Our last attempt at camping on our boat turned into a disaster. Just go back and read the blog post from July 6. We ended up in an hours long thunderstorm. What started out great ended up bad. But, since we did have a great start, we vowed to try it again.
It took a few weeks to find another good opportunity, but we finally found the perfect night. This past Saturday night, a weather front had just passed through, bringing clear skies, lower humidity, and cooler temperatures. That's a rare event in August around here. Also, it was the peak of the Perseid meteor shower! Overnight, there were supposed to be many "shooting stars" visible to the naked eye. All-in-all, it was the best night to try.
The water was a bit choppy when we started out, so we launched the boat out of Hurlburt, where the Sound is narrower and usually calmer. We got a late start, around 5 pm, so we just took a quick cruise to the Brooks Bridge at FWB, then headed west to find a sheltered spot. A little way past Hurlburt, to the west, we found a sheltered cove, of sorts. A point and sandbar sheltered the water fairly well from the wind and current. However, since a poker run with speed boats was underway, we still had to deal with some serious wakes.
We set the anchor and Wil grilled dinner...teriyaki chicken and grilled veggies, plus he warmed up some rice I had cooked in the microwave back at home. It was yummy! We watched a beautiful sunset. We watched pelicans swimming and fishing by the sandbar at the point. When it was quiet, you could hear the Gulf waves crash on the beach on the other side of the narrow island.
By dark, the dishes were put away and we settled in to wait for the meteor shower. I spent some time on Facebook. I can't leave my electronic media for too long! Wil watched part of a movie on his iPad. We heard the occasional fish jump, but couldn't see them in the dark. I played Sudoku on my iPad. The rock of the boat and the quiet stillness made me seriously wonder if I could stay up late enough to see any meteors.
Finally, it was late enough to put everything away and watch for meteors. Wil saw the first one and I missed it. A while later, I saw a small one that he didn't see. Then we both began to see them. It wasn't really very many, maybe 6 or 7 in the hour we watched. It was a really cool thing to see, but with the long gaps between seeing meteors, our eyelids began to droop.
We decided to get some sleep and set an alarm for 3 hours later. So, at 11:30, we made our narrow beds, hung a couple of towels to shield our eyes from the light we have to leave on for safety, and lay down to sleep. I slept pretty quickly, but Wil and I were both awake off and on, with the less-than-comfortable sleeping space and unfamiliar surroundings.
At 2:30, Wil's phone alarm went off and he got up. I woke up, but was so sleepy that I thought I would forego any more meteor watching. However, Wil said I just had to look at our surroundings. Something in his tone got me right up.
The once choppy water was as smooth as glass. Though some houses on the distant shore had outdoor lights on, it was pretty dark. Hundreds of stars were visible. The most beautiful sight was the yellowish crescent moon that had risen not long before in the east. It was reflected perfectly in the still water. I glanced up at the stars a few times, but the rest of the surroundings were so beautiful that I couldn't look away from them long enough to see any meteors.
I have been on the Sound in good weather as late as midnight before. I was on the Sound later than that during the storm. But I have never seen the Sound as beautiful as it was in the middle of that night. We stood and stared for several minutes. We tried to take photos, but our iPhone and iPad cameras couldn't do it justice. We just had to try to drink it in and preserve it in our memories. All too soon, the peaceful lull and sleepiness lured us back to our beds.
The next time I woke up, Wil was rummaging to find his blanket. I had put mine on when we first went to bed, but Wil was warm and couldn't imagine needing a blanket. However, the temperature dipped down near 70 and he got cold. He was glad I had packed one for him.
The next time I woke up, it was getting light, just before sunrise. It was quite cool at that point and we left our narrow beds on the folded out leisure seats to snuggle together on the floor of the boat. Once the sun was finally up, Wil could sleep no longer and got up, but I had no such problem and slept on until nearly 8.
Once I was up, Wil made a yummy breakfast on our camp stove--cheese omelets and Spam. Yup, Wil is a Pacific Islander and Spam is a staple food. It's a good thing I was raised on Spam with my southern backwoods roots. His good cooking, along with some Entenmann's cheese danish, made a delicious breakfast.
As we finished breakfast, some people came roaring up to the sandbar on the point on their personal water craft. Those things are like motorcycles on water. The peaceful mood was a bit ruined. The intruders stayed to fish and it felt like having strangers in our bedroom. We cleaned up, packed up, and left our sheltered cove.
The rest of the day, was fun, but unremarkable. We stopped at Hurlburt to buy ice and use a proper bathroom, then we were off to Crab Island for a typical jaunt on the boat. We headed home mid-afternoon and got the boat unpacked, washed, and put away.
The boat will be dry-docked for a while now. Wil is having more surgery on the vertebra in his neck, so he'll be sidelined for a month or so. I'm so glad our last boat adventure before school and before his surgery was so perfect. I couldn't think of a better way to finish out our summer!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Rainbows and dolphins
Rainbows have always been a good luck charm for me. On several occasions in my life, rainbows have appeared just when I needed them--to boost me up from despair or give me a competitive edge or just give me the reassurance that everything was going to be all right. Lately, dolphins have been that same kind of lucky charm for Wil and I when out on our boat.
Sometimes, when the Gulf is calm enough for our little boat, we'll cruise just outside the Destin pass where there are always dolphins around. We follow them around as they cavort around the boat. Occasionally, we have been lucky enough to find them in the sound. Lately, that has been happening more often. I don't know if the dolphins are in the sound more often or if we have gotten better at spotting them or if we've just been lucky.
Today, while headed toward Crab Island with Madison and Riley, we found a pod of 6 or so dolphins just west of the Brooks Bridge at Ft. Walton Beach. They were swimming in the channel just ahead of us. We slowed down to a crawl and followed them. I videoed them swimming, surfacing, even jumping out of the water ahead of us and beside us. A couple of times, they swam under the boat. One flipped over on his back and stared up at us as we stared down at him. The smallest ones in the pod were especially playful, jumping out of the water right next to the boat.
Finally, we left them behind and headed on our way. Wil remarked about how lucky our day was going to be since we saw dolphins. It was a great day. The sun shone as we floated and played and swam and ate. Then around 4 pm, we decided to head out so that we would have some time for tubing on the way home.
As we left Crab Island, I saw the sky darkening to the northeast. Then Wil saw a raincloud ahead of us to the west. It was not a large storm, but you could see the rain pouring down. I pulled up radar on a weather app on my iPhone and realized that we were positioned between two storms. The smaller one ahead of us was moving south and the large line of storms behind us was moving south southwest.
Our challenge was to move slow enough to allow the storm ahead of us to blow by, but fast enough to out run the storm behind us. We dawdled around the Brooks Bridge nervously waiting for the weather radar to update every few minutes and glancing over our shoulder watching the sky darken ominously.
Finally, we decided that we could cruise ahead full steam and just the storm in front of us. Our little old boat did us proud, running at top speed, even though the water was quite rough, having been churned up a bit by the squall that had blown through. The sun broke through and shone brightly, even as the dark line of storms to the east chased us.
We raced back to the boat launch at Navarre. We trailered the boat and unloaded it. We headed to wash the boat and get it put away before the storm hit. We knew it would be a race. However, just as we headed back to the mainland over the Navarre Beach Bridge, Madison spotted a rainbow. The whole rainbow wasn't visible, but the end of it glowed against the black storm clouds.
We sped to the self-serve car wash and rinsed the salt water off of the boat. The sky got darker. We hurried home and unloaded our stuff from the truck while Wil flushed the boat's engine. We began to see lightning in the distance. We drove the boat back to the storage lot. Thunder rumbled ominously. In record time, we got the boat cover on and got the boat unhitched.
As Wil drove the truck out of the gate, the lightning was close enough that I was nervous holding on to the metal gate to close it. I even got my hand stuck in the chain link fence at one point, trying to get the lock cable through so that I could lock it. I managed to get it done just as Wil hopped out of the truck to help me. We both jumped back into the truck and breathed a big sigh of relief.
A minute later, as we turned for home, the rain came. With the rain came bright flashes of lightning and deep rumbles of thunder. We had barely gotten the boat safely put away in time.
But then again, with dolphins and a rainbow in our day, how could we be anything but lucky!
Sometimes, when the Gulf is calm enough for our little boat, we'll cruise just outside the Destin pass where there are always dolphins around. We follow them around as they cavort around the boat. Occasionally, we have been lucky enough to find them in the sound. Lately, that has been happening more often. I don't know if the dolphins are in the sound more often or if we have gotten better at spotting them or if we've just been lucky.
Today, while headed toward Crab Island with Madison and Riley, we found a pod of 6 or so dolphins just west of the Brooks Bridge at Ft. Walton Beach. They were swimming in the channel just ahead of us. We slowed down to a crawl and followed them. I videoed them swimming, surfacing, even jumping out of the water ahead of us and beside us. A couple of times, they swam under the boat. One flipped over on his back and stared up at us as we stared down at him. The smallest ones in the pod were especially playful, jumping out of the water right next to the boat.
Finally, we left them behind and headed on our way. Wil remarked about how lucky our day was going to be since we saw dolphins. It was a great day. The sun shone as we floated and played and swam and ate. Then around 4 pm, we decided to head out so that we would have some time for tubing on the way home.
As we left Crab Island, I saw the sky darkening to the northeast. Then Wil saw a raincloud ahead of us to the west. It was not a large storm, but you could see the rain pouring down. I pulled up radar on a weather app on my iPhone and realized that we were positioned between two storms. The smaller one ahead of us was moving south and the large line of storms behind us was moving south southwest.
Our challenge was to move slow enough to allow the storm ahead of us to blow by, but fast enough to out run the storm behind us. We dawdled around the Brooks Bridge nervously waiting for the weather radar to update every few minutes and glancing over our shoulder watching the sky darken ominously.
