Just a reminder that this blog has moved to a new location and can be viewed at -
http://townsendtales.blogspot.com/
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I have been watching my friends with their blogs at Blogger and have finally given in. I think I like it better. For the time being - you can find my postings at this address -
http://townsendtales.blogspot.com/
You can just copy and paste that address into your browser and then click enter. Give it a try and then let me know what you think.
Thanks Heather and Lucy!
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09/11/2008 | Heather the instigator (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
Uh oh... did I create a monster here???
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With today being Grandparents Day it seems the appropriate time to tell the world that I am going to be a grandmother again. Kevin is going to have a little brother around mid-February! And I am so excited! I saw pictures of him this week and I think he looks just like his daddy, Ryan!
Congratulations to Ryan and Lisa and little 2 - 1/2 year old Kevin! We're gonna have a baby boy!!
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09/08/2008 | Lucy (pepinarae att yahoo dott com)
Congrats to all! We'll look forward to baby pics in Feb.
We so enjoyed your visit Kiby. We only wish that Suzie could have been here also. After you left we went on to have a lovely weekend with Mac, Consuelo, Linda, Gary, Cullen, DeAnne, and Casey. They've all left now and we have empty nest syndrome! I suspect we may have another visit because of Ike heading through the Florida Strais right about now. Love to you both. |
I have added pictures from Kirby's trip last month. You can view them at our Picasa site listed on the right.
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Well, if I posted more often I wouldn't have to try to combine everything in one posting.
First of all let me say that TS Hanna is fizzling out which is a really good thing. We are all snug and safe, the gen-set is ready, water in jugs, canned food stowed away, plants secured etc, etc, etc and all is quiet on the eastern front. We even got tired of watching it on TV.
So, on to more interesting things.
Kirby is HOME after a month of travel. His chair is really happy to have him here and so is his wife! Pretty soon I will have some pictures from him - they are all on his computer - and I will post them on my Picasa sight.
The timing was perfect so I met Kirby at my sister's in Jasper, GA. I flew up and they picked me up even though it is a r e a l l y long ways! Thanks Patti and Dave! Niece Tanya came over and we had such a great time all together for the first time in 3 years. None of us had changed!
Patti and Dave roast coffee beans and sell them online and at the Jasper Farmer's Market. You can get some for yourself and I can honestly tell you that it is some of the best coffee I have EVER had in my life! Check them out -
http://foggyhollowcoffee.com/
I love the Tanzania Peaberry and of course Sumatra is always good and rich. Maybe you will want to order some for yourself!
Then we went to visit Steve and Mollie in Elijay - in their beautiful log cabin. Mostly we just hung out, talked, drank and played Mexican Train. I think we played longer that EVER! It was fantastic and I won 'cause I had the most fun! And the most points but for some reason I think everyone else played for low points. I like my way better.
It was much too short of a visit so we are going to meet again in Savannah for the OctoberFest just like we did last year.
If I were a detail writer you would hear much more about our weekend but I just can't do that so if you want to know more about our fun family and friend weekend, just send me an email or give me a call.
There are pictures posted at the Picasa Website. Check them out.
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Me, Steve, Mollie and Kirby - having fun!
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09/08/2008 | Lucy (pepinarae att yahoo dott com)
Great pics of Steve and Mollie's great cabin in your album, Suzie. We just love it. So nice to see pics of good ole friends from back in the day. Hopefully we'll get to visit all of you soon.
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This is Labor Day Weekend Post # 1 because I will write #2 after it is over.
The picture is of a small pond near our home. This past spring there were 4 beautiful swans that moved in. One by one they went away. I like to think they flew off but general consensus is that the alligator won. They were so beautiful living there, such a gift to us. I am so sorry they are gone - whatever happened to them.
So - my camera is working well and I like it so far.
I am heading out tomorrow morning for Georgia - on my mind. Christie has offered to drive me to the airport at first light and Patti, my dear sister, will be picking me up at the Atlanta airport just an hour later. Patti and I haven't been together in 3 years so this will be a special treat for us and her daughter Tanya will be there with us too. They are going to let me help sell their own freshly roasted coffee beans on Saturday morning at the Farmer's market in Jasper, GA. That should be a blast! I love doing things like that. Reminds me of the time years ago that I helped pour beer at the Jackson Hole Hill Climb. Always the helper - never the doer!
And on Saturday I will be reunited with my long lost husband. He will join me in Georgia and on Sunday we will go to visit Steve and Mollie who live just 30 miles further north. They were here in the spring so it is our turn to visit them.
Kirby reports a wonderful visit with Ray and Lucy with lots of good food, tours of San Antonio, a trip to Fredericksburg, Texas wine tasting (?) and playing with their two young Skipper Keys (who can spell the real name??? I can't). As for me - I miss him! It has been 4 weeks today - that is long enough!
