My New Truck

First of all, its been a very long time since I last wrote on my blog. But here goes.... My last entry seems to have been back in 2022. Crazy! A lot has happened in my life since then. My wife has retired from her position as a music professor at WWU. Our grand daughter, Evie, is 9 years old and about to go into 4th grade at her school. She attends a school for gifted learners. She has become quite accomplished as a cellist. She plans to audition for the Seattle Youth Symphony next year. She is acccomplished in Judo, winning a prize for her Kata last Spring at a large tournament. She is a voracious reader and talented writer. We get to have her here at our place for the week starting next Sunday. I have stepped down as Secretary for the Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron. I still am the historian and editor of our newsletter. Keeps me very busy! We are still very active in the squadron. Perhaps the biggest single change in my life since my last entry has to do with our boat--The Key of Sea, our 36' Bayliner which we have owned and enjoyed for the past 15 years and that I have often written about here. Last August 2023, exactly one year ago, we sold her. It had become too much trouble to deal with and keep repaired and, well, it was just time. We found a great new owner who got a hell of a deal but most importantly he had the skills to fix what needed fixing. It has made a big difference in our lives due the financial windfall of not having to pay the insurance, the moorage, the power bill, the cost of maintenance, etc. It does make participating in boating activities pretty difficult but we're fine with that. We are doing a lot of traveling. For me it's mostly road trips as i have got fed up with long distance air travel. We have flown to places on the wesr coast including Hawaii but beyond that, I'm done! Leslie still loves to travel and has found a couple of girlfriends who do too. So, they have planned and made several international trips. That works fine with me. She heads off and I get to batch it on my own for week or two. We road trip a couple of times a year to Pacific Grove on the Monterey Pennisula--my favorite place in all the world besides B'ham. We stay down there for 2-3 weeks at a time going to places we know well to listen to jazz, eat out at our favorite places and discover new places. I can't really explain what it is that draws us to PG repeatedly. It's traditional. It's a special part of the early part of our life together. It just feels right. Most recently, in fact, as of yesterday, I finally made the decision I've put off for years. Back in 1997, when my mother passed away, after we'd settled her estate, there was enough money left for me to purchase a Ford Ranger pick up and it has been with us, serving us well, ever since--for 27 years. But as time has gone along the old truck has got older and the dents and scraps got more pronounced. Finally, she had become more costly to repair. It was time! Yesterday, I pulled the switch and purchased a 2022 Toyota Tacoma crew cab with a 5' bed and a V6 engine. It has four doors and easily seats 5. I love it! Yes, it is used but only has 25,000 miles on it and is in beautiful condition. And the local Toyota dealer was selling it with a full warranty AND it was on sale as a manager's special. So, between the trade in of my old Ranger, the special sale price and another discount as Costco members, we came away with a really good deal. I imagine it will be the last truck I ever own. I'm fine with that and I'm already enjoying the heck out of it. So solid, it's got power and it looks great. I suppose that about catches me (and you) up for now. I'll try to check in more often. Thanks for listening!

New Laptop

My new Dell Inpirion 5015 with an i7 quad processor and a 1T SSD and 16 inch screen has arrived and I am writing this entry using it. It has a back lit keyboard which is a real plus since I struggle with seeing the keyboard. It also has a USB and HDMI connector and SD card slot.

I did purchase a seperate Optical Drive for playing DVDs and loading some software I have that is still on disc. The weight and thickness of this machine amazes me. It weighs only 2-3 pounds and can't be more thsn an inch and half thick. My old laptop, which died several years ago, was significantly heavier and thicker. One other interesting feature which I highly recommend others look into when shopping for new electronics...look into refurbished devices. I saved at $200 buying this refurbished and it looks brand new and has the same warranty as a none refurbished device. As I do a lot with MS Publisher creating the Power Squadron newsletter monthly, getting MS Office Suite was critical. I am now looking for a deal on Abobe Photoshop to help process my photos. This device will enable me to work remotely on my Squadron responsibilities and to attend Zoom meetings from wherever we may be. I've already loaded Adobe Acrobat for PDF use and the software for for our printer which is wireless. I've also added Pandora and Netflix for purposes that are obvious I think. More to come I'm sure. For now though I am a very proud owner of a really nice device

Tragedy in Afghanistan

So, I am again frustrated by the tragedy unfoldingn in another country which America spent billions of dollars and thousands of American lives in an attempt to make over tht country in our image, that is a democratic republic with a free people. Finally, our country decided that our job was done there and it is time to bring our military home letting the Afgan people run the country and defend themselves. It doesn't appear to be working as the "militant/terrorist" group known as the Taliban is retaking the country one region after another with what appears to be little effort. So much for the Afgan military. I guess all that training and state of the art equipment and the billions spent proping up the government has been for nougt. Now who will be the next wealthy and well armed country be who will come in and prop up the next government? Will the Russians return or did the learn their lesson? Perhaps. We spent billions arming the "other side" to help defeat the Russians. I wonder who was arming the Taliban that continued to be the thorn in our country's side for so many years and finally sent us off licking our wounds? Will the Chinese now step in with similar promises to rebuild and modernize their country or, will the world finally just leave them alone and let them live out their wretched lives. Can the countries of the world stop selling arms to them or arming them with the caveat of allowing some sort of political infuence? Not likely but who knows.

