Dockage...

So we pay a decent amount for dockage here at the marina.  Not nearly as much as renting a house, mind you, very reasonable by those standards!  But Bob and I are trying to save for larger boat now that we are sure we are compatible with this life-style. 

We've managed to work out a rather nice trade with the marina (woo hoo!).  I've taken over the cleaning of the office, bathrooms and laundry facility, (with a little help from Bob thank goodness) in exchange for some of our dockage.  This seems like it's going to work out rather well for all of us.  The marina doesn't have to pay for the cleaning service and we get to put that extra money aside for a larger boat:-)  Isn't life good!

A few hours to burn...

So Pam, my neighbor, and I had a couple of hours to spare and decided to put together a jigsaw puzzle of Times Square.  Our 1-2 hours turned into 4 hours of "obsession"~lol  That's how long it took us to complete this 750 piece puzzle.  Bobbie, who lives at the end of A Dock did stop by and help a little with the border and Smitty helped for a few minutes...thanks guys!



Notice the "healthy snack" we munched on as we worked:-)



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...