an update...

Just hanging out in Beaufort...


We found out today that the parts have been shipped from Australia, so maybe we will get those motors in before August!

In the meantime, Mili got to see an old friend (of the neighborhood "gang" variety... 30 years later!). Marsha lives nearby, and drove up to see us- very cool!- good to re-connect and spend a little time together!


We just love visitors! If you're close to the coast, we'll find you! (no threat, though.... we can't get too far on our bikes- so no surprise house guests!)

Charleston thoughts...

So... we're not in Charleston any more, To-To...but I found these pictures in Ted's computer, and thought they may be worth a post.
One really hot day we rode out to the World's largest or newest or most expensive (?) suspension bridge. (There's some reason it's in the travel brochures.) It's got a 12 foot wide walking/ bike path, which is a pretty amazing concept in itself... utility meets recreation! (Are you listening, Key Biscayne?) Anyways, we made it to the top (riding the whole way!). The breeze was quite nice, the view spectacular, the architecture intriguing... so here ya go!



And when you're not on top of a bridge, and it's 100-plus degrees out, here's what you do.

But that was Charleston, last week.... This is Beaufort, this week! And look who was here waiting for us!

There's a heat advisory again today. Think we'll ride bikes to the movie theater!

Back home in Beaufort!

Have I mentioned Charleston is beautiful? Touring this old pre-civil war mansion was a highlight. Lots of good restaurants, a nice anchorage, stately restored homes, friendly people...we'll definitely come back.


(Here's a sunset for you- somewhere between Charleston and Beaufort)

For now, however, we knew we needed to come back to Beaufort, because this is where the new motors are... and that work can start just as soon as the rest of the parts arrive. Funny how quickly a place can feel like "home". When challenge #2 came up (in the form of weak and not charging batteries), we knew the prudent decision would be to settle down in a familiar place for awhile- and get our "systems" up to par.
The plan was to return to our little creek, anchor, and live life like we usually do. The wrinkle was, it is HOT (have I whined about that enough already?). We talked about a marina (Ted's against tying up to a dock). We called Lady's Island Marina to talk about prices (Ted's still not sure about marinas). We drove by the marina real slow (the nice people on the dock waved and smiled at us). Ted decided to stop and talk to them.... and we ended up signing a month contract!
SO it's like we have a home! (I am so excited.) (Ted's still not sure he likes this idea.)


We thought we may just leave the boat here and go to a hotel for awhile to cool off... but wait!
We're surrounded by four other retired firefighters and their spouses... one of which was quick to offer us the use of a little window unit air conditioner. The other of which invited us to walk to breakfast this a.m. Another neighbor just offered us the use of his Toyota pick-up. The dockmaster and his wife are cruisers that have experience sailing all over the world- very cool people. Community! Something I was sorely missing. (not to mention they have cable t.v., so Mr. Cook won't have to miss any more World Cup games!) God is so good!


The air conditioner makes all the difference in the world, too- it's still 102 degrees in the cockpit...but we climb down into the port hull and we're cool and comfy. I call it "the vault". We'll come out of our hole when the sun goes down. Kind of like gophers.


To add to all these blessings... we had visitors from home today... :) The Richardsons are camping out on Hunting Island, and on their way they stopped to see us. It was so good to see old friends- hopefully we'll get to spend more time with them in a few days, as they head west (I'll take photo documentation then- left my camera on the boat for today's visit....which is ok w/camera shy Laurie, I'm sure! :/)

So this is where we are! We'll head home in early July for a couple of weeks, to greet our next granddaughter (and attend family reunion)- Morning Glory will be safe and sound till we get back, and in the meantime I'll sew, Ted will work on new motors, and we'll learn to love the low country of South Carolina! Sounds like a plan to me!

Too Hot (Too Hot, Baby!)

I know there was a song about that. I'm too hot. It's 6 p.m., and our thermometer is telling me it's 102.5 in the cockpit of our boat. (home.) Down below it's 96.6 That translates into crazy hotness. The only cool place is sitting under the boat. Or in some retail establishment that has the a.c. going.


Teddy, Teresa and Reese came to visit- but left a day early because it's so hot here. And that just ain't right!

We enjoyed church, then lunch and a short walk around Charleston on Sunday. (side note: Yeah for the PCA! Redeemer Pres. in Charleston was a great church!)


Our walk, however, turned into seeking refuge in a brewery that had the World Cup on- then back to the boat for cold dinner (it's too hot to cook!)-
On Monday we did a drive around town tour in T & T's new minivan (!) (this really is a beautiful city!) before saying good-bye.



It was so good to see them... and tough to say good-bye. It helps that the countdown is now on to maybe just one more month till their second baby will be born (and we'll see them again then!)

