Maine!

Shingles is better, so we decided to leave.  Trunk - check - full!'

Back seat - check - full!

Cat - check - mmm...where IS that cat???

Behind the sofa, that's where she was!  A little "coaching" and she was caught and secured in the car.  She never seems to mind once she is in there - she just nests down in the floorboard and rides, rather sullenly.

33 hours later - Maine!

We drove through Wiscasset, proclaimed as Maine's Prettiest Town.  It may be, but it's real draw is Red's Eats.  Red's is known as the best lobster house in Maine.  It is!  Just a kitchen, basically, with chairs and tables outside, their lobster rolls are outstanding.  With only 8 people in line in front of us, we were lucky.  We have seen the line go all the way down the street to the water.

$22 per lobster roll might seem a little high,but it's worth it!  We shared this one.  Our first Maine lobster of the summer.

We didn't like it.... nope,not at all!

30 minutes later and we arrived at Latitudes.  We were horrified to find that the shrink wrap apparently allows the moisture to "encourage" mold.  Oh, what mold! All over the inside of the boat.  ugh.

We spent yesterday and today cleaning.  More to do, but we have a clean bedroom, refrigerator/freezer, and most of the galley.  She'll be one clean boat when we're done!

There was some work needed on the enclosure, so we left the pieces at a local canvas lady.  Picked them up today and got the enclosure up. Good thing, as our 75 degree, blue sky, breezy days are about over for tomorrow - rain is forecast.

Smokey helped --- somehow, I think this is helping...or at least, she thinks so...

After the clean up is done, there are other things to do before we are launched, but we are at least in Maine and the summer is started.

ZOUNDS! FOILED AGAIN!

OK, maybe not "Foiled".  More like "Shingled"...

A suspicious circle of blistering spots on my back resulted in a quick trip to my doctor. I will spare you the gory picture. The good doctor confirmed Shingles.  drat.  I had "shingle" - 1 wee shingle blister - 9 years ago and decided to not get the shingle vaccination.  Bad idea. Luke was out for his vaccination before I got home from the doctor!

So, I am on drugs and hoping for a very mild case.  As long as things don't get awful in the next couple of days, we will still be heading northward soon.  It just may not be the best car trip ever...

ALMOST READY FOR MAINE!

We are making the push to leave for Maine for the summer. S/V Latitudes is sitting up there, hopefully recovering from a winter that was colder than she's experienced!  She is "on the hard", covered completely with shrink wrap, the usual protection from rain and snow for boats that are not kept indoors during the winter.  We haven't seen her all bundled up in plastic, but our good boat neighbor sent us these photos of her a few days ago.  The plan is to have the marina remove the wrap before we arrive, so we won't get to actually see her like this. Not a full picture, but here is her bow (the pointie end...)

And the stern (the other end,,,)

It's been a nice spring, what little time we've had at home after our trip out West to visit the family.  I did get into some cooking - a nice prep for Bahamian style cinnamon raisin bread.  The bread was good, just got a "little" too dark on the outside.  Gotta check my oven temperature.....

I had a cardio stress test (these things happen as we age....). This cartoon was on the wall, in view of the evil treadmill.  I have to admit, THIS would have worked on me!!! (makes you shutter, doesn't it!!)

But a better way of relieving stress is visiting my daughter and doing a little backyard target shooting at a friend's, with their ...mmm...rifle....

Snakes can  make that stress come back, though.  Luke discovered this one basking happily at our front door steps.  IT was happy, we were  not.  Now, this big  5+ feet long   black snake is MUCH better than any size copperhead or rattler. Still, we were not pleased when it decided to check out the actual porch and was heading for our front door.  Scared it properly, but I have seen it prowling the back yard.  That is fine - eat the mice, voles, and such, just don't ask to come inside!

The apparent spring ritual at our house includes a crazy cardinal.  He is jealous of the cardinal he sees reflected in our windows and is determined to drive the intruder out.  This damned bird has been flying into our windows for 6 weeks, every day, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.....Smoke and Mr. Cardinal have had a standoff.

One advantage of the Big Black Snake was the absence of the cardinal for a day or so. I hear they are scared of snakes.  Good idea - put some plastic ones out!  yeah....  I bought them...24 of them, straight from China, compliments of Amazon Prime...

This is the angry, hissing, bird eating model

Properly placed on the rhododendron bush outside of our den window, one of them did a fine job for 24 hours.

Then they made a truce.  Sigh.  That was a couple of weeks ago.  Today was the first time the bird hasn't been here all day.  Maybe there is hope.

Smokey is happy at home, enjoying her lazy cat time on the little rug by the front door (she prefers for the door to be open, allowing in beautiful warm sunshine)

When that fails, she takes refuge on my recliner, sleeping under her "heat lamp"

But little does she know that the days are getting warmer (85 in town today) and the green of early summer is here, taking over our front yard. Summer = Latitudes.

