Permission to Board Granted

**imagine music

Chris invited her junkin' friends on a final cruise.  The Renewal has been sold but before the new owners cruise off into the sunset, Chris wanted to leave the dock with her friends.  I'm perfectly content to stay secured to the dock but no, not Chris.  She's crazy like that...

I took my motion sickness meds, separated my mind from my body, reread boating etiquette 101, said my prayers, said my good byes, and we lifted anchor. 

After asking permission to board, we were waiting for all passengers to board and I grilled Captain Paul on his education and experiences as a captain.  He told me that he had a copy of  Captaining for Dummies on board.  I asked about his experience as a Coast Guard, he told me he tried that but flunked out.  Excuse me, Captain, that isn't funny!  He's actually a very capable captain, with a good sense of humor.

While I scoped out the emergency life raft and fire extinguishers and questioned our captain, Chris set up a lovely sunset dinner in the galley.

 It was calm, sunny and still for our sunset cruise.  I kept one eye on the horizon and was just fine.  We had dinner on the upper deck after enjoying a drink and appetizers in the main saloon.

 T'was gorgeous scenery and delicious food and drinks with my junkin' friends.

The sunset was beautiful.  It's hard to capture just how beautiful on a phone camera so you'll just have to trust me.

 The captain was called upon for collateral duty as photographer.  Paul was busy with captain duties on the bridge or cockpit up on the helm, and was a good sport on a boat full of crazy.  Crazy, laughing, loud ladies on board!  In between getting the money shot he took the helm and kept the sunset as the photo background.  We went aft to the stern deck for the pics.  Aft? Aft daft!  Possibly an accurate caption for our evening while onboard.

Trisha took the shot of Shelly, Chris and I on the stern.

 Thank you Captain Paul and First Mate Chris for a fun, safe beautiful sunset cruise.

 *All BOLD are yachting terms.  I may have used them incorrectly.  I don't care. 

I made it without falling overboard, getting sick or otherwise embarrassing myself.  And that is all that matters in matters of the SEA.

Ship Ahoy Matey!  

**Sound track includes Gulligans Island theme song, Nearer My God to Thee, Smoke on the Water, Peace Like  River, Will Your Anchor Hold, Wipeout, Bridge over Troubled Water and Looks Like We Made It.

***Edited to add for people that don't know everything about boating...
Hairdressers, beauticians, and couturiers have salons; sailors have a saloon. The Encyclopedia of Nautical Knowledge defines a saloon this way: “In a cargo and smaller passenger vessels, the main cabin, or that serving as a dining-room, assembly room, etc.” The Oxford Concise Dictionary describes a saloon as a “public room for first-class or for all passengers on ship.”The only dissonant note is sounded by Webster’s New World Dictionary, which allows the use of both salon and saloon but then confesses that saloon is “specifically, the main social cabin of a passenger ship.” Nevertheless, whereas most sailors use the word saloon, most powerboaters seem to prefer salon.It’s possible that some boaters use the word salon because they don’t want their boats to be associated with saloons where strong alcoholic drinks are served and rough men indulge in fisticuffs.  - From Yachting Forum

Around Here

My favorite dahlia farm stand opened last week.  I went before it opened and they graciously let me cut my own.  But now it's officially open.  Five blooms for a buck, that's more fun than anyone should have for a dollar.

 Friday evening Chris, Shelly and I went to the Vintage Market pre-show at the Lavender House.  We found some treasures and then toured the vintage trailers.  Chris is a tad tall for some vintage RVs.

 I am looking for ideas while going through the trailers and focusing more on the details than the over all trailer.  I love seeing all of the great ideas the owners have to decorate and to make their trailer more efficient.

 I think I'd like a bigger awning but I did love the polka dots on this awning and the idea of making your awning from a shower curtain.  Hello? Instawaterproof awning material.

 An outdoor kitchen is a great idea if your trailer is small and cooking outside will keep your trailer cooler in the summer.  A skirt and bunting makes a Cabella's kitchen vintage trailer cute.  I've always used picnic baskets as my kitchen cabinets when we tent camped.  It keeps everything clean and organized.  She had a cute stack in her kitchen.  Her oven is from Costco.

 A cozy bed with a pretty quilt makes for a good night's rest while camping.

