Our Maiden voyage

Finally, FINALLY got to go out on a little ride on our boat!  We had the seller take us out so we could learn all the controls.  Jim had owned little center console boats before but this one was a little different and had an inboard which he had never used in previous boats, and he was nervous about it. I get it. We are old and like the saying goes, "can't teach an old dog new tricks".  If I had to ride a horse or drive a stick shift again I would be scared to bits, and they are both things I was proficient at.  But like another saying goes, "use it or lose it".  With lack of use goes any confidence or bravery you used to possess. And it does take a little while to get that back.

When the seller was sliding the boat into the water he told me that "Boston Whalers" are unsinkable!  ARGHHHH!!!  😟 OMG,  you didn't just say that did you?  That's what they said about the Titanic!!  He laughed.

Speaking of which he told us that we didn't need to buy any life jackets as it came with some. Okay, sounded good to me, till I saw them. EWWWW!!😒  They were filthy, ripped and so old looking I thought maybe they were left over from the Titanic!  Seriously I would rather risk drowning than wear that gross thing. So Tara and I went out and bought shiny new ones for us girls. The guys thought that was a waste of money, so if the guys want to wear the life rags let them.

Our first voyage was on the Weeki Wachee river an Indian name for Winding Waters.  It was like stepping back in time.  The woods were so thick and the oak canopies were looming over head, I half expected a dinosaur to come loping out of the woods!!

wild Florida 

We went over the very deep spring hole named hospital hole, which is said to have healing waters and the mama manatees like to hang out there. We even saw one.  The manatees were thought to be mermaids by ancient sailors. They are "cute" but jeez, exactly how long would a person have to be out to sea before they thought this creature was a beautiful mermaid?  I think there may have been a little delirium going on.

the mermaid model

We got our Florida boat numbers the other day and that with the life jackets and a new anchor are already for more adventures!  Hopefully we will get lots of use and fun out of it.  Florida isn't the boating capital of the country for nothing!

Valentine's Day the cruelest cut of all

I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day!  It is especially painful when a person is not in a serious relationship and it seems like EVERYONE is in some human version of Noah's Ark. 😡

The absolute worst Valentine's Day ever was when once again I didn't have a significant other and was working at Target.  All of a sudden a Barbershop quartet stormed into the store carrying a bouquet of roses.  I love barbershop quartets so I followed them.  They were delivering their beautiful songs and flowers to one of my co-workers!  With every flowery song a.i: "let me call you sweetheart", etc,(ad nauseum) she would fain embarrassment, "oh please stop", she said meekly. YES PLEASE STOP! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP!, I screamed in my head.  Another female co-worker was crying, either because it was so beautiful or because she felt slighted like the rest of us.

This holiday is a commemoration of a Saint, Saint Valentine, who was beheaded on February, 14th, probably for inventing Valentine's Day.  That'll teach him!

And every store has oodles and oodles of butt candy. You don't have to be a cardiologist to know that a heart just ain't shaped like that.  In fact the heart shape was designed to resemble the reverse shape of a woman's butt when she is sitting.  The round parts going into the point of the waist. So you are buying your beloved candy based on a woman's butt!

When I started to date Jim I told him of the "barbershop horror" at Target. The next day while working I was called to the back room, there waiting for me was a biggest bouquet of roses I had even seen! It was so big I could hardly carry them!  It felt so good walking out of the store with my prize bouquet. Now I knew how others felt.  And Jim made sure I would never be slighted again.

Years later my daughter Tara gave me a reason to love the holiday. She was due mid-February and could pick any day, she picked Valentine's Day. So Kaity turns 11 tomorrow on a day I used to loathe.

We had a little celebration yesterday, birthday and Valentine's Day for the girls with gifts an a pizza and cake party, yes even butt candy. We also started a little archaeology dig going in the backyard.   We have found several things in the past, fossil shells, a fossil sand biscuit, a partially fossilized whole turtle shell, and a very pretty salt glaze vase!  But nothing this time other than some blackened pieces of wood pretty far down, maybe part of an ancient campfire.  Who knows what secrets the woods holds! it's fun to imagine!

The dig site

New Stuff /old stuff/ tan stuff/ gold stuff

It's almost spring and this girl has thoughts of: cleaning, sorting, organizing, throwing out.  Not very romantic. But it's time to get the yard in shape, outdoors cleaned up, pond and pool looking good, etc. And with every chore Jim complains that we were nuts to buy this place with all it's maintenance! Well duh, yeah we are a little nuts but we could not pass it up! We would NEVER find a unique place like this for sale ever, anywhere!   Every now and then domes come up for sale.  Usually they are one dome and not a complex/set of 4 like this one and many for sale are wood, which I think totally defeats the purpose of the strength of a dome, why wouldn't you want it to be concrete? Although the wood ones are much prettier, the concrete ones like ours look like space stations or igloos.