Finally, we decided that we could cruise ahead full steam and just the storm in front of us. Our little old boat did us proud, running at top speed, even though the water was quite rough, having been churned up a bit by the squall that had blown through. The sun broke through and shone brightly, even as the dark line of storms to the east chased us.
We raced back to the boat launch at Navarre. We trailered the boat and unloaded it. We headed to wash the boat and get it put away before the storm hit. We knew it would be a race. However, just as we headed back to the mainland over the Navarre Beach Bridge, Madison spotted a rainbow. The whole rainbow wasn't visible, but the end of it glowed against the black storm clouds.
We sped to the self-serve car wash and rinsed the salt water off of the boat. The sky got darker. We hurried home and unloaded our stuff from the truck while Wil flushed the boat's engine. We began to see lightning in the distance. We drove the boat back to the storage lot. Thunder rumbled ominously. In record time, we got the boat cover on and got the boat unhitched.
As Wil drove the truck out of the gate, the lightning was close enough that I was nervous holding on to the metal gate to close it. I even got my hand stuck in the chain link fence at one point, trying to get the lock cable through so that I could lock it. I managed to get it done just as Wil hopped out of the truck to help me. We both jumped back into the truck and breathed a big sigh of relief.
A minute later, as we turned for home, the rain came. With the rain came bright flashes of lightning and deep rumbles of thunder. We had barely gotten the boat safely put away in time.
But then again, with dolphins and a rainbow in our day, how could we be anything but lucky!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Lake Martin Bugs
I am a coward when it comes to some insects, especially those of cockroach variety. In fact, my aversion to them is so great that I shudder when I type the word. So, I will just refer to them as “them.” Unfortunately, here in the woods by Lake Martin, near Dadeville, Alabama, they are very common. In fact, they are everywhere.
I knew we have them back in Florida and they are everywhere there, too. However, my husband puts so many pesticides on our tiny lawn and around our house that someday the EPA may designate it as a Superfund site. So, I don’t have to deal with them at home. But these tiny cabins in the woods are infested.
Wil came up with the perfect solution after our first visit here when I couldn’t sleep because I imagined every knot in the knotty pine walls was crawling toward me. When we arrive at our cabin, the first thing we do is set off several bug foggers inside our cabin. Yes, several. The same way that Wil puts 3 or 4 times the necessary amount of pesticide on our lawn, he puts 3 or 4 foggers in this teeny tiny cabin.
While the foggers are working their magic, we launch our boat and take a cruise, then drive into Dadeville to buy some groceries at the PIggly Wiggly. By the time we return with our perishables, it is time to air out the cabin. Of course, Wil has to pick up the dead ones while I put away the groceries. Then he sprays a bug barrier spray over the thresholds and around baseboards. I put boric acid powder around the porches.
Of course, I am still careful. I leave lights on in the bathroom and kitchen area all night. I leave nothing on the floor. I close up all of our suitcases and bags at night. I seal up every bit of food tightly. But, at least I can sleep without worrying about having an encounter with one of “them.”
I realize my fear really is irrational. But, most phobias are irrational. I have no problems with ants and spiders which can actually bite and cause pain. I enjoy the flitting around of dragonflies and butterflies. I coo over ladybugs and delight in seeing bees on my flowers. Even the overly-friendly carpenter bees on our deck don’t bother me. I do avoid wasps and mosquitoes and yellow flies, but I don’t run screaming like I do when I encounter “them.”
On this trip we encountered a whole different insect problem. We left our boat in the water overnight, docked by the cabin, at the end of a 20-ft dock. This morning, Wil went down to put some stuff in the boat before we headed out. He found hundreds of ants in the boat! Those determined little critters had marched down the 20-ft. dock and across the mooring rope and down into the back of the boat.
I suppose they were after some stray cookie or chip crumb. We do eat in the boat, so I’m sure there are some tiny crumbs in there somewhere. Are the ants really that desperate? Oh well, at least I don’t have to worry about ants in the cabin. The same extreme measures we take to keep out “them” will work on ants, too.
Now, we are formulating a plan to keep ants out of the boat next time. Meanwhile, Wil killed the ants with regular spray insecticide and sprayed the mooring lines to discourage them from trying it again. We’ll see how effective that is when we head out to the boat in the morning.
It does kind of make me wonder what is next...a plague of locusts?
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Our little old boat meets the tow boat...again.
Wil and I own a small older motor boat. It's a Bayliner Capri, 19 ft., built in 1999. Wil had wanted a boat for some time, but new boats are really expensive and we were novices, so we bought a "starter" boat. Despite her age, she's a sweet little boat. However, she does show her age. Her carpet and upholstery are, well, less than pristine, but her hull is sound. She lacks some amenities we'd like to have and she's certainly not flashy, but her i/o engine chugs away pretty reliably...most of the time.
One reason we can own an older boat is that Wil is very mechanically inclined and, with his engineering background, he is fearless about tearing into her engine if she needs repair or maintenance. He is very good at keeping her running, even if parts of her engine are held together with chewing gum and twine. Well, realistically, it's more like clamps and wire.
Three years ago, shortly after we bought the boat, her engine refused to start one evening on Santa Rosa Sound. Fortunately, we were smart enough to have purchased a membership in BoatUS. It's just like AAA Auto Club, except for boats and trailers. We called them that night and were towed back to the Navarre boat launch. But the grizzled old sea captain who towed us didn't know where to find the narrow channel into the boat launch and he ran his ship aground very suddenly, causing our boat to slam into the rear of his. We sustained some hull damage to the nose of the boat that Wil had to putty over and then we screwed a rubber bumper onto it to hid the putty and protect the nose. Wil replaced the worn out starter and we were back to boating.
In 2010, we had to call BoatUS again when our boat trailer began to disintegrate on I-85, just north of Montgomery, en route to Lake Martin. That was a memorable Labor Day and we ended up spending a few days on Lake Martin with no boat and then spending many dollars and miles getting a new trailer for our boat.
Since then, all had been well until last Saturday. We really wanted to watch the Blue Angels beach air show, but there's no way we would ever brave the traffic. You see, thousands and thousands of people descend on Pensacola Beach for that day. Car traffic backs up all the way over the Bob Sikes Beach Bridge and the 3-mile Pensacola Bay Bridge pretty early in the morning. By mid-morning, all the parking spaces at the beach are full. But, we decided to take our boat, anchor somewhere close and watch from the water. It was a perfect solution.
I researched the best place to watch the show. Of course, that would be in the Gulf. BUT, we are reluctant to take our little old boat out in the Gulf, especially since the seas were predicted to be a bit rough. Friends of mine was going to watch from the sound side in Little Sabine Bay, so we decided to meet them there. I read on-line that you have to get there by 9 AM to be assured of getting a spot.
Protected waters were forecast to be rough and choppy and there was a very good chance of rain, but we decided we could weather all of that. We launched at Navarre boat ramp and headed out to cruise the 18 or so miles to Little Sabine Bay, at the foot of the beach bridge. Early into the trip, we learned that rough and choppy was REALLY ROUGH! Our little boat was being tossed up by the swells and then it was slamming back down. We continued on, but pretty slowly and holding on tightly.
Then, less than 30 minutes into the trip, we ran into a rain squall. There was thunder and lightning and wind and pouring rain. We donned ponchos, slowed down a bit more, ran the bilge pump, and continued on. We were over halfway and it would have been foolish to turn around. Of course, it was foolish to continue on, too. In hindsight, we should have pulled over into shallow water and ridden out the storm at anchor.
But, we made it to Little Sabine Bay, found our friends, and tied our little boat up to their larger one. That small bay is very protected, with only a narrow inlet, so the water was very calm there. We had a great day there, despite on and off rain showers, some rather hard at times. At one point, we even saw a water spout (a tornado over water), but it didn't come our way. All of the civilian planes scheduled to perform in the air show had to cancel, but the Blue Angels lucked out with a window of opportunity at their appointed time. They had to fly their low show, but it was still awesome!
An hour or so after the show, we decided to head home, knowing we'd have to go slowly in the rough waters of the sound. We packed up and prepared to go, BUT our little old boat's engine wouldn't start. Wil tried several things and friends came to offer help and advice, but no matter what they tried, the engine wouldn't start. It would turn over and occasionally almost start, but it just wouldn't crank. We got a clue about what the problem might be when Wil took off the air filter to get to the carburetor and water poured out of the air filter. Hmmm, yup, I think water was our problem.
So, we called BoatUS...again...third time in three years. It took a while for the tow boat to get to us, but Little Sabine Bay had cleared out pretty well, so boat traffic wasn't an issue. A fairly young Captain Mac attached the tow rope and we headed out shortly before sunset. The tow boat had to move slowly, because of the rough seas and towing our dead weight. Once again, we ran into rain. Captain Mac called my cell and offered to let us ride with him inside the tiny enclosed space on his boat, but we donned ponchos again and weathered the rain on our boat. We didn't feel right about deserting her.
The trip was over 2 hours and pretty miserable. It was well after dark as we approached the Navarre boat ramp. I was more than a little anxious remembering the last time we were towed there. However, Captain Mac was highly competent and navigated the narrow channel flawlessly. He took us right up to the dock without incident.
As we got out of the boat, we told him about our previous experience. He had a funny look on his face as he apologized for what we had gone through 3 years ago and assured us that the grizzled old sea captain didn't work there anymore. We were curious. He explained that he is the OWNER of the local BoatUS towing service. He remembered that night 3 years ago, because, not only was our boat damaged, but our boat had punched a hole into the aluminum hull of his tow boat! When he saw it and got the story from that captain, he fired him on the spot.
