YUM....It's Pumpkin Time!

Captain Man and I did take last Sunday morning off and had brunch with some friends.  We decided to enjoy good food and mimosas with friends who were celebrating, along with Captain Man, birthdays.  Happy Birthday Captain Man!!!  What a nice reprieve!   We enjoyed good company and good food, if only for a few hours.  We had way too much food...quiches, bacon, pumpkin scones with pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin muffins.  Yep, it is that time of year again to savor pumpkin and pumpkin spice, which I love.  Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin ravioli, roasted pumpkin, pumpkin soup...sooooo good.

Last year, while visiting my daughter, we passed a pumpkin market.  So we stopped and they had the most amazing pumpkins there.  All sorts of shapes and colors....They were beautiful.  So I took several pics and wanted to share....

They almost look like gourds, but we were told nope, they are pumpkins

And you thought pumpkins were only orange!!!

Different shapes and sizes

Striped ones too!

White pumpkins???

And some with warts?

Now I am in the mood for some pumpkin delishousness!!

I Hate Dusting!

Captain Man and I are looking at each other and wondering what in the heck happened to the time!!!!  It is November, and we are working our butts off trying to get the boat ready to go.  I only have 11 more days of work, woo hoo :), but we are not close to being done with the boat.  Captain Man is going every day to work on Kittywampus, and I go on Saturdays and Sundays, mostly to clean up and vacuum.  I can believe all the dust...if I did not vacuum each weekend, it would be 3 inches thick by now on everything.

sanding, which means more vacuuming

Kittywampus now has propellers!  The outside of the boat looks great.  She has new bottom paint and the black bottom looks good on her.  And today, I gave her a much needed bath.  So,  things are progressing, although not as fast as Captain Man and I would like.  But we will get there!!!!  We will!

New Props!

With new bottom paint

She is looking good from the outside!

Cruisers Heading South!

Well, here we are...the middle of October, and we are noticing boats that are heading south.  And we are not among them!!!  I never thought I would consider myself a "boater", but with the cooler temperatures, I am finding myself being envious of the cruisers passing us by.  Living where we do, we see the water activity daily.  In the summer, it's mostly day sailors or party boats moving up and down the river.  The summer season presents lots of water traffic.  But during the fall season, the traffic slows a bit, as well as the type of traffic.  Now we see cruisers moving along... with their dinghies in tow, and their provisioned boats sitting low in the water.  And they are moving along, only stopping for a day or two, to enjoy the town where they have docked and possibly do some laundry or enjoy sightseeing, before pulling in the lines and start moving southward.  Yep, I am a bit envious of them.

We did get a chance to hook up with Mike and Dottie on Cool Beans (formerly FAT CHANCE) this weekend.  They stopped by on their way southward and it was good to see them and the boat.  I had hoped that the new owners of FAT CHANCE would use her and take good care of her.  She was such a great boat for Captain Man and me, and we are thrilled to see her being enjoyed and used!!!

Captain Man and I did take a few hours off yesterday afternoon to walk downtown and see the activities of Smoke on the Water.  Lots of vendors showing off their wares, the noted Chili Cook Off and the Dragon Boat races were some of the  hi-lights.  It was a beautiful day and lots of folks turned out for the activities.

Watching the Dragon Boat races

It's a close race!

One coming out in front

And crossing the finish line, (or buoy)

 As we were walking along, we noticed several cruising boats anchored out, or pulled up to the free dock.  That was yesterday....guess what...they are gone today.  Heading south!

Time to Stain!

Well, the time has come for staining and applying polyurethane to the interior wood on the boat.  So that's what I did yesterday. Captain Man and I finished staining on Thursday.  We were unable to get to the boat on Friday, due to working elsewhere, so we headed to the boat yesterday morning and I ending up getting one coat of polyurethane on all of the "new" wood on the boat.   We think the newer wood will match up fairly well with the existing wood, so good job on the color matching!

We are at the point where we can visualized the interior of the boat now.  Progress!  It's gratifying to see, and I know Captain Man is sensing some light at the end of the tunnel.  He has been working so hard for a long time now, and it will be such a relief to have the boat work done.  (Ok....I know...boat work is never done...so done enough to be able to hop on-board and go somewhere!) 

The settee area looking from Starboard to Port side

The "closet" minus doors

The bathroom area-a shower stall will be there

My seat!  Add cushions and a few pillows and a good book!

So, it is getting to at a point where we are envisioning ourselves enjoying Kittywampus.  We cannot wait!

Roasted Peppers!

One of my co-workers has a garden and gave me a basket of assorted peppers from her bounty.  I knew that we would not be able to eat all of them before they would spoil and have to be tossed.  So, I decided to roast all of them and use them in all sorts of ways, like adding to our salads, tossing with meats, and even pureeing them for use as a pepper sauce for fish, chicken or beef. 

