tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36248246403270328732024-03-13T04:13:01.722-04:00Fortunes AfloatAfter a thirty year gap we are back to the sailing life we once enjoyed. Join us as we share our tales of life afloat.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger621125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-5770427207052971632018-10-26T23:16:00.000-04:002018-10-26T23:16:07.549-04:00Last PostGreetings Gentle Readers,<br />
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I'm about to turn the lights out here at Fortunes Afloat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrffXBaSdY6wcevM4HP65goVy17Tl20yd16x7yetNeNbWEun12dldJaixVXf3-1hpJ0jGSgoTu4FtAut_A3Pdgw8TQIeVaDEClj7UnBvSvcARr31iYpPqDw_sUgKZ6eQxl4U8zdPCfbdw/s1600/beachySunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrffXBaSdY6wcevM4HP65goVy17Tl20yd16x7yetNeNbWEun12dldJaixVXf3-1hpJ0jGSgoTu4FtAut_A3Pdgw8TQIeVaDEClj7UnBvSvcARr31iYpPqDw_sUgKZ6eQxl4U8zdPCfbdw/s640/beachySunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's a sad day, but we are no longer "afloat" and life is turning in a different direction for us.<br />
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I want to thank all of you who have read our blog over the years and commented on our adventures. It's comforting to know that we have so many friends out there in blogland. Although our next project might seem boring compared to the last four years, we hope you will make the jump to our new blog and join us as we remodel an old house here in our home town. If you would like to follow us, please send me your email address so I can send you the new blog address. Send it to <a href="mailto:fortunesafloat@gmail.com">fortunesafloat@gmail.com</a>.<br />
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Thank you so much for your friendship through the years,<br />
Laura and Malcolm<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-4337163512277417622018-10-19T10:56:00.000-04:002018-10-19T10:56:10.315-04:00Living On Land<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_rnlW_H-TXWFSzhVScuS3RVni8mob9C8_g00WsjBxzCjyFeEHHxbEEv8g14VEH4WYD1vqY8JleFtSuD9fY0UiTCNFvxhwUqk9Lcq0E23-pjN4dvefTN1j8zkSUb3YKvIiaILJf7_AWk/s1600/20181019_065645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_rnlW_H-TXWFSzhVScuS3RVni8mob9C8_g00WsjBxzCjyFeEHHxbEEv8g14VEH4WYD1vqY8JleFtSuD9fY0UiTCNFvxhwUqk9Lcq0E23-pjN4dvefTN1j8zkSUb3YKvIiaILJf7_AWk/s400/20181019_065645.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's a map showing our route from Annapolis to Stockton. We drove 3396 miles, it took us eleven days, and we had an awful lot of fun. I just wish we could have taken longer and visited more places.<br />
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So now we're back on land, biding our time, trying to figure out what to do about housing. We are going to the Sailing Club regularly, enjoying California's beautiful (read no hurricanes) weather, and getting our bearings again.<br />
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We are temporarily living in my mother in law's house, but since the bank will be foreclosing, that's just until the Sheriff tacks a notice on the door saying we need to vacate the premises.<br />
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Yes, we are squatters.<br />
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But very comfortable squatters because the house is in good condition and we have nice furniture to use. There's unlimited water from the taps, electricity we don't have to monitor, a washer and dryer, finally a walk-around queen bed, and all the modcons. We've placed familiar things around, put our dishes in the cupboards, and hung our pictures on the walls. My brother is living with us too and it's been fun having him around.<br />
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It's all very nice, but I'm having a little trouble with the size of the kitchen! It's too big! I actually have to take several steps to create a meal! Maybe that's a good thing though; I certainly could use the exercise because living on land is so sedentary.<br />
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What we need is a new project, don't you think?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-62878124643037365112018-09-02T10:58:00.001-04:002018-09-02T10:58:14.740-04:00We've Only Glimpsed the Elephant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The pioneers who traveled the Overland Trails often used the phrase, "<a href="https://www.shebbyleetours.com/seeing-the-elephant/" target="_blank">I've seen the elephant</a>" when describing troubles along the trail. The Elephant was anticipated at the beginning of the trail as something wondrous and exciting, but after miles and miles of hardship, the novelty had worn thin.</div>
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Yesterday we stopped at the California Trail Interpretive Center near Elko, Nevada and spent two hours there learning more about the great western migration of the 1800s.</div>
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Having traveled almost all the way across this great country in a comfortable, air conditioned car, with convenient roadside restaurants and hotels, we have only <i>glimpsed</i> the Elephant. And most of that glimpse was at the Interpretive Center. </div>
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There's a little trail outside the building that wanders through the sagebrush with old wagons and cast-offs depicting life along the trail. Inside, the displays describe the conditions and hardships of the journey with maps, dioramas, and old photos. Our visit really increased our understanding and admiration of the early pioneers.</div>
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Our earlier stop at Twin Falls, Idaho was interesting too. High above the Snake River along Highway 93, is the Perrine Bridge that folks use for base jumping! Who knew?</div>
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The view up the river is gorgeous, and the view down the river is riveting because you never know when someone will step over the railing, take a deep breath, and leap off!</div>
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In this photo you can see the shadow of a parachute coming down, but the actual chute is hard to see against the rocky gorge.</div>
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Today we will cross the Sierras in luxury (compared to the pioneers), and slide down into the Big Valley and home. It's been a good trip full of wonderful experiences, gorgeous scenery, and interesting people. What a great country we live in!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-67721990467428579702018-08-31T23:09:00.002-04:002018-08-31T23:09:47.270-04:00Yellowstone Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H6lJwFOcSD7uhFc_OxwSrzgwL5_V7mzDLZ16wdWPte5qDKorkR-SFA9sfIQgtVZIWK5ZObb_usy6sxc1M3R1kWz2ITLmAWmfvubkA5-bsbW64bCOXELwyanlOOFKJKpRSzVwTaHkFho/s1600/20180831_084218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1471" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H6lJwFOcSD7uhFc_OxwSrzgwL5_V7mzDLZ16wdWPte5qDKorkR-SFA9sfIQgtVZIWK5ZObb_usy6sxc1M3R1kWz2ITLmAWmfvubkA5-bsbW64bCOXELwyanlOOFKJKpRSzVwTaHkFho/s320/20180831_084218.jpg" width="294" /></a></div>
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We knew it would be a long day visiting Yellowstone, so we left Cody at 6:45am and headed west on Hwy 14. I was really hoping we'd see a few animals in the park, so imagine my delight when this guy came walking along the road right beside us! And we hadn't even gotten into the park yet. </div>
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Hwy 14 runs along the Shoshone River with great views of Sleeping Giant Mountain in the distance.</div>
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After entering the park we turned north towards Hayden Valley hoping to see more wildlife.</div>
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Sure enough, we saw a grizzly bear and more bison. Using the binoculars again, I was able to get this close up of the herd.</div>
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By 11:00 we arrived at the Old Faithful Inn where they have this handy clock in the lobby showing Old Faithful eruption times, so after a quick peek, we went out to the viewing area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy37kTQZobOSKry0O9pjajVL6tKy7J7PIz55QAsdS6H-Rvavl9I-M3wiHjRC0gy-e6TqkRPyOixsXUQh2UK6yhe0WKEZ_joI0vEr8FXkvgmITOqmwrQGiqNGmOnS1pDpq14eqVlQc4zoU/s1600/20180831_203329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="912" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy37kTQZobOSKry0O9pjajVL6tKy7J7PIz55QAsdS6H-Rvavl9I-M3wiHjRC0gy-e6TqkRPyOixsXUQh2UK6yhe0WKEZ_joI0vEr8FXkvgmITOqmwrQGiqNGmOnS1pDpq14eqVlQc4zoU/s320/20180831_203329.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>
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We only had to wait a little while and, true to its name, Old Faithful started spitting...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCNT8SSN88fV8kgyOKX2Erc4jEj8LXL_MzlcBb6zL892rdT-F2dwo1JbWkfXBT_FSWT6P9qCpEHOBUjiKV6ruFxs4L9m0tSQAVvy1nSXlbB1OA7XB6d7b86z9HkEFPP7dszY5Ie3mjjI/s1600/20180831_183306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="909" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCNT8SSN88fV8kgyOKX2Erc4jEj8LXL_MzlcBb6zL892rdT-F2dwo1JbWkfXBT_FSWT6P9qCpEHOBUjiKV6ruFxs4L9m0tSQAVvy1nSXlbB1OA7XB6d7b86z9HkEFPP7dszY5Ie3mjjI/s400/20180831_183306.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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and spurting... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIT77ipwlXWU_45hbQr1L4CjjbZXJOEsmpfMftbceP_MyCayYK-ZED1GpqOivngEX9aMvcpsgwzi5SsCN3A7FngBJqBgK6J5gpUqIct-lewd33j7rhbNtzW1YXYq451h55-UM1dIw4nig/s1600/20180831_183428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="908" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIT77ipwlXWU_45hbQr1L4CjjbZXJOEsmpfMftbceP_MyCayYK-ZED1GpqOivngEX9aMvcpsgwzi5SsCN3A7FngBJqBgK6J5gpUqIct-lewd33j7rhbNtzW1YXYq451h55-UM1dIw4nig/s640/20180831_183428.jpg" width="362" /></a></div>
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and putting on quite a show. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bvCWP-jRFz8EhAQVFeSqSJdYvUrNwfyMyZfj9QtPFqioihj6xr6nU7pggyTQ6bi4DCi79cXu0PgImW-oWnF_WmhM5iQuMsB9lKrf7AUVP3sYzcsOLxXPgumqJbTI5S-q6qLHFUZPiac/s1600/20180831_203448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bvCWP-jRFz8EhAQVFeSqSJdYvUrNwfyMyZfj9QtPFqioihj6xr6nU7pggyTQ6bi4DCi79cXu0PgImW-oWnF_WmhM5iQuMsB9lKrf7AUVP3sYzcsOLxXPgumqJbTI5S-q6qLHFUZPiac/s400/20180831_203448.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Then we went back to the Inn, checked out the old clock above the massive fireplace, and had a delightful lunch in the 1922 Craftsmen-style dining room before heading out again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SVsqQQ-mXRc6oXavzLlwJY7AMdc7gWVq95M2tgaMWPpyzIEjbXtluSCxiYCxk0Ur3ns2Dq0V3_ZU8Yrz-juVs27dRwle-8hXMDN3zfHVOTqjCNbzB2lARaeJ7MkOwMdZEM9azqTK8e8/s1600/20180831_181622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SVsqQQ-mXRc6oXavzLlwJY7AMdc7gWVq95M2tgaMWPpyzIEjbXtluSCxiYCxk0Ur3ns2Dq0V3_ZU8Yrz-juVs27dRwle-8hXMDN3zfHVOTqjCNbzB2lARaeJ7MkOwMdZEM9azqTK8e8/s640/20180831_181622.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We really enjoyed our day at Yellowstone; especially the wildlife. Here is a list of all the animals we saw:</div>