He smiled and said it was good to meet the little boat that had punched the hole. He apologized again, but we assured him that our damage was minimal and we had patched and covered it. He left a few minutes later and we trailered our boat. We remarked about how coincidental it was that the owner was the one to tow us and that he remembered our experience and now he had towed the very same boat.
We worried about our little boat. We didn't know what the actual problem was, but we both felt it had to do with water. We didn't know how it had affected the engine. We discussed various possibilities, from serious to minor. We drove the boat home and backed it into our garage to dry out. Our HOA will only allow us to keep our boat at home for short periods of time, 48 hours is the maximum.
The next day, Wil decided that the problem might be water in the gas tank. Water probably entered through the gas tank vent every time the rear of the boat was plunged down into the rough water. We took the boat to a gas station and filled the tank back up, even though it was still 3/4 full. Back home, we parked this time so the truck was in the garage and the boat was in the driveway in the sun. With the new gas and all the gas getting stirred up in the drive, the engine would crank, but only run for 2-3 minutes before puttering out.
Wil thought he might have to siphon out all the gas to get the water out and then fill back up with fresh gas. I shuddered at the thought of losing 20+ gallons of gas at today's prices! I knew there had to be some chemical on the market to help. So, we bought a siphon hose, but also found and bought 2 bottles of Heet, a product that takes care of water in gas tanks. The Heet worked and the engine ran like a charm.
That afternoon was beautiful and the water in the sound was smooth and glassy. We took the boat out for a sunset cruise. We launched as most people were hauling their boats in and people were leaving the beach in droves. We saw only one or two other boats along the way. We headed east to Spooky Island, just off Hurlburt AFB. We anchored and sat on the sandy beach and ate cold fruit as the sun sank. The ride home was just as perfect. Our sweet little old boat glided across the water like butter in a warm pan. It was easily one of our most beautiful cruises. The cares and worries and frustrations of the previous day melted away with the setting sun.
I strongly suspect we'll buy a new larger boat when we are financially able, certainly not this summer. Then we'll sell this little old boat. In a way, I'll be sad. Though she has certainly had her problems and stranded us on more than one occasion, she has been a great starter boat. She has endured our learning. She has even taken our abuse, though it was always unintentional. This "Knotty One," as we named her, has taught us many lessons. Her legacy will be our love of boating and the wisdom we have gained.
One reason we can own an older boat is that Wil is very mechanically inclined and, with his engineering background, he is fearless about tearing into her engine if she needs repair or maintenance. He is very good at keeping her running, even if parts of her engine are held together with chewing gum and twine. Well, realistically, it's more like clamps and wire.
Three years ago, shortly after we bought the boat, her engine refused to start one evening on Santa Rosa Sound. Fortunately, we were smart enough to have purchased a membership in BoatUS. It's just like AAA Auto Club, except for boats and trailers. We called them that night and were towed back to the Navarre boat launch. But the grizzled old sea captain who towed us didn't know where to find the narrow channel into the boat launch and he ran his ship aground very suddenly, causing our boat to slam into the rear of his. We sustained some hull damage to the nose of the boat that Wil had to putty over and then we screwed a rubber bumper onto it to hid the putty and protect the nose. Wil replaced the worn out starter and we were back to boating.
In 2010, we had to call BoatUS again when our boat trailer began to disintegrate on I-85, just north of Montgomery, en route to Lake Martin. That was a memorable Labor Day and we ended up spending a few days on Lake Martin with no boat and then spending many dollars and miles getting a new trailer for our boat.
Since then, all had been well until last Saturday. We really wanted to watch the Blue Angels beach air show, but there's no way we would ever brave the traffic. You see, thousands and thousands of people descend on Pensacola Beach for that day. Car traffic backs up all the way over the Bob Sikes Beach Bridge and the 3-mile Pensacola Bay Bridge pretty early in the morning. By mid-morning, all the parking spaces at the beach are full. But, we decided to take our boat, anchor somewhere close and watch from the water. It was a perfect solution.
I researched the best place to watch the show. Of course, that would be in the Gulf. BUT, we are reluctant to take our little old boat out in the Gulf, especially since the seas were predicted to be a bit rough. Friends of mine was going to watch from the sound side in Little Sabine Bay, so we decided to meet them there. I read on-line that you have to get there by 9 AM to be assured of getting a spot.
Protected waters were forecast to be rough and choppy and there was a very good chance of rain, but we decided we could weather all of that. We launched at Navarre boat ramp and headed out to cruise the 18 or so miles to Little Sabine Bay, at the foot of the beach bridge. Early into the trip, we learned that rough and choppy was REALLY ROUGH! Our little boat was being tossed up by the swells and then it was slamming back down. We continued on, but pretty slowly and holding on tightly.
Then, less than 30 minutes into the trip, we ran into a rain squall. There was thunder and lightning and wind and pouring rain. We donned ponchos, slowed down a bit more, ran the bilge pump, and continued on. We were over halfway and it would have been foolish to turn around. Of course, it was foolish to continue on, too. In hindsight, we should have pulled over into shallow water and ridden out the storm at anchor.
But, we made it to Little Sabine Bay, found our friends, and tied our little boat up to their larger one. That small bay is very protected, with only a narrow inlet, so the water was very calm there. We had a great day there, despite on and off rain showers, some rather hard at times. At one point, we even saw a water spout (a tornado over water), but it didn't come our way. All of the civilian planes scheduled to perform in the air show had to cancel, but the Blue Angels lucked out with a window of opportunity at their appointed time. They had to fly their low show, but it was still awesome!
An hour or so after the show, we decided to head home, knowing we'd have to go slowly in the rough waters of the sound. We packed up and prepared to go, BUT our little old boat's engine wouldn't start. Wil tried several things and friends came to offer help and advice, but no matter what they tried, the engine wouldn't start. It would turn over and occasionally almost start, but it just wouldn't crank. We got a clue about what the problem might be when Wil took off the air filter to get to the carburetor and water poured out of the air filter. Hmmm, yup, I think water was our problem.
So, we called BoatUS...again...third time in three years. It took a while for the tow boat to get to us, but Little Sabine Bay had cleared out pretty well, so boat traffic wasn't an issue. A fairly young Captain Mac attached the tow rope and we headed out shortly before sunset. The tow boat had to move slowly, because of the rough seas and towing our dead weight. Once again, we ran into rain. Captain Mac called my cell and offered to let us ride with him inside the tiny enclosed space on his boat, but we donned ponchos again and weathered the rain on our boat. We didn't feel right about deserting her.
The trip was over 2 hours and pretty miserable. It was well after dark as we approached the Navarre boat ramp. I was more than a little anxious remembering the last time we were towed there. However, Captain Mac was highly competent and navigated the narrow channel flawlessly. He took us right up to the dock without incident.
As we got out of the boat, we told him about our previous experience. He had a funny look on his face as he apologized for what we had gone through 3 years ago and assured us that the grizzled old sea captain didn't work there anymore. We were curious. He explained that he is the OWNER of the local BoatUS towing service. He remembered that night 3 years ago, because, not only was our boat damaged, but our boat had punched a hole into the aluminum hull of his tow boat! When he saw it and got the story from that captain, he fired him on the spot.
He smiled and said it was good to meet the little boat that had punched the hole. He apologized again, but we assured him that our damage was minimal and we had patched and covered it. He left a few minutes later and we trailered our boat. We remarked about how coincidental it was that the owner was the one to tow us and that he remembered our experience and now he had towed the very same boat.
We worried about our little boat. We didn't know what the actual problem was, but we both felt it had to do with water. We didn't know how it had affected the engine. We discussed various possibilities, from serious to minor. We drove the boat home and backed it into our garage to dry out. Our HOA will only allow us to keep our boat at home for short periods of time, 48 hours is the maximum.
The next day, Wil decided that the problem might be water in the gas tank. Water probably entered through the gas tank vent every time the rear of the boat was plunged down into the rough water. We took the boat to a gas station and filled the tank back up, even though it was still 3/4 full. Back home, we parked this time so the truck was in the garage and the boat was in the driveway in the sun. With the new gas and all the gas getting stirred up in the drive, the engine would crank, but only run for 2-3 minutes before puttering out.
Wil thought he might have to siphon out all the gas to get the water out and then fill back up with fresh gas. I shuddered at the thought of losing 20+ gallons of gas at today's prices! I knew there had to be some chemical on the market to help. So, we bought a siphon hose, but also found and bought 2 bottles of Heet, a product that takes care of water in gas tanks. The Heet worked and the engine ran like a charm.
That afternoon was beautiful and the water in the sound was smooth and glassy. We took the boat out for a sunset cruise. We launched as most people were hauling their boats in and people were leaving the beach in droves. We saw only one or two other boats along the way. We headed east to Spooky Island, just off Hurlburt AFB. We anchored and sat on the sandy beach and ate cold fruit as the sun sank. The ride home was just as perfect. Our sweet little old boat glided across the water like butter in a warm pan. It was easily one of our most beautiful cruises. The cares and worries and frustrations of the previous day melted away with the setting sun.
I strongly suspect we'll buy a new larger boat when we are financially able, certainly not this summer. Then we'll sell this little old boat. In a way, I'll be sad. Though she has certainly had her problems and stranded us on more than one occasion, she has been a great starter boat. She has endured our learning. She has even taken our abuse, though it was always unintentional. This "Knotty One," as we named her, has taught us many lessons. Her legacy will be our love of boating and the wisdom we have gained.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Rude and indecent people!
Wil and I stopped off at Firehouse Subs in Navarre for a late lunch today. I saw two people in two separate incidences who show how inconsiderate and uncouth some people can be. So often, teachers get the blame for how students turn out, but with examples like these adults in students' everyday lives, teachers face an uphill battle getting students to behave and learn.