I started by cleaning and seeding most of the peppers.  There were so many varieties, some of which I could not identify, so seeding was safer, as some of those jokers were HOT!  I then placed them in a large bowl, and lightly oiled with olive oil, and added salt.  I lined 2 sheets pans with parchment paper, tossed the peppers onto the sheet and put the sheet pans into the hot oven for roasting.  It did not take long, maybe 15-20 minutes, and this is what they looked like coming out of the oven.

Beautiful assortment!

 

 

Some for now, and freezing some for later.

I ended up with 2 large roasting pans and was able to freeze a large bag for later use.  Some are very mild and some NOT!  But all will be enjoyed....Thanks to Crystal for sharing her harvest!

Boat Update

Hard to believe that the summer will be over in a few weeks.  Time is passing quickly and Captain Man is starting to freak out a bit.  Our goal is to have the boat ready to leave as soon as our granddaughter is born (yep...we are going to be grandparents!).  Expected due date is November 28th, so we are planning to leave shortly after the baby is born.  

Most cruisers start heading south around the middle of October, but we usually leave around the first of December because of family and the holidays.  The last few years of cruising, we got as far as Florida, then rented a car and drove back to NC for Christmas, then drove back to Florida to catch the next weather window to cross the Gulf Stream.   Whew!!!!  We were worn out and stressed from all the driving and getting family visits coordinated.   This year we are going to do our family "holiday" early, await the baby's arrival, and then head south without coming back for Christmas.  We are hoping to spend a quiet, peaceful Christmas, just the two of us somewhere in the Bahamas.  

But, the boat is far from being ready.  Captain Man is stressing.   Almost all of his waking moments are spent working on the boat or thinking about the long list of things yet to be done.  With September approaching quickly, it leaves us with 3 months in which to get Kittywampus ready.  But we won't mention there's only 3 months left to Captain Man!

Wonder how many times he has to go up and down those steps each day.....

This will eventually be a settee across from the helm seat.  Almost done.

Helm station...almost done

Settee area where we hope to be lounging around sometime in the near future

Still a lot to do, but am confident Kittywampus will be ready by December.  I know the captain will be ready to stop working on her and start enjoying her.  Can't wait!

Mimosa Time!!!

This week has been especially hectic, but thank goodness...it's the weekend!!!!   One of our favorite things to do is to make mimosas and just sit back and enjoy the view while sipping on my favorite cocktail.  My captain says that no matter how you feel, just have a mimosa and it will put a smile on your face!  And it usually does. 

Captain Man likes his in one of our crystal wine glasses, while I prefer mine in one of our Waldhaus glasses.  We bought these during our visit to Germany a couple of years ago.  Captain Man's favorite beer is Waldhaus, which is not available here in the States, (at least we haven't been to find it).  We toured the small Waldhaus brewery and purchased 6 of these great "beer mugs" to bring back, but only 4 managed to make it intact during the flight back to the States.   

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I do enjoy them for my mimosa cocktail.

So, being it's Saturday, and we are finished with chores..... now it's time to smile!!!

JewelryByDeb

When I was introduced to cruising by my significant other, I found out rather early on that I would need a hobby.  All of my life had been spent with too much to get done and not enough time to do it.  While we are busy while cruising, with lots of exploring, sightseeing, eating and just plain enjoying our relaxed lifestyle, I did find myself feeling idle from time to time.  So, I started dabbling in interests that I never had time to dabble in before.  Baking bread was one, and the other...making jewelry.

I started researching and playing around with different techniques and styles, and found that I enjoyed wire working the most.  Working the wire and creating pieces from different metal is rewarding and fun.  And I can use them for myself and as gifts for my friends and family.

From time to time, I will post some of my work on this blog, as I have had some request to show some pieces.  Please feel free to post comments as I would welcome the feedback.

Hammered Sterling Silver with glass turquoise bead

Hammered Sterling Silver Swirl with Semi-precious stone dangle

Free formed Sterling Silver Dangle with glass bead

Copper wire Necklace with glass beads

Sterling Silver bracelet with onyx beads

I hand make all the findings in my jewelry.  Each jump ring, connector, clasps, ear wires, etc. are hand made and hammered.  Hammering is a good way to let out frustrations!!  Not that I am frustrated while I am cruising!  Quite the opposite!  Maybe I need to come home from work and make some jewelry....

 

Morning verses Afternoon Walking

We have been working way too hard the past months, and the summer is going by at lightning speed.  Always so much to do, and not enough time...and so my exercise routines are getting skipped or I am having to get up earlier to incorporate the exercise into my day.  Now, being as I already have to get up before chickens and roosters do, I don't much like doing this.  So sometimes I will have put if off until I get home in the late afternoon.  However, if I do this, I must make myself do it as soon as I arrive home, not even stopping to go inside, but instead, start walking as soon as I get out of the car.  If I go inside first, well....the exercise just doesn't get done.  