Pandemic Panic

What am I supposed to do? I mean, under the current circumstances, I dare not venture out the front door to the mall or out to a restaurant or grocery shopping. Certainly not without the possible consequences. Yes, I take precautions when I do go out. 1. I wear a mask when anywhere near others. 2. I shop only to buy groceries during the posted times for seniors and those at highest risk for the virus. 3. I do not go to any food establishment that does not offer me take out, pick up, curbside pick up or drive through and even then it is only an occasional treat. 4. I shop for almost all other needs online. That means going through Amazon. It excludes going into hardware stores, notorious for, yes, having COVID protocols to "keep customers safe", but have you ever ventured into these "men's clubs"? Guys are noted, and it has been shown that they are the worst at wearing their masks and or wearing them properly. Give them an opportunity and they'll wear them under their noses, or chin and with little concern for others around them to keep an appropriate distance. My experience in Lowes has been that I spend my time being wary of guys who sidle up next to me looking for a similar item and with their masks worn inappropriately. It's their right you know. All we can do is ask them to do the right thing but if they believe the right thing for them is not to follow the rules, then to hell with you. A few months back, early in the pandemic I was in the local hardware store, Hardware Sales. I needed a few nuts and bolts for a boat project. I wandered into the nuts and bolts aisle which is low ceilinged and with ultra narrow aisles and it was crammed with guys shoulder to shoulder doing the same thing I was there to do. I escaped without incident, as I remained well weeks after the incident. But I just can't bring myself to go back in there. I want to shop local. I want to support our struggling restaurants. My wife and I love nothing better than to go out for breakfast in one of our many favorite local breakfast shops. But how can we? The best we have come up with is the local Home Skillet restaurant where we can call ahead to order our favorite Big Green Mess or their Pork Tater Tot Hash. Oh man. Incredible but not to die for. Thankfully, the folks there have taken dramatic steps to make the experience safe. Sadly, in order to keep their establishment open, the have had to take drastic steps where their employees are concerned. So, my solution of choice has been to order groceries to be delivered. When they arrive we have a bottle of diluted bleach in a spray bottle at the ready and we wipe down everything before we bring it into the house. Then we wash our hands well and put the delivered items away. For other needed items, we have spent a lot of money ordering through Amazon. Packages are delivered to our front door and, once wiped down, they too can be opened and enjoyed. My pharmacy is online so all my meds come to my mailbox. Again, the package is wiped down and then opened. Thanksfully, Amazon is great about returns and, though we have seldom done it, we have found it easy to return items at our local Kohl's store. We go in on Wednesday morning when they first open for seniors and drop off the item. Never anyone there and we only come in contact with the person who accepts our package. Both the clerk and I are wearing masks and the transaction is momentary and I head right back out the door to my car. I haven't been in any other stores at our mall for probably a year. I didn't much care for the mall before the pandemic. I don't know what shops may even still exist. I imagine there are probably more empty store fronts than there was the last time I did venture through the mall doors. Personally, I don't much care. I know these shops employee a lot people who are now either unemployed or had to find new jobs, but not much can be done about that situation until the pandemic is ended. Since businesses and our current government have seen fit to put business before the health of our citizens, well, we are just going to be stuck in a never ending spiral of death and an economy that continues to limp along. Of course, a vaccine could help end the situation but can't work until enough people see the benefits of taking the vaccine. If millions don't see the benefit or are convinced that it will somehow endanger their lives. . .well, then, the virus will continue to infect, cause misery to many and kill thousands of others. As for me, I'm ready to roll up my arm just as I have for all the other vaccines I have been given during my lifetime. Vaccines that kept me from getting so many killer diseases that, before the vaccine was created, killed or maimed so many around the world and continue to in many poor nations. So, what do we do? Millions of Americans are at risk of being evicted from their homes, they have lost their livelyhood and simply can't afford to live. Meanwhile, the current government plays their violins while the country burns to the ground. I believe our way of life is at risk. More and more homeless out on the streets can only build to a boiling point. People with nothing left to loose at some point won't care if they break laws. If it puts food in their family's mouths or gives them shelter, then, they will do it. I don't know where that tippng point lies but it is out there. And don't we have enough folks out on the street now that we mostly ignore? Are we going to ask our law enforcement to continue evicting families at a rate way above the normal numbers? Are we going to ask them to arrest or confront the growing homeless numbers with possible dire consequences? I believe we need to look at how our economy operates. As it current operates, it doesn't see a need to reach out to those who are being evicted, nor does it address the needs of those who own the property from which those folks are being evicted. The landlords can't afford to loose rent from tenants or they risk losing their property and income. It is a domino effect. This is true of so many other situations in our economy, which indicates to me that our economy is not responsive to the current needs of our citizens. I'm fine. At least for now. I'm retired, have an excellent retirement income that will take care of me for the rest of my life. Investments, Social Security and pensions will all make me comfortable the rest of my life. So, the economy works for me, so far. But, of course, there is always the possibilty of some event down the road that causes the economy to collapse (I know, let's try to be positive). And, of course, if that happened it would mean the whole country would be in trouble. I am not at all an economist and have no clue what would happen if any of my suggestions were used, but, if we don't start looking down the road soon, it will be full of even more pot holes. Let's pass a bill to offer higher unemployment salaries to folks who are unemployeed through no fault of their own...but, let's put those folks to work. Remember the WPA and programs like back in the 1930's. Don't just give folks money and let them sit on their butts. Give them a task to earn it. I heard from friends who were angry after the last bailout that they couldn't get people to come to work for them because they made more being unemployeed. Bad idea. Put 'em to work. Homelessness? Let's have some of those unemployed folks go to work building basic housing for those who are homeless. Sort along the lines of the Habitat for Humanity program. Or, perhaps go the route of the Tiny House movement. We long ago started building homes WAY to large for the needs of the average American. I grew up in a lower middle class neighborhood and a home that was a 3 bedroom, one bath home. No family room. It was plenty of room for our family of 6. The boys shared a bedroom and the girls did too. It all worked out and, though we knew people who lived in what we thought of as "mansions" it never occured to us that we were missing out on anything. Landlords and business owners who are also struggling. Here I must say I am not sure how to address their specific issues. Perhaps the goverment could offer money to keep these businesses going. How that might look, I am sure small business owners would probably have some great suggestions. Anyhow, for me, the near future will continue to be to support local business as I can knowing that my front porch is going to be a stop for FedEx and UPS for some time.

Election 2020 Venting!