My first encounter was at the ladies room. I went to the bathroom while we were waiting for our food to be delivered. The ladies room door was locked. It is a single person bathroom, so I stepped back to wait my turn. I waited a LONG time. A lady inside was talking loudly and sound echoes in a bathroom, so I couldn't help but hear a little bit. The conversation was something about shopping. I decided that the lady must have a child in there with her. With 2 people in there using the facilities, it takes longer.
Finally, the lady came out. No, there was no one in there with her. She was on her cell phone. I guess it takes longer to use the bathroom and wash your hands while trying to talk on a tiny phone. But the real kicker is she didn't even flush the toilet! So, I know all she had to do was pee...I saw the evidence. So, was she so distracted that she forgot to flush? Or did she think the flushing toilet would drown out her conversation?
When I came out of the ladies room, she was sitting at a table waiting for her food. She was still on the phone. When her food was ready, she picked it up without any interruption in her phone conversation. She was still on the phone as she walked out. From what I could overhear, the phone call wasn't anything important, just shopping and mundane things. It certainly wasn't important enough to exhibit such rudeness and inconsideration.
I am somewhat of a cell phone addict. My iPhone is turned on and beside me 24/7. It's my phone, my alarm clock, my calendar, my grocery list, my GPS navigation, my house alarm remote, my satellite TV remote, my library, my source for news, my camera, my photo album, my music player, my address book, my notepad, my pocket internet, a link to Facebook, my lockbox of personal information, a link to my email, instant messaging, a flashlight, a dictionary, a multitude of games...oh, I could go on and on. Last week, my phone had a glitch of some kind and wouldn't come on. I've never been in such a panic.
BUT, with all that, I try to never ever be rude with my phone. I try not to ignore the world around me. I try not to let phone calls slow me down. I never use it in the car without my bluetooth headset and even then I do it sparingly. I don't let the phone control how I behave in public. Except in dire emergencies, I don't let the person on the other end of the phone connection become more important than the people around me. Incidences like today make me even more determined to be considerate about my phone use in public.
I also wonder at the example that woman was setting. She was old enough to have teenage children. If she is a parent, I wonder how her kids use their phones. Kids are smarter and more imitative than people think. Do you think teens will be polite with their cell phones when adults do not set the proper example?
The other incident didn't involve a phone at all. It was all about a lack of common decency. A lady came in to order food with 2 small children, a boy about 6-ish and a little girl between 3 and 4 years of age. The little girl was old enough to be out of diapers, carry her drink, and carry on a conversation. The startling thing was that the little girl was stark naked! Oh, wait, she was wearing sandals.
Now, I know the child was very little and little kids don't really care who sees them naked. People around raised their eyebrows and whispered to each other and pointed, but no one ran screaming. The little boy asked his mom why his sister was naked. Mom said that the little girl didn't want to wear her wet swimsuit, so mom had put just a shirt on her, but the little girl didn't want to wear it and took it off. Obviously, they had just come from a beach or pool. So, Little Miss Naked just cavorted around the restaurant with no clothes on. Fortunately, they were also getting carry-out, so her stay in the restaurant was mercifully short.
So, at what age do you teach your child that it is inappropriate to go naked in public? I think this child was old enough to be taught that. Let's hope no pedophiles were around getting their jollies. I also think the child was young enough that mom could have insisted on clothes, despite what the child wanted. Mom was taking the easy way out and giving the child her own way, rather than being a good parent.
Someday, that little girl will be sitting in a classroom like mine. What is going to happen when the teacher gives the girl something to do that she doesn't want to do? If the little girl has never been made to conform to rules, then the poor teacher doesn't have a chance. Yet, who will get the blame? The teacher, of course.
It's July and I don't want to even think about school right now. However, I can't suppress the teacher in me. I see incidences like these all too often, rude adults raising rude children and parents who take the easy path rather than the right one. I'm sure I'll meet some kids and parents just like these come August. SIGH. Fortunately, these kinds of people are still the exception and not the rule...so far.
My first encounter was at the ladies room. I went to the bathroom while we were waiting for our food to be delivered. The ladies room door was locked. It is a single person bathroom, so I stepped back to wait my turn. I waited a LONG time. A lady inside was talking loudly and sound echoes in a bathroom, so I couldn't help but hear a little bit. The conversation was something about shopping. I decided that the lady must have a child in there with her. With 2 people in there using the facilities, it takes longer.
Finally, the lady came out. No, there was no one in there with her. She was on her cell phone. I guess it takes longer to use the bathroom and wash your hands while trying to talk on a tiny phone. But the real kicker is she didn't even flush the toilet! So, I know all she had to do was pee...I saw the evidence. So, was she so distracted that she forgot to flush? Or did she think the flushing toilet would drown out her conversation?
When I came out of the ladies room, she was sitting at a table waiting for her food. She was still on the phone. When her food was ready, she picked it up without any interruption in her phone conversation. She was still on the phone as she walked out. From what I could overhear, the phone call wasn't anything important, just shopping and mundane things. It certainly wasn't important enough to exhibit such rudeness and inconsideration.
I am somewhat of a cell phone addict. My iPhone is turned on and beside me 24/7. It's my phone, my alarm clock, my calendar, my grocery list, my GPS navigation, my house alarm remote, my satellite TV remote, my library, my source for news, my camera, my photo album, my music player, my address book, my notepad, my pocket internet, a link to Facebook, my lockbox of personal information, a link to my email, instant messaging, a flashlight, a dictionary, a multitude of games...oh, I could go on and on. Last week, my phone had a glitch of some kind and wouldn't come on. I've never been in such a panic.
BUT, with all that, I try to never ever be rude with my phone. I try not to ignore the world around me. I try not to let phone calls slow me down. I never use it in the car without my bluetooth headset and even then I do it sparingly. I don't let the phone control how I behave in public. Except in dire emergencies, I don't let the person on the other end of the phone connection become more important than the people around me. Incidences like today make me even more determined to be considerate about my phone use in public.
I also wonder at the example that woman was setting. She was old enough to have teenage children. If she is a parent, I wonder how her kids use their phones. Kids are smarter and more imitative than people think. Do you think teens will be polite with their cell phones when adults do not set the proper example?
The other incident didn't involve a phone at all. It was all about a lack of common decency. A lady came in to order food with 2 small children, a boy about 6-ish and a little girl between 3 and 4 years of age. The little girl was old enough to be out of diapers, carry her drink, and carry on a conversation. The startling thing was that the little girl was stark naked! Oh, wait, she was wearing sandals.
Now, I know the child was very little and little kids don't really care who sees them naked. People around raised their eyebrows and whispered to each other and pointed, but no one ran screaming. The little boy asked his mom why his sister was naked. Mom said that the little girl didn't want to wear her wet swimsuit, so mom had put just a shirt on her, but the little girl didn't want to wear it and took it off. Obviously, they had just come from a beach or pool. So, Little Miss Naked just cavorted around the restaurant with no clothes on. Fortunately, they were also getting carry-out, so her stay in the restaurant was mercifully short.
So, at what age do you teach your child that it is inappropriate to go naked in public? I think this child was old enough to be taught that. Let's hope no pedophiles were around getting their jollies. I also think the child was young enough that mom could have insisted on clothes, despite what the child wanted. Mom was taking the easy way out and giving the child her own way, rather than being a good parent.
Someday, that little girl will be sitting in a classroom like mine. What is going to happen when the teacher gives the girl something to do that she doesn't want to do? If the little girl has never been made to conform to rules, then the poor teacher doesn't have a chance. Yet, who will get the blame? The teacher, of course.
It's July and I don't want to even think about school right now. However, I can't suppress the teacher in me. I see incidences like these all too often, rude adults raising rude children and parents who take the easy path rather than the right one. I'm sure I'll meet some kids and parents just like these come August. SIGH. Fortunately, these kinds of people are still the exception and not the rule...so far.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Boat camping and thunderstorms are not a good mix
Wil and I had been wanting to go camping on our boat. We thought we'd enjoy spending an overnight on our boat anchored in Santa Rosa Sound. We have a small gas grill and air mattresses to put on top of the back-to-back seats that fold out to a relatively flat 6 ft. We packed carefully--plenty of food for meals and snacks, extra clothes, towels, toiletries, entertainment, etc. Our boat is old and fairly small (19 ft.) but it has been a great starter boat for us.
We launched about 3 PM from Hurlburt and cruised to Crab Island. Since it was a weekday, there was no problem getting a prime spot to anchor there. We played in the water. Wil set up to grill burgers for dinner. Since there were patriotic festivities going on at Harborwalk, we got the benefit of those. We watched an awesome mini airshow with replica WWII planes flying over.
We worried a bit about the weather, since the sky was dark and rumbling to the north, but we kept an eye on the radar on our weather apps and the storm slid to the east of us. We got only a few sprinkles, not enough to get anything wet. Then, to the east, the most glorious rainbow appeared in the sky! It was bright and visible from horizon to horizon. At the same time, over our shoulder to the west, a beautiful sunset was vying for our attention. As soon as the burgers were done, we settled down in the front of the boat to eat and watch the sun slip down behind the clouds.
We pulled up anchor and moved to the other side of the bridge to watch fireworks. I know, July 5! It was a bonus getting another fireworks show after the 4th. The current was strong and Wil had to fight the anchor to get it to catch and then to hoist it up later, but the fireworks were worth it.
After that, it was time to start settling in the for the evening. We cruised back to Hurlburt and made a stop at the dock so that I could go to the bathhouse. I'm not really into primitive camping, so I wanted a proper sink to brush my teeth and wash up a bit. I also wanted a turn at a proper toilet at least once! Other than that one time, it was the water or piddle packs for the rest of the adventure.
