On the Farm

First trip out to the farm. After having to wait a few days for the weather and wind to cooperate we were able to take the boat ride out to the farm.

New rock ready for "planting".

Safety First:  iPhone life jacket.

LifeProof Black Waterproof iPhone 4 / 4S Case - LPIPH4CS02BL (Google Affiliate Ad)

The Farm Below.

Four miles out to Sea.

Man of War floating by.

We took a load of new rock out and dropped them on site.

Farmer checking the crop.

A local resident of the farm.

Touring the area in 50' of water.

Happy Diver.

Rock transport vehicle.

Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew the Home Depot f (Google Affiliate Ad)

Stack of rock with coral growth.

The first day was a little rough on me.  The seas were 3-5 feet and when we were moored the boat rocked and rolled a lot.  It's better being under the water but when I came topside and started lifting buckets over the edge mal-de-mar got the better of me.  I finished the work and once underway life was better.  I've gone back out again and this time all was well.  Good to get my sea legs again.  We've been land locked again due to high seas for a few days but still three weeks to go and enjoying my time.

Asheville to Key Largo

It's back on the road again. This time heading south again back to the Florida Keys. The plan for this trip was started back in October. While in Missouri my friends brothers girlfriend said you need to meet my brother he has a live rock business in the Keys. Turns out he lives in Ohio but also has a house in Asheville. A few phone call, some emails later here I am. More details about the farm to follow in future posts.

I ended up helping him out by hauling a boat he bought and brought from Ohio. I took it from Asheville to Key Largo. It was all highway driving and except for the increased breaking distance the RV did well towing (not much difference from the trailer I took from Seattle to Missouri). The first day went well. 650 plus miles. We stopped for raw oysters at Bunky's in Sebastian FL with some of his friends and parked in front of their house for the night.

After a good breakfast near the beach we took off. Stopped at a gas station for fuel and I had trouble getting started. Seemed like a weak battery but it's always been slow to turn over. Sat for a few minutes to let things cool down and it started. About half hour down the freeway I heard a noise in the engine like something stuck in the fan. Thump. Thump. Thump. Squeal. Squeal. Thump. Thump. Gone.

Decided to head for the next exit instead of stopping on the side of the turnpike. Made it to a shopping lot parking area. Quick inspection and the serpentine belt was MISSING. All of the pulleys were spinning so seamed like just the belt failed.

When I purchased the RV it had a bunch of spare parts and I remembered seeing some belts. I never checked to see if there were the rights ones. I found them and luckily one was the one I needed. I found a few strands of what was left of the old wrapped around the fan. Cleared it away and was able to slide the belt on place without removing any parts. I did notice the alternator had been adjusted all the way out which leeds me to think the belt was old and stretched out. Within a hour I had the new one on and we were back on the road. Everything seemed to be working fine and made it the rest of the way. Thanks to George Ice ( the original owner) for the spare parts. I plan on getting a new one to keep with me.

So I'm parked in Key Largo for three weeks. 75° and sunny. Mission accomplished.

Looks like the boat belongs there.

On the road again.

Caravan.

Oysters!

Not a bad place to park the RV.

View from the dock.

First morning paddle.

Found a submerged boat.

Five Fingers and two fins.

December by the Numbers

Ironic with a new year that often brings a renewed outlook on the future that I get a new windshield to look through.  Symbolic. December also brought a new look at an old place (Seattle) as well as a trip around North Carolina. I've been making use of my time in Asheville and got some needed work done on the RV.  The propane oven has never worked (and appeared to never have been used) and replacing a few parts has got it functioning (Thanks to Internet parts shopping.).  Overall things are going well and I'll soon be heading south back to Florida and Key Largo for a few weeks.

Miles Driven: 1,519

Gallons of gas: 203

Cost of Gas: $693

Camping Fees: $315

Food: $1,228

New toys purchased: 0

Trip to Date ( May - Dec)

Miles driven: 15,810

Gallons of gas: 2138

Cost of gas: $7,819

Camping fees: $2,869

States

Overnighted: 24

Driven through: 28

Days worked: 6

Days missing work: 0

RV Repairs and updates: (some items completed in January)

Repair oil sender leak.

Adjust generator carb and fix broken muffler bracket.

Replace door weather stripping.

New windshield installed.

New Velcro for windshield interior shades.

Replaced broken bolt on steering stabilizer.

Tighten transmission pan.

Patch exhaust pipe hole.

Replace oven thermostat and safety valve.

Added one inch lift to rear suspension.

Oil change and lube.

Rotate tires.

Nina with out a windshield!

"Plumbing" repair on oil sensor.

Flames in the newly fixed oven!

Homemade pizza.  First item baked! (Not Paleo but yummy!)

Different Coast New Year

I spent New Years 2012 on the Pacific Ocean at Kalaloch Beach, Washington coast. It seemed only fitting to end it and start 2013 on the Atlantic coast.  The pictures are from a tour of the North Carolina coast for the holidays.

Some years come and go without much change except for getting another year older. For me this past year has been like no other.  It will interesting to see what 2013 has in store for me.

