Getting loaded...

No, it isn't the 60s and 70s again.  An entirely different connotation for us: starting the loading process.  It begins with gathering.  Then moves on to putting stuff in carriable containers.  Containers get moved to the door.

Decisions: load up the coach here at home, or make a couple trips to the storage unit and leave from there.  To be determined.

We are going to be out for a couple months - a short duration compared to most of our motorhome outings.  We don't need to pack "everything we own" (yes, a quote).  Still, it's like moving a household.

Even though we're heading somewhere familiar, I'm looking forward to the change of pace.  Not to mention, it's like marking a moment in time when I am "on the mend."  Eleven weeks... but, who's counting?  ;-)

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We decided to bring the coach to the house.  An alternate route to our storage unit puts us on a recently resurfaced road - it is smooth and not heavily traveled.  No need to spend much time around the storage unit: pull the coach out, close up the storage unit, and head for home.  Driving separare, I noticed my cane (carbon fiber) matches the trim on the dash and console of the motorhome...

The traffic in town was thick when we left, but had subsided nicely when we came back.  We got caught at the bridge both directions... I was behind this golf cart...

Speaking of "taking everything you own" - no idea why they are hauling all that crap around on a golf cart.  And, no idea where it came from - golf carts aren't allowed on the city streets in Port Isabel, other than to a restaurant within a block of our bridge.

Notice the folding wagon on the golf cart above?  Yeah, we use one similar to that when loading the motorhome...

And speaking of golf carts, while riding my bike this evening, I was followed by a couple of golf carts just cruising around... stereo blaring.  The woman driving the cart right behind me was trying way to hard to be "the cool Mom": she had another adult and several young teens on the cart with her.  The stereo was so loud they were all having to shout at each other to have a conversation... she's setting quite the example for those kids.  Yeah, I know: get off my lawn ya damn kids!  LOL  Just another reason I'm looking forward to a change of pace... somewhere quiet... like the Black Hills during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  ;-)

The life I love is makin' music with my friends...

If you said, "Willie Nelson, On the Road Again, 1998," you get 50 bonus points.  What's that?  No, I'm not a big country fan, but Willie transcends genre - he's Willie.

It was a good day today.  Hot and humid again, but I didn't have to be out in it, unless I wanted to.  And, an old Hawaiian saying: Never judge a day by the weather.  No, I judge it by eats... we went out for BBQ for a late lunch.  Porky's is good BBQ.

This evening, I got a call from my buddy Mark.  He has been working with his synthesizer and wanted to show me some licks.  This guy is really talented, and he is working on unleashing all this synthesizer can do.  It is beyond an old rock 'n roller like me, but I can add a guitar part to some tracks, if I can keep up.

I enjoy our conversations.  Mark has been my friend since 10th grade (different schools) and we've been in several bands together.  Cindy sent me this photo while he and I were talking on the phone...

With a note that he is a happy guy when making and talking about music.  Yeah, me, too.  We came up with a plan for the next long distance recording.  I'll work on my parts tomorrow.

After that, it was getting to be dusk - time for bike ride before dark.  I pumped hard and covered my planned distance faster than usual.  Still time to stop for this last bit of light in the sky...

And now, with some ice cream in my belly, Rufus is on my lap as I write this.  Yep, a good day.

:-)

I have mentioned...

"Hotter than the Gates of Hell."  Referencing the summer weather here in the Tropical Tip.  Now, to be honest, I have been told to go to those gates (in a manner) many times, but I haven't actually made the trip.  So, for full disclosure, it may not be "hotter than the Gates of Hell" here.  And, I am guessing it is prettier here than Hell.  Again, no first hand knowledge of this... just assuming Hell will not be pleasant, and that would include the views.

It would be funny to go there and find out it is just "balmy."  There are times when the Tropical Tip is, indeed, balmy, but not this time of year.  The poor weather weasels here have very little to talk about regarding the summer weather on the coast... highs 88 to 92º, lows 80 to 81º, hazy sunshine, breezy.  Oh, they sometimes hedge their bets by saying things like "the wind will be out of the southeast at 5 to 35 mph" (really, that covers quite a range) or "mostly sunny with a 10% chance of localized rain."

It was all in that range above yesterday.  While doing my last walk of the day (now up to 3 miles per day, spread over 3 outings), I stopped briefly to grab a photo...

Look balmy?  Yeah, mostly hot and humid.  I guess I am acclimating - it doesn't drain me (much) anymore.

Walking back towards home, I stopped to say "Welcome home" to neighbors David and Susan.  They recently returned from a few weeks in Minnesota.  It was nice to visit with them - we never seem to run out of things to talk about.  They spend plenty of time outside, playing golf and walking their dog Tessa (I posted a photo of Tessa and Rufus together a while back)... it didn't appear that they had any trouble re-acclimating.