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Bald Eagle, American White Pelicans, Ravens, White Tail Deer, Mule Deer, Elk, Grizzly Bear, Canadian Geese, Swan, Osprey, and lots of Bison.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-69427093453726935912018-08-31T00:15:00.000-04:002018-08-31T00:15:06.278-04:00Devils Tower<div style="text-align: center;">
On our way from Mt. Rushmore to Yellowstone today, we took a little detour over to Devils Tower.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZgFLYI-myp2LviXRKRrfhosyNnSuu1cjjxzsQcvHS10RDTblUqmhurrGxL89BvmXrimKwXv4DoPghduKzp9fxsHu5cI_TLsQSKTo1bW76zYKNz1aSHfVSGCBgwtSfhZs-LRIJaVt4s8/s1600/20180830_220612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="918" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZgFLYI-myp2LviXRKRrfhosyNnSuu1cjjxzsQcvHS10RDTblUqmhurrGxL89BvmXrimKwXv4DoPghduKzp9fxsHu5cI_TLsQSKTo1bW76zYKNz1aSHfVSGCBgwtSfhZs-LRIJaVt4s8/s640/20180830_220612.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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There are a few theories about how this unique geological formation happened, but I like the Native American's idea best, so I'll share that with you.</div>
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<i>One day seven sisters were chased into a low rock by bears. Their prayers for help were answered and the rock carried them upward. The leaping bears' claws left furrows in the tower as it rose higher and higher. The sisters were carried so high they ended up in the sky and became the constellation Pleiades.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDcT9qK5yhVuELkaBifJtuCoCWHTNEQR344Ihj6V9X70RFjoJlOEh5S_A-7MdZ6esbHPBarM1RdVRI-mqTj2EnDzxgkVxZIYAN3IXcfPe_It1C2GKPXNlniRHAgiFEzJqqIHDE-U7hno/s1600/20180830_175913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1210" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDcT9qK5yhVuELkaBifJtuCoCWHTNEQR344Ihj6V9X70RFjoJlOEh5S_A-7MdZ6esbHPBarM1RdVRI-mqTj2EnDzxgkVxZIYAN3IXcfPe_It1C2GKPXNlniRHAgiFEzJqqIHDE-U7hno/s640/20180830_175913.jpg" width="483" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGF7k2C-rounvBris0K_I3TvYt76REV0ZWmyav9vNXxPCsEP_yGw8hsVhwoW5GMBk8ryKMMGjaE7GT5mK1OJP8Y1SAIN9sMU66zmrnEBZHOad-_JBrxDjZY3Ng7CzCb1Cn_yiYo61-i0/s1600/20180830_180507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGF7k2C-rounvBris0K_I3TvYt76REV0ZWmyav9vNXxPCsEP_yGw8hsVhwoW5GMBk8ryKMMGjaE7GT5mK1OJP8Y1SAIN9sMU66zmrnEBZHOad-_JBrxDjZY3Ng7CzCb1Cn_yiYo61-i0/s640/20180830_180507.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was a beautiful day up at the tower. We walked up to the boulder field and could see several people climbing up the tower.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWlFlPdZLOmu3KH9N2HhGeQwYIWhAaJLnUmmxp4jXRjeGykWvp2H3cpftqLJv7Tlx1hb5XMEQKlSbVuZq0tVAFHfM1LPTM0qv2cn81SSB5d6oVyzzBDDykuvN2kkB81Ns1WC6ErYhBYQ/s1600/20180830_175219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1600" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWlFlPdZLOmu3KH9N2HhGeQwYIWhAaJLnUmmxp4jXRjeGykWvp2H3cpftqLJv7Tlx1hb5XMEQKlSbVuZq0tVAFHfM1LPTM0qv2cn81SSB5d6oVyzzBDDykuvN2kkB81Ns1WC6ErYhBYQ/s640/20180830_175219.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On the southeast slope below the tower is a huge prairie dog town. I walked out into the field a little and they were quite nonchalant about me being nearby and very entertaining to watch. You can see a few of them and their holes in this photo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKaF3ezEbzvqv1F8aWFreSG_ywd6gMV0bvEOUY-0_WETasexOXSFDea_I-iOv6HrBjsmwuVMukGIRyTxIB64tlOExOos97Mc4-_L2gAyvNNpnzVCZeHCBnWjzG_fpO2pT15JG4Kd01dg/s1600/20180830_175718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLKaF3ezEbzvqv1F8aWFreSG_ywd6gMV0bvEOUY-0_WETasexOXSFDea_I-iOv6HrBjsmwuVMukGIRyTxIB64tlOExOos97Mc4-_L2gAyvNNpnzVCZeHCBnWjzG_fpO2pT15JG4Kd01dg/s640/20180830_175718.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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South of Devils Tower is the wide, green valley created by the Belle Fourche River. After we left the tower we drove through this valley on our way west.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UatTWtylo42Kx4y6WB4C_YbZh-3RyclMuIRaMw-Nn2op05an_iYyNJ07UYcvhzPepXVhzyuDhpCAu_YP_NDfYpUJDijCcQNLKHQeHX7BKt3uceDfn03dM47lVyEpWsMjhZ9Dl2usPdY/s1600/20180830_175026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_UatTWtylo42Kx4y6WB4C_YbZh-3RyclMuIRaMw-Nn2op05an_iYyNJ07UYcvhzPepXVhzyuDhpCAu_YP_NDfYpUJDijCcQNLKHQeHX7BKt3uceDfn03dM47lVyEpWsMjhZ9Dl2usPdY/s640/20180830_175026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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East of the tower is a large section of Triassic red shale from the Spearfish Formation. We saw other parts of this in the Black Hills around Mount Rushmore. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4ON1ukkmFubVHqqZuCpv6kH4xQPifY0C01Hx8rkSyzm8rJNQ9VQHatgptniO0wN3mpo_aaZAYZBhnbOkeR2s0rRkevmKQ5wVdwo1DDnSA1g6B1uJJyEl06Z_790Cfg1shgFWrsMCAtM/s1600/20180830_174819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB4ON1ukkmFubVHqqZuCpv6kH4xQPifY0C01Hx8rkSyzm8rJNQ9VQHatgptniO0wN3mpo_aaZAYZBhnbOkeR2s0rRkevmKQ5wVdwo1DDnSA1g6B1uJJyEl06Z_790Cfg1shgFWrsMCAtM/s640/20180830_174819.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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About ten miles east of Tensleep on Highway 16 there is a switchback that gives you a great view of Tensleep Canyon and this limestone escarpment. In fact today's drive was full of interesting geological formations, which made me wish I knew more about geology.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-40262648623875336482018-08-30T08:41:00.002-04:002018-08-30T08:41:57.167-04:00Monumental Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjLllF0rDeXsMD5oWc3nqbnRptNS06Q_cXkQJiDgFmoUUZtSVRbccacInD8f0d5f25vJQZ1IiE7wyDZbQbYDF7ZBLTKxIUyE_62-X5buyRmP8Jw-1iTtmhU0wAc0HeKNtzm42R0M5I5o/s1600/20180829_095958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="847" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjLllF0rDeXsMD5oWc3nqbnRptNS06Q_cXkQJiDgFmoUUZtSVRbccacInD8f0d5f25vJQZ1IiE7wyDZbQbYDF7ZBLTKxIUyE_62-X5buyRmP8Jw-1iTtmhU0wAc0HeKNtzm42R0M5I5o/s640/20180829_095958.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
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Yesterday we took the bus tour of Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, the Needles, and Crazy Horse. Bus tours are fun because someone else does the driving and you learn so much. Our driver, Rory, was a great source of information and corny jokes.</div>
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The first stop was Mount Rushmore where we tried to take telephoto pictures using our binoculars. It actually worked, but it was hard to get everything all lined up. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ181NLdPuRDpfvv_E3oppWvZyPJ3PPlW6TIsi0USzxu3qdDVipuCw0CLKmjWnnhahopKU2G5egc8uh8KcvkbLyBXnWQWNXbVUsknzW9WJjTnt1x9bUHj4VMBZny1FIiwQfoWbM1llNA/s1600/20180829_110010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1437" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ181NLdPuRDpfvv_E3oppWvZyPJ3PPlW6TIsi0USzxu3qdDVipuCw0CLKmjWnnhahopKU2G5egc8uh8KcvkbLyBXnWQWNXbVUsknzW9WJjTnt1x9bUHj4VMBZny1FIiwQfoWbM1llNA/s320/20180829_110010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWspHFghPvt1BvWJ7LiewQ-choaNeovHepSU9ROu2RcFky1ACInS2I929RqNP7H-RumJofBmYBZguqvKgQ-6MGIH1NNwdnpsioP-eWLOPic4EjAOU13uE251peGrPIgNvOyD1V0-CYWU/s1600/20180829_105948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJWspHFghPvt1BvWJ7LiewQ-choaNeovHepSU9ROu2RcFky1ACInS2I929RqNP7H-RumJofBmYBZguqvKgQ-6MGIH1NNwdnpsioP-eWLOPic4EjAOU13uE251peGrPIgNvOyD1V0-CYWU/s320/20180829_105948.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLA0b9w1OUfA9iOnRFwHOvdOD_kGbpinaVB9TWwlGW-jRHtZFLbBfMrXLKk8fFgcOrfTDOQ7vgV8XrgJv2NIFRQc8BdGvx2jJrWtQ1sZ_NudnT9tK45aXEy6juV78MbTB0ppzePYbEhc/s1600/20180829_110042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLA0b9w1OUfA9iOnRFwHOvdOD_kGbpinaVB9TWwlGW-jRHtZFLbBfMrXLKk8fFgcOrfTDOQ7vgV8XrgJv2NIFRQc8BdGvx2jJrWtQ1sZ_NudnT9tK45aXEy6juV78MbTB0ppzePYbEhc/s320/20180829_110042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We then drove across three pigtail bridges and through a few tunnels, as we drove up to the State Game Lodge where we had buffalo stew for lunch.</div>
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Pigtail bridges are tight corkscrews where the road goes under a little bridge then immediately loops back over itself, crossing the bridge and gaining altitude quickly.</div>
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After lunch we headed into the Needles where we went through the smallest tunnel yet. It was so tight that the driver had to back up twice to position the rear wheels of the bus properly to align the bus with the tunnel. We were featured in several tourist's videos as we crept through the tunnel at two miles per hour with mere inches to spare on each side.</div>
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Next we took a break at beautiful Sylvan Lake before heading towards Crazy Horse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUSdXFmzMl6xlYEIL2mnSDk-sdCN-Q9dqlwodpCs1GIkcR7xYD6Mzt23B0pveKzhga2dUwUdhDa_d0zA9Dv321fm2tig2j9PWJMaBTWu5QS0z6F3a3nNkbn4w9OWibBaAZtRQMl2rkfc/s1600/20180829_201644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1074" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUSdXFmzMl6xlYEIL2mnSDk-sdCN-Q9dqlwodpCs1GIkcR7xYD6Mzt23B0pveKzhga2dUwUdhDa_d0zA9Dv321fm2tig2j9PWJMaBTWu5QS0z6F3a3nNkbn4w9OWibBaAZtRQMl2rkfc/s400/20180829_201644.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
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We arrived at Crazy Horse Memorial around 4:00pm. There is a nice Native American museum and several exhibits about the artist and his dream.</div>
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The size of this memorial is astounding and they say it might take 150 more years to complete.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-70558152312455501172018-08-29T22:50:00.002-04:002018-08-29T22:50:48.936-04:00Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR5Z8cnQiZNzM_SW1lR5yoyv4_pKBIyt_OE05B3ES4puN9Cs_iFHwJn1k9k5VRhM3gDBir8Q1RZlnIus5MZ914ZH5qj6dPU8hNP4AWnA89klSjypkbDv5vy_N842KO5jcVoEeZKyaSg8/s1600/20180828_181233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMR5Z8cnQiZNzM_SW1lR5yoyv4_pKBIyt_OE05B3ES4puN9Cs_iFHwJn1k9k5VRhM3gDBir8Q1RZlnIus5MZ914ZH5qj6dPU8hNP4AWnA89klSjypkbDv5vy_N842KO5jcVoEeZKyaSg8/s400/20180828_181233.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It took us two days to get from Chicago to Mount Rushmore. We drove through hundreds of miles of corn and soybeans sprinkled with wind turbines. Finally today we crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska for a bit, then crossed it a few more times as we worked our way north to I-90.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz6Fd3A2O-1U5GNkGpR5m5TZsaSPAkEGx9S4x0rWNXlyDbnw0CwU2_eJDYnChVq07i34H7UHYXP4PlqrYWU-Rp6Q60rje-dvoyINU9X7XpepjwSKNCCRbIc2yicQqB5sTRUCfPA5Z6oo/s1600/20180828_090108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzz6Fd3A2O-1U5GNkGpR5m5TZsaSPAkEGx9S4x0rWNXlyDbnw0CwU2_eJDYnChVq07i34H7UHYXP4PlqrYWU-Rp6Q60rje-dvoyINU9X7XpepjwSKNCCRbIc2yicQqB5sTRUCfPA5Z6oo/s320/20180828_090108.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We stopped by the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Built in 1891, it is the community's arena and theater. Every year the exterior design (made entirely of natural agricultural products) changes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHwsptPDC2lMEUWvLX164zdO8AhcmdQByzteEHo3qLgKpI0KMb1kdcK1zs-XAqmZNSWJwqaPTGbVCYEqPebo9P3QR0LHHOrpvn5iLAC8LAZ3-NZw28_T4l6z8iHhLejREmV9Vm2UQYk8/s1600/20180828_183748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHwsptPDC2lMEUWvLX164zdO8AhcmdQByzteEHo3qLgKpI0KMb1kdcK1zs-XAqmZNSWJwqaPTGbVCYEqPebo9P3QR0LHHOrpvn5iLAC8LAZ3-NZw28_T4l6z8iHhLejREmV9Vm2UQYk8/s640/20180828_183748.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xrSK7306UN0FdRvH1dtQijGDJLL2eqzhu0vWMc0vMgVqfJ70rapV91s6sZAxz1oVQAAQWPWG9daQBaTUTVbM_8a-Af3izmsuQ6alhB1DQwBkw1aFGdZ-0I8832bBH0y1bhjhTHsr_Pw/s1600/20180828_163335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xrSK7306UN0FdRvH1dtQijGDJLL2eqzhu0vWMc0vMgVqfJ70rapV91s6sZAxz1oVQAAQWPWG9daQBaTUTVbM_8a-Af3izmsuQ6alhB1DQwBkw1aFGdZ-0I8832bBH0y1bhjhTHsr_Pw/s400/20180828_163335.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally we arrived at the Badlands.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztHxaHsFd27vOxN3iNuL50rU7TU4Nc94RyFv8wWHr1SEk0nH1jGjjewlSzgIRsNU6ewK_7BmLXN-ew0Wq7jj0OY7AbePv5TG_j76IxsMslglfly0eET9Elf1hDbU78AOUhF9AoXAIJc0/s1600/20180828_180816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztHxaHsFd27vOxN3iNuL50rU7TU4Nc94RyFv8wWHr1SEk0nH1jGjjewlSzgIRsNU6ewK_7BmLXN-ew0Wq7jj0OY7AbePv5TG_j76IxsMslglfly0eET9Elf1hDbU78AOUhF9AoXAIJc0/s400/20180828_180816.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We saw goats and prairie dogs, and of course, the beautiful scenery.</div>