We left the dock and picked out a spot to anchor just southeast of Spooky Island (named for the gunships, not because it's scary). We were out of the channel, but not so close to land that the bugs would find us. We were also right across from the end of Hurlburt's runway, so we soon got to watch all the planes. They did some touch-and-go landings, but before midnight, all the planes were down to stay.
We blew up our air mattresses, cuddled for a while, and made one last check of the weather before going to sleep. The only possible stormy/rainy weather was way up north, over the Alabama line and to the east and it was barely moving The Gulf to the south was completely clear, so we went to sleep pretty confident that all would be well. It was easy to fall asleep with the cool breeze and the boat rocking me. It was late, after 1 AM, and we were tired. Wil was snoring before I fell asleep.
Two hours later, I awoke to Wil stirring and some thunder rumbling. Wil assured me that the storm was off to the south and the wind was blowing it west. Still, he seemed a bit worried. The thunder wasn't that far away and the wind had picked up. I picked up my phone to check my weather app, in hopes of confirming Wil's forecast. However, I was puzzled. My app showed the wind from the south and the storm headed our way! It seems that Wil's app was still on Navarre, but I had set mine to Hurlburt. A few miles can make a difference with the wind.
We watched the storm grow and inch closer on the weather radar. It seemed that a thunderstorm was inevitable. We discussed our options. Wil had the best idea. We would go to the Hurlburt marina and put our boat in one of the empty boat slips there and ride out the storm on the boat, but under shelter. We quickly stowed things and raced to the marina. A couple of other boats our size had been anchored a hundred yards away, but they stayed put.
We were lucky to find several empty covered boat slips and secured our boat in one of them. There was a cover overhead that covered most of the boat, but we knew the rain would blow in from the front and back. Most of our belongings were already in waterproof containers and we put the rest into plastic bags, pulled as much as possible into the middle of the boat with us. The storm had been getting closer and closer in the 20 minutes it took us to get to and get settled in the marina. We had only been in there 10 minutes when the storm hit.
It hit with a fury. The rain was a deluge. There was near constant cloud-to-ground lightning. The thunder was deafening at times. The overhead shelter was a godsend, but I still felt vulnerable with no walls around to protect us. Wil was an angel, reassuring and comforting, even pulling me into his lap during the worst of the storm.
We had a couple of umbrellas, one of them quite large that helped to further keep the blowing rain off of us. We huddled and constantly checked our weather radar apps, thinking it would be just a matter of time before the storm blew over. We planned to head back out after the storm, cruise a bit to help dry the boat and then make breakfast.
However, it was not to be. The storm rolled on and on. We ended up spending nearly five hours in that boat slip. Somehow, the storm to the north and the storm to the south met right over us and merged into the perfect storm. Instead of moving, it just sat over us and grew. Between squalls, Wil dozed while I nervously distracted myself with Sudoku on my iPad. Later, I finally dozed while Wil watched a movie on his iPad.
Eventually, we decided to throw in the towel. We waited for a lighter patch of the storm, when the rain slowed to a sprinkle and the lightning seemed to subside. Wil made a dash to the truck to bring it closer. We unloaded the boat, tossing everything inside the truck. Wil made me stay in the truck while he got the boat loaded on the trailer. We pushed our luck a bit further and stayed under another shelter long enough to flush our engine (because we cruise in salt water), then headed home.
We were wet and exhausted. I was a bit discouraged that our perfect evening ended so badly. We drove through Whataburger and bought breakfast. At home, we just left the boat hitched to the truck and only unloaded essential items. We showered, ate breakfast in bed, and slept a couple of more hours, warm and dry and safe.
We rehashed our evening and decided that camping on the boat had really been fun...at least right up until the storm. We'll do it again sometime, hopefully with a happy ending. We did think of a few things we'll bring with us next time, just in case another storm should find us. Now, we have another shared experience as a couple. Years from now, we'll be remembering our first camping trip on our boat and how we braved the storm together!
We launched about 3 PM from Hurlburt and cruised to Crab Island. Since it was a weekday, there was no problem getting a prime spot to anchor there. We played in the water. Wil set up to grill burgers for dinner. Since there were patriotic festivities going on at Harborwalk, we got the benefit of those. We watched an awesome mini airshow with replica WWII planes flying over.
We worried a bit about the weather, since the sky was dark and rumbling to the north, but we kept an eye on the radar on our weather apps and the storm slid to the east of us. We got only a few sprinkles, not enough to get anything wet. Then, to the east, the most glorious rainbow appeared in the sky! It was bright and visible from horizon to horizon. At the same time, over our shoulder to the west, a beautiful sunset was vying for our attention. As soon as the burgers were done, we settled down in the front of the boat to eat and watch the sun slip down behind the clouds.
We pulled up anchor and moved to the other side of the bridge to watch fireworks. I know, July 5! It was a bonus getting another fireworks show after the 4th. The current was strong and Wil had to fight the anchor to get it to catch and then to hoist it up later, but the fireworks were worth it.
After that, it was time to start settling in the for the evening. We cruised back to Hurlburt and made a stop at the dock so that I could go to the bathhouse. I'm not really into primitive camping, so I wanted a proper sink to brush my teeth and wash up a bit. I also wanted a turn at a proper toilet at least once! Other than that one time, it was the water or piddle packs for the rest of the adventure.
We left the dock and picked out a spot to anchor just southeast of Spooky Island (named for the gunships, not because it's scary). We were out of the channel, but not so close to land that the bugs would find us. We were also right across from the end of Hurlburt's runway, so we soon got to watch all the planes. They did some touch-and-go landings, but before midnight, all the planes were down to stay.
We blew up our air mattresses, cuddled for a while, and made one last check of the weather before going to sleep. The only possible stormy/rainy weather was way up north, over the Alabama line and to the east and it was barely moving The Gulf to the south was completely clear, so we went to sleep pretty confident that all would be well. It was easy to fall asleep with the cool breeze and the boat rocking me. It was late, after 1 AM, and we were tired. Wil was snoring before I fell asleep.
Two hours later, I awoke to Wil stirring and some thunder rumbling. Wil assured me that the storm was off to the south and the wind was blowing it west. Still, he seemed a bit worried. The thunder wasn't that far away and the wind had picked up. I picked up my phone to check my weather app, in hopes of confirming Wil's forecast. However, I was puzzled. My app showed the wind from the south and the storm headed our way! It seems that Wil's app was still on Navarre, but I had set mine to Hurlburt. A few miles can make a difference with the wind.
We watched the storm grow and inch closer on the weather radar. It seemed that a thunderstorm was inevitable. We discussed our options. Wil had the best idea. We would go to the Hurlburt marina and put our boat in one of the empty boat slips there and ride out the storm on the boat, but under shelter. We quickly stowed things and raced to the marina. A couple of other boats our size had been anchored a hundred yards away, but they stayed put.
We were lucky to find several empty covered boat slips and secured our boat in one of them. There was a cover overhead that covered most of the boat, but we knew the rain would blow in from the front and back. Most of our belongings were already in waterproof containers and we put the rest into plastic bags, pulled as much as possible into the middle of the boat with us. The storm had been getting closer and closer in the 20 minutes it took us to get to and get settled in the marina. We had only been in there 10 minutes when the storm hit.
It hit with a fury. The rain was a deluge. There was near constant cloud-to-ground lightning. The thunder was deafening at times. The overhead shelter was a godsend, but I still felt vulnerable with no walls around to protect us. Wil was an angel, reassuring and comforting, even pulling me into his lap during the worst of the storm.
We had a couple of umbrellas, one of them quite large that helped to further keep the blowing rain off of us. We huddled and constantly checked our weather radar apps, thinking it would be just a matter of time before the storm blew over. We planned to head back out after the storm, cruise a bit to help dry the boat and then make breakfast.
However, it was not to be. The storm rolled on and on. We ended up spending nearly five hours in that boat slip. Somehow, the storm to the north and the storm to the south met right over us and merged into the perfect storm. Instead of moving, it just sat over us and grew. Between squalls, Wil dozed while I nervously distracted myself with Sudoku on my iPad. Later, I finally dozed while Wil watched a movie on his iPad.
Eventually, we decided to throw in the towel. We waited for a lighter patch of the storm, when the rain slowed to a sprinkle and the lightning seemed to subside. Wil made a dash to the truck to bring it closer. We unloaded the boat, tossing everything inside the truck. Wil made me stay in the truck while he got the boat loaded on the trailer. We pushed our luck a bit further and stayed under another shelter long enough to flush our engine (because we cruise in salt water), then headed home.
We were wet and exhausted. I was a bit discouraged that our perfect evening ended so badly. We drove through Whataburger and bought breakfast. At home, we just left the boat hitched to the truck and only unloaded essential items. We showered, ate breakfast in bed, and slept a couple of more hours, warm and dry and safe.
We rehashed our evening and decided that camping on the boat had really been fun...at least right up until the storm. We'll do it again sometime, hopefully with a happy ending. We did think of a few things we'll bring with us next time, just in case another storm should find us. Now, we have another shared experience as a couple. Years from now, we'll be remembering our first camping trip on our boat and how we braved the storm together!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Buckstaff Bathing
I did something yesterday that wasn't on my bucket list before, but should have been. I had a bath at a bathing house in Hot Springs. I say "had" a bath instead of "took" a bath because it was a very passive experience, something done TO me. If I had known about it before, it would have been on my bucket list. It is a singularly unique experience.
Debra, my travel buddy, and I chose the Buckstaff Bathhouse, because it's one of the two still in operation as a bathhouse, instead of a spa. It is the most historically accurate and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, 1912-2012. It is also the only one actually in the National Park and operated by their staff.
I read about it online through reviews at Trip Advisor first. I decided it was an experience I would either love or hate. You see, you have to be naked to have a bath. Now, I'm not overly modest, but I didn't want to be naked in front of lots of other people. I never did the group gym shower thing when I was younger. But, I was somewhat reassured of some degree of privacy after reading the reviews. I also wasn't sure how I'd feel about someone else, a stranger, bathing me.