It's always hard to start my walk, because I'm either already tired from working all day or I am rushing to get off to work in the morning.  But once I start walking, I'm good.  It gives me time to relax and just enjoy my surroundings.  I walk along the boardwalk, which follows the river's edge. Here are a few pics from my morning and evening walks so far this summer.  

Never get tired of looking at a beautiful sunset

 

A goose grooming itself....hard to see it as it is camouflaged against the rocks

One of MANY turtles in this area.

Don't know what types of fish are down there, but this particular morning there were having a party with the turtles.

Kittywampus has her Name!

The months are passing quickly.  Hard to believe it is mid July and we have a little more than 4 months before it will be time to leave!

The captain has been busy working on the boat every single day.  It is slowly coming along and we are getting closer to the day that we can jump on board and head off.  And I must say we can hardly wait! Last weekend, the boat got her name placed on the transom and we really like the way it turned out.  We think it fits her perfectly. 

 

 

 Most of the electrical systems will be completed soon, and work has started on the interior cabinetry.  We are beginning to look at upholstery material for the settees, and I am trying to work out what to do about coverings for the windows and hatches.  Kittywampus has lots of windows, which we love, however the windows are not standard shaped, making it difficult to find a suitable covering.  But we will figure it out.  The swim platform has been installed and Captain BoBo is pleased with the way it turned out.  The interior really needs a good cleaning so hopefully I will get around to that this weekend.  One of many cleanings that will need to be done.  But happy to do it, knowing we will be moving on board in a few months.

One other thing we must to do this weekend.....get champagne and toast her new name!!!

Window treatment!

For the last couple of weeks, the windows on the boat have been re-bedded.  The process involves removing the old screws, the ones that hold the window in place, removing the window, scraping the old gook off the windows, then cleaning - making sure the residue and/or any dirt is off, adding a new adhesive to the edges, then placing the windows back with new stainless steel screws.  The boat has over 20 windows, so this process has taken some time, as it takes two people to get the windows back in place.  Also, it needs to be done on a day that it is not raining.  Finally....it's done!  One more thing off the long list.  

Shows 2 of the many screws that had to be removed from each window....this pic also shows the boat needs a good bath....bird poop!

 

Now that the windows have been re-done, it's time for a good vacuuming and wipe down on the inside, to get rid of some of the dust and fiber particles that have coated everything on the inside, from the grinding.  So that's my job for today.  Am hoping it will not be too hot today, as I have been acclimated to working in AC and not use to working in > 80 degrees!
 

While I was working on removing screws from the windows, Frank is busy grinding, one of his least favorite things to do on the boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TGIF!

Good Friday morning to all!  Looks like another beautiful day in Eastern NC.  Today Frank and I will be working on the boat, re-bedding windows.  Not a particular exciting chore, but one that puts us closer to getting stuff done.  Actually it is my day off (from my real job), but working on the boat does not feel like work to me, especially if I compare it to my paid job.  We will be outside, enjoying the sunshine and working together, thinking about how ecstatic we will be when we take off on Kittywampus. 

I know Frank does his boat maintenance page, but I will post some pictures later of our progress this weekend, just so I can share how things are coming along.  In the meantime, I have posted some pictures below of a few of our stops in the Exumas last year.  It's not the same as being there, but always puts a smile on my face when I remember our time there.  Hope you enjoy!

This was taken in about 6 feet of water, standing on the deck of the boat.

Sunset at one of our favorite places...Little Farmer's Cay.

One of many breathtaking views from the boat.

Ok, enough daydreaming for me....off to work we go!

Finally, My First Post!

Well, it's about time for me to get off my butt and start posting some blogs.  I've been procrastinating as I do not have a lot of patience when it comes to computer/techie stuff, I just want to log on and start typing.  But of course with a new blog, it doesn't work that way.  There's the design and how you want the blog to look, there's widgets, gadgets, favicons, and all sorts of other stuff that I don't have a clue about.  Hence, the procrastination.  

It is hard to believe that it is already the middle of May.  Frank is working hard to get Kittywampus ready for us to leave in December, while I am busy working at my job.    Both of us have missed not cruising this past year and we are so ready to jump aboard and take off.  For me, once we leave, it's all about the state of mind.  Now, it usually takes me a couple of weeks to get to that blissful peace of mind state, but once I am there, well it is hard to describe.  

So we are eagerly awaiting to take off once more, but while we are here, we are enjoying our family and friends.  We were lucky and found a great apartment overlooking the river.  

Above are some pictures of boardwalk across the street from the apartment.  Great place for early morning walks.  So yeah, we lucked out on finding this place.  

The river is filled with turtles this time of the year, along with geese, ducks, otters, and fish.  Soon the water lilies will be blooming....they are really beautiful during the summer.  This shot was taken last summer, but should not be long now before it will look like this again. 

 So, while we are waiting for the boat to get ready, we honestly cannot complain.  We are lucky and blessed to be here, working hard in a great place, readying ourselves and the boat for our next trip.