For the best, but still tough
Yesterday was a positive day. In addition to confirming our haul-out day, June 24th, our friend Michael booked us tickets to fly to Colorado to see him on July 1st. On tap for that trip will be plenty of brainstorming sessions, and a road trip to California to visit with our daughter Cassandra and her family. We are very excited about that.
ZTC’s waterline is also significantly higher today, and my wallet a little fatter, as we sold off one of our bikes, our windsurfer and even an extra 5 gallons of gasoline that we won’t be needing. We had decided to get rid of the toys on our boat that we won’t be transferring to the Leopard figuring that we’d rather see someone get some enjoyment out of them as opposed to having them rust away onboard our boat while it’s being stored.
In spite of all that success, Rebecca and I both remained quite melancholy for much of the day as we found a sailor who was willing to adopt Samantha, and we delivered her to her new home. Even though we had concluded that this was for the best, and are very grateful that we found someone to care for her, it didn’t make the transition any easier. Although she was only on board our boat for a little less than a year, the little cat really grew on us. I’m sure that in time we’ll feel better about it but right now, it makes us sad to think about it.
The Flamboyant trees are back in bloom here in Grenada.
Mike and rebeca, you have come a long way since we met at Collins Bay. So proud of your accomplishments and the way you represent Kingston, Canada. What a great turn of events as you journey through life. Enjoy every second. I think you know we are back in Kingstom, Al had a bad out come from brain tumour surgery. Our boat is sold. I do read to him your continued adventures and he remembers you . I too continue our journey vicariously through the two of you. Really looking forward to what is next.
Hi Jennifer
Thanks for the very nice comment. Rebecca and I still think fondly of our time spent with you and Al back at Collins Bay, especially our nice dinner on your boat where we tried to help you drink your entire stock of alcohol. 🙂
Our best to you both!
Jennifer,
I don’t know, you but as a fellow cruiser my heart goes out to you.
My thoughts and prayers are with you,
Deb
S/V Kintala
http://www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
Sounds. Like you folks are eating up in the world, am I right to assume you’re getting a new “Leopard” ? Sounds exciting. Maybe a little more stability. More room on board, to live and party! Hey, look, I forgive you for due friending me, I deserved it, I am sometimes a “crazy old man” goes with the treeitory. I’m almost 70 and too opinionated. I’m getting better. I’d junderstand if you didn’t take me back, I never deleted “Zero To Cruising” . My spelling is still atrocious! Thank God for spell check! Sometimes it doesn’t work.I appreciated the cyber friendship we had before, though we’ll probably never meet in person, but if we do, I,’ll pick up the check for a steak dilnnir.my best to both of you and your endeavors! Good sail in’ eh?
I prefer that my steak is done medium while Rebecca likes her’s medium-well. 🙂
It’s all getting a bit ‘real’ now for you I should think.
Are you sending anything personal or valuable back to your sister by Fedex or anything. I imagine ZTC will be well checked by thieves in your absence.
Will you be going on courses for charter boat cuisine and getting some smart uniform type clothing for meet-and-greet and formal occasions? Who does the diesel mechanics courses? etc etc.
Also, as non US citizens, how do you get round the US requirement for US citizen captains on charter boats in that area?
It is beginning to get exciting, even at the remote position of reading your excellent blog!
Good sailing Samantha.
Cheers.
Mike
Valuables? We have none. And there are no “tiefs” in Grenada. 🙂
Uniforms? Of course. Sexy ones!
Diesel engine maintenance? How hard can it be??? 🙂
Food courses? Maybe.
US Captain requirement? The vessel won’t be flagged US.
Excited? Very!
Reading the uniform thing made me think… Captain Stuebing and Julie the Cruise director, then I wandered off to Capain and Tenniell, then I though How funny would it be if you two did a silly “Love will Keep us Together” Video lol !
If we let your mind wonder for another 10 minutes where do you figure it would have ended up?
I hope you will continue to update this blog during your “employment”. I have been following your travels, living thru your pictures and posts. It is always the high point of my workday to read your latest post.
Hope you enjoy your visit here in Colorado (I live on the northwest side of Denver).
The high point of your workday? Don’t let your employer hear that. Unless you are self-employed, then rock on. 🙂
And we are looking forward to visiting Colorado. I have never been there.
Sad to hear about Samantha (though its good that you managed to find her a new home), my Facebook feed will feel empty without pictures of her perched in random parts of the boat.
What part of Colorado are you going to?
We will miss that to.
We are flying into Denver but will be visiting Loveland. We have no knowledge of CO geography though (yet).
Awesome! Loveland is only about twenty minutes from where I live- it’s a nice place. As an added bonus, it’s pretty far from the worst of the fires. Fires in the mountains are just about as fun as fires on boats, I’d expect.
huh? Fires?
Apparently that news hasn’t reached the Caribbean yet… I assumed it was widespread news because a friend in Honduras saw it on the news there…
Anyway, there are three or four wildfires burning in the mountains in Colorado right now; one of them (in Colorado Springs, so far away from where you’ll be) is the most destructive in Colorado history (at least 360 homes burned, and 2 people dead, last I heard). That reminded me of your very recent post about that boat near you that burned up.
We get all of our news from Facebook. 🙂
Fire can be scary. Glad we won’t be close to that!
That would explain it!
Hopefully all the fires will be out by the time you’re here (in July?), but all the same, it’ll be good to be far away!