November 3, 2020 has come and gone and, as projected, we still don't know who our next president will be. It is as they say "too close to call" in several so called 'battleground states'--Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and others depending on how you look at it. The tally in several of those states is within a few thousand of vote and some votes, due to how ballots are counted, could swing the decision wildly in one direction or the other. Either way, it is obvious from the way things are going that our country is deeply, deeply divided. Half the country thinks the way our country has been led the past four years is just fine and the other half wants, even demands a change. What is odd to me is that generally speaking every other person in this country believes Trump is on the right track OR that Biden would be too evil to vote for OR, well, for any number of other reasons they can't vote for him. On the other side of the ledger, Biden's fans feel the same way, roughly speaking, about Trump. So, where does that leave us (our country), our position in the world, with our allies and our enemies? Trump has 'governed' the last four years without concern for whether he is making any attempt to pull the country together. He 'rules' using an antiquated style of running a company. It's my way or the highway, or using his Apprentice line--"your fired" if he doesn't like what he hears coming out of those he has hired to work for him. He just dumps them and gets someone else who will agree with him. The idea of working to build a consensus (the modern accepted business model, which allows everyone to feel they have a voice and are heard regardless of the fact that the president has to make the final decision alone never enters his head. He doesn't bother with that. I guess it takes too much time. Consequently, he pisses off half the country and goes through employees like Carter has pills. And what about the lengthy list of his appointees that have wound up getting jail time for illegal activities on behalf of their boss, who protects himself by pretending to be astonished that that could happen while happily throwing them under the bus. Plausible deniability! For me, I can understand he is a fiscal conservative and that attracts a lot of voters who are in business. I get that. What astounds me is that these people are willing to sell their souls to defend their business interests. Its okay that Trump is creepy, that he tacitly gives support to extremist groups that hate people of color or non-Christians or the LGBTQ community by never coming out and condeming them. He treats women like toys, has no use for the LGBTQ community, and while he claims to be a Christian, he in no way reflects the true Christian spirit (unless you count the old testament). I could go on but of course, you've heard all the complaints a million times over the years and none of it seems to make any difference to half the poulation of the country. Then there is the matter of how he treats our traditional allies in the world. How he has buddied up to tyrants around the globe. He has ignored climate change advocates, crippled environmental laws that undermine our water and air qualiites. Recently he even opened up mining in a pristine area of Alaska that had been protected for many years and opened an area of old growth forest for use. I have never been more ashamed of being an American in all my 67 years. I thought I'd seen some teerrible presidents along the way--Tricky Dick Nixon, Bill Clinton, George W., but trump takes the cake. As for me, I will continue to vote in every election as I have since i was first eligible. I still have that right. But other than that, I hearby resign as a citizen of this once great country. Until people wake up from whatever delusion they are so enjoying and move back into the column of nations trying to make the word a better place, I am going to just hide out in my little progressive bubble here in Bellingham and enjoy whatever positives life has in store for me for however many more years I have to enjoy them. I wish you all well. Good night and good luck.

COVID Kept Us At Home

So, the Covid virus that has plagued us since March 2020 continues to do so. We have been pretty much house bound since mid-March going out initially only to buy needed groceries. We didn't even do that for a couple of months until there was a bit more solid knowledge as to how to behave when out in public. Wear a mask, don't wear a mask? How far to stand away from anyone? Best hand washing techniques? And on and on...When recommendations finally began to get settled we felt better about going out--a little. Plus, by then stores began to have better methods of keeping us apart and to have times of the day specifically for older shoppers. So, we ventured out wearily and very cautiously. One problem initially was also that there were shortages of certain products. Hand sanitizer was almost none existant on store shelves. Toilet paper was hard to come by. We were fortunate in that we had made purchases of extra non-perishables, bottled water, toilet paper, etc. for emergencies such as earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. before this ever happened. Never thought we'd need to use those items but suddently they came in very handy at an uncertain time. Our emergency supplies kept us from needing to go shopping for almost 2 months and even then it was only for milk and fresh vegetables. So this pandemic has proven our preparations are a good idea and when this finally calms down and life can return to some sort of normal, we will get our supply storage back up again in preparation for the next time it is needed. We've also begun to set up the boat as a secondary location should we need to evacuate from our home. Forest fires have become a bigger deal and so many people have lost homes, even entire communities have burned to the ground. So our boat water supply if topped off, the fuel tanks are full and we have a full pantry that would take care of our needs for several days. We have an evacuation plan from our house should we need to head for the boat, taking cetain key items including more food, emergency gallons of fresh water, clothing, etc. so we caould extend our stay abord should it be necessary. As of right now, we are still mostly at home but we have had some work done at the house. In fact we have tree guys here today who have cut down several trees that we've needed to have done for quite some time, some of which were even threatening the house should they fall in a storm. We bought new beds which we have needed for some time. These required us to be cautious while around those who did the work. We required masks of all who worked on our property or entered our house and when we needed to, we left the house for a few hours while work was done. The boat has been handy on alternate Wednesdays when our housekeeper cleans our home. We go to the boat and stay there overnight returning home the next day. Our biggest problem with all this has been not being able to see our family in Seattle--Daughter, Kate, Son-in-Laww, Nick and grand daughter, Evie. We'd always been able to see them on average every couple of weeks. Suddenly they were cut off from us. Thankfully, a modern solution came about when we started using ZOOM, an online meeting platform. While Evie was stuck at home and not able to be in school we were on ZOOM with her every couple of days. We'd spend hours talking and playing with her--usually until her parent's phone ran out of battery life. Now that she is in school (she started Kindergarten online) and she spends afternoons at her old pre-school with a select group of kids who all know each other and whose parents are all quarantining as our kids are, so the chances of COVID infection are very low. But she is so tired at the end of the school day that she really doesn't feel much like visiting with us. But we still manage a good visit on the weekend. And when she gets extended periods of time off (10 days or so) we can then arrange to meet them for a face to face visit. We just have to be very careful. We are both in the senior citizen catgory which makes us more suseptible to the virus and its effects. My chronic issues make it all the more important. We are, nevertheless, bearing up well under the circumstances and count our blessings--hey, we have a warm home with a roof over our head, plenty of food and fresh water and, most important, we have each other. Stay safe out there.

So, project wrap up! It has been a long summer of pricey projects, some of which were unexpected. What did we get accomplished? Here is the list— 1. New Achilles dinghy with Honda 20 hp power start and tilt outboard, two person seat and St. Criox Euro helm. 2. SeaWise davit system installed 3. SCAD waste/fresh water tank monitor installed. 4. Victron Bluetooth battery monitor installed. 5. New house and start batteries installed. 6. New Maxwell HRC 10-8 windlass installed. 7. New below deck anchor locker created. 8. New anchor rode of 150’ of 5/16 chain and 100’ of 5/8 8 plait line installed in the anchor locker. 9. New raw water wash down system installed. Included pressure sensitive pump and 10’ of water hose and sprayer in old anchor locker. 10. We will shortly purchase a trailer for the dinghy to haul it to and from the marina. It will winter over at home. This will offer security and keep it out of the salt air. Not a bad list! Much more than we ever intended but nothing we shouldn’t have expected considering it is a boat! Next year the big expense (hopefully) will be to repaint the bottom and reseat any through hulls that need attention.