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We arrived at our lodge just in time for dinner. And tomorrow we do the bus tour of Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2q3luK8a-0bZf39McCfOrj780HzWuDzMyJQwG99R5PBVKC5WcVHuvlve2uIH5cf4t8bkJBF7Cy6cm8vyhvl8Ly0Cmg_1vLlqe7dfimu_pUt4V50qUX5I7toI2pUqF4bN5UB9Br50zW3I/s1600/20180828_162825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1600" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2q3luK8a-0bZf39McCfOrj780HzWuDzMyJQwG99R5PBVKC5WcVHuvlve2uIH5cf4t8bkJBF7Cy6cm8vyhvl8Ly0Cmg_1vLlqe7dfimu_pUt4V50qUX5I7toI2pUqF4bN5UB9Br50zW3I/s200/20180828_162825.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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We stopped here too, but, just, why???</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-21515649975267985502018-08-28T20:30:00.000-04:002018-08-28T20:30:05.541-04:00Cloud Gate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2Hiq2ZDQg6HJUhL7cMTTnYuRTlATHTrX1EeR4pyZWQSLAkFxfyLW7-K3lKG3_PAuw7nEeT15vlGxCHeHJ75TL2SogflvTuJ3adHsrNbguT-WP3bNn1uOwns6ysKVkrsyX0KwOedeLVI/s1600/20180827_095026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="1600" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2Hiq2ZDQg6HJUhL7cMTTnYuRTlATHTrX1EeR4pyZWQSLAkFxfyLW7-K3lKG3_PAuw7nEeT15vlGxCHeHJ75TL2SogflvTuJ3adHsrNbguT-WP3bNn1uOwns6ysKVkrsyX0KwOedeLVI/s640/20180827_095026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When you visit Chicago, you must visit Millenium Park. And you must visit Cloud Gate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZqKhh5nCQxA51WQWn2RiD3fk7VERRqjvWApiVOd-xRRHrHhLRW1WMgPeQWFCGFtfc0wiY9P6LHdP-jCy_UMvuKbZGwBBCGFiIwjNatlsqzv1A2qVY1v7G3GQtchxgz7MDN94SGzQ4V0/s1600/20180827_183909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZqKhh5nCQxA51WQWn2RiD3fk7VERRqjvWApiVOd-xRRHrHhLRW1WMgPeQWFCGFtfc0wiY9P6LHdP-jCy_UMvuKbZGwBBCGFiIwjNatlsqzv1A2qVY1v7G3GQtchxgz7MDN94SGzQ4V0/s400/20180827_183909.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
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So we did. And we did.</div>
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Cloud Gate is also called the Bean and it's quite a popular attraction with tourists. It's usually mobbed with people, but Monday mornings are quiet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYo9HvHBDC8aQeZGfkEBjvxsIHOP9tc7fSvU3wKcL24N8wOvnYtVOFACQrai9Aan2Rugn-eUvnMmCbplSUoh99miPATh1H_gU4HCd-rVW6BN4VHzC2dpTPl9_KZgfn9Hr6E2rjDLzvbI/s1600/20180826_172238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYo9HvHBDC8aQeZGfkEBjvxsIHOP9tc7fSvU3wKcL24N8wOvnYtVOFACQrai9Aan2Rugn-eUvnMmCbplSUoh99miPATh1H_gU4HCd-rVW6BN4VHzC2dpTPl9_KZgfn9Hr6E2rjDLzvbI/s640/20180826_172238.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Its undulating compound shape makes the reflections off the bottom wildly distorted. People do all sorts of goofy poses when they take photos, but we're just finally figuring out selfies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XXBQmLV4xfnZkQoqmo_f6VuWbheBvDlsXqDSkjXQPG_g-Lnsn3ZkEdgq-g4lmnIE1GS-8i_YNm_-1fC-vsA4Bize0eIcgG_UAUmuajHKVMIylZlLnV2-FRGhc7B-L-U-oDwijlVcKDk/s1600/20180827_055823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XXBQmLV4xfnZkQoqmo_f6VuWbheBvDlsXqDSkjXQPG_g-Lnsn3ZkEdgq-g4lmnIE1GS-8i_YNm_-1fC-vsA4Bize0eIcgG_UAUmuajHKVMIylZlLnV2-FRGhc7B-L-U-oDwijlVcKDk/s320/20180827_055823.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-75907451385435242912018-08-27T20:11:00.001-04:002018-08-28T14:13:18.048-04:00Art Institute of Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLJw2r5260hhdoqYbscFCfzX_WYKAjJVTpYdXj0zFRwl4LX2Z77Wk1a-uJkvIaw8EsMwfFXbCPWRlMzoxVYgn7SjCME22D3MdQy6IGOuFLMTW772GuDpeeAAjJ5nAQ6kx-Q-pVzN_IK8/s1600/20180826_154347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLJw2r5260hhdoqYbscFCfzX_WYKAjJVTpYdXj0zFRwl4LX2Z77Wk1a-uJkvIaw8EsMwfFXbCPWRlMzoxVYgn7SjCME22D3MdQy6IGOuFLMTW772GuDpeeAAjJ5nAQ6kx-Q-pVzN_IK8/s640/20180826_154347.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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Sunday morning we arrived in Chicago, and after checking into our hotel, we hurried over to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the art.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96ANcZ_6s9uNfstCKSmKRtZC-tyJqvErVWxNSFZbxTJSis1MKP_ff1Mg8b2-aUNVOnfI6EWOM31UJ6VDgRktDBjf7-MUdoe8lv9364areaAh8NtDbwwWIwJmPgawErl_99YEL_KJQpZc/s1600/20180827_060941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1324" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96ANcZ_6s9uNfstCKSmKRtZC-tyJqvErVWxNSFZbxTJSis1MKP_ff1Mg8b2-aUNVOnfI6EWOM31UJ6VDgRktDBjf7-MUdoe8lv9364areaAh8NtDbwwWIwJmPgawErl_99YEL_KJQpZc/s400/20180827_060941.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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Pierre-Auguste Renoir</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXVQ2lzsVlODKTBZwKVGumCIkVqx40RZ14sHn5JqyS8B0QhEkiSD_HymPLMmMNa2oGtUCIx5WtCV1w_66gAW_isjrR3DzkcjkOU6cj48ZE7dtElAFuevKR9XmvfK6yldSOyodRJy8fZQ/s1600/20180827_181803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1600" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXVQ2lzsVlODKTBZwKVGumCIkVqx40RZ14sHn5JqyS8B0QhEkiSD_HymPLMmMNa2oGtUCIx5WtCV1w_66gAW_isjrR3DzkcjkOU6cj48ZE7dtElAFuevKR9XmvfK6yldSOyodRJy8fZQ/s640/20180827_181803.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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George's Seurat</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KKqqDWSqDgKvaL7kd7FkwhNbbKgwAxGOrgYMTv0pDnMuj_PpAOP0gJvo__mYVZTzgNQFg5xQEa_dBnDtktPWX79hHJfFY1O12BbQcyRG0hJ-w5NplSrp6Ku4qFZu3kvFJoHctAlIXRU/s1600/20180827_181550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="1600" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KKqqDWSqDgKvaL7kd7FkwhNbbKgwAxGOrgYMTv0pDnMuj_PpAOP0gJvo__mYVZTzgNQFg5xQEa_dBnDtktPWX79hHJfFY1O12BbQcyRG0hJ-w5NplSrp6Ku4qFZu3kvFJoHctAlIXRU/s400/20180827_181550.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Claude Monet</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_LRfoLZcL6jzRQquppKfN0-w7CqA_30EP9r_tRu3CuGwfowMr-4IX1xrNnbgFAOSO81cQsp8PnygE68eqC1JKf9kF-McnE_By_F6wZVGbcEiMdcsC0QH8jsPWumpaAyi8BV5aygd4SY/s1600/20180826_194645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_LRfoLZcL6jzRQquppKfN0-w7CqA_30EP9r_tRu3CuGwfowMr-4IX1xrNnbgFAOSO81cQsp8PnygE68eqC1JKf9kF-McnE_By_F6wZVGbcEiMdcsC0QH8jsPWumpaAyi8BV5aygd4SY/s320/20180826_194645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Winslow Homer</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NzenKFI7nwN83pUTL08Dt7BJYmEbfwRdx_M723P6VCMWhvmtYuK_KVWTBlV5SFOMc7zFePqeIfY_SGu5C0W9-9Q9kER8ls-gIhn6qreo28d7Us7f25RSaSF70Hn4yv3vFgh6Ld3qJVQ/s1600/20180827_060019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="1600" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NzenKFI7nwN83pUTL08Dt7BJYmEbfwRdx_M723P6VCMWhvmtYuK_KVWTBlV5SFOMc7zFePqeIfY_SGu5C0W9-9Q9kER8ls-gIhn6qreo28d7Us7f25RSaSF70Hn4yv3vFgh6Ld3qJVQ/s400/20180827_060019.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Edward Hopper</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNmHje28LxPmzcgBoU37HRU9oTphi5j2Xk_HrnWpWVq5nbpWZ4UzHadxNOUzvLnGmW7AEUrTM1rLblrcGSCZKGTf2O69m8O4qvgKGogAvpstps1qXlmzCnKZN398_nMnJRxWwz2uAOTs/s1600/20180827_181956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNmHje28LxPmzcgBoU37HRU9oTphi5j2Xk_HrnWpWVq5nbpWZ4UzHadxNOUzvLnGmW7AEUrTM1rLblrcGSCZKGTf2O69m8O4qvgKGogAvpstps1qXlmzCnKZN398_nMnJRxWwz2uAOTs/s320/20180827_181956.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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Vincent Van Gogh</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDhycZdtlHjgCVOF6XchjqQP_ux5AsNj-5Q4AmVGjqwwULSuSPlNghugjtp8YChV9GJh2Fm8KMIY0P2aMUZ_XL79UGnCIZNwwDC2ycrZwb9SWsBaduCD1YqcV27i_okiTZ4wMzv15kEI/s1600/20180827_060112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1353" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDhycZdtlHjgCVOF6XchjqQP_ux5AsNj-5Q4AmVGjqwwULSuSPlNghugjtp8YChV9GJh2Fm8KMIY0P2aMUZ_XL79UGnCIZNwwDC2ycrZwb9SWsBaduCD1YqcV27i_okiTZ4wMzv15kEI/s400/20180827_060112.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>
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Mary Cassatt</div>
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After lunch, we stumbled upon these rooms displaying typical styles of decor, but in <i>miniature</i>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDrJjoawgml7PUW5th_roQKnu8WZF0zEc95NI5m4j-rVSQ629UbyZbkVdecQkYH6_RLMJp6dzmXjacRlxRVFQ6mVxCScQuv7z0cHI0CnbcBhJi1dEwrdTzArosj6SnCySvt9sojkcpoA/s1600/20180826_154506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1058" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDrJjoawgml7PUW5th_roQKnu8WZF0zEc95NI5m4j-rVSQ629UbyZbkVdecQkYH6_RLMJp6dzmXjacRlxRVFQ6mVxCScQuv7z0cHI0CnbcBhJi1dEwrdTzArosj6SnCySvt9sojkcpoA/s400/20180826_154506.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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These lovely rooms were created between 1934 and 1940 by Mrs. James Ward Thorne and her team of thirty craftsmen. They are all 1" =1' and are so perfect it's unbelievable. The museum has sixty-eight of her rooms and one could spend hours inspecting their amazing detail.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds0YOpo0txhQFu0i1LVjpMXRXIrh7csuKCqeO9XOZQPjSPcHqBqA1bRZFm_a5r5HV24kDeOl4Q1JqaguuXkbZTYbwKndEpsUpEFadm0WJKcZOJC8aAwXrRx7rq_9s4fe2Iytf_sdjNKk/s1600/20180826_154614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="918" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds0YOpo0txhQFu0i1LVjpMXRXIrh7csuKCqeO9XOZQPjSPcHqBqA1bRZFm_a5r5HV24kDeOl4Q1JqaguuXkbZTYbwKndEpsUpEFadm0WJKcZOJC8aAwXrRx7rq_9s4fe2Iytf_sdjNKk/s400/20180826_154614.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmmDe93EpT18Kq8FD_PYKDhULePaF4kg4N9EeEUV7duu6VUQWGRr0UMDI0vL_lMHjCaOkxMrC4Z3-T-TK8pE54wHa81AV8fgssdMyoEaR3RORAwjvlmkEPOPrNuwqpb_LPDVcKkNC0AE/s1600/20180827_094124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="892" data-original-width="1600" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmmDe93EpT18Kq8FD_PYKDhULePaF4kg4N9EeEUV7duu6VUQWGRr0UMDI0vL_lMHjCaOkxMrC4Z3-T-TK8pE54wHa81AV8fgssdMyoEaR3RORAwjvlmkEPOPrNuwqpb_LPDVcKkNC0AE/s640/20180827_094124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Chicago also has lots of public art like this mosaic mural by Marc Chagall</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK6DrMfbVKT9RXjSjlZ5LMmIphMsWZxKZxHkQOl0KXwVCavvW0AErLIqQpdB-eDzhIkMHJOc84tUMl3djQ-QqofhgiISHJQEH10w9KUh58h4hyphenhyphenHpu6yREXrhSZmvMtlG5VwvdXOPBnow/s1600/20180827_094454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="935" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFK6DrMfbVKT9RXjSjlZ5LMmIphMsWZxKZxHkQOl0KXwVCavvW0AErLIqQpdB-eDzhIkMHJOc84tUMl3djQ-QqofhgiISHJQEH10w9KUh58h4hyphenhyphenHpu6yREXrhSZmvMtlG5VwvdXOPBnow/s400/20180827_094454.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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and this horse sculpture by Picasso.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-42516837808447485792018-08-26T08:32:00.000-04:002018-08-28T14:13:18.020-04:00Fortunes Aground?<div style="text-align: center;">
