Taking Dad out on Mojo

Today we drove over onto Bethel Island and visited a friend that we had recently become acquainted with. 
He is the owner of Mojo... which means magic... and Mojo is his 1919 boat, which was built by the Navy.  It has a one cylinder motor and burns 1/4 of a gallon of gas an hour!  Top speed is about 6-1/2 mph. 

Here is dad, looking at Mojo.












At first we looked upon the boat, taking photos.  Then we were invited aboard and watched as the motor was started. 






So, there we were... watching the motor run... and finally he asked, "Would you like to go for a ride?"  Well, yes, we'd love it!  Thought you'd never ask!

My dad is here! Our first fishing trip...

My dad arrived this past Thursday to spend a couple of weeks with us.  He took Amtrak and enjoyed every minute of that, then went out to see Scott's boat and loved that... I fed him dinner last night and he really liked that, too... So, we're off to a good start!

Yesterday we did some running around together and then just hung out around the house... with Starburst, our Sun Conure.



Starburst is getting very spoiled right now.

Today we decided to head out in light winds onto the Delta and try a few spots for fishing.  Our first stop, however, was the bait shop.



Next, we braved the whitecaps and found somewhere to anchor down.  Dad got some grass shrimp and put bait on his hook.



It wasn't long and he was reeling his line in with anticipation.... and found that he had caught a clam!



That was a bit better, depending on how you look at it, than Scott's catch... a log shark:



Here he is, enjoying the relaxing experience...


I was there relaxing, too, which may surprise some of you, since it is hard for me to sit still and just "do nothing"... I actually fell asleep!

My dad got some big hits... his bait was stolen off the hooks a couple of times.  What fun it was to see him jump up and jerk his pole up!  But, no fish.  Cody noticed that Scott's pole was taking a hit and when it was reeled in, we had snagged this cute striped bass.  He is happily swimming away somewhere out there, now.



A family friend at the Doc told my dad that I am a regular mermaid now... and my dad said, "I always thought she was an angel."  It might sound cheesy to you, but, how sweet!!!! 

Tomorrow we will go to church together and in the afternoon we have another boating trip planned... out to Bethel Island to visit a 1919 boat.  So, stay tuned!

Betty Marie

4th of July Fun

Last year most of the guys headed out on Scott's best buddy, Gary's boat for the 4th of July weekend.  The girls, Stephen, Victor and I stayed home and hung out here.  We heard such fun and exciting stories when they got back!  So, this year I decided to join in.  This year, Scott's boat was ready and there was plenty of sleeping space.  Gary went out a day ahead, with Joseph and Clayton in order to get a good spot at Mandiville Island.  This is where Mr. Hilton (of Hilton hotels) owns a large home and where each year a barge is brought in that shoots off a spectacular fireworks show.  Boaters from all over the area flock here, anchor down for DAYS in advance and spend from sun up to sun down having fun...

So, we packed up and headed out.  We were waked often by other boaters on our trip. 



Victor doesn't enjoy very much motion that rocks his tummy... he held on and braced for the waves.  After a while, he got used to it.  I think his anticipation of the waves made it worse and after a while, he was able to relax a bit. 

Scenery along the way:



Evidence that young ones were aboard:



Yes, there were great wars: aliens verses ninja turtles verses little yellow sports dudes...

Not long after we anchored down, Victor went overboard to join in the fun!  Gary brought his Navy raft, which was handy...



Victor was loading up with water canon... and spraying Joseph, of course!



Cody went up top to talk to a boy next door who was doing some fishing.  I have no idea why it looks like he is biting his nails...



Clayton came aboard, happy to see all of us.



I could tell that Scott was very happy to have me along.  He treated me like a queen.  Most of each meal's work was done by him... he really enjoys boating and fishing.  This wasn't a fishing trip, because you'll see with the next several pictures, it would not work to throw your line off the boats... too many people having too much fun... But, Scott took great care of me and spoiled me.  And, since there was no where to go (unless it was in the raft or for a quick swim), and Scott did a lot of the chores, I was forced to sit and relax and take pictures and read... it was quite difficult... I know you all feel my pain...



Now, this gives a whole new meaning to the words water bed!



We had several fun rafts, serf/wake board, paddles and all, but this was a favorite to get out and lay on.  We had to keep it tied so Victor (or I!) wouldn't get taken away in a current....

Gary got lots of cheers, laughs and folks pointing this out!