Movin' On

Well, we stayed in one place long enough- Beaufort was beautiful.... but we got the itch to get movin'. So we moved.
The motors are ordered, as are other necessary parts that need to come from Australia. And they're back-ordered, no less! So it looks like we can't replace the port motor for at least another 3 weeks. We'll have to return to Beaufort to do the work, but figured that in the meantime we could visit around a little bit! (Why not, right?)- Morning Glory is fine with just one motor (and sails!)... So we're "on the road again".

Last night was really cool. Someone in Beaufort told us about this island where Rhesus monkeys are kept. They run loose- it's a federal project, complete with "No Trespassing" signs... out in the middle of the marsh. We anchored just off the island, and, sure enough, the monkeys were in residence! You could mostly just hear them, but early this morning they came to the edge of the woods to take a peek... you could tell they were looking at us- curious... they didn't stay long- but it was fun watching them. (no pics of the monks-sorry!- I had to use binoculars to see them!). We also saw a lot of deer in the woods. Pretty neat.



From there we motored out St. Helena Inlet and motor-sailed north towards Charleston. We made it just past Kiawah Island, and tonight we're anchored in a little river called "Bass Creek".
Looking forward to walking on the beach in the a.m., and thinking we'll stay here another day before going into Charleston.



Trivia of the day...the blue crabs like our boat, for some reason! They keep hitching rides on our steps! (I tried to catch one with my strainer, but they don't hold still if you come at them with net-like objects!)

Some crab fritters sure would be nice, though!

Sweltering in South Carolina

Hot and Lazy...that pretty much describes our Sunday here in Beaufort.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing! (this being a day of rest, and all.)

New motors are ordered, we'll find out tomorrow how long it'll take them to get here.
So in the meantime we'll go kayaking this afternoon, have spaghetti for dinner, watch 60 Minutes, and call it a Sunday!


(Yes, we went to First Presbyterian of Beaufort this a.m. We miss you St. Andrews!)

Oh, How Things Change!

We're in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Last night was dolphins and solitude. Tonight is country music blaring from the bar we're anchored behind. Who knew that little blue wood building was a honkey-tonk? Jokes on us! (wonder how late they're open?) I guess a little Johnny Cash never hurt no one. Folsom Prison Blues is live and loud.
But, Hey, the Sunset was gorgeous!

Now it's Sweet Home Alabama. (At least I know these songs!)

We've been having some motor issues... one thing after another in one of the engines. Today it got even more interesting- oily smoke and a new rattle. Ted rode his bike to the Yamaha dealer while I did laundry this afternoon. Looks like we may be in the market for new motors. (yes, plural- we have two, and will probably replace them both.) They'll have to be ordered, then the boat hauled out of the water to install them- which means Beaufort may be our home for the next week or so. (But I think we'll relocate- the beer drinkin' locals like their music a little too loud.)

Some of you have heard about the horse flies- aka green flies. I'll close with a picture that says it all.

A Busy Weekend... then Oh So Quiet!

We've been without internet for the past week, so I've got a bit of catching up to do...
Our plan last Thursday was to anchor in Fernandina Beach and wait for the kids from Tallahassee to arrive on Friday (and Saturday and Sunday)... We've stayed there before, on the ocean in a nice hotel. The beach is beautiful, and the downtown quaint.
Well...what we didn't know was that the anchorage in beautiful Fernandina Beach is home to the two largest paper mills in the region. Right on the waterway.


Wouldn't you know it... at about 5 a.m. the wind shifted and we were engulfed in a choking plume of stench. So we packed it up and moved to St. Mary's GA as soon as breakfast was over. (Just up the "road"- and no paper mills).
The folks in the anchorage were so friendly. As you motor up, they call out, "Welcome to St. Mary's!". We made a new friend named Roger, from New Hampshire. And we greeted our first boatload of visitors (Kailee and the girls) right before lunch.


The girls got acclimated to life on the boat pretty quickly- you'll notice the trash can on the shelf behind Ted...that's not usually there, I promise. The hatch covers aren't always in the doors, either, but Kinley wouldn't stay off the steps or out of the garbage... so life had to be a little rearranged. :)

On Saturday there was a festival in the park... Avery got to make a crayon rubbing... And visitors #4 and 5 arrived! Jamie and Josh joined us...

and we took a little sail to Cumberland Island (where Avery loved the shells and Josh learned about Horseshoe crabs.)


On Sunday, David joined us- we took him back out to Cumberland Island, but we couldn't anchor off the nice beach because of the current... we ended up in quicksand mud (and didn't stay long!)



It was so good to be with our kids (and their kids)!- the weekend was over all too soon. Our next stop was a desolate creek - all by ourselves- in the middle of a marsh. We miss 'em!... but forge onwards.
Tonight we're in Savannah. As I type I can hear dolphins "chuffing" right under me. It's quiet, and it's beautiful... hard to know which is better. I do miss those babies! But the peacefulness of this still night is awesome, too. Guess we praise God that we're able to have a little bit of both!