Motorcycle lessons

Marilyn took the newly fixed Shadow to a local parking lot and I taught a few of the basics of mototcycle riding. She learned how to stop the motocycle without stalling the engine. How to start to move using the clutch and throttle. And how to drive around and around the parking lot. The real basic skills. If cold weather holds off for a few weekends I'm sure that she'll have all the basic skills to take the Motocycle Safety Course in the spring.

Condiments and compliments

Today we tried a a few things in the kitchen. Marilyn made pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins. Boy did that put a nice warm smell of bread and fall spices in the house! And it's tasty too.

I made mustard. Stout whole grain mustard. It was so easy. I toasted some black and yellow mustard seeds then let them sit over night in white wine, rice wine vinagar and salt. Mashed them in the morning with the blender. The blender mashing would only crush a few of the seed so the thing was a very grainy rustic texture. It it tasted good. Not hot, not spicy, but like a fancy whole grain mustard from a specialty shop.

Prepping for the big move....

Swan Creek is ready to take the boat on Monday. We had to strip the sails this weekend. Problem is that there was a Nor' Easter hitting. On Friday night there was lots of rain and after the storm there was to be wind. I was hoping we would get down to Rock Hall and take the sails off before the wind got going. We arrived at Spring Cove the tide was very high and we waded through a foot of water just to get to the dock. The wind was starting to build and Steve and Dale from the Georgia Peach was maneuvering to the pump out dock. They were having trouble in the wind. Marilyn and I helped them to dock safely. Steve and Dale were going to Swan Creek just across the creek and they were having a lot of trouble. The wind really started to blow now. All four of us decided that we had to strip the jib sails off both boats now. The Jib sails are the most trouble to take off. They are on a roller like a window shade. So they have to be fully deployed to come down. And in a 35mph wind a fully deployed sail can be a handful. The Georgia Peach is a 34 footer with about a sail double the size of ours. Luckily the wind was blowing Westerly and down the dock. We dropped the sails on Belle Etoile first. Unrolling the sail down the dock. It was about to rip out of Marilyn's hand or throw her into the water! But as soon as we deployed the sail I dropped it and it hit the deck with a thud and we balled it up with out dropping it into the water. Next the Georgia Peach. We huddled and tried what worked on our boat and changed positions. I was going to pull out and try to control the sail. But now the wind was gusting faster. All in position. All prep done. Ok go! I yanked out the sail and started to fight for control. The sail was going to bash against the spreaders aloft. I'm trying to pull this monster away from the boat and it's yanking me around like a rag doll. Luckily Steve was quick on the halyard and dropped the sail. Again success sail on the deck in a ball. Not Bristol fashion but effective. They abandoned the trip across to Swan Creek opting for a tow on Monday like we are going to get. We backed the 34 foot Catalina into a slip without motoring just using the dock lines. This was so the boat would not get away from us. Marilyn and I spent the next hour winterizing the engine and other mechanical devices on the boat. We had to take off the last of the cushions life jackets and the Bimini Cover. The wind continued to build. The Belle Etoile is jumping about 4 feet in the swells. I starting to get seasick in the slip! Getting two cushions off the boat which is about a five minute job took great effort. I almost got thrown into the drink a few times by the swells. As we passed Scott's boat he was getting ready to drop his jib. We figured we getting to be pros at this and we offered to help. We set up again and yanked it out. Only it did not drop smoothly. And the wind shifted slightly as I was holding the sail out down the dock. It was ready to sweep Scott off the deck Marilyn off the finger pier and pull me in for good measure. A quick turn of the roller got it freed up and the sail dropped again. The wind was again foiled from claiming a victim! We then set up spring lines on our boat and doubled up on some dock lines. I was on the bow of the boat trying to set the dock lines and the bow was jumping about 4 or 5 feet. I felt I was on a bucking bronco. I jumped off the boat onto the finger pier and almost lost my balance. I was reaching back to steady myself on the boat and it wasn't there. I hugged the bollard and steady myself and got onto the dock. There is not much more that we can do. The wind was going to blow harder tonight with winds to 50mph. I hope the dock lines survive the night.

Sailing season has ended!

Well another season has ended. This is the last weekend that we we on the boat. Now we have to put it up on land for the winter. We'll go down next weekend to clean it out, winterize the water and the engine and take the sails and the canvas off. It was a fun season maybe just a little hard because of the rain we had. Next season we should have a jump on things. All we have to do is clean, wax and paint the boat and it's in the water, ( knock on wood! ). There are no under the waterline work that we have to do. Launch should be late April next year! There will be some chilly but fun spring sailing that we'll do.

Halloween gets scary!

Here is a house that we past this weekend. It was being attacked by a giant blow up Scary Snoopy and other fiends.

At Cape May

We spent Friday at Cape May walking around enjoying the gale force breeze. We tried to fly a kite until it was ripped out of our hands by the winds. Then we watched them try to dock the ferry. We were critiquing them docking in a 40mph wind. We ended with dinner at the luncheonette at the Lobster House.

Theater Night

Marilyn and I went out to the Philadelphia Theater Co last night. We saw Murderers. It was a good three act play. The sets were very elaborate but since it was a series of three monologues it did not need them. The actors told the story and brought you into the play. Before going to the play we had dinner at the Sansom Kabob House. I recommend the lamb kabobs and the chai tea.

