We've been enjoying visiting with Jack and Shelly and their 2 Min Pins, who arrived Monday! They agree that this is about the friendliest town they've visited! It's small so everyone knows everyone, and there's not much to do but be friendly and share meals together! That's a pretty good way to spend time!
Daren and I are a bit discouraged about all this WIND! We met a man at church who's putting up wind generators, and we met several more at Pelican's. This turns out to be a very windy place and a prime area for those things! Yesterday, Lin and Joye gave me a tour of their gorgeous waterfront home . They are a really interesting couple! Everyone we meet here is really interesting. There are potters and teachers and Australians and a man who worked for the NY Times. It amazes me that there are so many professional characters who chose to retire here.
This morning, Daren and I were thinking of going back to the original plan of heading north around the Gulf to the Keys and then down to the Yucatan. Then he pulled up the weather! It's 73 here (and blowing HARD out of the north) and in Rockport, only 59! Still, things should warm up by mid-Feb, and we might head up that way if we don't get a break to cross the Gulf by then.
My Mom had her 90th birthday in Denver last Tuesday, and it was a beautiful day! My MOM'S great, and I was wishing I could just blink myself there to give her a big hug! Maybe someday we'll be able to travel that easily!
Pete's still not eating much, and we keep trying EVERYTHING he might eat! I thought he'd eat chicken liver and cooked up 3 # of the nasty stuff, but he turned it down!! We still pour honey down his throat 2 or 3X day, and Daren ordered some liquid food (Stat) that's made for animals who won't eat! I'll keep you posted! Thanks for your continuing prayers and e-mails!
Goin' South
On the Gulf Coast Waterway 11-2011
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
We Moved!!
Today's plan was to go down to Port Isabel and stay a couple days, and see our MO friends, Shelly and Jack, but we discovered that we were firmly stuck in the slip! I thought it was funny when friend Sandy, who was kind enough to cut my hair to match hers, was impressed that the boat felt so SOLID! Well, now we know that's because we've been sitting in the mud! We also found out that we can't get into a marina in Port Isabel! Even the city dock there only has 5.5 feet! This 6 foot keel is kind of a liability, but we'll be glad for it when we're crossing the Gulf to Isla Mujeres...one of these days!
Anyway, we were finally able to leave the City dock at high tide (2:30 PM) and came around the corner to 12 feet deep water behind our favorite restaurant, Pelican's Pub! It's really nice back here and the dogs have a great little private beach to get in the water to swim with Dallas the cook's 2 dogs, Major, a 9 month old German Shepherd, and Kaylie, a brindle boxer. They all had a great time romping around! Pete and Libby already prefer it! Pete's got another week on his meds, but he's doing very well. We still have to give him honey in order to get him to eat something, which isn't much. Still, he runs around and swims like everything's fine!
We're not sure how long we'll be here, but it's a great little town, with lovely people, a nice community church, great food here at Pelican's Pub, where the dogs can join us out on the tropical deck, and Jan gave us a good rate for a month's stay. Still, Daren's watching the weather, and we will head across the Gulf as soon as we get a decent window (5 days) of good weather.
Anyway, we were finally able to leave the City dock at high tide (2:30 PM) and came around the corner to 12 feet deep water behind our favorite restaurant, Pelican's Pub! It's really nice back here and the dogs have a great little private beach to get in the water to swim with Dallas the cook's 2 dogs, Major, a 9 month old German Shepherd, and Kaylie, a brindle boxer. They all had a great time romping around! Pete and Libby already prefer it! Pete's got another week on his meds, but he's doing very well. We still have to give him honey in order to get him to eat something, which isn't much. Still, he runs around and swims like everything's fine!
