Galley Queen

I have taken over the galley. It is my space and domain. Which is ironic because Hubs is the chef. But, I have taken ownership of it and I am pretty stoked about it.

The common term 'galley slave' just doesn't do it for me... or my Coco. It wasn't nice enough she said. So, she coined 'Galley Queen'. Which I kind of like, as it is my realm.

Located in the center of the starboard side hull; it's a pretty small space, which is perfect for me... as I am pretty small.

I have (almost) mastered the tiny stove top and am currently learning my way around the oven... which is nothing like the plugged in version at home. Tomorrow I attempt scones. Fingers crossed.

The forecast is supposed to be cold and rainy again... so what better opportunity to heat up the cabin with my experiments.

I read a ton about provisioning before we moved aboard~ and almost all of emphasized that even though prepping and cooking will have to be tweaked, tastes don't change.

Therefore, Coco is still going to be a cheese and cracker kind of girl, and Hubs and I still will want the decadence we have become so accustomed to ;). And I, of course, will want red wine. I am also pretty confident that there will be a lot of coffee in our future as well. 

All Aboard... Kind of.

So, officially moved aboard last week. We knew that it would take us awhile to get things in order. Between organizing our new living space and last minute things we needed to do before we could take off, we knew we would be in St. Augustine a little while longer ... but of course the weather hasn't helped at all.

We were already a week behind getting everything on board because of the weather. Now we are another week behind leaving because of it.

Right now it is rainy, windy, and cold. And I want nothing more than to head south.

I know there is always work to be done. Something is always in need of repair, polishing, or cleaned, but it would be so much easier to swallow if the view from the windows was different. If we were moving. If we were doing it all somewhere else. If, if, if... but that's not the reality.

The reality is that we have a few more days of this. So, I'm calling to hitch a ride to pick up just a few more supplies. Because unlike the original plan (to be south for Thanksgiving) we will still be moored in Salt Run and I want to celebrate something.  Unless the weather clears.  Then.  Then we are OUT OF HERE!

Finally Aboard

So, we FINALLY are officially aboard. 

It took an extra week (year) thanks to weather and lingering land responsibilities.  But we did it. 

Now, we are organizing and waiting out a nasty front.  Then it's southbound down the ICW for this crew. 

Summertime Sadness

We are not boat slackers.  We are not boat slackers.  We are not boat slackers....

I'm so sorry Airabess. But... Lately we have been. Summertime life. It has taken over.  And every time we plan on heading your way~ Life has its way with us.  

So sorry. 

It's not all fun and games.  Truly. It's yard work and jobs, and laundry. 

Believe me when I say...  I am ready to hang the laundry on your lines. 

Soon. Very soon, you will be tired of our "life". 

We are a fun bunch though.  

Are you ready?

I know we are. 

Independance Day

Hubs and I both decided it was absolutely necessary for us to be on Airabess for the fourth. There were a couple of reasons~ 
First, we wanted to.  I love the fourth of July.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  Everybody just wants to have fun.  There are no family expectations, or presents to buy.  It is just good old-fashioned hanging out fun. 
It was also important for us to be on the boat because we are moored right  next to the channel that leads to the local boat ramp... and it's really dark.  I created all kind of crazy scenarios where drunken revelers slam into Airabess.

But I digress....

Coco showing her patriotism.

Sailor dog... passed out.

 

Fishing fun with Daddy.  

 We had great seats for the big show.

 Such fun with my lovelies.

It was a gorgeous day!  

Low humidity, blue sky, light breeze.  

And no one ran into our boat.

But, apparently there was a price to pay for such a fabulous day.  They came in the middle of the night... the no-see-ums.  We have netting, but it's not small enough to keep those little devils out.  About an our after finally getting somewhat comfortable (we are working on making our bunk more conducive to sleep) I woke myself up slapping my own shoulder.  

I could give you all of the gory details, but if you live in Florida you know how pesky those things can be....

Eventually, I crawled over the dog (who was sleeping at the entry to our bunk) and made my way to Coco's bunk.  It wasn't ideal.  I rolled up in a ball at the foot of her bed and with the fan blowing right on me I managed to get about an hour of sleep.    

Did I mention that the humitidy that had been noexistant during the day reared its ugly head around the same time as the bugs.  Yeah, it did.  

I contemplated sleeping out in the cockpit... but I was afraid I would be carried away by the no-see-ums and lost forever. 

So the next time we slept aboard you better believed we came armed with some heavy(ier) duty fans.    

It's Raining Again....

We had the best of plans...
I was going to work this morning, and then we were going to pack up and go spend some time on Airabess.  But, mother nature had other ideas.  It rained ALL DAY!   
If we didn't have a nice, dry, cozy house just down the road from the boat, well, we wouldn't have any other choice.

So, we took a rain day.  At home~ in our house.  But, that's okay.  Because soon, very soon (fingers crossed) we won't be so close to our cozy house... and we will weather the storm on board.

Sailor Dog

We are dog people.  Coco desperately wants a dog.  But, we have put off bringing another into our home because we didn't think we could handle it while adjusting to boat life.  

Coco has been making lists of dog names since last year.  She is prepared to wait, but she wants to be ready.  

So, on Father's Day,  Hubs thinks it's a good idea to get a fish... because that's exactly like having a dog.  You can totally play with a fish, snuggle with it, take it with you on big adventures....

Oh, my Hubs.  

After going to a couple of pet stores and looking at the oh' so playful fish... we nixed that idea.   Fish are cool.  And when we do start cruising we will take a page from the Osprey's book and have a tank that we can fill (and empty) daily.  For now, we are going to skip it.

That brings me to the title of today's blog...

After pet stores, and lists of dog names, an only child who needs a bud, fish patrols,  and a dog family with no dog... we realized that we were being kind of silly.  Why shouldn't we get a puppy now?  We could and would totally train it (along with us) from the beginning.  She could go everywhere with us.   Not only would she, but we wouldn't know any different.

So, we got a puppy. 

Her name is Willow.  She is a rescue dog.  They TOLD us she was a cocker spaniel mix... 
They were full of it.  There is now way she is a cocker spaniel.  Willow, even the vet says, is most likely a lab/ rottweiler mix.  Which is totally fine with us.  They expect her to be at least 40-50 pounds.  That might intimidate some people... but our last dog was 200  pounds~ size is relative. 

We are all completely in love.  

And.... we have already taken her to Airabess.  She did fantastic.  A little nervous at first, but she is figuring it out... and so are we.