When it comes to maintenance I get the easy tasks as anything strenuous is way out of my ability level.  Usually it involves painting.  I had noticed that my little rustic display was looking pretty ratty so I hauled them into the garage to be re-furbished.   The wagon I gave a fresh coat of stain/sealer and the black accents were re-painted with Rustoleum.   My dad was happy I was doing that over as he said it looked really awful. Gee, thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't noticed.😒  I didn't have any black paint so I used Kevin's black engine paint.  Not really meant for wood but it seems to be working just fine and went on perfectly.  I also painted the vent out take for the little bathroom, gave it a little steam punk vibe with gold accents.

Pump and wagon

Bathroom vent

Wagon

Fake water pump

When we bought this place it had cheap plastic blinds over the two sliding doors. We hated them and now two years later FINALLY had them replaced!  The living room now has a dark brown almost fur patterned blind and our bedroom is tan and has a refined basket weave design. Both are room darkening, and 1000 times better than the crap that was there before!  Not really sure why it look us so long to replace them, I guess we didn't think it was a priority so many other things needed changing.  The blind installer who came to put up our new blinds was shocked with the house. "I wasn't expecting this! This is the coolest thing I've ever seen"!  What? Like it's weird or something?   We usually get similar reactions and it's always fun to see the look on people's faces. 

Actual color tan with basket weave design

Basket weave

Chocolate brown tree bark pattern

Actual color is dark brown/ fur/tree bark pattern

We are also buying a little jet boat, not that two old people will be "jetting" anywhere, and just the other day bought a Toyota Highlander to tow the boat we don't own yet. Wishful thinking. But even if we didn't get the boat we NEEDED another vehicle!  We have used one car for the two years we've lived here and it's been hell!  When you live in the sticks and one person takes the only car the other person is STRANDED bigtime!  So that will be a huge relief to have another car to rely on.  

So that's what's new at the dome, until next time....     

Our visit to what we think is the best beach in Florida!!

We hate leaving our peaceful paradise!  It takes dragging in some cases to get Jim to go anywhere.  I don't really like leaving either but sometimes you do have to at least get a few groceries.  And this coming week is filled with doctor/dentist appointments. So we thought we would give ourselves a nice day at the beach.

Not a local one though as they are all crap.  We ended up spending the day at what was our favorite beach when we lived in Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach.   I don't know why it is called Indian Rocks, it should be called Interesting Rocks beach as we have taken home several weird looking rocks, one we found out was a meteorite! And several "rocks" turned out not to be rocks at all but Pleistocene fossil remains of several animals. I have a dish of over twenty horse teeth, a sloth tooth, assorted animal bones, hundreds of fossil shark teeth and even a prehistoric section of a deer antler!  And usually you can find some decent shells too.  I don't care what "Dr. Beach" says Indian Rocks Beach rocks!!  

We started out on our LONG drive. OMG, 2 hours of torture! We forgot how long a drive it is from where we are! It's funny but I am originally from RI where NOTHING in that state is a long drive, yet if locals have to drive even close to an hour in one direction they usually get a hotel for the night! I find that hilarious now when it is a 10 mile drive (one direction)for us just to buy food.

Finally we arrived a little before 11am, so the beach was picked clean of the prime shells but we still managed to find a few things including a couple of shark's teeth.

Our haul from the this most recent trip to IRB

A huge horse tooth from a previous beach trip

Rainbow on IRB

We walked the beach, dug for shells, both had a long nap listening to the white noise of the beach, and I even went in the water for a little while! We missed doing all that, but with the hellacious drive in mind it may be the LAST trip to IRB. 

After leaving the beach I wanted to stop at a place called Tampa Bay Salvage. I saw an add online and thought they had the coolest stuff! Well they didn't disappoint!  We drove up to find remnants of two piper club planes, an ox cart and Indian Taxi, and an old red British phone booth! And that was just some of the things outside. We loved browsing through all the neat stuff,  a moose antler bar, three hundred year old monastery doors, etc!  I though the little piper cub would make an awesome child's bed for any kid into aviation!  We didn't come home with anything but that's not saying we won't go back and get one of their unusual finds.  Loved the ox carts!! 

Indian Taxi

One of two ox carts

Then back home to our little piece of heaven.  It's nice to get away but nicer to go home.

The Trump Drinking Game

Here we are with a new President and 4 years of God only knows what.😱  I decided to make a drinking game out of the inauguration and take a swig of wine with every stupid comment!  Since I have a low tolerance for liquor I expected to be out cold in 20 minutes.  But actually his speech was short and simple as he spoke to his supporters. He promised he would work for "everyone".  Does he really mean that as he was pretty adamant in the past about who his "enemies" were.  Basically everyone who DIDN'T vote for him.

I watched the whole shebang, all 6 hours of it.  There were violent riots, hundreds arrested, protesters galore and lots and lots of empty seats. And he takes office with the lowest approval rating of any president ever.  For someone who thrives on being loved I almost felt bad for him.  Because of the long delays due to the violence the parade was delayed over two hours. So the one thing I REALLY wanted to see I saw 10 minutes of before the station cut away to local broadcasts!  Argh😭  Donald Trump had been president a few short hours and already I was frustrated and upset!!