I would say that no one has bathed me since I was a little girl. However, Wil and I indulge in baths together sometimes in our garden tub. When we have the time and privacy, it's fun and romantic. We light candles, play easy listening music, and sometimes I have a glass of wine. And, yes, Wil has bathed me, but I don't need to say any more about that in a blog. I knew this would be totally different from that romantic experience.
Back near the turn of the century, people came to the bathhouses to bath and soak in the hot mineral waters of Hot Springs, Arkansas. They believed it was healing. The water bubbles out of the earth at nearly 150 degrees and is naturally sterile. It is piped to the bathhouses, losing some heat in the journey and arriving at a more comfortable temperature around 110 degrees. Privileged people back then had no problem with being bathed by servants, a far different world than today. The bath was and is a series of soaking, scrubbing, steaming, soaking some more, wrapping, and showering.
So, Debra and I screwed up our courage and went to the Buckstaff Bathhouse yesterday morning. We opted for the full package ($64), including a massage after the bath. The bath without massage is $30. It turns out we made a GREAT choice. We were each given a new loofah that would be ours to keep after our bath. We were escorted in a 1912 elevator, complete with the brass folding cage door, to the second floor, the ladies floor. Men are bathed on the first floor. First, we made a quick trip to the bathroom. Then, in the dressing room, we stripped in our cubicles, stored our clothes and belongings in our lockers, and announced to the attendant that we were ready, each wearing nothing but our locker key on a cord around our wrists.
We were each wrapped by the dressing room attendant in clean white sheets, toga style, and sat to wait for our bath attendants to fetch us. They arrived within a minute or two. Kathy, a middle-aged black woman, took charge of me. She was reassuring and explained everything as we went along. She had a friendly personality. She took me to a another room filled with various sized marble-walled cubicles. The cubicle she took me to was in a row of cubicles with tubs.
The tub was an old claw foot one, long and deep, filled with hot water. My sheet was whisked away and I climbed up a stool to step into the bath. I was told to sit while she turned on the bubbler. It wasn't exactly a whirlpool. The contraption that stirred the water looked like a small outboard motor, sans propeller. It came to life and really frothed up the water. Kathy took the loofah that had been issued to me when I registered and scrubbed my arms and my back, all the way down to my butt. Then she put a smooth board into the water for me to lean back on and she scrubbed my legs. After that I was left to soak.
The water was heavenly! It was hot, just a few degrees short of intolerable, but I quickly got used to it. The tub was long enough to stretch out in. My neck was cushioned on a towel. The hum of the bubbler masked the sounds of people in the room. I lounged and soaked, nearly floating in the hot water, submerged up to my neck. I knew that Debra was having the same experience in another cubicle. Kathy came by to check on me once or twice.
Twenty minutes later, she came back to fetch me. I stepped out of the tub and she wrapped me up in the sheet again. I was escorted to the steam cabinet. This is one of those love or hate experiences that I hated. My sheet was whisked away again and I stepped naked into the stainless steel steamer and sat on the small bench. The front doors were closed and the top was closed around my neck with the gap mostly filled by a towel. I immediately began to pour sweat. Kathy saw that I wasn't enjoying it and she said I would only stay in a couple of minutes. She did bring me cups of cold mineral water that I could snake my hand up to drink. That was a long 2 minutes.
She opened the steam cabinet and I was sooo glad to step out. My sheet was hastily wrapped for the 6 foot walk to the sitz bath. THAT was certainly different. The bath was a tub, vaguely shaped like a chair, with the basin for the seat. My sheet was removed and I sat clumsily into the water. My butt and lower back were submerged in hot water. My feet and legs hung over the front and my arms rested alongside. A towel was draped across me to preserve some modesty. It was a strange position, but remarkably comfortable. I soaked there for several minutes, with my own pitcher of icy mineral water to drink.
Next, I was helped up and rewrapped, a bit differently this time. I made another bathroom stop. Next, I was led to another room with 8 padded tables and helped onto one. A hot wet towel was folded for me to lie down to heat my back. My shoulders, and legs were wrapped in hot wet towels. An icy cold wet towel was draped over my head and I was left to relax...mummy style. It felt really good and in more familiar surroundings, I could have peacefully dozed.
About 20 minutes later, I was unwrapped from the towels and led to a shower in my damp sheet. It was whisked away from me again and I stepped naked into what they call a "needle shower." It was actually just 8 normal shower heads blasting me from 4 different directions, from shoulder to hip. The water was warm, but not hot. After 2 minutes or so, the water was turned off and Kathy opened the curtain for me to step out. She handed me a towel to dry off. Yes, they let ME do that for myself. Then I was wrapped into a dry sheet and led away.
At this point, Kathy turned me over to massage therapist Lena. I was pink, wrinkled, relaxed, warm and extremely clean! Lena led me to her massage cubicle where she gave me a full body massage. Everything from head to toe was massaged except for my breasts, belly, and genitals. She was very professional. She whisked away my dry sheet and used it to screen me so I could lie down, then she covered me with it. Only the body part she was rubbing at any one time was uncovered. The room was dim, music played softly, and the lotion rub was soothing.
Twenty minutes later, I was sad to get to the end of my Buckstaff bath experience. I was rewrapped and led back to the dressing room. I went back to my cubicle and locker to dress. Debra was running a little behind me, so I had time to dress, use the bathroom, dry my hair somewhat, and put on make-up. I sat in the upstairs lobby to wait for her.
We left tips for our attendants at the front desk. We both felt so pampered and relaxed. Neither of felt the embarrassment that we had feared. Kathy and the dressing room attendant were the only ones who saw me completely naked and they didn't seem to be really looking at all. Though several other women were there, I saw no one who wasn't fully covered with a sheet or towel.
Even though the building wasn't air conditioned and the weather was quite hot outside, I was never too hot indoors, except in the steam cabinet. It probably helps that we went in the morning before the temp climbed into the 90s and later up to 106. Old buildings tend to be well-ventilated and there were fans in the waiting and dressing areas. The bathing rooms in the building reminded me and Debra both of the bathrooms in the 1920's dorm we lived in back in college, with the small tiles on the floor and the marble walls and partitions. It was all very quaint.
So, I have added this to my bucket list and labeled it "Done." I highly recommend this experience! If I ever return to Hot Springs, I definitely plan to indulge again.
Debra, my travel buddy, and I chose the Buckstaff Bathhouse, because it's one of the two still in operation as a bathhouse, instead of a spa. It is the most historically accurate and is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, 1912-2012. It is also the only one actually in the National Park and operated by their staff.
I read about it online through reviews at Trip Advisor first. I decided it was an experience I would either love or hate. You see, you have to be naked to have a bath. Now, I'm not overly modest, but I didn't want to be naked in front of lots of other people. I never did the group gym shower thing when I was younger. But, I was somewhat reassured of some degree of privacy after reading the reviews. I also wasn't sure how I'd feel about someone else, a stranger, bathing me.
I would say that no one has bathed me since I was a little girl. However, Wil and I indulge in baths together sometimes in our garden tub. When we have the time and privacy, it's fun and romantic. We light candles, play easy listening music, and sometimes I have a glass of wine. And, yes, Wil has bathed me, but I don't need to say any more about that in a blog. I knew this would be totally different from that romantic experience.
Back near the turn of the century, people came to the bathhouses to bath and soak in the hot mineral waters of Hot Springs, Arkansas. They believed it was healing. The water bubbles out of the earth at nearly 150 degrees and is naturally sterile. It is piped to the bathhouses, losing some heat in the journey and arriving at a more comfortable temperature around 110 degrees. Privileged people back then had no problem with being bathed by servants, a far different world than today. The bath was and is a series of soaking, scrubbing, steaming, soaking some more, wrapping, and showering.
So, Debra and I screwed up our courage and went to the Buckstaff Bathhouse yesterday morning. We opted for the full package ($64), including a massage after the bath. The bath without massage is $30. It turns out we made a GREAT choice. We were each given a new loofah that would be ours to keep after our bath. We were escorted in a 1912 elevator, complete with the brass folding cage door, to the second floor, the ladies floor. Men are bathed on the first floor. First, we made a quick trip to the bathroom. Then, in the dressing room, we stripped in our cubicles, stored our clothes and belongings in our lockers, and announced to the attendant that we were ready, each wearing nothing but our locker key on a cord around our wrists.
We were each wrapped by the dressing room attendant in clean white sheets, toga style, and sat to wait for our bath attendants to fetch us. They arrived within a minute or two. Kathy, a middle-aged black woman, took charge of me. She was reassuring and explained everything as we went along. She had a friendly personality. She took me to a another room filled with various sized marble-walled cubicles. The cubicle she took me to was in a row of cubicles with tubs.
The tub was an old claw foot one, long and deep, filled with hot water. My sheet was whisked away and I climbed up a stool to step into the bath. I was told to sit while she turned on the bubbler. It wasn't exactly a whirlpool. The contraption that stirred the water looked like a small outboard motor, sans propeller. It came to life and really frothed up the water. Kathy took the loofah that had been issued to me when I registered and scrubbed my arms and my back, all the way down to my butt. Then she put a smooth board into the water for me to lean back on and she scrubbed my legs. After that I was left to soak.
The water was heavenly! It was hot, just a few degrees short of intolerable, but I quickly got used to it. The tub was long enough to stretch out in. My neck was cushioned on a towel. The hum of the bubbler masked the sounds of people in the room. I lounged and soaked, nearly floating in the hot water, submerged up to my neck. I knew that Debra was having the same experience in another cubicle. Kathy came by to check on me once or twice.