This just happens to be blog post number 101.

RV holiday lights.

Merchant Millpond State Park, NC

Trailside Pay phone.

Dismal Swamp State Park, NC

Sand dunes northern Outer Banks.

Flying kites at Kitty Hawk beach Christmas Day.

A reproduction model of the original "First Flight" Wright brothers plane.

Winter wind storm and full moon sunset makes for good waves.

Cape Hatteras Light House.

Botany Bay, SC

Taking the ferry across to the southern Outer Banks.

Sunset Dec 31, 2012
Edisto Beach, SC

Sunrise Jan 1, 2013
Atlantic Ocean.

Seattle Timeout

It was very nice to see everyone and spend time visiting.  Thanks to all who offered encouragement to keep the blog going.  I know it's been awhile but there hasn't been much blog worthy to share although I do have some catching up to do now.  Here it goes.

Flying west into the sunset.

Before I left on this journey I had previous work obligation scheduled for December in Seattle.  The obligation changed and while Seattle in December may not be the best time to visit I went anyway.  I had set aside the time and had expected the trip as a chance to check in.  As I have not burned the bridges to my old employment I was able to pick up some work.  It was almost as if I hadn't been gone.  I've done my 10,000 cases so the skills just seem to happen.

Through the generosity of friends I was able to house sit, bed hop and borrow spare cars and avoid staying in a hotel or renting a car.  All very much appreciated.  Thanks.

When I left in May it was hard for me to access how I felt about the city.  I was busy selling stuff and my house and preparing to go.  It wasn't so much that I was getting away from Seattle as I was going on a journey.  So going back for a visit this time all I had to do was be an observer.  No decisions. No hurry.  The RV was parked in North Carolina.  My observations are not meant to be judgmental but reflections of how I felt.

At times there was a "Zombie effect".  In the original "Dawn of the Dead" movie the Zombies returned to a shopping mall and walked around as that is what they did before.  Getting up and going through some old routines I felt a little like the Zombies going through the motions.

Golden Gardens on a winter day.  One of my favorite places to sit.

Morning in Seattle at 7am.

Same morning in Seattle at 11am.

Visiting during the Holiday's was nice.  Holiday parties.  Everything decorated with lights including the Space needle.

Space Needle from Seattle Center.

"Seattle people are closed in."  I'd heard this description before but noticed it more this trip.  Many places I've visited people (strangers!) would just say Hi as you walk by.  Perhaps it's a volume issue with so many people in the Seattle area (3 million?) and necessary for survival but it's nice being places you can talk to someone on the street. I looked up the data and from 1990 to 2010 the population increased by 20%.  One afternoon I took a walking tour around downtown.  I tried to make eye contact with people and the only ones that saw me were the street people and vendors at the market trying to sell stuff.  When I moved in 1989 from New York City I thought Seattle was a "small town".  After seeing 14,000 miles of the country, Seattle has become a "big city".

Walked the market.

For the two weeks of my visit I didn't see the sun.  I realize it's December in Seattle and they had 80 plus days without rain this summer but I'm not sure it makes up for it anymore?  Here is the same day's forecast in three places.  Just saying...

Waterfall at REI.

I took the picture below one morning.  One of the things I noticed during my time back was often you could not tell where the sky started.  Everything was one color: Grey.  Not being able to see the sky made everything feel crowed.  Like being in a room with a very low ceiling.

Fisherman's Memorial at Ballard Docks. (This is not a black and white photo.)

I did go by and see my old house.  The house looked untouched.  The garage was gone, the yard torn up, trees missing and the foundation in for the new structures in.  I knew when I sold it to a developer what was going to happen:  Two unit tall skinny in the back yard.  It wasn't  hard to see as it was what I expected.  I made the decision to sell and my feeling is still it was a right choice.  The home it was became just a house.  Even though it's changed my memories of it remain.  I got to live out my "This Old House" dream.  Now it's "This Old Winnebago".

What my old back yard looks like now.

LaMay Car Museum.  1923 Lincoln Touring car.  First car to go over both Tacoma Narrows Bridges.

Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Garden.  Strange to see the smallest trees next to the towering cedars.

Things that changed in Seattle since I left:
Legalized Marihuana.
Legalized Gay Marriage.
You can buy alcohol everywhere.
Plastic bags are illegal and paper ones cost 5 cents.
There is a big wheel on the waterfront.

Things that didn't change:
Lots of traffic and really bad drivers.
Rain.
Rain.
Rain.
Traffic.
37 million Starbucks.

When I got back from my trip I picked up a book I have been reading during my trip, "Travels With Charley" by John Steinbeck.  The first paragraph of where I had left off summed up my feelings.

"I find it difficult to write about my native place, northern California (insert any place, Seattle).  It should be the easiest, because I knew that strip angled against the Pacific better then any place in the world.  But I find it not one thing but many - one printed over another until the whole thing blurs.  What it is is warped with memory of what it was and that with what happened there to me, the whole bundle wracked until objectiveness is nigh impossible."

Conclusion:  I'm not ready to go back to work or buy in.  The Journey Continues.