Windlass Issues

 It seems like one thing or another has kept us near our home port this summer. Our big expense, aside from the usual annual maintenance--fluid and filter changes, etc. was to be our new dinghy which I have already written about in an earlier post. And it has turned out to be a nice purchase.

Then, we noticed the batteries were starting to not a hold a charge so those had to be replaced. At about $80-90 a piece (times 5) that too was a financial hit. I saved some money by purchasing them myself, hauling them to the boat and hauling the old ones in for the core rebate. Hauling those suckers about killed me but it saved us a couple hundred dollars. 

Then, on the shakedown cruise to see how the new batteries were doing (they are great), the windlass went belly up. I wound up pulling 200' of line and 36' of chain and anchor up by hand. Yikes! That too about killed me. 

So, instead of heading off to another spot to anchor for a few more days, we headed back to port and I started looking at new windlasses. I contacted Pacific Marine Yacht Services, my go to electricians, and got in line to have them do the work. A couple of weeks later they called to say they weren't willing to do the job. Back to square one. I got in line for the guy that does most of the work on our boat and he was willing to take it on. So, I started looking for a windlass that would work on our boat. That turned out to be a bigger job that I thought as there were no windlasses out there that would work the way the old one had. 

I spoke with a boat buddy who owns an identical boat and asked him to walk me through what he'd done when he replaced his windlass. I recalled he had modified a bow locker into an anchor locker by himself so he knew what he was talking about. After chatting with Steve I was pretty sure of the windlass I wanted.

It is a Maxwell HRC 10-8. Its a beauty! After my windlass arrived from Fisheries Supply in Seattle, my go to chandlery, my technician arrived and we began the project. 

First the old windlass and the pedestal it was mounted to were removed. Then a new Starboard pedestal was built up and the new windlass mounted to it. A hole had to be drilled through the deck so the howse pipe the anchor rode went through could be fitted.  With that complete we went below deck to prepare the new space for the rode.

At the very bow of our boat is a little teak door about a foot tall and nearly the same in width. Opening that door you gain access to an unused empty space. This was to be the new anchor locker, replacing the one on deck adjacent to the windlass. 

New heavier duty wiring was run to the locker as well as the wiring for the new foot switches (up and down). With the wiring in place and windlass powered up we next needed to seal up the locker and ensure it was waterproof. My buddy had inserted a 1/4" panel of plexiglass which he both bolted and sealed in place with silicone. My guy opted for 5200 instead. 

Lastly he cut a hole in the plexiglass and fitted a 5" deck plate giving access to the locker if needed. He attached the bitter end of the anchor rode to the backside of the tow eye by bolting a metal strip to the backside of the tow eye and cinching it down. 

Finally we were ready to start feeding the rode into the locker. Sadly, the windlass didn't want to easily take in the rode. The 2-strand 1/2" line kept jamming and had to be forced down the pipe. By the time we got to the 36' of chain there wasn't enough space left in the locker for it to fit and it too fought back. 

Something had to give which became obvious when we took the Key of Sea out for a shakedown. The windlass didn't like paying out or retreiving the rode so, once again, I was forced to pull it up by hand. 

I just piled it all into the old anchor locker and we headed home. Much more research needed doing.

I contacted my buddy Steve who came over to our boat and looked over what we had done so far. His conclusions were:

1) We should have put in a 4" deck plate as he suggested originally instead of in the face of the plexiglass. The one in the plexiglass won't hurt but it really needed to be cut into the deck. This would allow the person on deck to reach down and move the rode to one side or the other so more can fit in.

2) We need to get new rode. He recommended 150' of 5/16' G4 chain and 100' of 5/8" 8 plait anchor line. 8 plait because it lays down more like chain rather than spreading out all over the locker as the current line was doing. The two elements of the rode will be spliced together with an appropriate anchor splice.

After calling the Maxwell dealer rep in Seattle, exchanging several emails and phone calls, he agreed with my buddy Steve's thoughts.

So, new rode was ordered today from Fisheries Supply. 

The old anchor rode will go into the old locker as a back up and or secondary anchor if needed. Along with that a new raw water wash down system is being installed there to hose the mud and debris off as the rode is brought aboard. And the 4' deck plate will be installed at the same time. 

I am beginning to see light at the end of this very long tunnel. It has been both a fascinating and frustrating experience. Hopefully it will be the final project for the season. We'll see.

Old Atlas Windlass

Inside the new anchor locker loooking up to the pipe

Attachment point of the rode bitter end.

Old rode line piled into new locker seen through the plexiglass.

Foot switches--I picked black

New Maxwell HRC 10-8 windlass. Beauitful and very capable.

    

Life Issues

Its been a while since my last post but everything has been going along smoothly snf it just didn't seem all that important. Then a couple of major life issues came alog,he igst, of course, being the Corona Virus COVID pandemic which is still marching through the world. Currently some 900 Americans a day are dying from this scourge. In my humble and non-scientific opinion it has much to do with the poor way our country prepared itself for it and has since handled it. olitics and the I believe we have been hit hard because we didn't handle it properly from the start and because politics and the economy have driven the decisions to reopen the country and our schools rather than our helth experts. Believe me, I get it. Businesses were hurting and parents , stuck at home, can't take care of their kids and go to work, if they even have a job. So what to do? Open our schools so parents have a babysitter. Open our businesses so they don't go under and so folks have a job to go to. The result? The rate of COVID infections and the death rate have increased or remained the same. Add to that the folks in our land who believe they are somehow immune to the virus , don't believe it is as bad as they've been told by health experts, or who just don't think anyone has the right to tell them what to do, and you have a perfect storm for this virus to continue to sicken and kill people. Especially the old, infirm, those with less than perfect immune systems, the first responders, the teachers, the children going back into classrooms unprepared for protecting them from the virus. You get the picture. 