Wegapalooza

I went to the Grand Opening of Wegmans in Warrington .

What a zoo! That food store chain is crazy crowded normally and the being the first day that it is open it was a nut house. It's still chock full of all the good things Wegmans is known for. And it's going to be great to get tasty bread and fresh seafood. But I'm going to have to find off hours to go!

Leaf peeping motorcycle ride.

We rode the motorcycle to the Nockamixon State Park area. The ride was beautiful. It's a crisp day and the leaves are changing color. I hope it lasts for a while longer.

Chilly

It's a little chilly today had to turn on the heat for the first time this year. It's staring to look like fall.

Frost Arrived

The first frost of the year hit. The garden is now done. We picked the last of the peppers this afternoon. Marilyn is pulling up the last of the plants now. I'll rototill the garden this afternoon and we'll plant garlic for next year.

Shadow

Finally got the bike to Fast by Farracci. The service manager said that it looked like a nice used bike. Maybe this is some vaildation for all the work that I did? I told him of the history of the bike as I knew it. He's going to do an full inspection on it and he'll let me know what it needs.

Jay in town

Marilyn saw Jay after he was finished up with convention last night. They went to Farmicia for dinner.

Sailing

Today was cold, 3ft waves and a small craft advisory no sailing today.

Jay In Town

Jay's in town for a conference at the convention center. Marilyn saw him yesterday. I've been snowed under with work and have not had a chance to see him. I think they are going to get together again today. One tip for Jay keep away from the ducks!!!!

Shadow

Well the gas tank finally arrived for Marilyn's motorcycle! I'm going to work on it tonight and with luck I'll be able to get the motorcycle working next week and to Fast by Farracci for state inspection.

Meeting the Mystic Whaler

On Sunday we went to the boat. We took off from the dock and headed out to the bay as we got there. The new rigging worked like a charm the sail went right up and we adjusted it properly. The only thing was there was no wind. Let's just say we were in no wind. Wind is a funny thing it not constant, it gusts, it changes direction and is subject to pockets. On the bay you can be in a pocket of calm air and boats all around you have full sails. Or all the boats around you are calm and you are in a full gale! We got out the pocket and sailed around all afternoon. As we were heading back to Rock Hall we saw a two masted schooner. As the bay is just not filled with two masted schooner we had to check this out. It turns out to be a Windjammer cruise operating in the Upper Chesapeake. The Mystic Whaler was running three day crusises in the area.

On Monday we went out and it was a full calm. We motored to out favorite creek and anchored for lunch. We had leftovers from the pasta dinner. The bread that Mike had brought over was especially delicious. Only two more weekend and a clean up and boating season will be over.

Pasta Time!

Mike, Meg and Jim joined us for a great dinner. The cleaning and the cooking were all successful. Marilyn and I made homemade pasta using the Urania model 150 pasta machine the Frances had given us. We were a lot better at it than we were last year. We left the noodles a little thicker and wider and floured them more so that they would not stick.

In all it was just pasta and meatballs. But putting dinner together with Marilyn and having friends over the house maked it great.

The Big Cheese

The rain did not stop me from making a run to DiBruno's House of Cheese. Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night would prevent me from my appointed rounds of getting cheese and olives for the pasta dinner tomorrow night. I got some grating cheese and some tasting cheese and an assortment of olives. On the way home I have to stop at the market to get meat and other ingredients for the gravy.

Pasta Prep

I hope the rain slows today as I want to go to DiBruno's for cheese and olives

Contacts!

Finally! I got contacts I can use! Nice an clear and no blur-outs! Still have to use reading glasses for computer work.

Politics

I really hate politics . But the elections are in a month and the forecast is that we will see hot air and bull from the politicians. Look out below!

Sailing

Woo Hoo!!! We finally had some good weather to go down to Rock Hall this weekend. There may be a problem though. I getting gas for the boat at the Shore Stop. When we left a woman came driving after us saying that we have left without paying and the woman at the store has taken out license plate number. We we went back and showed out receipt. She said I drove off with $25 of gas. "I my 5 gallon can? " I said. She had no idea what was going on. I told her my car is on "E" and I have 4 gallons I just bought in a can in my trunk. I shrugged, she shrugged I said well what now? I'll check the video taped she said. Hmmm. I've been waiting for the Rock Hall police to break down the boat door all weekend.

Anyway we got out on the boat. The new rigging got it's first real try. What I really would like is just to hoist a line and the sail to go up and hoist another on and the sail to go down and packed away. This new rigging is not it. An no rigging on my boat will ever be like that. But the modifications goes a long way to reduce the amount of work it takes to raise and lower the sail. The big thing is the lazy jacks which cradle the boom and the sails instead of letting it fall to the deck. Also we can adjust the sails pretty well from the safety of the cockpit. The wind was light and building as we went out and we controlled the sails well for the first time out with the new rig. We came in when the wind and drizzle had come up.

The sky cleared up in the late afternoon. There was first annual marina party at Spring Cove. We went after quickly whipping up a hummus dip with fixing from the boat ( no barnacles! ). We meet all the dock neighbors.

We then came home Saturday night as there was going to be rain on Sat night and Sunday.