This morning, Joan said, "Look!  It is 78º outside!"  I looked at our weather station - yep; I need to go for a walk now!  Mostly psychological, I guess, because 78º with around 80% humidity didn't feel any different from 81º with 80% humidity.  It has been a couple months since I recall seeing temperature below 80º.  Of course, there was some time in the past few months where I couldn't recall my name, either.

I have been keeping an eye on the weather up north.  Rapid City is supposed to have a high today of 89º... but only 41% humidity.  That will feel like "vacation."  ;-)

Countdown...

We are looking at a week or so out for a departure.  Going north.  Increasing latitude and elevation, hopefully decreasing temperature and humidity.  "Hopefully," because Mother Nature has not been her typical summer self.

In fact, there is an oddity brewing in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico: a tropical depression that is getting energy from the higher than normal water temps in that area (88º or so), and the predictions are for it becoming a Category 1 hurricane by Saturday, potentially making landfall around the Texas/Louisiana border.  That is a few days out and a good distance away from us - we're still paying close attention to it, because... Mother Nature.

If it does ramp up to a hurricane, the name will be Barry.

In the meantime, we are starting our preparing for departure ritual... picking up and putting away everything outside the house (all our deck stuff, hose), spraying for bugs and weeds (an extra dose).  Much of it will be "last day" work, like putting the hurricane shutters down and packing food.

The morning started peacefully.  I have a morning routine where, after feeding Rufus, I make myself a hot chocolate (not a coffee drinker) and have a Biscoff and a mini-donut while checking the morning news.  Joan gets up a little later, after Rufus has the chance to eat and come back to bed to snuggle with her.  (Can a cat be a "lucky dog"?)  ;-)

This morning, the bedroom door opened rather abruptly and Joan came out to the living room carrying Rufus - "He's throwing up!"  That doesn't go well with my mini-donut.  He left a puddle on the living room floor, but apparently did some projectile vomiting in the bedroom.  No, this is not typical for him.  But, Joan picked him up mid-yak (medical term) and... well, you can figure it out.

This made for unplanned laundry for the start of Joan's day.  Nothing more I could do, so I took off for my morning walk (more without the cane than with) and bike ride.

In case you're concerned, Rufus is fine...

Joan is fine.  I'm really fine - I got a scooter ride in, even managed to get the current scooter tag: "your scoot by a colorful bridge"...

Bright yellow and blue, so boats approaching the bridge (over the ICW) can see it.

Yesterday, Joan noticed water that isn't usually there by the neighbor's house.  I gave him a call, and he told me where to get a key to go in and check for anything leaking.  We didn't find anything inside, so it must be a line under the house.  I let him know.  He'll have to get someone out to crawl under and find the source of the leak.  This is a "weekend place" for them, and they don't spend much time here.  We do look out for each other in this neighborhood.

Life in the Tropical Tip.

Not slacking...

I did my one mile walk this morning, then two miles on the bicycle.  Some exercises, then a leisurely soak in the spa tub.  Nice way to start the day.  Joan made us a nice breakfast (no, no food photo), I made some music.

Heat and humidity combining to make it a bit too hot to be out there this afternoon.  After lunch out (Italian, and still no photo... but the food was great), I considered a walk.  Getting out of the car made me reconsider; it is hard to find any shade that time of day.  I will do some extra indoor exercises and get a walk and/or bike ride closer to sunset.

"I don't want you to think I am slacking," I said to Joan.

"Absolutely not - I wouldn't go out in that heat."

She got a new clock for her scooter - the previous one won't keep time and it isn't the battery.  We'll wait until that side of the house is in the shade before installing the new clock.  Some might say "It isn't the heat, it's the humidity"... it's both.

Food photo...

Don'tcha feel like "Again?" when people post photos of their food?  Yeah, me, too...

This may be my favorite breakfast "deal" on the island: Pier 19 has daily specials, and this meat lover's omelette with potatoes and a biscuit with gravy for only $5.59 is great.

We rode our scoots over to the Pier 19, my first time across the causeway on the scoot in quite a while.  It was a delight to ride, with lovely views...

A drive by the beach...

And then a "grab" and a new "tag" on the scooter tag game.  The current tag was "your scoot by some kind of re-tirement."  Of course, the obvious grab would be by a tire shop.  But, I went for the literal...

That's a Senior Citizen Transportation van behind the scoot.  And my new tag: your scoot with the PoPo...

Beach Police/Park Ranger.

Another warm, windy, humid day in the Tropical Tip.

Do people really look like their pets?

I don’t see it...

;-)