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08/28/2008 | Heather & Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
I can!!! Schipperkee. Then you name half of them Skipper or Schipper to confuse the chick at the vet's office. Have a blast with Stevieboy & Miss Mollie! Have one for us :) :)
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That is Mr. Bentley - my beautiful Beta Fish -----
After hours of online research I finally selected a new camera. Based on my needs and the way I use a camera I selected a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC W-170. It arrived tonight at dusk and I am all alone. Nothing to take pictures of - so here are some of my results. I can't say whether I like the camera or not by this but it is going to be fun. It is a really little guy that can easily go anywhere with me and snap, snap, snap pix!
Tonight Kirby is in San Antonio visiting with Ray and Lucy Coltrane - long time friends from Ventura and Mexico days. On Saturday (I think) we will meet up in Georgia and have visits with my sister Patti and her family and also with Steve and Mollie - also from Ventura and Mexico but more recently from our trip to Nova Scotia 2 years ago. I am looking forward to a fun and hug filled weekend. And not only will I have pictures from the new camera, I will have pictures from Kirby's trip!
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08/26/2008 | Heather and Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
That is so cool he got to see Ray and Lucy! I bet they had a blast! Congrats on the new camera - what fun :) love you!
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Kirby's Garage Ale is waiting for his return - just one more week.
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Mexican Pottery
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Kirby and Lee arrived in Oakland on Wednesday under heavy fog - no Golden Gate Bridge to be seen. Lee had to work until about noon but the plan was to head to the Bart as soon as he finished and go to visit Kirby's Aunt Vera who lives in El Cerrito. Kirby's report was that she is doing great in her retirement home (I think she is about 87 or so) and is the leader of most of the activities. He said they had a wonderful visit with her.
They left Oakland this morning and should be back in Long Beach tomorrow. A two week round trip.
It's getting pretty lonely around here!
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08/22/2008 | Heather & Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
Ok, tell them to keep away from the whales in the Santa Barbara Channel - maybe they can go outside the islands? Ha ha, like that's ever going to happen. Hope it's daytime when he goes thru the Channel to bring back memories :), ones like calling us on the vhf: "Jim's boat, Jim's boat, this is Kirby's boat", when he couldn't remember the name of Jim's boat.
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Here is a report from Kirby about the crossing from California to Hawaii. After spending two days in Hawaii, they head back to California today. Sorry - no pictures. The camera is in the car in California!
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Just before noon, Connie took Lee and me to Trader Joes to buy a few things for the trip to Hawaii. We were aboard ship by 2:00pm, and got the last of the cargo containers aboard just after 3:00pm. The cargo loading was very interesting. The Long Shoremen can really get those cranes moving fast while off-loading the containers from the trucks to the ship. I was glad that my cabin is way forward so that the loud banging of the containers weren't quite so loud. I felt sorry for the 3rd mate and the non-officer crew who are right below and adjacent to the area being loaded. I have a view of the bow and the sea out of my two portholes in my cabin which is just across from Lee's cabin.
The ship left the dock with the assistance of one tug and a really powerful bow-thruster just forward of my cabin and of course below the waterline. I was on the bow with Lee while he directed the line handling and reported any small craft traffic to the skipper on the bridge. The ship is just over 860 feet long and can carry up to 3600 containers
The pilot debarked a few miles outside the seawall and we headed for the West end of Catalina Island at around 12 knots. There is a speed limit of 12 knots for the big ships in that area due to the air quality concerns of the LA Basin. The ship rounded West End at 7:30pm just as Lee, the ship's navigator, predicted. After that we were able to speed up to 22.5 knots for the crossing to Hawaii.
Lee has the 12 to four watch twice a day. I usually stay on the bridge with him for the afternoon watch, but the 12 to four am is a little bit too much. Breakfast in the officer's mess is very pleasant. The food is really good and I get to talk with the Captain, the engineers, and the Radio officer as well. Lee seems to be very popular with all the crew, and he makes it a point to joke around with them all. There are 26 crew members aboard, including the two cadets from California Maritime Academy. The Chief Steward is a real character. He's a bit of a practical joker and always has something funny to say to me.
Besides the 2000 containers we are carrying, there are several open containers of pigs aboard. I take walks around the deck in the morning, but don't venture onto the aft portion where the odor is a bit strong. They have a regular stock man aboard whose job it is to tend the animals that are being shipped to Hawaii. Sometimes they carry cattle or horses over. On our way back I understand that we will be bringing a large motor yacht to California, but I don't know if it gets unloaded in Oakland or Long Beach.
There are no elevators aboard and the mess deck is four decks below ours so you do get exercise going up and down ladders several times a day. The officer's lounge has a dart board, tv/video player, microwave, coffee maker, and many shelves of DVDs and books.
Last night, Tuesday, we had a BBQ on the starboard side of A deck. The weather was perfect and there were steaks, hamburgers, polish sausage, hot dogs, chicken, and ribs as well as all kinds of horses doovers. Lee and I sat and mostly listened to the HVAC/R guy talk about life in Thailand. He's married to a Thai girl and lives in Thailand when he's not at sea. I found out that he is the best paid non-officer on the ship plus he doesn't have to stand watches......hmmmm.