Our friend Keith Davie says we should call our blog "Fortunes Aground" since we've moved off the boat and are driving back to California now. Not a bad idea actually, but we'll keep it "Fortunes Afloat" for a while. After all, we were "afloat" a bit Friday...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP-VzlxhNN271e09i-1mfp9eK3HGGihrVVkLRUXCOSdcqkSSBEwiIHYgwv-OOBFbY_qzppa2mqMN0BMRVSplIxAnCo1yRg53tRuaxVwTLIZkczoHd-e86cEqK4VYCfAj-4iaCjBjQTqg/s1600/20180824_211308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP-VzlxhNN271e09i-1mfp9eK3HGGihrVVkLRUXCOSdcqkSSBEwiIHYgwv-OOBFbY_qzppa2mqMN0BMRVSplIxAnCo1yRg53tRuaxVwTLIZkczoHd-e86cEqK4VYCfAj-4iaCjBjQTqg/s640/20180824_211308.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since we left Annapolis on Thursday, we've driven through the pretty green hills of Pennsylvania and western New York, and up to Niagara Falls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz0shs6u6mqaPpsYprq5FTHWAnJbNwbN1I_dZ7LbNoO71E9cMO-ppdBhzxbCKtkdUnTIw6orronHex2usD81P9aWmkwUCl7RiLrbyVAdZA5eENLsAQIF36V4qF1FtGEIfA0bxIcYuCcw/s1600/20180824_161953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrz0shs6u6mqaPpsYprq5FTHWAnJbNwbN1I_dZ7LbNoO71E9cMO-ppdBhzxbCKtkdUnTIw6orronHex2usD81P9aWmkwUCl7RiLrbyVAdZA5eENLsAQIF36V4qF1FtGEIfA0bxIcYuCcw/s320/20180824_161953.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">We did the tourist thing at Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side, including the Maid of the Mist boat ride. The falls were amazing, but the proliferation of tacky tourist traps was annoying, and they say it's even worse on the American side!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwU_D7ku2J1jIjPZ72lcx0vcr9s7UXoB8bFU4eN8EAqHIYcXw3CahRdbLTT85VjyJMl4GwxF_rTm5-RFsmvjm8lO-RoI48IXOD4rT87Ub56w6yc3uhInMonteWL8MPu5vkP8QKPPdoG08/s1600/20180824_210829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwU_D7ku2J1jIjPZ72lcx0vcr9s7UXoB8bFU4eN8EAqHIYcXw3CahRdbLTT85VjyJMl4GwxF_rTm5-RFsmvjm8lO-RoI48IXOD4rT87Ub56w6yc3uhInMonteWL8MPu5vkP8QKPPdoG08/s400/20180824_210829.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd02KfQgAxWDXNku_F888z4FkcBBsDdg_VIRvKnd0ie9TFT3sMnOvtnrzLdA7hdUhPfY2GcPqTsQOf1zuVqSyEH5s2uoFuwKI99mdp7A1l2-v8Y8NzG1HKxCOYxnN0B51eieXOicdvrz0/s1600/20180824_212333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd02KfQgAxWDXNku_F888z4FkcBBsDdg_VIRvKnd0ie9TFT3sMnOvtnrzLdA7hdUhPfY2GcPqTsQOf1zuVqSyEH5s2uoFuwKI99mdp7A1l2-v8Y8NzG1HKxCOYxnN0B51eieXOicdvrz0/s640/20180824_212333.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tour boats drive right up into Horseshoe Falls and everyone gets wet from the mist.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfCImx6SsZbo_KsCmRZ3GiDb-aJwX9C82FvJC6b0YAdMaiu7hNfRHHvGMzB8ZgHqBBSFWXb0C-KTxYYuS_QT85IQlNRj5BDB4wYjnFDF8diLpzjYyhJ0RKMiyyBMUur0CTDl-yvgKnnA/s1600/20180825_105330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="997" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfCImx6SsZbo_KsCmRZ3GiDb-aJwX9C82FvJC6b0YAdMaiu7hNfRHHvGMzB8ZgHqBBSFWXb0C-KTxYYuS_QT85IQlNRj5BDB4wYjnFDF8diLpzjYyhJ0RKMiyyBMUur0CTDl-yvgKnnA/s640/20180825_105330.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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Then this morning we took this tram ride over the Whirlpool,<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTH3xqmNts2v2AfDttUV5Htcdv2VykzkGVdTyFVd1pM7-j2tsCn4h9Bhv5R0jFzSeSRzrFT4H0iF7WtziUzXksfKnjJRteA6R8BOWwoTFRj6gmhyphenhyphenM6BnGKLZhv6DCQ5XZy_XYmBlSU8Y/s1600/20180826_082821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTH3xqmNts2v2AfDttUV5Htcdv2VykzkGVdTyFVd1pM7-j2tsCn4h9Bhv5R0jFzSeSRzrFT4H0iF7WtziUzXksfKnjJRteA6R8BOWwoTFRj6gmhyphenhyphenM6BnGKLZhv6DCQ5XZy_XYmBlSU8Y/s400/20180826_082821.jpg" width="377" /></a></div>
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drove through the charming little town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and made our way west to Lansing, Michigan for the night.</div>
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Niagara-on-the-Lake was picture postcard perfect, and not at all tacky. I'm sure glad we made this detour up to Niagara on our way back to California.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-51975358816181426212018-08-23T14:30:00.001-04:002018-08-23T14:30:35.272-04:00It's OfficialThistle is for sale.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NAXTjtf_PZZSoVm1JbZsxDm4Xr_MQrj_sQ1Mc9Zx7e5zgrtYn2VLqrv0Govg7_4JEhbpyof09FiWJj2yazf9Ax_PeRH66XNNLhVJbQePYNE_w3hFQTRpgHU4As4AWkxZUK7IFbPtALg/s1600/20180813_164412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="973" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NAXTjtf_PZZSoVm1JbZsxDm4Xr_MQrj_sQ1Mc9Zx7e5zgrtYn2VLqrv0Govg7_4JEhbpyof09FiWJj2yazf9Ax_PeRH66XNNLhVJbQePYNE_w3hFQTRpgHU4As4AWkxZUK7IFbPtALg/s640/20180813_164412.jpg" width="388" /></a></div>
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Last week the crew here at Port Annapolis Marina backed her into the slings and put her on the hard. Then we rented a car and spent two days getting our car back from Brunswick. We drove over the Governor Harry Nice Memorial Bridge that we had sailed under last spring when we went to Washington DC.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7ptyHzoYrpTR3dY5PuGcM-mUmmEticxrzlvVuQC8CcynyGwJcPHGkPkIuo-9uSb-OOQ2UpIt-TlCf2HXrP3vStMs25w4iZs76wRcpjDccjDeZFsxmNOreiV7bhc0Hv5qhZ1Zxkqv0KA/s1600/20180814_094026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7ptyHzoYrpTR3dY5PuGcM-mUmmEticxrzlvVuQC8CcynyGwJcPHGkPkIuo-9uSb-OOQ2UpIt-TlCf2HXrP3vStMs25w4iZs76wRcpjDccjDeZFsxmNOreiV7bhc0Hv5qhZ1Zxkqv0KA/s400/20180814_094026.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the last week we've been cleaning out lockers, packing boxes, touching up varnish, and putting lots of stuff on the free-cycle table.<br />
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Hopefully by Friday we should be ready to head home. We've decided to take a northern route, up through Pennsylvania, New York, Niagara Falls, and Canada for a bit. Then back down to Chicago and South Dakota, and west on I90 to who knows where.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FOCY-1QkgjcIgHDHz9ErsAcgBwc-woshw6xObsRtHxxt8W4n7jO6B3gPT51WsrSaiVsuh_ljrqwiLuMS7HwgXsUFiq0b8_KUQ5ON2hX9-SwhuKx0rz14e1pt8OlFaExKLaSzwHHehPU/s1600/20180822_065551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FOCY-1QkgjcIgHDHz9ErsAcgBwc-woshw6xObsRtHxxt8W4n7jO6B3gPT51WsrSaiVsuh_ljrqwiLuMS7HwgXsUFiq0b8_KUQ5ON2hX9-SwhuKx0rz14e1pt8OlFaExKLaSzwHHehPU/s640/20180822_065551.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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We might not be "afloat" any more, but the adventures will continue, so please stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-2450506870614498342018-08-11T10:09:00.001-04:002018-08-11T10:09:19.279-04:00A Boat DeliveryBoaters often use normal words in odd ways, and the word "delivery" is just one example. To landlubbers it might mean having a baby, but boaters understand it as a fast, non-stop trip to move a boat from Point A to Point B.<br />
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And that's pretty much what we've done.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR9I735VYynoxeYLQ4X0rUMEjkSyvnEU8TsQw3ShW9jcMLMGxHEb53JVD9nAdtXIfnDiuaaxDT9JTvNtS28tp0G1xKCCmEykMJY2J1_ZJEsrOoPFxcHt5t-dLSiNq4_wyHm7dmkohIj8/s1600/20180810_175533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1082" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTR9I735VYynoxeYLQ4X0rUMEjkSyvnEU8TsQw3ShW9jcMLMGxHEb53JVD9nAdtXIfnDiuaaxDT9JTvNtS28tp0G1xKCCmEykMJY2J1_ZJEsrOoPFxcHt5t-dLSiNq4_wyHm7dmkohIj8/s640/20180810_175533.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
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We've moved Thistle to Annapolis to put her up for sale.<br />
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Good weather windows are scarce during East Coast summers, but we saw a gap in the thunderstorms and went for it. We left Brunswick, Georgia on Saturday, August 4th, at 7:00am and dropped anchor here in Annapolis, Maryland Friday at 7:00am.<br />
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Our first leg was a fifty-one hour ocean passage from Brunswick to Beaufort, North Carolina. We decided to go up the ICW from there, and after a quick stop at the fuel dock, we headed north towards the Neuse River. By 6:30pm Monday evening we were anchored in Goose Creek, poised for Pamlico Sound the next day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI3MSM2EVfmzrtPE-X_25ITEcUhO9b05tjXCX3So65DkgeogYD_2_qbUTsY7fcD-clfPJVwVbgZ2UZDqHGDJgOnD95AlUCnyeiO_yBokwZe4ISnziMAplx2mZs-MtxycZaRccuDtRkng/s1600/20180810_112950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1526" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAI3MSM2EVfmzrtPE-X_25ITEcUhO9b05tjXCX3So65DkgeogYD_2_qbUTsY7fcD-clfPJVwVbgZ2UZDqHGDJgOnD95AlUCnyeiO_yBokwZe4ISnziMAplx2mZs-MtxycZaRccuDtRkng/s400/20180810_112950.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tuesday's run took us across the Pamlico and up into the Pungo-Alligator Canal. This man-made canal is bordered by nature preserves, giving boaters a chance to see deer, bears, ospreys, and eagles. We saw deer, lots of birds, and hundreds of dragonflies, but no other boats.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zTSxrbAzoCzhzuZbYkgT6nCcapgt-1SAnNlK_FJQFYuzuJqyBu7aOJLQcMVfe4K9KbVY5Kd0NC8ZEQBeRTue2oYur_HuKnJxBrogpwZFq2jhwBIW-PaY-j9c9ESAPQ5XoWEuZjUS-ns/s1600/20180811_095134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="993" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zTSxrbAzoCzhzuZbYkgT6nCcapgt-1SAnNlK_FJQFYuzuJqyBu7aOJLQcMVfe4K9KbVY5Kd0NC8ZEQBeRTue2oYur_HuKnJxBrogpwZFq2jhwBIW-PaY-j9c9ESAPQ5XoWEuZjUS-ns/s400/20180811_095134.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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After a rainy trip across the Albermarle, we anchored near Elizabeth City for the night. Leaving Elizabeth City Wednesday morning, we went through my favorite part of the ICW: the upper Pasqoutank River. Its narrow twists and turns between old growth forests of bald cypress, tupelo, maple, and pine trees is almost primeval. Again, we saw no other boats along the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zVFmY6yxcq6tPnHkKPWtjZMvPaVzhVUc-20CH7pQXQ-_bJJKv8HIA3xp0fc4MwYKg6D5yHK_h3xEPls5eWF1Zdik0Jv5-jdvqk2Qe7PDWGS_Ez-VcqcxviTmR0RU6DdM1Ngp-WrOayU/s1600/20180808_092809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zVFmY6yxcq6tPnHkKPWtjZMvPaVzhVUc-20CH7pQXQ-_bJJKv8HIA3xp0fc4MwYKg6D5yHK_h3xEPls5eWF1Zdik0Jv5-jdvqk2Qe7PDWGS_Ez-VcqcxviTmR0RU6DdM1Ngp-WrOayU/s640/20180808_092809.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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Eventually the Pasquotank turns into the Dismal Canal. You know you've arrived when you see the lock gates blocking your way.<br />