So, I am staying pretty much at home. Have been since March of this year with only rare exceptions and only then when I am well protected--wearing a mask, staying well away from others who I am unsure about how they have protected themselves, and going to stores or the barbershop only at times when places are least crowded and have taken the best possible measures to protect their customers and washing my hands until they are raw.

Locally, I have always shopped at Fred Meyer for much of my grocery shopping. But of the local grocery stores they have by far done the worst job to protect customers. So we pay a bit more and go to the Haggen store nearer us that has done an outstanding job of setting up protections. 

My barber has let me come in by myself for an early morning appointment (only been twice) when no one else is in the shop. She takes extra precautions to keep her shop sanitized, wears a mask, insists I do too the entire time she is cutting my hair and we each sanitize our hands before and after the haircut.

I don't know when or if this is ever going to come to an end. Perhaps only when a medication is developed that can end it or at least bring it under control. But I do hope it is soon as I am sure everyone else does. I don't like the way it has isolated people. I am saddened by so many folks that rather than keeping in better touch through email or Facetime or ZOOM, instead seem to have circled their wagons and isolated themselves. When this virus first started up we made an effort to contact people by the methods above. We must have contacted 25-30 people we know including some we hadn't been in touch with for many years except by Christmas card.  To date we have been contacted back by only a couple of people. What we call reciprocals. Many people we have thought were close friends we simply haven't heard from at all in less we have made the effort to recontact them. Now I understand, folks are quite possibly feeling depressed or isolated or just frozen, not knowing what to do or willing to do anything to reach out to others. But, am I wrong? Isn't this the best of times to do just that? 

Our summertime activities usually center around boating and usually with boating friends. But what with social distancing requirements and staying out of other marinas where social distancing is difficult at best, much of those activities have been taken away from us. It hasn't helped that we have had boat problems (see next post) that have even kept us from anchoring out somewhere. And with Canada closed to American boaters this summer (the place love most to go), the most popular local boating anchorages are much more crowded than usual.

No, I know my problems don't amount to a hill of beans compared to folks who have lost their jobs, are worried they could lose their homes, that have jobs that expose them daily to stress and to this deadly virus. I get it! Buck up, Michael! Quit your whining and get on with it! And I will. I'm made of pretty tough stuff. Just thought I'd vent a little.   

What is the answer? I just don't know but it is very depressing to see that people you thought you could depend on, at the very least keep in touch, seem to have forgotten to do just that. Ah, well, this too as they say, shall pass.

      

Introducing Key of Sea #

Let this be the birth announcment of our new little one who arrived on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 12:30 PM. She is a cute little thing, as they say in the boat world...yar!

 Our Achilles HB-315 DX dinghy came with a brand new Weaver helm and a 20 hp Honda outboard. She sits up on her side on our swimstep held in place and raised a d lowered by our new SeaWise davit lift system.

It took a while from conception to birth for her to arrive to our mother boat but it was well worth the wait. I've been working with Steve Guyer, owner of Guyer Boatworks for the past few months to find the right boat. 

I took her out on a seatrial Monday after her arrival. We slowly drove her across the marina to the breakwater where I put the pedal to the metal and gave her a bit of a test run almost but not quite getting her up oon plane, then back to the slip where we connected to the davits and raised her up into place.

I can't wait to take her out again and really give her the gas. I'll need to take down some fuel to tank her up before heading out too far. She has a 3 gallon fuel tank which should give her a range of a couple of hours at top speed so an extra fuel can aboard would be useful.

We added a bilge pump to the package at the last minute--just in case. I also purchased a boat cover for her for the off season. My intent is to also purchase a trailer for her so we can pull her out of the water in the off season and bring her home to sit in the back yard. I'll look into that next fall.

SeaWise Davit Lift System

In the meantime, enjoy some photos of this project!

Heater Project Finished! Fresh Water Issue Fixed? I Hope!

I had a new to me technician aboard for the better part of three days last week installing a diesel forced air heater on the Key of Sea. The heater kit has been sitting on my bench in the garage for nearly a year while I figured out how to get it installed.

Originally it was to be installed with the heavy help of a buddy from the Power Squadron. But then he got very ill and was unable to help. It would have been done free! So, after months of waiting, hoping he would get healthy enough to help me, it became obvious his days of helping others was probably over. I started looking around for someone else to do the job but it was tough because all the reputable places in town wouldn't touch the project because they were all representatives of Espar or Wabasto or one of the other few well known outfits, all of which cost an arm and two legs!

My Planar unit is Russian made and costs far less than those other company's products which cost in the thousands of dollars. My Planar kit was a little over a grand and with the extrta parts I had to buy to make it right for our particular boat, it was still less than $1,500.

I finally found a young fellow through a boat buddy who works very inexpensively and had experience intalling heaters. So we got started on the project and into the first day we discovered I didn't have all the parts I needed. So, I made a quick drive up to the Planar showroom in Surrey, B.C. only about a 40 minute drive from our house. I picked up the parts and drove right back to the boat where my guy was still doing what he could do without those parts.

Day 2--He was cutting holes here and there including enlarging the old 3 inch ducting holes to fit the 4 inch ducts we wanted. Plus there was the new exhaust through hull which meaant a new hole through the hull. Anytime holes get cut in my boat I get a little nervous because well, just because. If you own a boat you know what I mean.

Day 3--Finishing the ducting, attaching the exhaust hose to the through hull and powering up the unit. It all went together very easily except for the customization that was often necessary due to the characteristics of our boat.In the end though, all went well and the unit running very well. It is so efficient and quiet and heats up the boat quickly.

Meanwhile, my tech also installed the correct water hose to the fresh water pump, removing the old garden hose which should never have been used. He also made sure each connection was tight and no air was leaking into the system. It seems that we now have a solid working water system. However, he advised me that our hot water heater does have a small drip that will eventually become worse and we'll have to replace the unit. We'll cross our fingers that it keeps working for another year or two as we have exhausted a couple of year's worth of our budget.

4" ducting connected to the heater output end.