And there was the stunning Melania Trump by his side in her beautiful Blue coat, with matching gloves and matching shoes. Somewhere I envisioned a high strung fashion designer yelling "matchy, matchy" and falling into a seizure.  But maybe she wanted to play it safe and not stand out in a high profile way.  If that's what she wanted, mission accomplished.

With Trump the GOP gets their wish -total control.  Be careful what you wish for.  It could come back to bite you, anything that goes wrong and you are solely to blame.  If/when he makes his first big mistake I can then get the bumper sticker that says "Don't look at me I didn't vote for him." Little solace in a world gone mad.

I expect the liberal media to trounce Mr. Trump for the entirely of his term. Mr. Trump welcome to your nightmare!  And since he has already gotten upset and frazzled with questions by the press that he was not capable of answering I predict major health issues for him. Let's face it he is past 70 already, the oldest president elect ever,  is over weight with a big gut on him,  and has a type A personality to the max!   None of this being a healthy combination of factors.

In a way I am relived he won.  I don't have to defend my candidate for at least the next 4 years. And if the GOP was brutal on Obama they would have tortured Hillary!  Grandmas shouldn't be tortured they should enjoy their grandchildren and take them to theme parks, like I do.  I would have been worried sick for her for 4 years!!  I have enough health issues I don't need anything to make them worse.

It tickles me when people call Obama a do nothing president or Congress a do nothing congress. Seriously, they don't get why?   A Republican controlled congress trampled any good Obama wanted to accomplish to make him look weak and unproductive.  So as a result very little got done for the benefit of America.  I agree there should be checks and balances on a two party system but no one party should not have their rights and wants trampled for benefit of one party who doesn't even represent the majority of Americans!  Not a very fair system.

And Obama fielded all their demands and abuse with dignity and grace. Something that we will not see from Mr. Trump as it is blatantly apparent he can not take ANY form of criticism at all.   It ought to be an interesting presidency to say the least.   And I for one hope beyond hope that he will accomplish "something" that will benefit us "all".  It is now a waiting game.

Missy

It is with a heavy heart I report that my daughter had to have her elderly Golden Retriever put down.  The past few months have been, constant surgeries, illnesses, vet visits, medications, etc. It came to a point where a decision had to be made.  She was too wonderful a dog to have suffer, and she will be sadly missed by everyone who knew her.

She was a rescue dog long ago, and went on to have a major positive impact on our lives.  If Kevin hadn't taken her home that day she was to be destroyed the next. I always wondered how such a great dog could have been returned to the kennel not once but "twice". She never bit anyone and was so sweet. When Kevin was deployed to Afghanistan when the girls were babies I was so thankful to know that a big, strong dog was standing guard.  Every night she would lay in front of the door to the girls room. If anyone broke in they would have to go through Missy first!

I was lucky to have her live with us for the 9 months it took Tara and Kevin to close on their house.  I will always remember her running down one of our wooded paths with her tongue hanging out and that silly look on her face.   Here's to you Missy, the best dog ever!  🙏  I hope Heaven never runs out of dog treats!

It's the end of the world as we know it

Ah, a brand new year and soon a brand new president.  I am trying to remain positive about the latter. But I like the majority of Americans who didn't vote for him are scared half to death!  😧  And it doesn't help when Mr. President elect tweets such things as : "Happy New Year to all: including my many enemies and those who fought me and lost SO badly they just don't know what to do. "  Oh Donald, I know just what to do-PRAY!!  Pray that you don't completely ruin our county in 4 short years.  I doubt very seriously you will even be any resemblance to a competent President.

Perhaps his snarky tweet was revenge for Hillary Clinton referring to some of his followers as deplorables.  But when I read in the newspaper about some Trump supporters  are denying the Sandy Hook massacre as an evil ploy by Hillary to take away their sniper rifles.  I think deplorable is correct. In fact I would use another word which is not printable. I'm sure those grief stricken parents pray every day that it was all a hoax that they will some day wake from their nightmare existence to a world where they still have their precious child.  Unfortunately that will never happen.

And don't forget Mr. Trump that it was the Electoral college, a handful of Americans,  that voted you in not the majority of Americans. The electoral college as we all know is an antiquated system that should have been disbanded LONG ago. Every vote should matter, not just a  handful.

I doubt the middle class will be helped. Why should he? What's in it for him? With the Donald we will have a Plutocracy, a government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich.  Never so much as now when a billionaire takes office and fills his cabinet with fellow billionaires.  If you think he cares about you and your little problems you are kidding yourself.

We who are helpless with this election result  have no recourse but to support someone who we believe has no right being in our highest office.  I can't wish for the next 4 years to fly by as that will put me in my late 60s and my husband in his seventies!  And Jim is trying to cheer me by saying none of this will personally effect us.  I hope he's right but it can't stop me from being upset over the rest of the country who will be stomped by this school yard bully.  If the next few years do prove to be disastrous💀 I can always hide out in my solid concrete and steel fortress of solitude on the 4 wooded acres, and pretend all is right with the world.  God help us all!