or company much of the time.  I like to talk to my dogs, but 8 hours a day is a little much~lol  I send a large amount of time either on-line or socializing up at the pavilion in the marina.  There are so many boaters that live here, there always seems to be someone up there to talk to.

I love to talk (no comment on that one Ms B!) and will sit with almost anyone who wants to have a conversation.  That has turned out to work to my advantage lately, as I've been learning so much from other live aboard boaters!  But, most of the "talk time" is in the middle of the day.  That means it's hot, very hot.  The heat can sap the energy right out of you faster than a jog around the block I think, but have not attempted the jog around the block to compare the feeling...yet.  Let's be honest, I'll never jog around the block so just take my word for it, sitting in the heat makes you tired~lol  (See, you thought the convoluted title wouldn't go anywhere.)

After piddling on the boat, getting any actual work done before 9 am (that's when you start to get hot~lol) and getting inside work done before 10 am (how much inside work is there when your space is this limited), you get on-line until you get tired of your own company, that's usually around 10:30 am~lol.  That's when you start your socializing:-)  It's not simply sitting there and talking a few hours, it's sit and talk for about 15-30 minute, then go back to the boat (you're hot and gotta get cool) and work on something until you forget just how hot it is and you must go socialize again because you have to hear someone breathe, other than the dogs, of course.  You once again socialize for another 15-30 minutes.  Then retreat back to the boat.  This cycle is repeated anywhere from 3 to 10 times, depending on exactly how much you want to talk and how long your stamina can hold (climb out of the boat, off the boat and climb the gangway from the dock to land and walk to the pavilion, all in the heat).

After several trips, you start back to the boat, telling whoever you were talking to that you'll be back in a little while, gotta go cool off.  At this time, you get back to the boat and decide to read, sounds like a good idea at the time.  After reading one page...the nap starts~lol  The nap can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how many socializing trip you made and when you wake up...you get to go socialize again.  There's not too much tie left before it gets dark and we all know it's time to get on the boat at dark!  We are too tired from spending the day outside in the heat to even think about staying up late here!

Spare time and what do I do?

Living on a boat presents plenty of time to pursue other interests.  There are only so many things to occupy yourself with.  There's not much cleaning to be done and regular maintenance only takes a few moments.  Many live aboards in this marina have tv's since there's cable available (we do not), so they keep up with regular shows.  But, there's still plenty of spare time if you don't work full-time (many do not) and still time left over if you do.

My husband works full-time and I work part-time, so I invariably have plenty of time to try and fill during the afternoon's when it' hot.  I read, listen to music and get my cleaning/straightening done after 10 am when the temperature is starting to rise.  Let's be honest, I love to read, but I can only read so long before I need something else to do.  There's always the internet, but after awhile you need something else to occupy not only your mind, but your hands also.

Thankfully, I have a neighbor who has taught me to make beaded jewelry.  I now have several beaded rings and I'm moving on to bracelets and necklaces now.  What am I ever going to do with all these beads~lol  The artists are no longer welcome to sell their wares on St. George Street or in the Plaza, so I have started to accumulate a rather large collection of jewelry (which I do not wear~lol).

I've been asked to organize a "Mariner's Flea Market", so I guess I'm going to have to so I can sell everything I've made to date~lol   I hope to organize the flea market for sometime in October, when the weather is cooler.  Lot's of the boaters here have hobbies that produce large amounts of artwork from beaded jewelry to photography to bicycle repair.  I can't wait to see what everyone else has to offer.  Who knows, maybe I'll pick up another skill:-)

My first attempts at beaded rings...

Dinner and drink is nice. Nasty comments are not.

Last night one of the wonderful "marina ladies" made fajitas for many of the boaters and dinner turned into a small party before we knew it.  The fajitas were absolutely wonderful, if a little hot.  She made the sauce with the drained juice of a jar of jalapenos, so no one was expecting as much "heat" as we got~lol  There were no left overs, so they were a huge success.  Needless to say, after a little "heat" from the fajitas, we were all had a few beers (or in my case wine) for hours afterwards.

