Day 256 Blues entertainment.

A little over a year ago, Matt & Kayobi gave us an Eco Sphere(www.eco-sphere.com).  This is a self contained little world of coral, algae and little tiny shrimp.  It is a cool little globe that is totally self contained.  A world unto it self.  It now sits on the dining table aboard Zephyr.  Blue(youngest kitty--yet the queen of the boat) sits and just stares at it occasionally bats at it and slowly pushes it around the table.  She just knows she will someday get at those little shrimp--Dinner--ok, just a small snack.  It started our with four shrimp and we are now down to three.  I guess one became dinner for the other three.  Survival of the fittest.  They swim around in circles nibbling the algae that grows on the coral.  No muss, no fuss--just entertainment for the fur people.

 After several days of wind--lots of wind, it is finally quiet.  It's strange to be able to hear yourself breathe.  It's been whipping through here for the past week.  Day in and day out--wind.  Now being a sailor, that's not so bad, but unfortunately, it brought cold and rain with it.  Snow earlier.  Now it is calm.  I don't know how long this will be but I'd take a day of it.  Heck, throw in some sunshine and it would be perfect.  It's so quiet, I just heard the frig come on.

Yesterday was straighten up and put away day.  First the workbench and then the nav station.  It continually amazes me how much stuff we bring on board that just never finds its way to where it is actually supposed to go until a day is set aside to do it once it gets out of control.  In a house, it can go on for quite some time, but in a boat, you can junk up the inside real fast.  

As we sat here yesterday, we heard another boat come into the marina area.  Amazing how the sound of an engine travels through water.  I got up and looked out one of the port holes and a BIG power boat passed our berth.  I had to look up to see the anchor on his bow.  Now Zephyr is no slouch when it comes to size, but this baby dwarfs everything in the marina--now and for the entire time we have been here.  He's 60 feet at least.  We both rushed up into the cockpit to watch him come in.  There isn't a lot of space in the back of the marina where we are.  He went past us and stopped, then fired up his side thrusters(like an outboard motor that is mounted sideways on the hull)and turned himself 180 degrees and went right up to the dock slick as you please.  He had to spin using the space that was open between Zephyr and the boat behind us just to make the turn.  If we had been packed in really tight, I'm not sure he would have made the turn.  It's always interesting to see the different boats that come in here.  Of course it helps to be a boater.

Sea Marine had asked us on Thursday if we could leave the dock for a few hours on Saturday as they were bringing in another boat for a couple to inspect.  They were going to sail it up from some where down the coast.  I gave them our phone number and told them to let us know when they would be in so we could move out.  I wasn't sure where we would go.  As it turns out, the customers decided not to to come up as the winds were in the 25-30 knot range and it was raining sideways.  Smart move.  You don't want to leave the dock in weather like that unless you have to.  If you are in a marina, stay there if out on the water, try and stay out until it calms a bit.  You can trash not only your boat trying to come in in a gale like that but also some one elses boat in the marina.  It can get out of control quickly in wind like that.  Maybe next weekend.

As I went up the hill Friday night at about 11pm, there was a family of seven otters playing on the dock.  They live in the marina under the marina office building.  Playing on the docks, climbing on and off boats all over the harbor.  Now they may be cute little things, but the last thing you want is them making a home on your boat.  They tend to leave "surprises" where ever they go.  Remember--what goes in must come out and with seven of them there is a lot that comes out.  I've heard tales of them trashing small boats.  As long as they haven't learned how to climb a ladder I figure we are safe.  Heck, there are times we have trouble getting on board Zephyr--hence the ladder.

More rain in the forecast--gee what a surprise.  The weather people say the Sun is coming by the end to this next week.  Wait a minute, I think I see a turnip truck on the road.

Have a great weekend.