Haulin'

So, as usual I tend to over think plans for doing something I've never done before only to find it much easier to accomplish than I imagined. Planned all sorts of block and tackle arrangements to step the mast on MOONBERGER. Unlike any boat I ever owned this one is hinged. After a week or two mentally planning finally got around to it only to find younger daughter was able to lift and press into place without help. Then came unstepping. Same mental process until I remembered how easy the stepping was. POC. Next came haulin' a many stepped exercise including getting trailer to ramp, backing it down ramp, winching boat on to trailer, towing home and backing down narrow drive. I never backed a trailer until this year and still fear the doing. Another POC. Boat now in yard ready for unloading and shed construction underway.

Slidin'

So.......as I started bike riding a couple years ago I have become much more aware of the roads on which I ride than driving. I mentioned before how the overwhelming fruit deposited roadside is the banana. Recently, riding in the Belfast Maine area I have come cross at least four banana skins. Seldom a whole banana but never an apple core or peanut (fruit?) shell. Thinking about how far they must have travelled to end up along side a road in Maine gets me to thinking about my future.

Hitchin'

So....our winter has been cold and snowy and that got me to thinking about growing up I Buffalo winters where this wasn't unusual. It seemed that a bit of snow fell every night so it was always white and fresh. Then it was gone. The city used garbage trucks with plows to clear the roads. Didn't seem to be a lot of salt used.on Coolidge Road where I lived there was often a lot of ground up snow and cars usually drove slowly. We would often bumper hitch. It meant waiting for a car to slow enough so that we could grab the rear bumper and slide along behind. Of course cars had bumpers then. If they got going too fast you let go. Seems I remember being able to ride for blocks. Now I wonder if the drivers knew and went along with the fun. Some would stop but I don't remember being chased. Another pass time was throwing snowballs at cars,trucks and busses. This usually brought a reaction. It became unfun when I had to ride on these busses to and from high school.

Footballin'

So, long since lost interest in pro and semi pro American football. Adopted Tottenham Hotspur when younger daughter "studied" in London. oFound out it was also the favorite team of good friends in Bristol. Had no idea where Tottenham was but liked the Hotspur part. Now couple years later I have begun to realise that Spurs and Bills are a lot alike. Both heartbreakers. Tottenham, by the way, is an area of London not a city on its own. Buffalo is a part of Western New York (not upstate) and the only professional football team in New York State. Still.....soccer is a much more interesting spectator sport than American football. I'm my humble opinion.

Sundayin'

So....having spent a lot of the summer at our Maine estate it is all winding down. Good friend arriving tomorrow to critique my hand I work and bask in the solitude. Long ago I read a biography of Robert Moses writing by Robert Caro. I then began his bio of LBJ. Twenty years later and I'm almost finished with the fourth volume published last year. Fantastic writer and fascinating subject. LBJ gave a speech at Gettysburg in July 1963 as VP.
"One hundred years ago the slave was freed. One hundred years later, the Negro remains in bondage to the color of his skin. The Negro today asks justice. We do not answer him, we do not answer those who lie beneath this soil when  we reply to the Negro by asking, "Patience',...... To ask for patience from the Negro is to ask him to give more of what he has already given enough.......The Negro says,"now", others say, "never". The voice of responsable Americans - the voices of those who died here and the great man who spoke here - their voices say, "Together, there is no other way"

Amazing.

Bananin'

So, this morning riding my new bike in to town and the great library I passed another banana peel. My informal study continues. Many more bananas than apple cores, peanut shells or coconut husks. Next is to determine whether people save their apple cores while throwing out the banana peels. Perhaps there is an app that tracks apple cores.

Plumbin'

So, couple weeks ago got a chance to sail from St Augustine north with a guy I met in January. Wonderful time and made a friend. Had to get my foul weather stuff from MOON and discovered water in the cabin. As the boat is on the hard it was unusual. Flew down Friday to rig a solar panel to keep the batteries charged while running the bilge pumps. Also looked at why and how the water got on the wrong side of the hull. Found that the previous owner made some unusual changes that were pretty easy to correct and am now happy that the problem is solved. I do like working on boats. Much more fun than wearing socks and dealing with people in robes.