Occupiers of Our Time

So, there are lots of things that have been occupying our time  during the summer and recently.
We were in the July art show in Rockport:

Then we took a quick trip to Tampa, FL to visit friends, see some boats and relax.

 

We also "Stood with Wendy" on the steps of the TX capitol.

 

 

The biggest and best "occupier" of our summer time was these guys:

 

 

Yes, both daughters, both sons-in-law and all five grandkids were here for a little over two weeks!

 

Finally, just last weekend, Philip and I participated in the AIM at Melanoma fundraising Walk in Houston at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. It was a night walk that raised over $75,000.

 

 

So.... that's a recap of what we have been up to. Next, I will catch up on what has been going on with HEY JUDE.

 

Short Updates

So, here is just one of many things that has been going on since I last posted.
The poor Lake Travis is getting smaller and smaller. Poor Starnes Island is taller and closer than ever before.

 

Last weekend, was clean up of the lake. At the Travis Lake Marina, a nice group of citizens were there to pick up trash. Plus boats brought  trash from other places on the lake and put it into dumpsters that were brought in just for the day.

 BTW, normally in a wet year, all of that land behind those people at the ramp would be under water.

 

 

Catching Up

Yikes - two months since my last post. But, we have been busy.
Philip put in two new batteries. Not easy. These suckers are heavy. That's why it's good to have friends in the marina who are willing to help.

 

He added fuses to the batteries also.

 

Then he added a battery selector switch and installed it to the area just below the bench in the salon for easy access.

And..... he also put in a new water pump. This is when you wish you had a really tiny friend to help. The space below the galley is really, really small. But, he did manage to get down in there.

 

 

And... put in the new water pump.

 

 

Now, I have been busy as well. Unfortunately, my project is taking me quite a bit longer and needless to say I am not through. I have taken on sewing the screen enclosures for the lower deck. I have that great Sailrite sewing machine that I have now lugged down to the boat so I can sew right there. But, I only get a little completed each time I go to the boat. Things are coming along and hopefully, I will finish .... just don't look real close at all my stitching. This has been harder than I thought!

 

 

I hang these up to check each step and then take them down. At least they run back and forth into the track at the top without any problem.

 

I am almost to zipper installation. Arghhh.

More to come.

New Year - New Repairs

So we came to the lake to spend the New Year's Holiday on the boat. We just wanted to relax and have a restful holiday. And we did... well mostly. On Sunday before the holiday, the fresh water pump decided to take a holiday as well. I got up and took my shower just fine, but by the time Philip got in and lathered up, the water began to dribble and then stop. Luckily, I had bottled water in the pantry. He managed to rinse off with one of those, then he went below to detect the problem.

 Answer?? Non-functioning water pump. So... get out the tools, take out the bad pump

And this earned us a trip into the city and to West Marine. We bought a new one.

We caught lunch at Whole Foods (our healthy fix for the upcoming New Year's overeating that was to come) and headed back. Now came the hard part. Squeezing Philip's large frame into the area beneath the galley floor in order to install the new pump was difficult for him but worth several pictures for me. This is when both of us think of those boats we saw at the Miami boat show last year with engine rooms large enough for a small family to live in.

Something to remember... put on long sleeves and pants before you wallow on a fiberglass surface.

So, we have one more new part to our little old boat!

We were now able to take a shower and get ready to ring in the new year with our fellow Lake Travis friends.