left foot, right foot

We have been hunkered down for three days straight.  I am over the cold N/NW wind.  This is what the marina looks like when a north wind blows for days....it fills the place with eel grass.  Unless the wind happens to turn out of the south to blow it all back out to sea, it starts to ferment.  and stink.  ugh.  At least it has been too cold to start fermenting.

As Paul was raking the eel grass at the boat ramp here in Banana Bay, I was reminded of when we took the kids camping in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.  We watched the draft horses go out into the Atlantic dragging a rake to collect Irish moss in the water.  The locals would dry it out, bale it, and sell it.  They use it in making toothpaste, soap, and even ice cream!  We're probably sitting on a million dollar idea here at Banana Bay and don't even know it. There must be some use for this eel grass...to feed livestock...to make biofuel....something.  Ideas, anyone?! 



There is a Willis T, if you can find him in there.  He likes to hide in the mangroves, until another rain shower passes through and he makes a beeline for Marquesa.  He does not like to be wet.  We finally gave up this afternoon and just locked him down in the boat with us.  He's been sulking up in our bed ever since.

There's a story to Cap'n's redneck first aid.  After church we grilled burgers at the boat, then we went to Kenny and Fran's for the afternoon.  Fran was helping me go through our pictures from our Germany trip this summer, so I can get them ordered to start scrapbooking.  Kenny continues to be in 'I-don't-have-a-working-boat-funk" as his fishing boat is still in the shop.  So, the boys scoped out a spot by the Vaca Cut bridge to try their had at a little fishing off the bank.  Kenny was smiling just getting to go buy some shrimp for bait!  Long story longer, suffice it to say that one should never fish on top of big coral rocks in flip flops,  as this is what happens.  Cap'n sacrificed some hide and a lot of blood, and still had no fish to show for it. The fish that lead to the mishap had to be cut loose, as it swam for the rocks, taking Donnie with him, and then it refused to come out....that's one ouchie foot.

Fran and I faired only slightly better.  I simply wanted to look at her pics, choose some, and import them to my files.  TWO HOURS LATER, and completely frustrated with Windows 8, we cried "Uncle!" and headed for Radio Shack.  The two geeks there were of no help, so we marched ourselves down to Office Depot, my laptop in tow.  Jack was the man!  Not even 90 seconds later, we were off and running.  It took all of 10 minutes tops for us to do what we had set out to do two hours previously. Oy vey.  I took two Tylenol and scrounged for chocolate.  I ended up with some pizza bagels instead.  Geesh.  At least our mishap only involved a few bad words and no loss of blood. Since it is to remain blowing and cold YET AGAIN TOMORROW, I plan to go through about 600+ photos and get them whittled down to the best 100 or so to print at the local Walgreens.  It will be a good rainy day project.

Cap'n's attempt at a self portrait at sunset.  He looks in pain here, though I guess he really was :(  Look how the palms are laid over in the wind.  Even the Gulf looks angry.

It just looks cold, doesn't it?  Donnie and I remarked this evening that the clouds look like the snow clouds we see back home.  Thankfully, it's not cold enough to snow, but it is supposed to get down to 50 tonight.  We fired up the furnace this evening for the third time this season.  We obviously need to head further south...like the Bahamas. Or Cuba.  Or Mexico. :)

After dinner, we visited Dave and Diane for about an hour this evening.  I am 'modeling' her latest beading project.  Aren't these pretty?  I chose some brown and aqua beads for her to make me a set...jewelry for feet!  Maybe Cap'n needs something like this rather than the duct tape he's got going on right now, lol.

Many a Sunday night back home, I would bake some homemade cookies.  Firing up my wee little oven also helped warm up the salon a little more, too.  I can only bake six at a time, which means I have about 10 minutes to eat six cookies before the next batch comes out!  Warm oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and a cold glass of milk....not a bad way to spend a cold Sunday night.

So, we've got extra lines and fenders out. We've readjusted them a time or two to keep Marquesa from banging into the dock.  The flag is still standing straight out, the wind is whistling in the rigging, and the mast is occasionally vibrating...we're in for another bumpy night on Marquesa.  Willis doesn't seemed too bothered by it; I think I will go join him in bed with a good book.  I'm praying that tomorrow the weather improves.  G'nite, y'all!