August 16, 2021 - August 29, 2021
Lola loves her morning outside time even more so now that we have Kali. After Lola jumps onto the dock and runs up on the Bimini a few times she settles down and I can enjoy the morning, too. Most mornings have a nice cool breeze and I am serenaded by the quacks of ducks and the chirps of the barn swallows who make their nests under the docks. Occasionally, I hear the raucous scream of the resident great heron who sits atop a boat across the harbor surveying the action. But, soon the day becomes too hot for outside and Lola and I retreat to the cabin - me to start my morning chores and Lola to romp and tussle with Kali.
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| The cats tire themselves out by mid-morning and settle in for a nap. |
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| Kali helping me sew. |
The original table that came with the boat was attached to the mast on one side and had a leg on the opposite side which was mounted in the teak floor. Consequently, when we removed the table we had a hole in the floor that had to be dealt with. Our first idea was to cover it with a rug and the second idea was to replace the floor board that had the hole in it. Bob opted for the second idea which required a trip to the exotic woods store in Annapolis. They stock an amazing variety of woods from all over the world. Bob loves wood working so this store is much like a quilt shop is for me. He picked out a suitable piece of teak and had it cut to his exact measurements. Now all he needed to do was drill the holes and stain and varnish the wood. Bob is a perfectionist when it comes to this process and it took him the better part of the week to complete this project. The effort was well worth it since it looks absolutely beautiful.
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| The smaller table makes a dining area without taking up so much space. |
Since I had to postpone my Ireland trip with my daughter Jessica we decided to get together and have some fun. I arrived at her house on Friday evening just in time for happy hour and dinner. Our plan was to visit my niece, Allison, and her family for the weekend in Franklin, PA and then drive to Pittsburg to spend some time with my sister Becky and her husband. We had a blast!!! The weather was perfect at Allison’s to enjoy playing in the pool with her two children, Ronan and Maeve.
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| Maeve and Ronan lounging in the pool. |
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| Jessica and Allison enjoying the water. |
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| Maeve taking a Coke break. |
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| Ronan relaxing in the pool. |
On Saturday night all the boys and men went to the Steelers game. Jessica, Allison, Maeve and I went out to dinner. On our way out the door Allison was bringing in some Coke Zero that had been in the hot car. They slipped out of her hands, crashed to the tile floor, and began spraying coke everywhere especially on my white pants. Hilarious(I guess I should have taken a picture)! I changed quickly and we were on our way to a delicious meal. It was a great weekend - relaxing with the adults and playing with the children.
On Monday morning we left for Pittsburg and made a quick stop at some outlets for some shopping and lunch arriving at Becky’s house around 1:00 pm. We had reservations at the Warhol Museum at 2:00 pm. What a terrific exhibit. I never knew Warhol was born and raised in Pittsburg. He was such a great talent.
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| Becky relaxing on the "Warhol" couch beneath the image of Warhol on the same couch. |
On Tuesday we visited the Strip. Originally, this street was filled with stores that catered to restaurants, but now it caters more to individual customers, We visited a terrific kitchen store that I could have spent all day in. I found some cooking tools that I had been looking for and hadn’t found. Penzy's Spice store was amazing with every type of spice imaginable. After a delicious lunch of Italian wedding soup, salad, and pizza we visited an Italian Market that had every imaginable ingredient you could want for Italian cooking.
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| Jessica, Becky, and me at the Strip. |
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| This is the main dining room. |
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| This was the view from our table. |
On Wednesday we left my sisiter’s house and headed to Johnstown. My original plan was to drive on to Kent Island, but I stayed at Jessica’s for the day as I wasn’t feeling well - sinus congestion and exhaustion. I arrived at Kent Island before noon on Thursday and Bob suggested having lunch at Ram’s Head in Chester.
The rest of the week was taken up with boat chores, an afternoon at the pool, and a few small projects. I was amazed at how much Kali had changed in the few days I was away. Her hair is getting longer and fluffier which is particularly noticeable in her tail. She and Lola seem to have developed a positive relationship. They like to race around the boat in the morning, tumbling and tussling until they wear themselves out.
My daughter Rachel faithfully sends me pictures of my granddaughter, Claire.
She's smiling at everyone now!
Soon we will have to start getting ready to leave for Mexico.
Thank you for reading my blog.