We're not sure how long we'll be here, but it's a great little town, with lovely people, a nice community church, great food here at Pelican's Pub, where the dogs can join us out on the tropical deck, and Jan gave us a good rate for a month's stay. Still, Daren's watching the weather, and we will head across the Gulf as soon as we get a decent window (5 days) of good weather.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Pete Update
We are SO pleased to say that the trip to the vet this morning was a huge relief, and our prayers have been answered! Our good friend, Candy drove us 30 miles to the Border Animal Hospital in Raymondville. The very kind vet found no indication of cancer growth, but Pete's blood test showed anemia (which could be from all the deer ticks in Port Mansfield) and a low white blood cell count, possibly from the infection. She put him on a 2 week course of antibiotics and 2 months of dog vitamins. As for his lack of appetite, he scarfed down a can of Hill's a/d critical care food, and we are thrilled that he's eating again! He had lost 9 pounds since his lumpectomy in Rockport!!
While at the vet's office, we talked to 3 people who told us horror stories when we mentioned that we were planning to sail along the Mexican Gulf coast! I told one man that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, and he said, "Yes, but God gave you a brain, too", and told us stories of kidnapping and murder! Hmmmm.. We came home and decided we would definitely take the short cut across the gulf, straight to Isla Mujeres, which will mean the dogs will have to wait 5 or 6 days to "go" onshore. But they'll be fine, and we will be, too, God willing. The only thing is, we DO need to wait for a good weather window, and that could mean another month or so. We plan to use that time to sail back and forth between here and Port Isabel, so that we'll be ready for anything and "get the rust off" as Daren put it! In the meantime, we are happy to be warm and enjoying great seafood and friends! Lovely place!
While at the vet's office, we talked to 3 people who told us horror stories when we mentioned that we were planning to sail along the Mexican Gulf coast! I told one man that God didn't give us a spirit of fear, and he said, "Yes, but God gave you a brain, too", and told us stories of kidnapping and murder! Hmmmm.. We came home and decided we would definitely take the short cut across the gulf, straight to Isla Mujeres, which will mean the dogs will have to wait 5 or 6 days to "go" onshore. But they'll be fine, and we will be, too, God willing. The only thing is, we DO need to wait for a good weather window, and that could mean another month or so. We plan to use that time to sail back and forth between here and Port Isabel, so that we'll be ready for anything and "get the rust off" as Daren put it! In the meantime, we are happy to be warm and enjoying great seafood and friends! Lovely place!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Good Gifts!
We're still in Port Mansfield, trying not to get too attached to the place! Our online stuff should arrive by mid-week, and then we'll sail outside to Port Isabel (30 miles!), and see Warsaw friends Jack and Shelly, who are wintering in their RV. We're still trying to decide between the 500 mile bee-line crossing to the Yucatan peninsula, or the 1000 mile coastal route, which might be safer if the weather turns bad. On the other hand, our 6 ft draft could be a real problem getting into some of the ports, so offshore might be the smarter path!
I've been trying to think of little gifts to give to port officials, and have never been much of a gift-giver. When I met Li Ling, from Indonesia, I was SO impressed with the food gifts she brought down to the boat! She said, in her culture, you always take gifts when you visit someone, and that's such a lovely tradition! It's also very Biblical, but something I've never been good at! We've been told to take cigarettes, beer, and Playboy magazines, but I don't like the idea of corrupting people's health or morals! It occurred to me that everyone loves books, and in Mexico, they especially love their children, so I found some great bilingual Bible storybooks by Zondervan on Amazon. I also found bilingual New Testaments for adults. It's a great way to share the Gospel and the English language! : )
Pete's been having health problems, and we almost took him to the vet Friday with our dear friend Candy, but then he seemed better, so we changed our minds! He'd been shivering and drooling and not eating! Daren got online and found out the shivering is from low blood sugar, and to give a TBS honey for every 20# of dog, every 2 hours, and it worked! He'd eat a bit, but now he's not eating at all, and of course, we're very worried about him. He still chases the ball and acts normally, but he won't eat, and he's already pretty skinny! Candy's taking us first thing tomorrow, and we're hoping and praying the vet will find a simple reason and solution and that it's not something more serious.