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First you contact the lockkeeper on VHF 13 and let him know you'll be there for one of the four opening times: 8:30am, 11:00am, 1:30pm, or 3:30pm. We were early so we just touched the bottom with our anchor to hold us in position.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ioKM1o9E98GZ1xa4B8NDN3J0-dGMjARuekafJ71pCyVALv38RS2D2xdgfutc7BlPthR_3iSdMMJBUi8j9GUi1rKfr-ECORr1gpLf8_QivFS2CL7zbxZ9tNUgJwlk6Qmu8sWMZ84bBKY/s1600/20180808_112258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ioKM1o9E98GZ1xa4B8NDN3J0-dGMjARuekafJ71pCyVALv38RS2D2xdgfutc7BlPthR_3iSdMMJBUi8j9GUi1rKfr-ECORr1gpLf8_QivFS2CL7zbxZ9tNUgJwlk6Qmu8sWMZ84bBKY/s640/20180808_112258.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After opening the gates and waiting for you to enter, the lockkeeper takes your lines and loops them around the yellow bollards. Then he closes the lock gates, opens the upper doors to flood the chamber, and watches you raise about 8'. Then he opens the upper gates and you motor into the historic <a href="https://fortunesafloat.blogspot.com/2017/11/cruising-into-history.html" target="_blank">Dismal Swamp Canal</a>. No need to hurry, the lockkeeper still has to drive 2000' to a bridge and open that for you too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuM6qxrr1Uup9SCrAdLS-xmxuEp6xcjOJ7XW6B0ttEkEibVzI51voKjqbdkQZk3NVRT4YfBIzJf_XvsXlU9rGIy-ebdc4kO0_zPSRXfpQ9YFoveQvqHU3ZEaIQrcTxbhV1wJO6vsnz_Y/s1600/20180809_073110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="926" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuM6qxrr1Uup9SCrAdLS-xmxuEp6xcjOJ7XW6B0ttEkEibVzI51voKjqbdkQZk3NVRT4YfBIzJf_XvsXlU9rGIy-ebdc4kO0_zPSRXfpQ9YFoveQvqHU3ZEaIQrcTxbhV1wJO6vsnz_Y/s640/20180809_073110.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
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The water level in the canal had been inadvertantly lowered by almost a foot, so we banged and bumped along for almost four hours, hitting numerous submerged logs and branches. Then we did the whole bridge/lock thing again, lowering Thistle 8' down into Deep Creek.<br />
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Deep Creek connects to the Elizabeth River and ultimately Norfolk Harbor and Mile Zero of the ICW. We anchored for the night at Hospital Cove.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDqAberdyYa35tnAfO_Skh0EmiLz8CQ14RwqUNg5RjYcfJ-RhOuTJYtKGSXvf1_uvNzuIpZScvTLqKQ9_DfhpVxCHcwKuXEyOnTxhsPsAPCXKY4BMGyUjqKJTEm3S6-cd2JTTMV_-oyk/s1600/20180811_095004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDqAberdyYa35tnAfO_Skh0EmiLz8CQ14RwqUNg5RjYcfJ-RhOuTJYtKGSXvf1_uvNzuIpZScvTLqKQ9_DfhpVxCHcwKuXEyOnTxhsPsAPCXKY4BMGyUjqKJTEm3S6-cd2JTTMV_-oyk/s400/20180811_095004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Early Thursday morning we lifted the anchor, washed off the mud of Norfolk, and headed north up the Chesapeake Bay. We saw plenty of boat traffic all day and night; mainly tugs pushing barges and anchored cargo ships. Thanks to modern electronics we know the speed and heading of these commercial vessels, but more importantly, we know their names so we can call them on VHF 13 if there's a conflict. Only two required a small course change, but they sure appreciated our co-operation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTxIlOw02JCVc2rWbPkTikzolESs4qBEJJg9phiTABly9H3-zLCq5qJKBaMrd0MDAtPN9kFfA7oR3XKgxNGRGI1nWHTJvc8N8kiCpTkIMHUs_VGhrXfYt08L9CUyZS5U04vBM76Ox2ks/s1600/20180811_082657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1094" data-original-width="1562" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTxIlOw02JCVc2rWbPkTikzolESs4qBEJJg9phiTABly9H3-zLCq5qJKBaMrd0MDAtPN9kFfA7oR3XKgxNGRGI1nWHTJvc8N8kiCpTkIMHUs_VGhrXfYt08L9CUyZS5U04vBM76Ox2ks/s400/20180811_082657.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's a shot of our chartplotter coming into Annapolis in the dark Friday morning. You can see five ships, but four of them are anchored, so we wove our way between them and into the channel, finally dropping our anchor in Back Creek just before 7am.</div>
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Six days, 577 nautical miles, three anchorages, two locks, five bridges to contact for opening, and 200 dead Chesapeake biting flies in the cockpit; all things considered, it was a pretty easy delivery.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpfiBjQCI6rbL3twJio6GrRgOQIH85Qh-zJSd_x3ENyfDvo-RuTd04iRPOj7zF06lUjUwp-PdWWTC4IfU7Gjt_HDmBrZFLv2UpAiqizVwpfJInrWAdyBu9G1aoB7ZI8kcPmK5S5wgHN4/s1600/20180809_202532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="904" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpfiBjQCI6rbL3twJio6GrRgOQIH85Qh-zJSd_x3ENyfDvo-RuTd04iRPOj7zF06lUjUwp-PdWWTC4IfU7Gjt_HDmBrZFLv2UpAiqizVwpfJInrWAdyBu9G1aoB7ZI8kcPmK5S5wgHN4/s640/20180809_202532.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-80895772015798769462018-08-10T11:24:00.002-04:002018-08-10T11:24:40.007-04:00Jekyll Island<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOsDXx4N3F9hm497mzWHvBg7oWGjze5705Nx51IB-15PMyj2gKQoX7M3LApjO_rchRc2862fR9o1SNpM4kEiTTlmnLI69A-DS4b6lYLtQb2sDrxNKpxLZ6tn1_r1fTyrzFina5vHs8LU/s1600/20180711_131141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOsDXx4N3F9hm497mzWHvBg7oWGjze5705Nx51IB-15PMyj2gKQoX7M3LApjO_rchRc2862fR9o1SNpM4kEiTTlmnLI69A-DS4b6lYLtQb2sDrxNKpxLZ6tn1_r1fTyrzFina5vHs8LU/s640/20180711_131141.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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Jekyll Island is a delightful stop along the ICW. You can stay at Jekyll Island Marina, or you can anchor south of the launch ramp and dinghy to the marina.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIQce40VDpuXiZm7t1WsClRBnFfLCXHRL08VuQsFzS_ExxakgSoYJUPHNTyWeJ0K-2aSsTTJIcedXMvLhAIywxpiMu4dxB9oSmHzkKZ1SyIAa-ttMlbIIbyyNtXiexX4ZYI8FZgj9D7U/s1600/20180711_164621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIQce40VDpuXiZm7t1WsClRBnFfLCXHRL08VuQsFzS_ExxakgSoYJUPHNTyWeJ0K-2aSsTTJIcedXMvLhAIywxpiMu4dxB9oSmHzkKZ1SyIAa-ttMlbIIbyyNtXiexX4ZYI8FZgj9D7U/s400/20180711_164621.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Our daughter had fun posing in front of the Clubhouse.</div>
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We all enjoyed seeing the beautiful architecture, croquet players, and peaceful grounds.</div>
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We had a grand time at Jekyll Island.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-59222595161918717782018-08-02T17:47:00.000-04:002018-08-02T17:47:01.279-04:00Cumberland Island Third Visit<div style="text-align: center;">
Two weeks ago, with our daughter's help, we painted the bottom of our boat and within minutes of splashing we were on our way to Cumberland Island for our third visit.</div>
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After parking our dingy at the guest dock, we visited all the usual spots: the old ice house/museum, the ruins of Dungeness, the huge oak trees, and the wild horses. Near the museum we even found a few shark teeth.</div>
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We always enjoy our visits to Cumberland Island. We like the birds, flowers, mushrooms, and wide open spaces.</div>
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We spent one day there and then headed up to Jekyll Island for an entirely different kind of experience. Please join us tomorrow.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-35263062392877093082018-07-19T15:11:00.000-04:002018-07-31T08:55:54.567-04:00Georgia Is After Me TooIn my last post I mentioned that our daughter thought Georgia was trying to kill her. Heck, she didn't even witness a real thunderstorm.<br />
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We just had a doozie here in Brunswick, with lots of lightning close by. (Even three years after our lightning strike, I'm still a total wimp whenever there's a thunderstorm.) I did a screen capture of the radar map for you. See that big orange blob over Brunswick? We are right under that.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i9VEUkDQHhT6D9KhyphenhyphencBQCDw6JZ-m1V9RheLdjXaP4khlX9cmZnyfzCsnw91mvCH3thsSDnye3hLRrJJ_tQKNw_4y89f4VUFijPjCAv_GIhMjW6ja6srctnym729Gy6fxzz7kXQyDWC4/s1600/20180719_141224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1010" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i9VEUkDQHhT6D9KhyphenhyphencBQCDw6JZ-m1V9RheLdjXaP4khlX9cmZnyfzCsnw91mvCH3thsSDnye3hLRrJJ_tQKNw_4y89f4VUFijPjCAv_GIhMjW6ja6srctnym729Gy6fxzz7kXQyDWC4/s400/20180719_141224.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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I also found this site that confirms my suspicions: Georgia is trying to kill me too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVIpITeYiHkppjyc9xT5z3meUfdliPNH9B3SYB84sAQOCWwVzYQY7uXLIv1Las7-pzcufEjYUDy0DTpVCnr1f3X-2y8eIervJSUj5tv9kxu7jdhUemC0ch56CQ00xf8hcc2c3Y-BM_O4/s1600/20180719_141113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="917" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVIpITeYiHkppjyc9xT5z3meUfdliPNH9B3SYB84sAQOCWwVzYQY7uXLIv1Las7-pzcufEjYUDy0DTpVCnr1f3X-2y8eIervJSUj5tv9kxu7jdhUemC0ch56CQ00xf8hcc2c3Y-BM_O4/s320/20180719_141113.jpg" width="183" /></a></div>
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It won't be a slow painful bug bite, or disease, or heatstroke, like Katie imagined. It will probably be fast and a bit smoky, and they'll find my charred remains in bed with a pillow over my head.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHISejVpNLqehVGrTYweH0EZjhTPysowdLiTzOsBu8yqLdSegeD7UpcTagWxgNW7g28udABvV86rA5Aq-ueW9xWXBeBvBAQsuXU0KaqGjeQo1LeruLcC1d3gqSJz8RdRWei_thgOI2VE/s1600/20180719_141040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="980" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHISejVpNLqehVGrTYweH0EZjhTPysowdLiTzOsBu8yqLdSegeD7UpcTagWxgNW7g28udABvV86rA5Aq-ueW9xWXBeBvBAQsuXU0KaqGjeQo1LeruLcC1d3gqSJz8RdRWei_thgOI2VE/s320/20180719_141040.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
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But what a novel way to go!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-40080318713104892282018-07-17T08:31:00.001-04:002018-07-31T08:55:54.598-04:00A Special Guest<div style="text-align: center;">
We had a special guest on Thistle recently and we certainly enjoyed her company. Our younger daughter from San Francisco spent 10 days with us and although there were some rough spots, she did get an accurate picture of the cruising sailor's life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYJRDYfhzeFbxZIdOaPJck3gR055juEYkOGiiMl_8-FBmr9xgHdH7FrIBhvUa1ZKQCFCyY19re6VoHfS0WMWG0uptuJHsHjYqIz1stx9VNkYhDYb2fMVci-gXW7BbSnmQsvfIXqW-PNo/s1600/20180709_195136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="957" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYJRDYfhzeFbxZIdOaPJck3gR055juEYkOGiiMl_8-FBmr9xgHdH7FrIBhvUa1ZKQCFCyY19re6VoHfS0WMWG0uptuJHsHjYqIz1stx9VNkYhDYb2fMVci-gXW7BbSnmQsvfIXqW-PNo/s400/20180709_195136.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