I'm finding that marina life has it's up and downs.  I am fairly laid back, but I can't abide someone talking about me, my family or my dogs (go figure, they are part of my family).  One of the party-goers last night made a rather nasty comment about one of my dogs in front of the entire group.  Now, I did not take my dog to the little party, my husband brought him out to take on a walk.  This person was not asked to even be near the dog, so I felt the comment she made was a little excessive and completely unnecessary.  I am rather pleased that I was able to hold my temper and not let on that I had even heard the remark, but I will have a private word later to let her know I was offended (and more than a little embarrassed) by her thoughtless remark.  I guess that it's going to be a process learning to live so close to such a diverse group of people.  All of us are so different.  We come from different backgrounds, ethnic groups and we are all rather "set" in our beliefs.  Hopefully, once we adjust to this life, we will learn to let the little things pass us by without taking offense.

Marina life is never boring...

This is not MY mooner, but this guy is running a close second!

Many people that live aboard do not have cars, so it's a little interesting getting around for them.  We are one of the few people who actually have TWO cars at the marina, so I end up taking someone almost everywhere I go.  Now, I am not complaining because I love having the company, but it does make shopping and errands interesting.  I took a trip to the local WalMart to pick up supplies the other day and had 2 fabulous women from the marina with me, which made for a very eclectic shopping trip (we all needed different things). 

One of the ladies is a stand-up comedian, so I should have known it was going to be an interesting trip, but I was in no way prepared for what I saw while checking out!  Both ladies were waiting for me in the front of the store near the Service Center and as I looked towards them...my comedian friend actually dropped her pants and mooned me!  Talk about shocked~lol  I'm not a prude and I've been mooned before (I've even mooned), but never did I imagine that I'd be mooned in the check-out lane at WalMart! 

The amazing thing was no one even seemed to notice what happened.  How can someone dropping their pants in WalMart go un-noticed?  My thoughts...WalMart gets such strange people that anything goes~lol  I've seen shoppers in their pajamas filling their shopping carts in this store before :-)

Next week, we're taking on Winn Dixie, I can't wait to see what kind of trouble she can cause in there!!

To see some real craziness in WalMart, check out the website People Of WalMart!

Marina Life

Moving Mystery into the marina was probably the best decision we've made so far.  We are happy (for the most part) with all our "neighbors" and we found that feeling of "community" rather quickly here.  We've only been on-board for just over a week, but I think that after doing our homework, we made a good decision to stay here.

When we were living in the house, we barely knew our neighbors well enough to wave when seeing them on the street.  We actually only knew the names of TWO of our neighbors.  It was a rather singular and insulated way to live.  Now that we are part of the marina and are on the boat full-time, we know most of the people that are on the boats around us.  There is a nice pavilion with picnic tables and grills set-up for us to use and that is the gathering place for most of the live aboard's.  Every week there are scheduled get-togethers that help promote a community feeling also.  Saturday morning's it's coffee and doughnuts and Wednesday evenings we have a cook-out with everyone contributing something.

It's nice to actually slow down enough to get to know your neighbors and always have someone nearby that you know you can ask for help if you need it.  I like knowing who lives next to me, it makes me feel like I actually "belong" here.

While I love the feeling of community, I do have to admit that there are a few people I simply don't care for here.  Not that they have done anything, but our personalities just don't mesh well together.  I don't feel obligated to socialize if I don't want to, so I don't foresee any problems being able to get along well here.

The downside of marina life...your neighbors are very close.  If you want to have a private discussion, then don't do it above deck or on-land.  Otherwise someone is going to hear you!

We lived for a long time in a Mini-Winnie (Class C camper) and are used to having close neighbors, so we are fairly used to living close to others, but we have been "out of practice" for almost 4 years, so we are still adjusting.  We''ll see how well it's going in a month~lol