As the first frost lies on the docks, and the cold, foggy rains shut down DC traffic to a two hour 13 mile ride, and after almost 40 events in DC and MD representing paws4vets, all of us (and especially Goose) are ready to turn in the car, untie the lines and blow this Popsicle stand!
Our target departure is a week Sunday and it approaches quickly. We are looking at last orders from Amazon, stocking up the larder for cruising, checking fuel for condensation, running engine and generator, and generally getting the stuff done that is so much easier in a dock. We won’t be back on a dock for a while.
All in all, we have had a very good three months or so here. It seems many people remembered us (mostly Goose actually) from last year. When we do show up and word gets around we are in the building, whether it is the Pentagon or EPA or any other three letter office, people come into see us and ask about travels and paws4vets. Let’s just hope this activity turns into lots of donations for veterans and dogs!
Yume is looking very nice. The decks have nice fresh paint, the varnish glows, new cabinets in the salon and much more was fit in between events. We did not travel and tourist this year like last for some reason.
Some highlights…
I won’t tell you the amount of money and labor went into these two winch bases but they do look nice and are angled properly to allow a nice lead for the genoa sheets.
Another project was Shelly’s wish to have cabinets above the starboard settee. Here is a before and after…
Painting the deck was fun. It all had to be sanded, taped and coated twice. The tricky part was keeping two very active 60 pound dogs off it long enough to dry. We are very pleased with result. Not only does the boat look great, we think the lighter paint will drop the temperature 10 degrees inside in the summer!
There’s more but you get the idea. Just don’t think we are just sitting up here at the dock drinking piña coladas all day!
On the 21st Tully and I will drive the Tahoe back to Wilmington, NC and I’ll fly back alone same day. We plan to leave Sunday morning weather permitting. It has been interesting to have a one year old Labrador with us for three months but he definately makes the boat seem about 10 feet smaller. For the first month he would give us heart attacks anytime day or night as he would suddenly bark (very loudly) at anything that he was not sure of. Like Ryan getting up for water at 2am. But he has been a lot of fun.
For instance he actually pulls me 2 miles every day on the bicycle. I have to brake to slow him down at times. Here is a fun little video we made showing them pulling us…
(BTW -did you see this movie trailer we did? )
He is a muscle man in a dog suit! But it is time for him to go pick a client to help for the rest of his working life and get trained how to do that. We sort of think Goose will be glad for some peace and quiet too.
Ryan has gone to live with ‘Grammy’ in Marion until Christmas as he wanted unlimited internet access. We hear he is taking full advantage of the grandmother grandson relationship.
Ian will fly in from Air Force loadmaster training (HC-130J) in Albuquerque for Christmas while we rent a car and drive from somewhere along the coast in North or South Carolina. We plan to meet up with our great friends the Everett’s to visit the Bilmore in Asheville on 12/26. Fun!
Then we all will head back for some sailing until Ian flies back to work, and we head on down to Marathon, Fl.
The plan now is to turn around in March and come back up to Beaufort,SC where we have an awful lot of work to do to get this golf fundraiser going. See what we are doing at http://paws4people.org/golf
If you know anyone in that area, or any company who would think about sponsoring veterans and their service dogs please let us know!
So next post will find us underway again at long last. Hard to believe we have been here since August and hot weather since now it is cold and no leaves!
Where will you meet up with us?