Fuel filter about to be installed. One of the parts we needed to get in Canada

The heater unit in its cabinet.

The muffler ducted into the space to the right where the exhaust thru hull is located.

Digital display

Thru hull exhaust.

Forward duct in the stairwell leading to the galley

New thru hull hole.

My tech installing new water hoses replacing the old garden hose. Poor choice by previous owner. 

Fresh Water Pump Follow Up

A couple of entries ago I mentioned that our fresh water pump had died while we were in Canada.  I replaced it on returning home and thought all was well again. Unfortunately our troubles continued when we attempted to run water for washing dishes one night.

We had turned on the AC water heater circuit breaker to heat up some water. When it came time to use the system it ran fine for a few minutes but then suddenly the water from the tap stopped coming out. Odd!

I returned to the boat a day or so later and checked the water again and it ran and ran just fine. What I didn't do was try and use the hot water system again. So I figured problem solved.

We left on a week-long cruise to La Conner and a squadron rendezvous. But the first time we attempted to use the hot water heater, a horredous clank emminated from the utility tunnel, then a series of smaller clank, clank, clanks. Then....nothing. We immediately turned off the hot water heater.

We had fresh cold water after that but didn't attempt to make or run hot water. One day I decided to try and heat some water in the tank again just to see if it might work. After a while I went into the shower to bathe only to find---no water!

I suggested Leslie turn off the hot water breaker. She did. Still no water. She then turned off the fresh water pump breaker, then flipped it back on. Water came out of the shower just fine including hot water.

So, apparently we have to recycle the fresh water switch to make water come out. But why is this happening?

Next week we have a technician coming out to try and answer that question.

He will also be installing our new diesel heater that has been sitting in its box in the garage for nearly a year.   

Family History

     I have long had an interest in my family’s history, our genealogy.  I’ve done a far amount of research and documentation of family members and found quite a bit over the years. My interest stemmed from my association with the LDS, Mormon church while growing up. The religion emphasizes the importance of genealogy for reasons I won’t bother with here. For me, those reasons are of no importance. My interest lies simply in my love of history and interest in the stories that I believe everyone has given the opportunity to tell it.

     So, here I just want to deposit the facts of my family; their birth, death and any other facts and recollections I have about them.

   

Arthur L. and Madeline Cone

 My paternal grandfather was Arthur Lee Cone. He was born September 21, 1898 and died November 12, 1977, in Taft, CA. He was married twice. His first wife was Madeline Elizabeth Cone (Cottey). She was born July 1, 1903 to parents John Malcolm Marion Cottey and Agnes Irene (Gaupp) Cottey  She died January 10, 1957 in Taft, CA. Sadly, she passed away of cancer when I was only four so I have no real memory of her. She was the mother of two children, Arthur Jr. who passed away early in his life as a result of appendicitis, and my father,Alfred Russel Cone, born 28 March 1925 in Fresno, California, though I was always told he was born in Coalinga, California. He died 16 January 1975 in Merced, California. 
     Grandpa remarried the widow of a good family friend whose husband had passed away around the same time as grandpa's wife. Her name was Zola Myrtle Johnson (Nee Cone, Nee Johnson, Nee ???). She was born October 25, 1903, and passed away November 2, 1983 in Bakersfield, CA. She was the grandmother I remember. Grandpa and Grandma lived in a very modest home at 915 Wood Street in Taft, California, a small oil town in the desert south west of Bakersfield. The home was Zolas and grandpa moved into her home after they married. He sold off his home which was a few blocks away on Eastern Avenue. Hers was by far the nicer of the two homes. I've looked at the home using Google Maps recently and it is only a shadow of its former self.  Though it was a very modest home it was well kept. Today it is a ramshakle dump of a place as is the entire neighborhood. It is in a part of town now where it isn't advisable to venture.
     Grandpa worked as a machinist for the Shaffer Tool Works in Taft. I visited him many times in the hot and dirty building where he turned out tools and parts for the oil field operations. I remember him

Grandpa Cone in the middle

washing his hands in the sink against the back wall with Borax Soap, a gritty, white substance that rubbed into his forearms and hands would, after much scrubbing, render his hands clean enough for him to head home for lunch or at day's end. Lunch was signaled by a siren which sounded every weekday at noon. 
He regularly came home for lunch which grandma always had waiting on the table when he walked in. It was, at least whenever our family was visiting, always a plate stacked with bread, another with sliced tomato and lettuce. A bowl of potato chips. A jar of pickles and always, ALWAYS, grandpa's favorite German-style mustard. 
If it was a weekend or possibly a weekday early evening (if there was enough light) we enevitably

Taft gun range

visited the Taft Gun Club site out on the edge of town. The range was a very rough set of benches and metal roofed spots where you could set up your guns out of the sun. Aside from that, it wasn't much.  But we would almost always head there at least once whenever we were in town visiting.   
Grandpa would load up in his tan VW beetle, whatever weaponry he had in mind for us to shoot that day and off we drove. Grandpa was a life member of the NRA and an excellent marksman, having won scores of competitions. However, he never shoot at anything other than the paper targets he lined his garage workshop with. His trophies and medals lined the walls and shelves in his bedroom.  When grandpa died, all his guns, and there were many, were my inheritance. I took them home with me and promptly gave them to my brother. I wanted nothing to do with guns in my home.  

Cookie Jar. I own one too.

Grandpa was one of the smartest people I've ever known, despite his only made it to 6th grade. He was largely self taught. He loved to read, especially about the wide world. He had stacks of National Geographic magazines around his bedroom as well as Time Magazine which he read from cover to cover. He was alo a music lover, especially Opera and brass band music. He loved Souza marches and also enjoyed Russian Army Chorus recordings. He listened to the Texaco Metropolitan Opera performances on the radio. He was a fascinating man who did not suffer fools. He swore like a trooper sometimes, god damning this or that whenever the spirit moved him. But I loved him. 
Grandma Zola worked for the Taft Driller, the local newspaper, in their bindery. She also smoked like a train which didn't thrill me but it was the way things were in those days.
I loved visiting their house. There were always cookies in the cookie jar, a rotund ceramic jar with various cookies displayed on the outside and a lid with a walnut for a handle. It sat on a counter just to the left as you entered the kitchen. Also, always of interest to me was what grandpa kept on the shelf in the cabinet right above the cookie jar. A box of boxes of Clorets gum sat ready for grandpa to grab whenever the box in his breast pocket became empty. Each box was opened on one corner with an opening large enough to allow only one of the small green rectangular pieces of gum to fall out in your hand at a time.

