Welcome to the Tropical Tip.
Last night, Joan said, "I need to do some cleaning on the boat - can we go out tomorrow morning while it's still cool?"
"Absolutely."
This morning, I put some water onboard, got the boat ready to roll, and we shoved off. We try to keep the fuel level low on the boat when we're trailering any distance... first stop: the fuel dock. The price for unleaded on the water: $3.25. About a buck and a half less than we last paid at Friday Harbor.
We shoved off from the fuel dock for the "once around the island and clean the boat tour." One of the first things we saw: some shrimp boats at the dock...
Heading towards the end of the ICW, you see a pirate ship...
Maybe it's just me, but I find the position of the pirate ship in close proximity to Homeland Security and Customs & Border Protection office amusing...
I haven't seen this in the area before (but, we have been gone for 6 months)...
If we ever decide that we're done trailering, that boat would be pretty close to ideal.
At the end of the ICW is the Port Isabel Turning Basin (we can see it from our house) - there is some work going on...
Down the Port Isabel Channel to the Brownsville Ship Channel. One of us is happily driving the boat and pointing out the sights; the other has started cleaning up in the boat, starting with putting on fresh bed linens...
Really, she's working, not napping. I was just enjoying the legs... those same pretty legs that I first noticed when we were teenagers... but, I digress.
Yes, there were dolphins. See the splash in the water, just visible above the bottom of the window?
Yeah, that was a dolphin. Oh, they look like this...
We told them that their "cousins" from the Pacific Northwest said to tell 'em, "Hi!"
People working, people playing...
The terrain is so different from our time up north. The ship channel is pretty barren...
The buildings on South Padre Island break up the horizon line...
It was getting close to lunch time...
We considered a stop there, but voted for cheeseburgers on our deck instead.
Heading north in the Laguna Madre, we came through the swingbridge that gets you onto our island. You've heard, "Birds of a feather flock together"?
We completed our loop when we passed by the fuel dock...
One of the Customs boats is fueling up; I think it's the same one that blew by earlier. We were out for about 3 hours and used 2.6 gallons of fuel; I'm guessing they used a bit more than that.
We made the turn into our canal, then up to our dock. If we weren't living here, this would have been a very nice vacation day. ;-)
I grilled some cheeseburgers on the deck, then we finished a few other boat projects. Wild Blue is clean and orderly. The curtain is gone from the cabinet that housed Izzy's private restroom, replaced by the cabinet door once again. The carpet runner has been deep cleaned. The boat got a refreshing bath. The next cool morning, I will get out there and put a couple coats of wax on her brow.
If you have to get work done (and one of us insists that we do), this was a very pleasant way to go about it.
3 comments:
Life in the "fast-lane". :-) Your weathers a lot better than the snow they're getting in Central Oregon. :-(
My son and I have been cyber stalking -uh- following your blog for a bit (Izzy got us hooked) now but I admit we're a little behind on the posts because I haven't opened up my Google Reader for a few weeks.
Forgive me for asking but CJ and I are confused ... why is Izzy's curtain gone? (Hoping it's not the sad, obvious answer.)
We tried searching for Izzy the normal way (search widget) and the slightly more advanced Google query way but are still confused.
Hi Gary - this lane has slowed a bit since we arrived in the Tropical Tip. ;-) Please watch your use of the s-word!
Penny Lane - All is well with little Izzy. She is currently sitting on her tower in the house, watching the pelicans fly by over the canal. We are not anticipating any lengthy boat trips this winter; Joan took down the curtain to launder it, I put the cabinet door back on, 'cause it looks better. The door will come off and the curtain will go on when we're ready to head out with the boat again. We have to make it easy for our little furry girl to have access to her private restroom. ;-)
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