 While I was out getting ideas and gathering a few treasures Hubby was over on the East side gettin'er done. He went to visit his family and while there he found a vintage ice box, a stove and hood and a light fixture.  Aqua! 

Our lumber package should arrive this week for the '57 Aloha and then it's forward instead of backwards.  That makes me happy!

Everyday Living

It's been a busy year for Hubby and I, with home tour, funerals, a wedding.  We are purposefully taking some time to relax.  Granted it's not an everyday accomplishment but we are trying to step back a bit.

Some days I'm an overachiever in the relaxing department, laying on my patio bed with ice cream after Hubby chases down the Sugar Shack, our local ice cream truck.  Works for me.

We are not entirely idle though...  Well, Hubby isn't idle.

 The metal got stripped off of the '57 Aloha.

 I am so anxious to decorate our little trailer that I sometimes add pizazz to photos of the Aloha in its current state.  Bunting helps!

 On Thursday afternoon Hubby sent me a text while I was at work, "don't be too shocked when you get home."  Okay then.  At that point I  couldn't decide if I was anxious to get home or if I should just stay away.  I guess we have gone as far backwards as possible.  The good news is that now we get to move forward.

 I asked Hubby if this meant that the Aloha wouldn't be ready for us to take to church camp this weekend. Hah!

Next year, we really hope to be ready to go.  Optimistically, we think it can happen.

Hubby got a text from friends that they needed to take their motor home for spin since it had just been in the shop.  Destination was Wander Brewery.  I had made crock pot of mac and cheese for dinner so we grabbed it and jumped in with them.  Felt like the Beverly Hillbillies heading out for an adventure.

 After a lovely evening we walked back to the Midas and noticed a belt hanging under the motor.  Well, that's not good.  The guys pulled it off, drove it home and will fix it next week.  It was a good thing that we had a trial trip before they head over the pass.

 I picked up Shelly and Karen on Friday morning to go to an estate sale in Skagit County.  On our travels we saw the sweetest little blueberry farm.  The chair cushions and bunting were oil cloth, so sweet.
Obviously, I thought it was sweet.  How many times can I use the word sweet...

 We ended up at Tweets in Edison for hibiscus infused iced tea and pastries after the sale.

 We had show and tell.  I'm not sharing what they bought because they may be doing the ol'  Oh hon, I've had that forEvah...

After I got home I cleaned up my treasures and then hit the couch for a long nap.  After all, we are trying to relax here at the Stone House.  Hubby and I had a wonderful evening on the patio last night.  It's cooler and it felt good.

 In between the fun and the naps I am going through the upstairs closets and dressers.  And starting to think about cleaning the attic.  The thought of cleaning the attic makes me want and need a nap.  

Maybe I wait until next year...  No overachiever here.

Flower Power

 Oooh!  The blooms, blossoms and budding flowers that we saw on Saturday's Whatcom Horticulture Society Garden Tour were overwhelmingly beautiful.

 We named this driveway border, Sunset Strip.  Those lilies were stunning!

 And oh my, did Shelly and I have fun, laughing, talking and getting a good dose of inspiration!

 The gardeners had staked and caged many of their plants, something that I am not good about doing.  I thought that the stakes and cages  would take away from the garden.  Not so, unless you are really looking for them them are lost in healthy, happy plants.  All of the gardens had drip lines, and I need those too.

 These roses need a bride.

 Astilbe as tall as me, lush too.

 Leave the seed pods because they add some groovy interest later on in the season.

 Black foliage mixed in with the flowers creates a stunning show.

 Clematis in abundance.

 Hardy fuchsias were in every garden and next year they will be in my garden too.  Bellingham is a different zone than Lynden so they may not work out as well for me, but I'm going to try.

Phlox that were taller than Shelly and so healthy and happy in a border.

 Squirrel!  We weren't going to Franny's sale this week but we couldn't just drive by and not see if there was anything we needed.  Yes, just a few things!  Back to touring...

Precision pruning, the gardener told us that it took three years.  Gardening teaches patience.

I referred to this shrub as the wedding cake.  Stunning pruning!

 The pictures don't really do justice, the gardens were beautiful, inspiring and took many hours of hard work.

 At my house everything is fading, drooping and dying.  It hasn't been a gardening kind of year for me.  But I do have many ideas for next year.  Thank you for a fun day, Shelly!  Garden tours, estate sale, frozen yogurt for lunch all make for a fantastic day with a good friend.