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She mentioned more than once how we didn't seem to have a schedule and how odd it was for her A-type personality parents to use such vague language when referring to planned activities. She also dealt with all kinds of bugs and one evening she found a frog in her bed. Welcome to cruising, kiddo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjjetf3xeOhWxDWyql61VgXpsZYwXENN7UaAFA7j-i2YoDMliqdyQ9YX-b0JVK_Lbi9-9hDBj0DtDy8q_16ZCe0YY1f5UBc1b-32aL_-AvvBadkMVdmcmYscuNkvBGAu4-0ycIlnCoCY/s1600/20180709_091546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjjetf3xeOhWxDWyql61VgXpsZYwXENN7UaAFA7j-i2YoDMliqdyQ9YX-b0JVK_Lbi9-9hDBj0DtDy8q_16ZCe0YY1f5UBc1b-32aL_-AvvBadkMVdmcmYscuNkvBGAu4-0ycIlnCoCY/s320/20180709_091546.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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Her biggest surprise was seeing the boat on the hard when she arrived, but she pitched right in with the bottom painting to help us get launched.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxWCD3PU_VgobI3Ijo37FutVOtqFt4vJetFJ0IGHHEOn6da2xaW63fZEMbWq6MumGWkufdOgv8c16edgMTRyyEMRSCQ_6rx4uhsV605-_AbWaj62YdRTi63b3UHtP9iRc_NcWE98V0fk/s1600/20180707_190529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="929" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxWCD3PU_VgobI3Ijo37FutVOtqFt4vJetFJ0IGHHEOn6da2xaW63fZEMbWq6MumGWkufdOgv8c16edgMTRyyEMRSCQ_6rx4uhsV605-_AbWaj62YdRTi63b3UHtP9iRc_NcWE98V0fk/s320/20180707_190529.jpg" width="185" /></a></div>
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We then meandered up the ICW with stops at Cumberland Island, Jekyll Island, and Brunswick Landing. She often wears a style of clothing called Lolita, which was popularized in Japan starting in the 1980s, and she managed to pack two dresses for this trip, so we had some photo shoots too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrGIil0slT-RFABy1OFko84IfURPS3vvPnveNeL7uayeECQo9cq5HI9qm8ngyLfSx7ub47mnO_2tuouvfX74Frnju27vYxDhBE1rTIHBljtNRNsztKpug0UepNkrQOJj1sYGYMg547t8/s1600/20180710_152742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrGIil0slT-RFABy1OFko84IfURPS3vvPnveNeL7uayeECQo9cq5HI9qm8ngyLfSx7ub47mnO_2tuouvfX74Frnju27vYxDhBE1rTIHBljtNRNsztKpug0UepNkrQOJj1sYGYMg547t8/s400/20180710_152742.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Here she is at the St. Augustine Light Station. We made a quick trip there before we splashed, and had dramatic views over the town and inlet that day.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLvH9pNiaHb9NDmeGqm7xAIWFDZF18i2afcbebVANUBlRmKCHYo7_psh-ohfT9GQvaUik4CE8fH_66vjRmphMhJ27ANhwp0pa0L86GYZfs-1T6qoNLgWeYDddLXPqaIUvesaTjcZ_KoI/s1600/20180717_075429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLvH9pNiaHb9NDmeGqm7xAIWFDZF18i2afcbebVANUBlRmKCHYo7_psh-ohfT9GQvaUik4CE8fH_66vjRmphMhJ27ANhwp0pa0L86GYZfs-1T6qoNLgWeYDddLXPqaIUvesaTjcZ_KoI/s400/20180717_075429.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At Cumberland Island the Dungeness ruins made a nice backdrop. We also enjoyed seeing the ponies, turkeys, huge old oak trees, and, we even found some fossilized shark teeth.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96VvyEhYRetgW1Eogb4E6FW9AD9XS80Ng7LYC4J-D7lyXuIRZ3Wn2hCjLB5Oqkzv44OdOgnEEIvvzDO5G51634D3zgggRYBONsI3xHKupZw0ELVnhtvjxZW-d6_C0tD7VEGF550xbV2w/s1600/20180710_151507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="979" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96VvyEhYRetgW1Eogb4E6FW9AD9XS80Ng7LYC4J-D7lyXuIRZ3Wn2hCjLB5Oqkzv44OdOgnEEIvvzDO5G51634D3zgggRYBONsI3xHKupZw0ELVnhtvjxZW-d6_C0tD7VEGF550xbV2w/s640/20180710_151507.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
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Jekyll Island with its charming Historic District, made for another enjoyable day and more great photos. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P3TJ0UJzhfmGMGvGrK2Ha47x1WlvLOm0RLkiKsHJZm9AavZULexiVklHRvSnIJhFawz0KEgIAHya4zg5IlM-EdtJOy1BvDwZluRB3tzdgJpTnYsPTbJlF32kWGDsxZ3hc82BhMkWPAU/s1600/20180711_164621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3P3TJ0UJzhfmGMGvGrK2Ha47x1WlvLOm0RLkiKsHJZm9AavZULexiVklHRvSnIJhFawz0KEgIAHya4zg5IlM-EdtJOy1BvDwZluRB3tzdgJpTnYsPTbJlF32kWGDsxZ3hc82BhMkWPAU/s400/20180711_164621.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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We also drove to Savannah and enjoyed its gracious style, beautiful homes, and a ghost tour. Maybe more than that though, we enjoyed the air conditioning at our AirBnB. As Katie said, "I think Georgia's trying to kill me and I'm going to die and melt into a little salty puddle!"</div>
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She went home with a sunburn, mosquito bites, boat bites, and a canker sore, so maybe she was right about Georgia trying to kill her. She texted me when she got off the plane in San Francisco, <i>"I'm safely back in SF and it's beautifully cold."</i></div>
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Beautifully cold?</div>
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LOL</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-13989710630216015442018-06-29T21:46:00.000-04:002018-06-29T21:49:14.303-04:00Repercussions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
If you've been with us a while you'll know that Thistle was struck by lightning on August 11th, 2015. We were in the Kuna Yala (Caribbean side of Panama) where parts are impossible to procure, so we continued on to Cartagena and fixed what we could there. We didn't fix the wind instruments or depth sounder for three reasons: the parts are super expensive to import into Colombia; we didn't really need wind instruments; and the depth sounder at the nav station still worked.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp7RSeifWBMmKfEpBRto7ZsH5li-wgZYtVKF_11dKcfA3cBSRGGph5Kbrb8TITaPwrU50EwCuJ2pf7l74CMWXz4ikBi6PKH4gbiDvRK4z-QQW7NHZjzgYUMVya3MjWsjYExd1iSgjxrw/s1600/20180629_204744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1534" data-original-width="862" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp7RSeifWBMmKfEpBRto7ZsH5li-wgZYtVKF_11dKcfA3cBSRGGph5Kbrb8TITaPwrU50EwCuJ2pf7l74CMWXz4ikBi6PKH4gbiDvRK4z-QQW7NHZjzgYUMVya3MjWsjYExd1iSgjxrw/s640/20180629_204744.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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But the repercussions from the lightning strike are still being felt here on Thistle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiKc3_lvtcGXNnzI_EwG-xO6D6dpGGAVXtyDT9-AFrFPHIxjawquy51orE3RcS0fAQHUX_DYgUlcXHVhMR7rgQCd11h0icKnNqO8pcpSQ1odFZZSu7Nz504QWQy7OdH-WqAMbDrYpOxo/s1600/20180629_195401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="1020" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiKc3_lvtcGXNnzI_EwG-xO6D6dpGGAVXtyDT9-AFrFPHIxjawquy51orE3RcS0fAQHUX_DYgUlcXHVhMR7rgQCd11h0icKnNqO8pcpSQ1odFZZSu7Nz504QWQy7OdH-WqAMbDrYpOxo/s320/20180629_195401.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We decided the time had come to replace the instruments that were damaged. Unfortunately, the new instruments all come with new gadgets that must be installed through holes in the hull, or at the top of the mast. They also have long cables that must be run down the mast and through the bilges back to the nav station.</div>
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Today we installed the transducer for the new depth sounder. First off, it's never fun to work under the boat looking up at your project, but we managed to chisel out the old transducer, clean off the old goo, and sand the mounting spot smooth. Then we slathered goo on the new transducer and I pushed it up into the hole while the Captain put the nut on inside the boat. At least that was the plan, but I let go for just a second and it fell out onto my arm spreading goo all over me. Ugh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj505CBfDBihWIKDyRZzIqADoddmOvuDgr0gGupYA0sQmu-PwxfNj73kqJW1ZmSgMvocq9hkCHZNrAtBPz_iLANr5MxQ7q4OiJfkm1s0za2X5gIg8R0VViKIRV3a5s0oUldwOOEX5re7Hs/s1600/20180629_131326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1101" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj505CBfDBihWIKDyRZzIqADoddmOvuDgr0gGupYA0sQmu-PwxfNj73kqJW1ZmSgMvocq9hkCHZNrAtBPz_iLANr5MxQ7q4OiJfkm1s0za2X5gIg8R0VViKIRV3a5s0oUldwOOEX5re7Hs/s400/20180629_131326.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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Nevertheless, we got it installed and here it is. Exciting, I know.</div>
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Tomorrow somebody gets to go up the mast to install the new wind instruments and snake the new cable down all 62' of mast so that it comes out the bottom where it can then be run through the bilges and up to the nav station.</div>
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Then maybe we will finally be done with these unwelcome consequences from the dreaded lightning strike. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-28189345785866353332018-06-23T20:17:00.002-04:002018-06-23T20:17:42.535-04:00Portlight Plastic Replacement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thistle just celebrated her 28th birthday and the plastic in the hatches and portlights was really showing its age, so when we were in California we cut new plastic for all the openings. The Captain was graciously allowed to use the CNC router at our old sign shop which made the job super easy.</div>
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The process of replacing the plastic is quick and easy too, but messy. And potentially VERY messy if you don't mask thoroughly and carefully contain the silicone adhesive.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4b3NVFl4xdFc-l0iMhIAkqKXpNYn-_pUlNfmWABlbhZ0NEDqElNRnr3fidL5a01ScfUaeI33pKWggJyS17kP2uNUjcOsKrNbIae4Ke2hG-WBbQP7j40XgMVZFiBYu66jRRZhYg7MrrM/s1600/20180622_212545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1600" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4b3NVFl4xdFc-l0iMhIAkqKXpNYn-_pUlNfmWABlbhZ0NEDqElNRnr3fidL5a01ScfUaeI33pKWggJyS17kP2uNUjcOsKrNbIae4Ke2hG-WBbQP7j40XgMVZFiBYu66jRRZhYg7MrrM/s320/20180622_212545.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First we removed the old plastic by cutting out the adhesive. Then we scraped the aluminum frames with a dull chisel to remove all the old silicone. We also masked off the outer edge of the aluminum frame.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oLLPQh5NQjYBIW9IIzRhW6j4I-u9viToDp1Oa0YE-OkZufgEr_B7I4JM9wEpRygsxGZRpco_zljuSEb0-MnU4wIioHmah4aHvVtQ2UseVE6kn_AXfOlPW19symaGuhIZzSLaaoeOOBI/s1600/20180622_212621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1600" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8oLLPQh5NQjYBIW9IIzRhW6j4I-u9viToDp1Oa0YE-OkZufgEr_B7I4JM9wEpRygsxGZRpco_zljuSEb0-MnU4wIioHmah4aHvVtQ2UseVE6kn_AXfOlPW19symaGuhIZzSLaaoeOOBI/s640/20180622_212621.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To protect the plastic we left the masking paper on both sides, but trimmed it where the glue had to go. To do that, we prefit the plastic, drew a line around the framework from the bottom, and cut away the masking paper where the silicone needed to go. (In the photo above, the plastic is upside down, but you can see the black strips where the masking paper has been removed.) Then we applied the silicone and set the plastic in place, pressing it down firmly. On this large Bomar hatch, we also had to reinstall the four latches.