Grandpa would always make sure my pocket had a box in it when I came to visit.
I worshiped my grandpa. I learned a lot from him. A few things my mother wished I hadn't. One family story has it that one evening at the dinner table, a bowl of spinach was being passed. When it arrived under my nose, I made it clear I didn't want any. My mother kept insisting that I had to have some. Finally, exasperated, I declared I didn't want any god damn spinach! My mother blanched and began to cry. Grandpa nearly turned himself inside out trying to keep from laughing. Mother jumped up and ran off to her room my father right behind. The point here is that I learned my inappropriate language skills from my grandpa who quite regularly sprinkled his language with such words. If it was good enough for him, surely it was for me. I soon found out otherwise.
Grandpa and Grandma Zola had seperate bedrooms with grandpa's room in the back of the house. They shared the ony bathroom in the house which was a walk-through type with doors into each of their bedrooms. Grandpa's bedroom held a writing desk, bookshelves, his double bed, a chest of drawers and an armoire which stood in one corner. Covering the entire wall facing the foot of his bed was his collection of rifles, some dating back to his own grandfather who was a gunsmith. There were muzzle loaders, flintlocks and caplocks, all kept in firing order by grandpa's meticulous care. In one drawer of the chest of drawers were the hand guns he owned. Ammunition was all stored out in the garage/workshop. It had long ago stopped being a garage. It was where grandma did her laundry and where grandpa had his shop that included a metal lathe, equipment for making his own ammunition, a well-lit bench just inside the door and up on the top shelf, was an old cathedral style table top radio. When he turned on the lights in the shop, the radio always came on. I was always fascinated by that radio. After grandpa passed away, grandma, who knew how i felt about the radio, made sure I received it. It sits on a shelf in our family room and still works.

When visiting grandma and grandpa, us kids were often sent outside whenever it wasn't too hot. We wandered around observing the strange pepper trees and oleander shrubs.  We were warned not to mess with the sap from the oleander as it was poisonous.  

Probably the strangest thing we spent time gazing at were the little cone-shaped pits in the sand. Ants would occasionally tumble into one of these and try as they might, the slippery slopes would only cause them to slide to the bottom of the pit where Ant Lions lurked under the pit. When an ant came close, the ant lion would stick it's madibles out and grabbing the ant, drag it under and devour it. Eek! We would watch these creatures for what seemed like forever waiting for the next macabre event. We never dared stick our fingers into the pit for fear of what might happen to us.

Another activity we enjoyed was going to the public pool at the high school and to the youth center downtown. The youth center was really cool. It had a bowling alley, ping pong, roller skating, even an ice cream shop complete with early rock and roll blasting from the juke box and black and white photos of the hearththrobs of the era.




  

Fresh Water Pump Issues

So, my 5 year old fresh water pump went out during our recent cruise in Canada. 5 years old! The one

Old 12 volt pump

before that lasted over 20 years! No fresh water out of the taps or shower for the last two days of the trip. As we were in marinas that didn’t cause much hardship. I figured I’d install the replacement pump I had aboard when we got home.

24 volt pump I can't use

Today I am down at the boat doing just that. I get the old one out of the tight spot it lives in down in the utility tunnel squeezed between the waste tank, hot water heater and isolation transformer. I’m balancing on my head with my glasses slipping up so I can’t focus on the job. I finally get the new pump ready to go in, wire it up, flip on the switch to make sure it worked before connecting the water supply and....nothing. I rewired it to make sure I connected it correctly and...nothing. Upon closer inspection I spotted the problem. The new unit operates on 24 volts, not 12 which is what I need. A quick call to Fisheries Supply and the correct model is on its way and I am on my way to the post office to mail the other one back to them.

So, for a few days, there will be a hole in the floor of the salon waiting for the new pump. Geeez!

The pump's location

Now you would think when you call and order a new water pump for a boat that the sales rep, who works for a boating store, would have the sense to ask if you need a pump for a 12 or 24 volt system. In fact, the pump I removed was labeled that it worked on a 12-24 volt system. Of course, the person doing the ordering, me, might also have the good sense to ask that they send me a 12 volt version. Ah, well, live and learn.

Hatch to get at the pump

Follow up to my earlier posting regarding the fresh water pump. I’m driving to Seattle tomorrow to pick up the new one and drop off the other one.

Hopefully, by Saturday the new pump will be up and running! Then, on to the

next project.

The photo to the left shows a close up of the utility tunnel below the main helm. The black spots are roughly where the old pump lived. The photo to the right shows the hatch below the main helm that I had to reach down into to get at the pump and wire up and plumb the new one.

I called Fisheries Supply this afternoon and asked for the new pump to be set aside at Will Call. I will make a quick trip down to their store tomorrow, drop off the 24 volt model I can't use and pick up the 12 volt model I will install on Saturday. 

Dining Out in the Ham!

Bellingham has always, in my humble opinion, struggled with great places to eat. Admittedly, it is no Seattle or Portland, but you'd think something of really high quality could make a go of it here in the City of Subdued Excitement! And there have been some notable and gallant tries in the past. What seems to generally happen though is that someone opens a place, there is lots of enthusiastic support for it and then, suddenly, something happens and they are closed.

Sometimes, I think it is just poor management. Running a successful restaurant is a labor of love requiring many hours of work outside operating hours and just as hard work during operating hours. Along with that must be a chef who doesn't scrimp on quality or standards and brings innovative ideas to the dining room. Too, often I have seen restaurants go down as a result of the original chef being let go after a few months or a couple of years and a cook allowed to take over, running the place into the ground because they didn't know what the hell they're doing and or don't care.

There are some amazing venues in town that are currently empty but would make great restaurant locations if someone with a dream and some funding could get it off the ground.

Take the top of the Bellingham Tower, the tallest building in town, where at least a couple of restauants have opened in the past but closed after only a couple of years. They were very nice places and hugely popular but for what ever reason folded.