Hope you are all well! Those of you in cold climates with RV's really need to consider this place! It's just lovely and they have LOADS of huge red snapper, sea trout, and drum, and the best shrimp you ever ate!
I've been trying to think of little gifts to give to port officials, and have never been much of a gift-giver. When I met Li Ling, from Indonesia, I was SO impressed with the food gifts she brought down to the boat! She said, in her culture, you always take gifts when you visit someone, and that's such a lovely tradition! It's also very Biblical, but something I've never been good at! We've been told to take cigarettes, beer, and Playboy magazines, but I don't like the idea of corrupting people's health or morals! It occurred to me that everyone loves books, and in Mexico, they especially love their children, so I found some great bilingual Bible storybooks by Zondervan on Amazon. I also found bilingual New Testaments for adults. It's a great way to share the Gospel and the English language! : )
Pete's been having health problems, and we almost took him to the vet Friday with our dear friend Candy, but then he seemed better, so we changed our minds! He'd been shivering and drooling and not eating! Daren got online and found out the shivering is from low blood sugar, and to give a TBS honey for every 20# of dog, every 2 hours, and it worked! He'd eat a bit, but now he's not eating at all, and of course, we're very worried about him. He still chases the ball and acts normally, but he won't eat, and he's already pretty skinny! Candy's taking us first thing tomorrow, and we're hoping and praying the vet will find a simple reason and solution and that it's not something more serious.
Hope you are all well! Those of you in cold climates with RV's really need to consider this place! It's just lovely and they have LOADS of huge red snapper, sea trout, and drum, and the best shrimp you ever ate!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy 2012!
Hope you had a great New Year's Day today and are off to a flying start for 2012! We are STILL in Port Mansfield, which makes me laugh! It's like the song, Hotel California..."you can check out anytime you like, but you can NEVER leave!!" It's just such a nice town, and we keep thinking of things to order online, and then have to wait for them to get here! For instance, Daren decided he really SHOULD have scuba gear for emergencies, and I decided I'd really like to have a copy of Spanish for Cruisers, which is full of boat lingo and phrases for clearing in and out of port. Pete and Libby are just terrible on leash, so we ordered those "power steering" collars for them! (prongs!)
So, it looks like we'll be here another week! We spoke with Shelly today and they arrived yesterday to a nice RV park in Brownsville, with the option of moving if they choose. We spoke with cat-boat friend Manny, who's down in Port Isabel at a marina & RV park with his boxer, Corazon Frisbee, and he thinks there are RV spaces available right there on the water. I met a couple from Iowa who stay on South Padre Island in their RV and have a gulf view right on the beach, so there are lots of great options! We are just so happy that Jack and Shelly have joined the "winter Texans" and are practically neighbors! We're looking forward to seeing them when we get to Port Isabel! It'll be our last stop before Mexico!
A lot of people have expressed dismay that we're going down there, but we heard a great phrase today from Matthew Hagee, "Fear kills faith, but faith kills fear!" So... Keep the faith! : )
So, it looks like we'll be here another week! We spoke with Shelly today and they arrived yesterday to a nice RV park in Brownsville, with the option of moving if they choose. We spoke with cat-boat friend Manny, who's down in Port Isabel at a marina & RV park with his boxer, Corazon Frisbee, and he thinks there are RV spaces available right there on the water. I met a couple from Iowa who stay on South Padre Island in their RV and have a gulf view right on the beach, so there are lots of great options! We are just so happy that Jack and Shelly have joined the "winter Texans" and are practically neighbors! We're looking forward to seeing them when we get to Port Isabel! It'll be our last stop before Mexico!
A lot of people have expressed dismay that we're going down there, but we heard a great phrase today from Matthew Hagee, "Fear kills faith, but faith kills fear!" So... Keep the faith! : )
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