Twenty minutes later, she came back to fetch me. I stepped out of the tub and she wrapped me up in the sheet again. I was escorted to the steam cabinet. This is one of those love or hate experiences that I hated. My sheet was whisked away again and I stepped naked into the stainless steel steamer and sat on the small bench. The front doors were closed and the top was closed around my neck with the gap mostly filled by a towel. I immediately began to pour sweat. Kathy saw that I wasn't enjoying it and she said I would only stay in a couple of minutes. She did bring me cups of cold mineral water that I could snake my hand up to drink. That was a long 2 minutes.
She opened the steam cabinet and I was sooo glad to step out. My sheet was hastily wrapped for the 6 foot walk to the sitz bath. THAT was certainly different. The bath was a tub, vaguely shaped like a chair, with the basin for the seat. My sheet was removed and I sat clumsily into the water. My butt and lower back were submerged in hot water. My feet and legs hung over the front and my arms rested alongside. A towel was draped across me to preserve some modesty. It was a strange position, but remarkably comfortable. I soaked there for several minutes, with my own pitcher of icy mineral water to drink.
Next, I was helped up and rewrapped, a bit differently this time. I made another bathroom stop. Next, I was led to another room with 8 padded tables and helped onto one. A hot wet towel was folded for me to lie down to heat my back. My shoulders, and legs were wrapped in hot wet towels. An icy cold wet towel was draped over my head and I was left to relax...mummy style. It felt really good and in more familiar surroundings, I could have peacefully dozed.
About 20 minutes later, I was unwrapped from the towels and led to a shower in my damp sheet. It was whisked away from me again and I stepped naked into what they call a "needle shower." It was actually just 8 normal shower heads blasting me from 4 different directions, from shoulder to hip. The water was warm, but not hot. After 2 minutes or so, the water was turned off and Kathy opened the curtain for me to step out. She handed me a towel to dry off. Yes, they let ME do that for myself. Then I was wrapped into a dry sheet and led away.
At this point, Kathy turned me over to massage therapist Lena. I was pink, wrinkled, relaxed, warm and extremely clean! Lena led me to her massage cubicle where she gave me a full body massage. Everything from head to toe was massaged except for my breasts, belly, and genitals. She was very professional. She whisked away my dry sheet and used it to screen me so I could lie down, then she covered me with it. Only the body part she was rubbing at any one time was uncovered. The room was dim, music played softly, and the lotion rub was soothing.
Twenty minutes later, I was sad to get to the end of my Buckstaff bath experience. I was rewrapped and led back to the dressing room. I went back to my cubicle and locker to dress. Debra was running a little behind me, so I had time to dress, use the bathroom, dry my hair somewhat, and put on make-up. I sat in the upstairs lobby to wait for her.
We left tips for our attendants at the front desk. We both felt so pampered and relaxed. Neither of felt the embarrassment that we had feared. Kathy and the dressing room attendant were the only ones who saw me completely naked and they didn't seem to be really looking at all. Though several other women were there, I saw no one who wasn't fully covered with a sheet or towel.
Even though the building wasn't air conditioned and the weather was quite hot outside, I was never too hot indoors, except in the steam cabinet. It probably helps that we went in the morning before the temp climbed into the 90s and later up to 106. Old buildings tend to be well-ventilated and there were fans in the waiting and dressing areas. The bathing rooms in the building reminded me and Debra both of the bathrooms in the 1920's dorm we lived in back in college, with the small tiles on the floor and the marble walls and partitions. It was all very quaint.
So, I have added this to my bucket list and labeled it "Done." I highly recommend this experience! If I ever return to Hot Springs, I definitely plan to indulge again.
Monday, June 25, 2012
My Bucket List....so far
I have my bucket list of things I want to do before I leave this life. I want to see all 50 states (46, so far!) and I want to see all the great American iconic places. Also on the list are things I want to do. I'm doing great so far.
I've stood at the foot of Mount Rushmore and the giant redwoods. I've been to the top of the Empire State Building, the Washington Monument, and the Space Needle. I've seen the Jefferson Memorial at sunset and Broadway at midnight. I've driven across the Rockies, the Appalachians, the Ozarks, the White Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, the Green Mountains, and several others. I've driven through the Everglades and the Badlands. I've driven past wheat fields, cotton fields, deserts, lakes and forests. I've driven in cities of all sizes. I've been down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I've followed Lewis and Clark's trail. I've driven along the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and over the overseas highway to Key West. I've crossed the US border to the north and to the south.
I've walked the Golden Gate Bridge. I've walked across Hoover Dam. I've stood beside Niagra Falls. I've ridden a horse along the Pacific Coast. I've been in both US oceans and the Gulf, as well as numerous major lakes. I've walked across the headwaters of the Mississippi River, cruised up and down it in a paddlewheel steamboat, and have been down to the end of it in Louisiana. I have watched a glacier calving. I've ridden the Staten Island Ferry. I've snorkeled in the Caribbean. I've gone parasailing. I've seen sea lions and otters in California, dolphins in the gulf, and whales in Alaska.
I've ridden on planes of all sizes (including an antique biplane), a helicopter, and even an AC130U Air Force gunship. I've ridden on cruise ships in the Caribbean and Alaska. I've ridden the subway in Atlanta, Washington DC, and Toronto. I've been on a long passenger train trip and some shorter ones. I've been on a long Greyhound bus trip. I've ridden the cable cars in San Francisco and the trollies in New Orleans. I've ridden on motorcycles, canoes, go carts, buses, kayaks, motorboats, New York taxis, catamarans, and bicycles...even one built for two.
I've toured Rock City, the White House, Alcatraz, the Hearst Castle, the Library of Congress, the Grand Ole Opry, Arlington Cemetery, Churchill Downs, the San Diego Zoo, the Smithsonians, Mayan Ruins, and Yosemite. I've been drinking on Bourbon Street. I've been gambling in Las Vegas. I've shopped at the Mall of America. I've been on Good Morning America. I've seen the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I've watched a Broadway show. I've been to the concerts of famous musicians. I've been to a pro football game and a pro baseball game. I've played in the snow and I've played a calliope. I've been down in Mammoth Cave and up on Stone Mountain. I've held Micky Mantle's bat. I've strolled through Boston Commons, Golden Gate Park, and Central Park. I've seen the Hollywood sign. I've ridden a lap around the Indianapolis Speedway. I've sat in the Supreme Court.
I've toured the factories where iconic American brand goods are made--Tabasco Sauce, Louisville Sluggers, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Napa Valley wines, Cabbage Patch dolls and Maker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon. I've eaten lobster in Maine, chowder in Boston, beignets in New Orleans, pizza in Chicago, salmon in Alaska and crab cakes in Baltimore. I bought a cowboy hat in Texas, cowboy boots in Wyoming, and gold in the Black Hills. I've shopped in China Town. I've toured the homes of many great Americans--Helen Keller, Robert Frost, Norman Rockwell, and Thomas Edison. I've been from the capital of the Confederacy to the Lincoln Memorial. I've been on all the roller coasters in Disney World and to all of the parks there.
I've seen the destruction of Mount St. Helens. I've been in an earthquake. I've been in the eye of a hurricane. I've been too close to a tornado.
So, what's left? Well, just today, I bathed in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Later this week I'm going up in the St. Louis Arch. Tonight, I am in my 46th state. Still, my bucket list will not be complete. I have 4 more states to visit and a host of things left to do.
I want to see the Grand Canyon, the Alamo, the Painted Desert, and the Great Salt Lake. I want to tour Hershey Pennsylvania, Amish country, Yellowstone Park, and the US Capitol Building. I want to ride an airboat. I want to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade. I want to see the Oklahoma City Memorial, the 9/11 memorial, and Pearl Harbor. I want to snow ski. I want to go up in the Statue of Liberty. I want to see the fall leaves in New England. I want to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I want to eat a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia and see the Liberty Bell while I am there.
See? There's plenty left to do. And, heck, that's just North America! After that...on to Europe!
I've stood at the foot of Mount Rushmore and the giant redwoods. I've been to the top of the Empire State Building, the Washington Monument, and the Space Needle. I've seen the Jefferson Memorial at sunset and Broadway at midnight. I've driven across the Rockies, the Appalachians, the Ozarks, the White Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, the Green Mountains, and several others. I've driven through the Everglades and the Badlands. I've driven past wheat fields, cotton fields, deserts, lakes and forests. I've driven in cities of all sizes. I've been down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. I've followed Lewis and Clark's trail. I've driven along the Pacific Coast, the Atlantic Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and over the overseas highway to Key West. I've crossed the US border to the north and to the south.
I've walked the Golden Gate Bridge. I've walked across Hoover Dam. I've stood beside Niagra Falls. I've ridden a horse along the Pacific Coast. I've been in both US oceans and the Gulf, as well as numerous major lakes. I've walked across the headwaters of the Mississippi River, cruised up and down it in a paddlewheel steamboat, and have been down to the end of it in Louisiana. I have watched a glacier calving. I've ridden the Staten Island Ferry. I've snorkeled in the Caribbean. I've gone parasailing. I've seen sea lions and otters in California, dolphins in the gulf, and whales in Alaska.
I've ridden on planes of all sizes (including an antique biplane), a helicopter, and even an AC130U Air Force gunship. I've ridden on cruise ships in the Caribbean and Alaska. I've ridden the subway in Atlanta, Washington DC, and Toronto. I've been on a long passenger train trip and some shorter ones. I've been on a long Greyhound bus trip. I've ridden the cable cars in San Francisco and the trollies in New Orleans. I've ridden on motorcycles, canoes, go carts, buses, kayaks, motorboats, New York taxis, catamarans, and bicycles...even one built for two.