Another spot that has never been a restaurant but is a perfect spot for a diner is the old stationary store on the corner of Champion and Unity Streets behind the Mount Baker Theater.  Its the right shape, has windows across the front, is long and narrow just as a traditional diner should be.

So, where does one go for an outstanding dinner experience in B'ham? Well, sorry to say I can't really recommend a place right now. Oh, there are good pizza places galore. Lots of very good breweries. Sandwich shops and we do have some outstanding breakfast places. But an outstanding white table cloth dinner place. Can't think of one.

We have an Anthony's, a surf and turf chain based here in the northwest. Nope. Sadly, with all the waterfront space we have, and with the amount of fresh seafood, salmon, halibut, prawns and crab coming into our harbor, there just isn't a top flight seafood restaurant.

So here are my top choices right now in no particular order and what they do best.

1. Home Skillet--the best breakfast place in town, period. Amazing food. Their only downside is their size and because of it the management have elected to be kind of pushy when it comes to lingering over your meal. That is off putting to us. BUT, the food! OMG! Try the Tater Tot Hash or the Big Green Mess and well, anything on the menu. You can't go wromg.

2. Fat Pie Pizza--in Fairhaven (south side of town) has amazing views up on the top floor on a nice day and their pizza is pretty darn good.

3. Our Diner--Another great breakfast joint out north of town on the Guide Meridian road. Try the Hashbrown sandwich. Amazing and you probably only need the half order.

4. Nikki's Bella Marina--Okay, so alot of folks don't care for this place. It has nice views down onto Squalicum Marina, but I truly believe they make THEE best fish and chips in town. You get two huge fish portions and all the steak fries you can eat and the fish is battered and fried perfectly.

5. Bellingham Cider Company--This hard to find place may, just may be my current favorite place for dinner. Very good food including the vegan selections and the cider is getting better all the time.

6. Camber--This coffe shop in the heart of downtown B'ham, was recently named to have the best coffee in Washington. That is saying something around this part of the country. But they also serve up some nice food as well.

7. Twin Sisters Brewing Company--They've only been open about a year but this is alreay a hot spot for beer lovers and they make some good offerings for lunch and dinner as well. It's just a fun place to go and hangout.

8. La Gloria Mexican Food--It isn't the best Mexican food I have ever had, hey, I'm from California, I know from Mexican food. BUT, it comes the closest to my California roots as anyplace in town. It even has a decent market attached to it where you can get fresh tortillas and some anazing carnitas (also available in the restaurant).

Well, that about does it for now. I'll do some more thinking and will certainly continue looking for and trying new places as they open or I discover them.

Cheers!

Windy Days Road Trip

Our cruise into the San Juans set for earlier this week had to be cancelled due to windy conditions on the water. 10-20 knot winds make leaving our slip or entering another problematic. Rather than risk it, we decided to cancel the trip and stay on dry land, not an easy or attractive alternative considering the work involved in planning the cruise.

Nevertheless, yesterday we got out of the house early and headed south down Chuckanut Drive, a scenic two-lane drive tucked into the cliffs overlooking our coastline. This drive includes narrow turns, deep second growth forests and stunning overlooks out onto the bays and coves below.

Eventually, the twists and turns popped us out onto the Skagit Flats and we pulled over at the little crossroads seetlement at Chuckanut Drive and Bow Hill Road. This is the turn off to head into the tiny settlement of Edison, Washington, but before making the turn there was a lot to check out at the crossroads.

The Rhododendren Cafe, a long established eatery is well known in the area for its always changing menu reflecting cultures all over the world. Nearby is the Farm To Market Bakery, owned by thefolks at the Rhododendren Cafe. We stoped by and found a delicious Lime-Soaked Polenta Cake  It’s a combination of pound cake and polenta soaked with their sweet lime sauce. It was very light, had a bit of crunch and delicious.

Also near this corner of deliciousness is the Samish Bay Cheese Company, well known at locaal farmer's markets. They make a variety of fresh and aged cheeses and many other products. Its worth a stop in to taste a few of their offerings. Buy a chunk of cheese and hold onto it for when you get to our next stop.

Heading down the road into the little settlement of Edison is quite an odd experince. How did its contents wind up here? An art gallery and several great places to eat! The town has been here since the Civil War, sitting on the edge of the sloughs leading out into Padilla Bay. 
We had breakfast at the old Edison Cafe  where we enjoyed an omelet, crispy browns and rye bread and a bowl of vanilla yogurt and house made granola. Two cups of Fidalgo Bay coffee served up by a very friendly staff made the experience very pleasant.

A bit further into the town we stoped in to the don't miss Breadfarm bakery for some of their delicious baked goods. Their bread and sweet and savory items are well known at farmers markets all over the sound. We picked out a loaf of their multi-grain and a cinnamon snails.

Sadly, two of our favorite spots wer closed and didn't open until later in the morning. We had hoped to breakfast at Tweets and stop in to Slough Foods and pick up some of the famous Salumi sausage made by Mario Batali's father in Seattle. Slough Foods is one of the few places where you can buy Salumi other than at the restaurant in Seattle. It is pricey stuff but worth the treat and isn't so bad when sliced very thin and squeezed between slices of fresh Breadfarm bread. Alas, Slough Foods was not open and so we had to move on to our next stop for the day--La Conner.

This quaint community sits along the Swinomish Channel, a salt water channel cut near Anacrotes at the north end and leading out into Skagit Bay and either towards the stunning Deception Pass or south down the inside of of Whidbey Island.

La Conner is a sweet town of onnly a few hundred residents but contains plenty to do and see. Museums, a brewery, plenty of shops, galleries and great restaurants.

Our favorite place on our most recent trips has been the discovery of Anelia's Kitchen and Stage. The name hides that fact that it is actually an amazing Polish restaurant. Run by a young couple the options are just head on the table delicious. On our recent visit we shared the Polish Platter, an assortment of the fabulous options on the menu.

Take a walk down the main street of La Conner andtry to pick the place you want to dine. Several places are righ along the waterfront and offer al fresco dining. Stroll along the waterfront walk for stunning views of the channel, boats tied up along the docks and plenty of wild life watching.