Find Willie's Tug -- 3/17/2014

From our hotel it is a short walk to Pacific Marine, where Willie's Tug is waiting for us, so we don't wait for a ride from friends.  We are too excited!

Find Willie's Tug....

Herb puts our luggage aboard.

Soon our first visitors come, and bring my favorite wine, Malbec.  We do not christen Willie's Tug, we save the bottle for Happy Hour.  

Bob leaves us the use of his truck for the time we are here.

Bob and Nita

Malbec!

More friends arrive and offer to help bring our boxes from the storage locker.  With three vehicles we make only one trip.

With a prediction of winds picking up, we cruise over to our slip at Cap Sante on F-Dock.  

Vicki Leads

Patrick and Gail, Bruce and Vicki, and Anne give us a hand.  I cannot believe how many boxes there are and that it all had fit on the yellow R-27.  

Vicki brings rugs and more, plus suggestions of how she has made her R-31, MoonShadow, (our sister ship) more comfortable.

Bruce brings a load; Anne goes for another.

Patrick

We take a break and examine the boat, push a lot of buttons, and look in a lot of compartments.  Oh, my!  This button slowly raises the engine cover in the cockpit.  Sweet.

Herb looks in the engine compartment.

Now the work begins.  I lose count of the number of boxes, but they all need to be unloaded -- and the stuff put somewhere.  The first thing I do is make the bed, because I suspect at the end of the day I will fall into it very tired, but oh, so happy!

If it fits,....

Willie of Willie's Tug,

   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake

   Monday, March 17, 2014

Seattle, Here we Come! -- 3/16/2014

Tomorrow's the day we get to see the new Willie's Tug.  She is 'Ranger Grey,' not yellow.  This will take some getting used to.

We drive to San Antonio for a non-stop flight on Alaska Air to Seattle, where we are picked up by an amazing Anne Cox at 9:55P and dropped off at our hotel in Anacortes near midnight.  (Our internal clocks are still on Central time, but the excitement keeps us alert.)

We sleep fast so we can have an early morning -- can't wait to see and climb aboard Willie's Tug!

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Sunday, March 16, 2014

Jake's Bath -- 3/15/2014

Whenever Jake wants something, he comes up to us and looks us right in the eye, never wavering.  Mental telepathy, you know.

Sometimes his powers (or ours) aren't the greatest and we have to do trial and error to figure out what he wants.

So today he is ready for his bath.  I take him to the patio at the back of our home, which we call 'Jake's Bathroom,' because we had a bathtub built for him -- steps for his easy access, and on a raised platform to make it comfortable for us when we give him his shower.

He literally runs up the steps and sits down in his tub, tolerates the wetting down, enjoys the soaping and rinsing.  However, enough is enough, and he thinks it is time!

"I could escape if I wanted to."

He cuts his eyes over toward the steps that provide a quick get-away, but when I whisper in his ear that I am ready to towel him, he gives me a smile.  He is ready to be brushed so he can roll in the grass -- and be brushed again!

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Saturday, March 15, 2014

New House.... -- 3/10/2014

Willie:  Herb, I have been thinking of rearranging the furniture in the living room.

     Herb:  OK.

Willie:  I would like the TV to be on the north wall toward the Laguna Madre.

     Herb:  Willie, the TV is built in to the entertainment center.

Willie:  And your point is....

     Herb:  You cannot just move the entertainment center.  It is large, it is                     attached to the wall, and it will not fit between the windows on the wall you selected.

Willie:  So?

Herb:  Willie?

Willie:  Oh, I get it -- let's get the cabinet guy who built it to come dismantle and fix it like new.  Now what was is name?     Also, I would like to have the living room furniture moved to the west side of the great room and the dining room moved to the east. 

In preparation for the work to begin, Herb and I unload all the books, DVDs, games, camera monitors, keepsakes and whatnots onto the kitchen counter, as well as onto the beds and floors of the two guest rooms.  It looks like hoarders!

Phillipe, the cabinet maker, comes to assess the project and promises his crew will be here manana.  A couple of hours work and the entertainment center is in several pieces with the TV module is installed on the north wall toward the bay.  Amazing how well and quickly they work!

Jose Cuts Access

Herb calculates where the wire should enter under the entertainment center in its new location and drills a hole in my tile floor!!!  Yea!  He measures correctly!  Now just a little repair work on the baseboard and a little paint and it is just like new.

Dining room furniture moves from one side of the great room to the other.  

We take two leaves out of the dining table to make ample room for a cozy dinner for six in the east side of the room.  Living room furniture moves to the west side.   Rearrange, and then rearrange again.

Rugs relocate or go away for a totally different look.

I think I have a new house, and I like it.

Cozy dinner for Sam, Myrna (Herb) Inez and Bob

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Monday, March 10, 2014