I've toured Rock City, the White House, Alcatraz, the Hearst Castle, the Library of Congress, the Grand Ole Opry, Arlington Cemetery, Churchill Downs, the San Diego Zoo, the Smithsonians, Mayan Ruins, and Yosemite. I've been drinking on Bourbon Street. I've been gambling in Las Vegas. I've shopped at the Mall of America. I've been on Good Morning America. I've seen the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I've watched a Broadway show. I've been to the concerts of famous musicians. I've been to a pro football game and a pro baseball game. I've played in the snow and I've played a calliope. I've been down in Mammoth Cave and up on Stone Mountain. I've held Micky Mantle's bat. I've strolled through Boston Commons, Golden Gate Park, and Central Park. I've seen the Hollywood sign. I've ridden a lap around the Indianapolis Speedway. I've sat in the Supreme Court.
I've toured the factories where iconic American brand goods are made--Tabasco Sauce, Louisville Sluggers, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Napa Valley wines, Cabbage Patch dolls and Maker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon. I've eaten lobster in Maine, chowder in Boston, beignets in New Orleans, pizza in Chicago, salmon in Alaska and crab cakes in Baltimore. I bought a cowboy hat in Texas, cowboy boots in Wyoming, and gold in the Black Hills. I've shopped in China Town. I've toured the homes of many great Americans--Helen Keller, Robert Frost, Norman Rockwell, and Thomas Edison. I've been from the capital of the Confederacy to the Lincoln Memorial. I've been on all the roller coasters in Disney World and to all of the parks there.
I've seen the destruction of Mount St. Helens. I've been in an earthquake. I've been in the eye of a hurricane. I've been too close to a tornado.
So, what's left? Well, just today, I bathed in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Later this week I'm going up in the St. Louis Arch. Tonight, I am in my 46th state. Still, my bucket list will not be complete. I have 4 more states to visit and a host of things left to do.
I want to see the Grand Canyon, the Alamo, the Painted Desert, and the Great Salt Lake. I want to tour Hershey Pennsylvania, Amish country, Yellowstone Park, and the US Capitol Building. I want to ride an airboat. I want to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Parade. I want to see the Oklahoma City Memorial, the 9/11 memorial, and Pearl Harbor. I want to snow ski. I want to go up in the Statue of Liberty. I want to see the fall leaves in New England. I want to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I want to eat a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia and see the Liberty Bell while I am there.
See? There's plenty left to do. And, heck, that's just North America! After that...on to Europe!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
We live in paradise!
This past Sunday, Wil and I took our boat out for the first time this year. The weather was absolutely perfect! The sky was nearly cloudless. The temperature was mild. The water was flat. The boat ran like a charm.
We launched out of Navarre, at the public boat ramp adjacent to Juana's on Santa Rosa Island, just over the Navarre Beach Bridge. The boat ramp is wide, the parking plentiful, and the launching is free! We cruised toward Destin, enjoying the sights along the way. At an easy pace, it took about an hour to get to Destin Pass.
Normally, we don't take our small boat (19 ft.) out into the Gulf. But when the water is so flat, the Gulf is irresistible. So, we headed out through the pass. Just a few yards outside the pass, the dolphins appeared. Just outside Destin Pass is the place most likely to see dolphins. Five dolphins were frolicking in the water. Actually, I can't be sure they were "frolicking," but on such a gorgeous day, it seemed that way.
We followed a group of two and then another group of three, back and forth, and around and around our boat. They are fast swimmers and change direction quickly. Our small boat is maneuverable enough follow them around. They swam just under the surface, easy to spot in the clear emerald water. They seemed to play with us as they swam around, darting close, then speeding away. The area was busy with boats, big and small. Parasailers were out and the beaches a couple of hundred yards away were thick with tourists. None of this seemed to faze the dolphins.
Eventually, the dolphins swam a bit farther away, perhaps to play with other boaters, and we took a short cruise down the coast. I took photos of the crowded beaches in front of the condos. It struck both Wil and I that most of those people on the beach had saved up and spent a lot of money to come to Destin for a vacation. And yet, there we were, only a short way from home. It struck me how lucky we are to live in a place where many people come to vacation.
Former Pensacola mayor Vince Whibbs coined this phrase to describe Pensacola, "Where thousands live the way millions wish they could." This phrase described the whole Emerald Coast area. That was the phrase that popped into my mind as Wil and I talked about how lucky we are to live where we do.
We anchored our boat at Crab Island, which is not actually an island, but a huge barely submerged sand bar. It's a favorite place for boaters to anchor and play in the shallow water. There were quite a few boats there, but nothing like the crowds that will appear when the weather gets really hot. Then the boats are crowded so close together you can practically jump from boat to boat. There's a floating snack bar with live music in the summer, a floating water slide, a floating trampoline, and tiny boats and wave runners that motor around selling ice cream and pizza.
It wasn't that crowded and commercial last weekend, as the weather was still relatively calm and most of the Spring Break crowd have already departed. Still, it is a great place to stop and people watch. We were amused by the big black labrador dog that kept jumping out of a boat and into the water to play fetch. We were more amused by the marine patrol writing a ticket for people in a pontoon boat that probably didn't have the required safety equipment.
You see young women who look amazing in their bikinis and older ladies who shouldn't be wearing them anymore. The young men are showing off their physiques, trying to impress the ladies. The older gentlemen in baggy plaid swimsuits patiently captain pontoon boats full of family. Huge yachts skirt the edge of the island, too large to venture into the shallower water. You see a lot of beer, a lot of people sunning themselves, and many different kinds and sizes of boats. You don't see enough people using sunblock or enough people who use good boating etiquette.
After we ate our picnic lunch, it was time to head home. It was a pleasant cruise back to Navarre. We trailered the boat, flushed the engine, drove to a self-serve car wash to wash the boat, then put the boat back in the storage yard. For us, it was a fun cruise, just the first of many we will take this spring, summer, and fall.
Boating in Santa Rosa Sound and in the Gulf is a common event for us. And, anytime we want, we can drive a couple of short miles to the beach and walk along the sugar white sands. I can even walk a hundred yards or so through my own neighborhood to the edge of the Sound. I own more swimsuits than I do winter coats. We live the way most people can only occasionally vacation. I never want to forget how lucky I am to live in this paradise.
We launched out of Navarre, at the public boat ramp adjacent to Juana's on Santa Rosa Island, just over the Navarre Beach Bridge. The boat ramp is wide, the parking plentiful, and the launching is free! We cruised toward Destin, enjoying the sights along the way. At an easy pace, it took about an hour to get to Destin Pass.
Normally, we don't take our small boat (19 ft.) out into the Gulf. But when the water is so flat, the Gulf is irresistible. So, we headed out through the pass. Just a few yards outside the pass, the dolphins appeared. Just outside Destin Pass is the place most likely to see dolphins. Five dolphins were frolicking in the water. Actually, I can't be sure they were "frolicking," but on such a gorgeous day, it seemed that way.
We followed a group of two and then another group of three, back and forth, and around and around our boat. They are fast swimmers and change direction quickly. Our small boat is maneuverable enough follow them around. They swam just under the surface, easy to spot in the clear emerald water. They seemed to play with us as they swam around, darting close, then speeding away. The area was busy with boats, big and small. Parasailers were out and the beaches a couple of hundred yards away were thick with tourists. None of this seemed to faze the dolphins.
Eventually, the dolphins swam a bit farther away, perhaps to play with other boaters, and we took a short cruise down the coast. I took photos of the crowded beaches in front of the condos. It struck both Wil and I that most of those people on the beach had saved up and spent a lot of money to come to Destin for a vacation. And yet, there we were, only a short way from home. It struck me how lucky we are to live in a place where many people come to vacation.
Former Pensacola mayor Vince Whibbs coined this phrase to describe Pensacola, "Where thousands live the way millions wish they could." This phrase described the whole Emerald Coast area. That was the phrase that popped into my mind as Wil and I talked about how lucky we are to live where we do.
We anchored our boat at Crab Island, which is not actually an island, but a huge barely submerged sand bar. It's a favorite place for boaters to anchor and play in the shallow water. There were quite a few boats there, but nothing like the crowds that will appear when the weather gets really hot. Then the boats are crowded so close together you can practically jump from boat to boat. There's a floating snack bar with live music in the summer, a floating water slide, a floating trampoline, and tiny boats and wave runners that motor around selling ice cream and pizza.
It wasn't that crowded and commercial last weekend, as the weather was still relatively calm and most of the Spring Break crowd have already departed. Still, it is a great place to stop and people watch. We were amused by the big black labrador dog that kept jumping out of a boat and into the water to play fetch. We were more amused by the marine patrol writing a ticket for people in a pontoon boat that probably didn't have the required safety equipment.
You see young women who look amazing in their bikinis and older ladies who shouldn't be wearing them anymore. The young men are showing off their physiques, trying to impress the ladies. The older gentlemen in baggy plaid swimsuits patiently captain pontoon boats full of family. Huge yachts skirt the edge of the island, too large to venture into the shallower water. You see a lot of beer, a lot of people sunning themselves, and many different kinds and sizes of boats. You don't see enough people using sunblock or enough people who use good boating etiquette.
After we ate our picnic lunch, it was time to head home. It was a pleasant cruise back to Navarre. We trailered the boat, flushed the engine, drove to a self-serve car wash to wash the boat, then put the boat back in the storage yard. For us, it was a fun cruise, just the first of many we will take this spring, summer, and fall.
Boating in Santa Rosa Sound and in the Gulf is a common event for us. And, anytime we want, we can drive a couple of short miles to the beach and walk along the sugar white sands. I can even walk a hundred yards or so through my own neighborhood to the edge of the Sound. I own more swimsuits than I do winter coats. We live the way most people can only occasionally vacation. I never want to forget how lucky I am to live in this paradise.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)