,

 The path behind our house leads to a nice,spring green stream.

A small brown toad stood motionless, hiding in full view, camouflaged as a stone. Luke spotted him when the "stone" moved.

Its a good thing that Smokey can't see the garage, where bags and boxes are just beginning to fill up the space between the cars, waiting to be packed for the trip.

A few more days and some cooperation with Mother Nature, and we'll all be sitting in Latitudes again.  Still on the hard, of course, but ready to be prepared and launched for her summer in Maine.

Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon Slot canyons, and more!

Full days playing tourist and long days of driving eastward = no blog.... But I am catching up now and finishing up now. We are currently sitting at the RV dealer where we bought "Birtie" the RV.  A few little things we discovered during our trip to be done and we'll be home probably tomorrow.
 But first!  What beautiful places we saw!

Monument Valley - home of many, many Western movies. Bet you recognize a few of these monuments. 

The overview from Artists Point.

The Mittens

Don't remember this one's name

Monument Valley is on Native American Land, thus the US Park Service emblem, but indicating Navajo Nation.

And here is "The Elephant" --- needs a bit of imagination, I believe.

We also drove through the Valley of the Gods.  Equally beautiful and an equally "challenging" road.

On the way, the drove through Mexican Hat, NM.  Named for the upside down sombrero that sits just outside of town.

I even had a beer with John Wayne!

Next the most magnificent place I think I've ever been.  Didn't think I'd ever see this...The Antelope Slot Canyons.  Deep and narrow and water shaped, the Upper Canyon and Lower Canyon are just amazing.  We saw the Lower one around noon, great for pouring in sun.  It was a bit crowded, but we were able to get some pictures without other tourists.

 

 

Narrow in a few spots...

Up a 10 ft ladder and out the narrow slot, back on top of the canyon.

We were able to get a tour only at 5 pm of the Upper canyon.  This is the "preferred" tour, as the canyon is deeper.  It was much darker at 5, but still amazing.

One last stop in Albuquerque to visit Luke's 96 year old uncle and his cousin.  They remembered that Luke's birthday is soon and had a surprise cake along with a wonderful dinner.

A very nice trip!  But we are looking forward to being home in a day or so.  SO is Smokey...

Arches National Park

We have spent most of the last week with Luke's daughters and their families.  It has been wonderful, but keeps us going full time :-) Not complaining!  Just no time for blogging.  I'm going to keep the verbiage short and the pictures relative few (really considering all we've seen!)

We started at the Arches Double Arch.

Closer to the double arches...

Time for a little shared snack between  Erin's son Kiran and Bompa

The Balancing Rock

The next morning we took the short hike through Moonflower Canyon.  Great place for Erin's daughter Evelyn to race into.

And even better! A pond at the end of the trail for the kids and Sammy-the-dog to play in

Next a canyon drive. These walls are majorly impressive when you're towards the bottom of the canyon!

Canyon

A major attraction in this canyon is the Birthing Rock panel. 

And a small portion of the rock.  Yulp, that's the birthing happening with  the major white female.

 

Later that evening, a communal dinner in the RV.  All 9 of us fit just fine.

 

 

 

Landscape arch with both Erin and Lisa's families and Luke.  You've probably guessed by now that the weather is not "warm" but it not uncomfortable.

 

 

 

 

We left the crowded civilization of a KOA to move into BLM land.  That is land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.  It is generally open land that has little restrictions.  It is beautiful here, in that Utah way.  Here are 3 of our little community RV's.  Lisa and her friends from the Yukon are here. Friends from Wisconsin had to leave before this shot was taken. There are thousands of acres of BLM land in Utah and CO.  Little groups of 1 to 10 RV'ers are scattered about on the lands. The big draw is dirt biking, ATV running, and dune buggies.

 

 

 

 

Next walk was down Negro Bill Canyon.  Negro Bill was a "half native American, half Negro" who settled this canyon in the late 1800's.  He later made a hasty departure to parts unknown after an Indian uprising, fueled in part by the illegal whiskey he was selling to them...

 

 

 

A cold  yes, C.O.L.D. stream runs through this canyon (as in many canyons).  The kids we are with didn't mind at all, nor did Stout the dog.  All kids and dog were soaked by the time the walk was over.

 

 

One last photo, from the Dead Horse Point State Park.  We stayed here on our first RV trip to Moab.  Named because the First People would round up the wild horses, drive them across the 30 ft wide connection to the point from the mainland, and build a coral of sorts to keep them in.  They would chose the horses they wanted and leave the rest there to die of starvation and dehydration (Moab gets 10 inches of rain per year).  A sad history, but an amazing view, much like the Grand Canyon.

 

 

Erin left Thursday, Lisa leaves today, and we will leave on Tuesday.  Off to see Monument Valley next!