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcFGibB7EZJ9VPQe7lzUAfYFM_Q9MWzjYHehWZvSsFoxg9DkTs5J3x_-7SuP9XQhASJa8CC9e50gS9Cx0HhwvBx6vUui8ScJOzmnq2nRmpwN8smex9UfYQ-OF85cMHERQpn7Vvbh-e50/s1600/20180622_212707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="977" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcFGibB7EZJ9VPQe7lzUAfYFM_Q9MWzjYHehWZvSsFoxg9DkTs5J3x_-7SuP9XQhASJa8CC9e50gS9Cx0HhwvBx6vUui8ScJOzmnq2nRmpwN8smex9UfYQ-OF85cMHERQpn7Vvbh-e50/s320/20180622_212707.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On the portlights, there was only a 1/2" strip around each edge, and on the smaller hatches there was only the edge and one piece of framework to trim around. Only after the silicone dried did we peel off the masking paper.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-9r5eUiLK9BRBJISxE3HlFmVb-U0Cz9mlGEzsKg4UifGJTkg0Qqazm-VcOFeM8YkEbntoWBm-t8lVgIJmEPrQtPtzUAP9QodgcqE87h-BnGwW0dKLbmAzCuKpXpEdSfJR0c1ikxH544/s1600/20180623_182926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1011" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-9r5eUiLK9BRBJISxE3HlFmVb-U0Cz9mlGEzsKg4UifGJTkg0Qqazm-VcOFeM8YkEbntoWBm-t8lVgIJmEPrQtPtzUAP9QodgcqE87h-BnGwW0dKLbmAzCuKpXpEdSfJR0c1ikxH544/s400/20180623_182926.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The difference is amazing! Before, the plastic was so cloudy we couldn't see anything, but now we can actually see out. The plastic is tinted, but they look so clear and bright that I sometimes think they're open when they're closed. This was a very worthwhile project.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1kLs_iHNYzj0Advd9bBkP4CmIhufNhvP-XMCMyvMpPhgTI0RA70UphNunioKEHvccwyt9pdEUe2CeqfBqmOPuBRtJHceZv9sQCZ1r0B3OD4EN8UGnfA97w1F63u3bNeNT1J_Q3ozXRg/s1600/20180611_083657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1kLs_iHNYzj0Advd9bBkP4CmIhufNhvP-XMCMyvMpPhgTI0RA70UphNunioKEHvccwyt9pdEUe2CeqfBqmOPuBRtJHceZv9sQCZ1r0B3OD4EN8UGnfA97w1F63u3bNeNT1J_Q3ozXRg/s400/20180611_083657.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-7654088870288971092018-06-19T13:31:00.000-04:002018-06-19T13:31:02.376-04:00The Looong HauloutWe put Thistle on the hard November 26th, emptied the fridge, cleaned her up, made lists of things to bring back from California, and flew home for the holidays. When we returned on February 6th, we started our project list in earnest.<br />
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The first project was to get a car, which was in itself quite a story. Then we began stripping and varnishing the cap rails. We wanted to redefine the caprail-to-hull edge before the Captain started sanding the hull for the repaint. We also ordered lots of supplies and materials and new refrigeration units.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFt2NIYbt0EK75fBjUKr-4CbylY9tCKpuuYHddSEGGrSityV44DlMYpNxW_xozhmypiRHnFaekM-2ob_nuJeHUwQYwLtH5W8ZtNU8qUnzAOiwBKIx729Cio-WoJc3p0vB4FjwYxn1cU0/s1600/20180618_204618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="883" data-original-width="1600" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFt2NIYbt0EK75fBjUKr-4CbylY9tCKpuuYHddSEGGrSityV44DlMYpNxW_xozhmypiRHnFaekM-2ob_nuJeHUwQYwLtH5W8ZtNU8qUnzAOiwBKIx729Cio-WoJc3p0vB4FjwYxn1cU0/s640/20180618_204618.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On March 25th we moved into our first house sitting job and started the refrigeration project. It was a huge mess and I don't know how we could have done it while living aboard. During this time we also touched up a bunch of varnish inside the boat.<br />
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By April 12th we were back on the boat, enjoying our new refrigeration, and planning a little vacation to New Orleans. We were in New Orleans from April 19th-25th.<br />
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Painting commenced when we got back and by May 7th, the transom and starboard side were all done including the name and the gold cove stripe. Then we had to fly back to California again for Malcolm's mother's funeral from May 8th-23rd.<br />
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Another house sitting job gave us the comforts of home from May 28th-June 13th. The air conditioning was certainly appreciated, because the heat and humidity were starting to get bad in Georgia.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3oiwDTfLpROikfbL2fL9wrTxKp8VzqiAvPU7ozmKu0-xA602Drm8txQxk-EHy7LtqoAYT5kFBOrq3qhlj-4bTr84cuHodfrfS4Y_GYzd9ULRFpYWbTVCiInJOpxnXVcRLbzdKpEvTjo/s1600/20180611_083657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3oiwDTfLpROikfbL2fL9wrTxKp8VzqiAvPU7ozmKu0-xA602Drm8txQxk-EHy7LtqoAYT5kFBOrq3qhlj-4bTr84cuHodfrfS4Y_GYzd9ULRFpYWbTVCiInJOpxnXVcRLbzdKpEvTjo/s400/20180611_083657.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Between thunderstorms, paint drying, and waiting for supplies, the Captain managed to replace all the cloudy plastic in the portholes and small hatches, repaint the helm, repair some cosmetic damage on the keel, remove the hydraulic centerboard cylinder and boom bang for servicing, adjust the stuffing box, paint the waterline stripe, and make a new panel for the nav station. Just yesterday he painted the port side of the hull, and he is polishing it now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1h2_jzcaaw9Rk4xt40pz6iupid3_6oYWJHx05rXcoB-Pcx02okV7RhC_nfEKGS0ym-55Yyx4cKjfM2uUEEB4hK9PphtseAr4vu0aKLbUgpwCGjSHsgnBWOZAERnU2fb4OcsfKUxsfWU/s1600/20180619_085502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1054" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1h2_jzcaaw9Rk4xt40pz6iupid3_6oYWJHx05rXcoB-Pcx02okV7RhC_nfEKGS0ym-55Yyx4cKjfM2uUEEB4hK9PphtseAr4vu0aKLbUgpwCGjSHsgnBWOZAERnU2fb4OcsfKUxsfWU/s640/20180619_085502.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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So, while I sometimes think we've been here forever and will probably be here the rest of our lives, we've only really been on the job for 110 days. And we've accomplished quite a lot in that time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-22459648407148756262018-06-18T17:19:00.000-04:002018-07-31T08:55:54.498-04:00Georgia: The Bug StateGenerally speaking I like bugs, but Georgia is something else.<br />
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I read on the Internet that's it's the 5th buggiest state in the union, and I believe it. In the course of a day, working here in the boatyard, we will be swatting at gnats, mosquitos, no-see-ums, and flies. We will find wasps trying to make nests on our boat, June beetles strolling on the deck, and dragonflies hovering over the water faucet. We hear cicadas buzzing all afternoon up in the trees.<br />
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Our latest bug encounter really takes the cake. We found this in the bilge. The thing is over 2" long, so how did it even get in there?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHSiftQ5qDE1Jq7NKkpww-qfuKg_cLbIE9znITqA4CWvbTEvUfwtxqOJTx8ftdth2VxtC1ae2bax3lt5GIMKasdh0T0GWCqkQbijTO8KGPH28siXKXKRFVLsrn0AC5uXbgwBxlUer7f8/s1600/20180617_135420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1089" data-original-width="1600" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHSiftQ5qDE1Jq7NKkpww-qfuKg_cLbIE9znITqA4CWvbTEvUfwtxqOJTx8ftdth2VxtC1ae2bax3lt5GIMKasdh0T0GWCqkQbijTO8KGPH28siXKXKRFVLsrn0AC5uXbgwBxlUer7f8/s400/20180617_135420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Its called a Hercules beetle, and they are common throughout the southeast. I'd never seen one before, and hope to never meet a live one.<br />
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Georgia isn't just about bugs though. There are also lots of birds. We've seen roseate spoonbills, flamingos, wood storks, several different egrets, and these shy little clapper rails. Three of them scurried through the yard one quiet afternoon while I was varnishing. They make a strange call, so I knew they were coming and was able to get my camera in time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3WpEYM0fPjLGJZBI8sc-nWb9XaAqgcEhRgE-oRxUYE7DXRjxuQoQ0w6x1PVYJEDh6pB3WrGGobR6Wfkwwe-9Lvv84oe2_CF8jSbpJaCsJSQnoKEUQj4olepIiobUhCkMl5-oCNmEpls/s1600/20180618_172411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3WpEYM0fPjLGJZBI8sc-nWb9XaAqgcEhRgE-oRxUYE7DXRjxuQoQ0w6x1PVYJEDh6pB3WrGGobR6Wfkwwe-9Lvv84oe2_CF8jSbpJaCsJSQnoKEUQj4olepIiobUhCkMl5-oCNmEpls/s320/20180618_172411.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Another boatyard visitor was this tortoise. He was trying to go under the keel of nextdoor's boat and wouldn't fit. I picked him up and set him down on the other side where I thought he was trying to go.<br />
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Georgia also has several poisonous snakes, scorpions, black widows, brown recluse spiders, and fire ants. Luckily we haven't seen any snakes, but recently someone saw an alligator right here in the creek!<br />
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I once saw a meme on Facebook that said something like: We don't get upset if you're a little late here in the South. With several venomous snakes, fire ants, alligators, debilitating humidity, hurricanes, and the occasional tornado, were just glad you're here at all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-3814835653320422652018-06-06T08:44:00.000-04:002018-06-06T08:45:26.659-04:00And The Painting Continues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiytGdJz5Cc8k_AC6vgG7AG_tqRGGo5gderCgpyYSe5or_4Q3WZ9Y5Ah6atee4PpXuhL-jtguHKZsTrK_lRwyM6N7XYgYVm3igucpUw1JY8vcEX29WQ9b9hfxDAO-dx70m1ghdDYBxWm8/s1600/20180606_082749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiytGdJz5Cc8k_AC6vgG7AG_tqRGGo5gderCgpyYSe5or_4Q3WZ9Y5Ah6atee4PpXuhL-jtguHKZsTrK_lRwyM6N7XYgYVm3igucpUw1JY8vcEX29WQ9b9hfxDAO-dx70m1ghdDYBxWm8/s640/20180606_082749.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Work on our hull repaint is coming along nicely and we just have the final color coat on the port side and the waterline stripe to finish. The transom and starboard side are all done including the cove stripe and the name.<br />
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I found some 1" metallic gold striping tape online and applied it using masking tape for a guide, and soapy water to help position it. We had the graphics for the transom made at our old sign shop back in California. I painted the raised Alden logo with a metallic gold paint pen from the crafts store. I hope it holds up outside.<br />
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The painting process is long and labor intensive. First all the cracks must be ground out and fille<span style="text-align: center;">d. Then lots of sanding with 150 grit and a random orbital sander.</span><br />
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Then one coat of epoxy primer and more sanding with 150, 230, and 320 grit, touching up the filler as necessary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrMI32HBYLSwB-HfemqECXzoJccJ3lCgOrZxU7DmRfjdVd_eYegFUHY-zJsvHN804CogI_2dWUqokl_0OoiL-wXiwUmzzKsvTPIn7A_0jygDKp0ACNCGHzyZXAyJ6z3j12pSMOWQjLU8/s1600/2018-06-05+21.40.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1444" data-original-width="1298" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirrMI32HBYLSwB-HfemqECXzoJccJ3lCgOrZxU7DmRfjdVd_eYegFUHY-zJsvHN804CogI_2dWUqokl_0OoiL-wXiwUmzzKsvTPIn7A_0jygDKp0ACNCGHzyZXAyJ6z3j12pSMOWQjLU8/s400/2018-06-05+21.40.13.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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Then a first coat of Epifanes, applied with a small foam roller, and NOT tipped off. After that, more sanding, by hand this time with 400 grit on the diagonal. Then a second coat of color.<br />