Most of the crew have interesting backgrounds and I think that they enjoy having someone ask them about how they got started in this career. They are a very diverse group from all around the world, and I sure have enjoyed talking with them.
Well, it's 4:00pm our time so it's 10:00pm your time, and we are 20 miles out from Diamond Head. We should dock around 7:00pm and Tom will meet us at the ship. Lee has to work tomorrow so I will spend the night with Tom and Diane.
By the way, you would have liked these night crossings....
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08/20/2008 | Heather & Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
Ya think he left the camera in the car on purpose?
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Kirby and Lee should arrive in Hawaii today. I will update you when I have some information. I am sure he is having a great time!
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It seems like a million years ago that Kirby and I would live and work in Bakersfield, CA in the summers, and then return to Mexico and the boat in the winter to cruise the Gold Coast. This was Kirby's first stop on his trip.
Kirby's sister, Beverly, and her daughter, Pam, have a lovely new home in Bakersfield and Kirby spent a few days there with them. He was able to see the little ones, the middle ones and the older ones - Aunt Lileth is in her 80's. He even got over to Coldmen of California where he used to work and visited with Tracy, whom he hadn't seen in years. So I think he had a really good visit.
I just got off the phone with him and he is in Long Beach meeting Lee's ship. They will stay the night with friends in Huntington Beach and then board the ship tomorrow afternoon and head out to Hawaii. I think he is REALLY excited!
(In this picture - Pam's daughter Aryn and at the stove is Beverly.)
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Niece Pam, who's home Kirby was visiting, has a home office. So while Kirby goofed off, Pam was working.
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Little Ava with her daddy, Josh.
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Here is Aiden with his Uncle Eric.
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Well, Kirby is really making tracks. He is already in Gallup, New Mexico and at the rate he is going, he will probably be to the coast tomorrow. He doesn't make plans very well so who knows where he will go when he gets there. Bakersfield, Tehachapi, Lancaster???? You'll know when I know!
I am actually enjoying my time alone. The Shumbie's had me to dinner last night - Christie was just returned from driving Brendan around the country to visit colleges, meet with soccer coaches and attend some soccer camps. Brendan flies home tomorrow from his last camp. Casey was at Clemson last week for their soccer camp - and school starts back up in 3 weeks. Summer vacation is flying!
I took advantage of my first Saturday alone and went shopping - of course. Wore myself out. Have to go into work for a while tomorrow and then on Monday my company has a big open house which I have been working on for a couple of months. Hopefully things will slow down a little bit after that.
(No pictures from Kirby yet)
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08/03/2008 | Ray and Lucy (pepinarae att yahoo dott com)
WOW!! We've been thinking about you guys lately. I went to an old email to get your phone number (no joy) and then I went to your blog and discovered Kirby is on his way to a boat ride with Lee. How absolutely fantastic. Suzie, send me your phone number or call me. Love you guys.
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We didn't need an alarm this morning. Excited about his pending trip to the west coast, Kirby was awake and out of bed at 4:30 AM. By 5:20 he was pulling out of the driveway. I hated to see him go but - what a great adventure he is going to have!
I just talked to him and he traveled over 700 miles today and is staying the night near Jackson, Mississippi. It was just starting to rain good and he was pretty much done for the day. He said he didn't think he would start quite so early tomorrow!
Have fun, my love!
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08/01/2008 | Heather & Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
I hope you sent the camera along with him! Also, did you see I put a photo of you "coffin shopping" on my blog? Ha ha!!
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For a long time Kirby has wanted to join son Lee on one of his ships. That time has finally arrived. Lee is a 2nd Mate on a really big freighter that runs a regular route from Hawaii to Long Beach, CA to Oakland, CA and then back to Hawaii.
Lee has obtained a special dispensation allowing Kirby to travel with them from Long Beach to Hawaii and back. What a fantastic opportunity for Kirby and also for Father and Son.
And to make this trip even more fun for Kirby, he is driving instead of flying so he gets to see more of the country this way. I won't be going with him; I don't have enough leave right now from work and besides - this is a guy thing!
I will be entrusting him with my little camera and as he sends me pictures I will post them here. I will also give updates as I think his trip will be a little more interesting than my daily life here.
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07/27/2008 | Heather & Jim on "Meerkat" (svthistle att yahoo dott com)
That is so cool! So "the boy" is on one of those freighters that we always had to avoid in the Santa Barbara Channel...
Huh - Kirby will have to ask him if he has ever seen us hovering and altering course to avoid him. Tell him hello for us and have a GREAT time! |
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07/28/2008 | Mollie (gaodies att hotmail dott com)
Way to go Kirby - enjoy your trip across country - we've done it many times but couldn't stop in a big truck! Send lots of pictures.
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