Are you sleeping?

"Hey, Pops, are you awake?"

"Umm, it's almost time for my lunch.  Are you awake, yet?"

And, then, after lunch...

"Thank you - that was good.  You're a really good cook."

He's a good boy.  :-)

Right on schedule...

I have always had a fascination with weather.  A couple prior careers and endeavors meant always keeping an eye on what Mother Nature had in store.  Back in the day, I could entertain myself by watching the Weather Channel.

You might think that my mentions of "the tropical tip" imply that it is always balmy weather, with swaying palm trees.  We certainly get a variety of weather here, even if the seasons aren't as much of a drastic change as up north.

The weasels were calling for a front to blow in last night.  In fact, on one channel, the weather guy said, "Those on the coast should see the front arrive around 7:00 this evening..."

It was warm, humid, and breezy yesterday.  I think a lot of folks here were looking forward to some cool weather.  At 6:30 pm, the wind stopped, the sky to the northwest got dark, and any opportunity to see the sunset was obliterated by clouds.  I went down to the dock to check lines on the boat... even though it was only 82º, the eerie stillness felt stifling.

Then, right at 7:00, the wind began to kick up from the north and the temperature dropped about 15º in just minutes.  The wind speed continued to climb and there was a spit in the air.  Again, checking lines on the boat, it felt chilly.  As the evening progressed, more wind and lowering temperatures.  Another weather guy described it as: "The high for Thursday will be 20º colder than the overnight low temperature (for Tuesday into Wednesday)."

Yep.  It was 51º this morning when I got up.  It was 80º at this same time yesterday.  The wind is blowing 31mph, gusting to over 40.  I stepped outside to check lines (having a boat will get you out of the house ;-) ) and hurried back inside.  Rufus stuck his handsome face outside and said, "I don't think so."  That cold north wind will be significant all day today, and the predicted high: might make it up to 60º by the evening.  Yes, the high will be 20º colder than yesterday's low.

One in a row!

They are now saying that this will be the coldest Halloween on record - the kiddies will need to bundle up to go out to trick or treat. 

I'll be exercising inside today.  Unlike the frozen northland, though, we'll be back to 70º or so tomorrow.

It's a gas, gas, gas...

If you said, "Jumping Jack Flash, by the Rolling Stones, 1969," you get 100 bonus points.

No, this is not about gasoline.  I had a dental appointment today, knowing I was going to need a crown.  A tooth that had a couple fillings from 40 years ago developed a crack, and then I lost a chunk of it.

I chose to go to the dentist on the island (SPI) that Joan used last time she needed something significant.  This is the first time I have had laughing gas; Joan told me what to expect.  It was even better than I anticipated... no, I didn't get "goofy," nor did I laugh.  If anything, I felt a bit drowsy and had no stress.  I never felt "out of it."  And the real bonus: all the work this lady did to prepare the rest of that tooth for a crown, and only one shot of Novocaine or lidocaine (I didn't ask which)... I had to ask if she gave me a shot.  It was truly that painless.

I have a temporary that will be replaced with the actual crown in a week or so.  And when I left the dentist's office, no numbness or residual pain.  A first for me after getting significant dental work.

 An excellent experience.

Before the next front blows in...

I took the boat out for a while this morning - another front is supposed to blow in this evening... the way one of our local weather weasels put it: "The high tomorrow will be 20º colder than the low last night."  Cold temps (that's relative), rain, and wind, with gusts up to 50mph.

I shoved off and went out the canals.  Again, just looking to run the boat... and some "lookin' around."  A couple different tugs/barges in the turning basin this morning...

A couple bait shrimpers...

And, the only recreational boat I saw out there today...

Homeland Security...

A couple more barges...

A couple roseate spoonbills...

 

Even pirate ships need some upkeep...

After running the boat hard, I thought I might take a leisurely cruise by the former PI shrimp basin...

I had seen a couple dolphins earlier, but they were being shy, and I was looking to run the boat hard to make sure everything was working as it should.  And then...

Almost got a photo of one coming right at the boat...

Heading for home, I passed this shrimper coming in (good timing on their part)...

Back home, a lot of work getting the cover on the boat.  Gotta get prepped for this next front.

Not a conspiracy theory...

I was participating in a thread on Facebook, where friend Tom Parrent was lamenting about yet another change in iTunes, and Apple deleting his paid for songs.  They are going to a streaming service, so yet another inconvenience for those who have loaded music.  I was ticked about having an iOS update pushed that I didn't authorize.  Looking around on-line, I found many others who felt the same.  That led me to an on-line chat with an Apple rep last night: I wanted to find out if this is Apple's new "policy" regarding iOS updates.  He couldn't answer my question, so he turned me over to his supervisor.  He couldn't answer my question, so he scheduled me for a call-back from an Apple rep this morning.  Here's my follow-up to Tom on Facebook...

 

-------

 

Tom Parrent: Just got off the phone with an Apple rep. You are right; the nice lady on the phone (very articulate, btw) did the customer service thing right out of the book: apologized for any inconvenience, sided with me ("I had that same thing happen, then realized I pushed 'Install' instead of 'not now'."), offered to do "a diagnostic" on my device (no, thanks), and said she would report it to the engineers. When I asked, "Has anyone else reported this push without authorization?", she told me no.