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The last step is to "color sand" the Epifanes with 1500 grit sandpaper using a soft pad on the orbital sander, then 2000 grit. And finally, using Farecla's products, polish the paint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPuW0CxkEMpIXy_A4xhXJCq_LoOc5TzsZMQ7bNw319r4YVeRJ9C7A2MON7k7hz-_TZFGO0uad2cbbm76s9RkSwu7xZnCDzmWNDY6gMVyNwKPtxqgPpb3wvxC5xh1Rcg0-ipkMcTXfO8s/s1600/20180503_165733-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1335" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPuW0CxkEMpIXy_A4xhXJCq_LoOc5TzsZMQ7bNw319r4YVeRJ9C7A2MON7k7hz-_TZFGO0uad2cbbm76s9RkSwu7xZnCDzmWNDY6gMVyNwKPtxqgPpb3wvxC5xh1Rcg0-ipkMcTXfO8s/s320/20180503_165733-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Folks have actually walked by and said, "Did you spray that? Here?" and we have to admit that we didn't, but that's quite a compliment, isn't it?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-67211079587386389682018-06-03T12:16:00.001-04:002018-07-31T09:07:28.438-04:00City Park and NOMA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPdDYTGT6gkh00l8WRGNzfvXXvR2pWoUR9za-5bmsbM7WbZC680rzJOHoWfJeRJSM6WypHlfhjWl5WANtc_Vu_mMvhbCluKwVWYBBZpRojVM-NYO8FJh8vwqqiT5BQcuU0UUjmUfoy4E/s1600/20180603_110425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1534" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPdDYTGT6gkh00l8WRGNzfvXXvR2pWoUR9za-5bmsbM7WbZC680rzJOHoWfJeRJSM6WypHlfhjWl5WANtc_Vu_mMvhbCluKwVWYBBZpRojVM-NYO8FJh8vwqqiT5BQcuU0UUjmUfoy4E/s640/20180603_110425.jpg" width="611" /></a></div>
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On our last day in New Orleans we took the streetcar up to City Park and visited the New Orleans Museum of Art. We were not disappointed!</div>
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The large painting you see above is <i>Masquerade Ball</i> by Gaston La Touche. It shows the Paris Opera House hosting a masquerade ball sometime in the late 1800s and it is mesmerizing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8niE2gZpnibdJlDjQCXrf4RvcKsgE_hqXrIAWnl4Xe9orfW7LPG4zuUPxVOXeYO0w7Fh3QGJ2LQVs_9UlpzlTJ5Dl89KU-brQpn76R1pKdLxmAG6ml3u9D3vIX8QtEvjrC9In6sK6bU/s1600/20180603_110324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8niE2gZpnibdJlDjQCXrf4RvcKsgE_hqXrIAWnl4Xe9orfW7LPG4zuUPxVOXeYO0w7Fh3QGJ2LQVs_9UlpzlTJ5Dl89KU-brQpn76R1pKdLxmAG6ml3u9D3vIX8QtEvjrC9In6sK6bU/s320/20180603_110324.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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Here is le <i>Mousquetaire du Cardinal</i> by J. L. Gérôme.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgUHTAo1nyCIViB7pUImRO6BSg6cBPuKuFBQ-iHgGVZhZ_z-VeygbrsCXzWaa4YClBQXQvIxw-oMySh1sg_PwX51cU3wJoAGLYa0iuj41suyTSPVhyphenhyphenM3mpJSZR49FkVrFUKFVgiz2-Fc/s1600/Gerome%252C-Saddle-Bazaar-Slide-for-web+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgUHTAo1nyCIViB7pUImRO6BSg6cBPuKuFBQ-iHgGVZhZ_z-VeygbrsCXzWaa4YClBQXQvIxw-oMySh1sg_PwX51cU3wJoAGLYa0iuj41suyTSPVhyphenhyphenM3mpJSZR49FkVrFUKFVgiz2-Fc/s200/Gerome%252C-Saddle-Bazaar-Slide-for-web+%25281%2529.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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Our museum back home has a few pieces by Gérôme (like this one <i>the Saddle Bazaar</i>), and he has always been one of my favorite artists.</div>
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Here is <i>Whisperings of Love</i> by William-Adolphe Bouguereau.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zquAJljX01jBvO3NkGYgP9umlGCJ5GafVGBZ_jfzZOnNkFP5gtyAgsOtVvUx7ovQ4qcoZcGh68EXKd9YiDe3zFoO1_SwyNxc0U-C2cXY1jdKeW3Su2gpIuE_qBLQw47bkWQWTeOh9tA/s1600/20180603_110053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1600" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zquAJljX01jBvO3NkGYgP9umlGCJ5GafVGBZ_jfzZOnNkFP5gtyAgsOtVvUx7ovQ4qcoZcGh68EXKd9YiDe3zFoO1_SwyNxc0U-C2cXY1jdKeW3Su2gpIuE_qBLQw47bkWQWTeOh9tA/s320/20180603_110053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After gazing at <i>His Eminence Returns</i> many times as a very young child, I have come to appreciate Jehan-Georges Vibert's great sense of humor. Above is<i> the Cardinal's Friendly Chat</i> at the NOMA, and below is <i>His Eminence Returns</i> at the Haggin Museum.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t-bG0CFm28ovwFQG8lqtVXzqoe9ufgLbgOZmug2pOT6ADni8COqgVPV4bqjRg1ShtQuHWmy-Q0r743wpfiECADlJ6x5Uc092Xa2nbLfydX6BbrJlz8tbvZ-bbnYm8Z9BzFjzuS2A55M/s1600/Vibert%252C-His-Eminence-Returns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1123" data-original-width="840" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0t-bG0CFm28ovwFQG8lqtVXzqoe9ufgLbgOZmug2pOT6ADni8COqgVPV4bqjRg1ShtQuHWmy-Q0r743wpfiECADlJ6x5Uc092Xa2nbLfydX6BbrJlz8tbvZ-bbnYm8Z9BzFjzuS2A55M/s200/Vibert%252C-His-Eminence-Returns.jpg" width="149" /></a></div>
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This detail from <i>Death Comes to the Banquet</i> by Giovanni Martinelli just astounds me. If you zoom in, you can see the apparently random brushstrokes, but step back just a bit and the random brushstrokes become satin and velvet. Just wonderful, isn't it?</div>
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The NOMA also has lots of furniture and I started noticing it as we looked at Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun's painting of Marie Antoinette.</div>
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Then I started taking photos of chairs. I think I got to about twelve when I realized they would make good jigsaw puzzles, so I made a whole folder of them on my Jigsaw Planet account.</div>
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If you like puzzles, check it out at</div>
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<a href="https://www.jigsawplanet.com/Fortunesafloat">https://www.jigsawplanet.com/Fortunesafloat</a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-25340299808372194822018-06-03T10:51:00.004-04:002018-07-31T09:07:28.343-04:00Acting Like Tourists <div class="mail-message expanded" id="m15211594612421914" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20.2874px;">While we were in New Orleans we tried to do all the stuff you're supposed to do: we visited Jackson Park, St. Louis Cathedral, a cemetery, the Garden District, and the Benjamin Button house.</span></span></div>
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We walked down Bourbon Street with to-go cups, listened to jazz on Frenchmen Street, had drinks at O'Briens, and ate beignets.</div>
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We toured a Dutch tallship, the Oosterschelde, and drove the 23 mile causeway across Lake Pontchartrain. </div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 20.2874px;">We proudly learned how to pronounce Tchoupitoulas, étouffée, and beignet. (chop a TWO less, eh two FAY, ben YEA)</span></span></div>
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Some days we just wandered around admiring the beautiful architecture and planning our next meal, b<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">ut probably the best part of our excursion to New Orleans was enjoying it with these two people: Crystal and Don. We love you guys. Obviously.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-7546148300792444592018-06-03T09:55:00.001-04:002018-07-31T09:07:28.471-04:00Laura Plantation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are many old plantations along the river just west of New Orleans including the famous Oak Alley. We drove by it, but elected to visit Laura Plantation, a Creole plantation.</div>
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I always thought Creole meant mixed blood, like some French, some Spanish, and some African blood, but here it means folks born in the New World, right here in Louisiana. The parents could be from anyplace, but if you were born here, you were Creole.</div>
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The land that became Laura Plantation was granted to the French Navy officer Guillaume Duparc in 1804. He died soon after, so the plantation was run thereafter by four generations of women: his wife, his daughter, his grand daughter, and his great grand daughter, Laura Locoul.</div>
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The bright colors of the house and fine furnishings inside reflect this family's culture and wealth.</div>
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Although Laura's family treated their slaves more kindly that most plantation owners, the slaves' homes were still a world away.</div>
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Haunting, isn't it?</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3624824640327032873.post-79993355972703689072018-05-28T09:15:00.002-04:002018-07-31T09:07:28.503-04:00The Obligatory Swamp Tour <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">April 23, 2018</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">No, the swamp isn't named "Obligatory", it's actually called Honey Island Swamp, and it's part of the Pearl River, but it seems you can't go to New Orleans without a swamp tour, so we did one and we found it quite interesting.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgNiIawkP08vU_IRCvzSBLFhW3SmTJCUOeasfZmzfh2Jlbha2KhDQmiNSaftJlwvkfxBbaUWclM1ZbGpD0ztmhaBhLoFRJC6z4Eqoc7f3Eo53neJ1Dm0xAUERnk1nH90M15hhA9_gHss/s1600/20180527_193700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgNiIawkP08vU_IRCvzSBLFhW3SmTJCUOeasfZmzfh2Jlbha2KhDQmiNSaftJlwvkfxBbaUWclM1ZbGpD0ztmhaBhLoFRJC6z4Eqoc7f3Eo53neJ1Dm0xAUERnk1nH90M15hhA9_gHss/s640/20180527_193700.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">The Honey Island Swamp is a wide, multi-channeled river and swamp area that separates Mississippi from Louisiana. It is one of the least-altered and pristine swampland habitats in the United States. Over 35,000 acres are devoted to wildlife habitat, fishing, hunting, boating, and birdwatching.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Bald cypress trees, draped with Spanish Moss, are everywhere, along with Tupelo and Southern Pine. The Bald Cypress got its name from the fact that, although it is a true conifer, it drops its needles in the fall so it's "bald" during the winter.</span></div>
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The huge shallow area of a swamp creates a natural defense against flooding by allowing rainwater to slowly spread out between the trees and shrubs during the wet season. Numerous creatures find their perfect habitat here including alligators, turtles, raccoons, bears, feral boars, and many species of migratory birds.</div>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Most tour companies use this type of boat with seats facing out - not only to guarantee a great view of the swamp, but to keep you away from the rail. For good reason.</span></div>
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Although he looks scary, this feral pig is almost tame because the tour operators have been present its entire life. The boat drivers remember when each pig was born, call them by name, and feed them daily. Some of the alligators have similar histories, and they are fed protein pellets regularly.</div>
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