Not a "conspiracy theory," but she did say there was "an issue" with 13.1.1 that required an update. It was 13.1.2 that pushed without permission. I am NOT guessing that I did not accept that update. Joan came up with an easy solution: turn wifi off on my phone overnight. (insert head slap here) 13.1.3 is still "waiting", so obviously not an unauthorized push.

Great customer service protocol, just not a direct answer nor a solution. I'm guessing they have a box they can check for "Old guy who doesn't know how to use his device."

 

Or, as I have been known to say: "Bullshit."

 

 

Makin' some music...

Another Spire Studio recording.  Mark on keyboards and horns (synth); yours truly on vocal, guitar, bass, drums.

Here's the link...

https://soundcloud.com/captainjimb/hold-on-knock-on-wood-v21

Morning Outing...

Warm, humid, and calm this morning.  Stepping outside, everything (including me) was dripping.  Time to take the boat for a shake-down run.  Joan chose to go to the store, instead.  Rufus was ready to get out at the door, but I thought it best to leave him home, until there are two humans on the boat.

I shoved off and headed down the canal...

Coming around the corner, this guy stood out in the haze...

Obviously, he didn't stand out enough for the Nikon to get a crisp focus.  Moving down that canal...

Patches of blue, looking to the north.  Better light for this osprey on a tall post...

Just coming out of the canal, the morning light was looking good on these boats tied along the wall at the marina...

Less than 100 yards out of the canal, my first dolphin sighting...

I watched them feed for a bit, then noticed something missing as I motored into the turning basin...

That is the last daymark on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.  Moving along, the clouds were pretty, reflecting in the calm water of the ship channel...

 

As I powered up to run the boat at speed, I saw another of our dolphin "tribes" (Scarlet's name for the pods) feeding along the south side of the ship channel...

I didn't get too close - they were obviously feeding, working into the slight current in the ship channel.  Great to see them again...

 A morning spy hop...

I thanked them for the viewing (yes, I talk to them), moved away slowly, then powered up.  Looking west in the ship channel, a bait shrimper in the distance...

A couple pelican fly-byes...

A Coast Guard boat tied off in the turning basin...

Just before turning into our canals, this workboat went by...

A nice way to start the day.  Not much boat activity out there, but it is enjoyable to take it all in, especially on a rare calm morning.

This is as long as I've gone without...

... being at the helm of a boat.  I don't know what you were thinking, but it has been 10 months since Cool Change (our petite metal catamaran, also known as a pontoon boat) has been in the water.

But, Jim, didn't you spend a couple years between selling Wild Blue and getting the pontoon?  That is a fact.  Also a fact: we were working during that time, and I was driving whale watch boats.  Don't believe anyone who says, "It's like riding a bicycle"... if you drive a boat like you ride a bicycle, you are going to have a big surprise... you can't put your foot down on the water to hold up your boat.  ;-)  Yeah, I know the meaning of that saying: it will immediately come back to you.  Yeah, pretty much.

We went out to the storage unit this morning - two tasks: get the motorhome inspected (an annual thing in Texas) and bring the boat home.  It took longer than I expected with the inspection, because the place we went to (reasonably near our storage unit) had only one guy to do the inspections, and he was already working on one.  I don't want to say the guy was new at this, but he asked me if he had to drive the motorhome (they have to do that with cars, but not motorcycles, scooters, or motorhomes)... "No, you just check the lights, horn, etc.  No one has had to drive my motorhome with previous inspections."  I think he was dragging his feet, because he wanted to use up the "whole 20 minutes" he said it would take.

Back to the storage unit, air up tires on the boat trailer, pull it out, and put the motorhome back in.  I also hooked the battery up and tested to see if it would power the motor trim - yep.

Back home, and I was able to hook up the motor to water, fire it up, check things over, put the bimini up, check all the safety equipment... "Hey, it's only 3:00 - what do you say we go ahead and launch this thing?"  The boat interior needs to be cleaned, but that is best done at the dock instead of climbing up and down on the trailer.

We pulled it to the ramp on our island, and I backed it down.  Joan undid safety straps, I got on the boat, and she backed in into the water.  Again, it fired right up, good pee stream, electronics on... I backed it off the trailer.  "See you back at the house!"

Backing away from the ramp (above), and rotating to head away...

In the ICW...

Our island on the left...

So, I guess it is kinda like riding a bike: I remember how to do this boat-driving stuff...

Turning into the outside canal...

Something new since I've been this way...

A Seawind 1000; a sailing catamaran made in Australia.  Seems to be fewer sailboats around here these days; nice to see this one.

Everything on the GPS/depth finder is working...

Yes, the water temperature is 76.5º.  Down our canal...

I feel a bit rusty, but made a good approach to our dock.  Joan had rinsed off the trailer, parked it in our driveway, and was just getting to the dock at the same time I did; nice to have her grab lines.  We tied off the boat, and I went to work cleaning it.

These guys came by, hoping I would have some fish parts for them...

Joan let Rufus out on the deck, and he was hollering for me; well, he may have been worried that the pelicans were going to eat me.  I told Joan to let him come down to the boat and I would keep an eye on him...

He is happy to be where we are; or in this case: where I am.  He didn't help me clean, but I enjoyed his company.  With that task done, I let him back in the house and I put the battery charger to work.  I was impressed that it had enough juice to trim the motor and fire it up - this will put a good deep charge back into it.

The boat is ready for some dolphin-watching when we are...