He rigged up a water balloon launcher.  If you look closely, there is a pouch in the center of the back, with rubber ties that go out to each corner and this takes the water balloon fun up a notch... Because, you see, folks lined up and paddled around between the lines of boats with their water toys... spraying anyone who looked like they were having water fun... from morning to night.  Scott and I made lots of water balloons.   There were people a couple of boats down who had the 3 person launcher... and a guy with incredible arm and aim... they did lots of water balloons, too.  The children sure enjoyed the fun of it... and in a moment of excitement, one of them launched a water balloon... at the sheriff's boat.  Ooops.  They turned around and came back to us and scolded Gary, who had to take this down... it IS illegal to shoot or throw any object at a moving boat... raft... So, our water balloon fun was over.  But, the neighbors all continued to throw theirs... I guess the sheriff only wanted to correct young boys... he was probably intimidated by the big guys out there... drats... You'd think since lots and lots of people were doing this, they wouldn't pick on the little boys... and none of the others stopped.  Oh, well.

This boat was called the fireman's boat.  It was here last year.  They have big hoses.  There are some guys who look like they could be firemen... but, I don't know if it was confirmed that they are in fact firemen...



When they come through the area, you hear people calling out:  "Here come the firemen!  Watch out!"

Cody spent a lot of time just hanging out and making friends.  He did get in the water, but it took a day...



Cody was out back with the neighbors... who were very nice.

Other neighbors included this 1920's boat, which is beautiful.  We rode by on the 4th and were invited aboard and took a tour.  It was magnificent.  They owner has put a lot of work into it and decorated with historical timepieces and has just about all original items on the boat.



Now, Mojo got the guys excited.... Mojo means magic.  Mojo is owned by a man who we became friends with.  We invited him next to us a couple of times and he pulled in and shared good food and company with us.  Mojo is from 1919.  My dad will be coming for a visit and we will go out and visit Mojo while he is here, so I will save more photos and details for another post...



Looking right off the end of the boat, I could see boats and floaters lined up to make their way past us...



Some were decorated up for the holiday:



Here you see the girls and guy decorated up for the holiday!  What fun!



Here's another couple... and just about each one dishes out water fights...



Clayton and Joseph paddled out and visited several boats in line with others...



But, something was in the water.... and it kept our area full of suspense and took us to a new level of action... it was Agary.  Now, most people know Gary.  Gary is a retired navy man who is a terrific neighbor, helps others whenever he can and doesn't put up with any nonsense... but, when it's time to have fun, he is all about FUN.  He has more energy than I have had in my life.  I think he is close to 60.  He has strength and muscles of a young man, too.  He is one of Scott's best friends.  Gary doesn't use rafts... he uses foot fins... and usually a hat.  He innocently floats and bobs around... and no one knows that underneath the surface he yields a paddle... and when unsuspecting people get close enough you hear a loud "WHAAAAT???", his paddle surfaces and he goes to town... he soaks folks... soaks them.  And everyone around laughs and he gets congratulated on yet, another killing.... so to speak...



My camera doesn't zoom in when it takes videos... so you might not notice on this one that Gary took his stealth level up a notch and coverd his hat with seaweed... Victor named him the Unknown Paddle Creature Called Agary and that stuck.  When he is in stealth paddle attack mode, he is Agary.



And so, like Clayton here, we dried off a bit and sat back to relax as night came upon us and waited in expectation for the fireworks, which were wonderful.


The next day we took a longer route back to our berth... to avoid the channel and all the bigger, faster boats out there and we got back and now it is a memory... a fun memory... and I am back to running around on land, doing things...








 

Working on my summer to-do list... part 1

Here we go!  Into the best season of the year!  I am trying to get some items from my summer wish list checked off... whether I get to all of them or not, I am smiling a lot and taking in every moment.

Although watching our grandson, Christopher, wasn't on my wish list, that event took me to the park, which was on my list... and spending the afternoon with this little guy brought lots of smiles to my face.






Wearing new shades of lipstick?  Done!



When I said "visit all water parks within 30 miles" I didn't necessarily mean the parks with water fountains that shoot up from the ground to play in... but this worked, too!





 Much progress has been made on the painting of my bedroom!  The results are exciting.  You can see the new shade is not white, but not dark or too colorful.





Stay tuned for more summer events!!  I hope they get a bit more exciting than painting walls... I am sure they will!

Thorns

I was not raised with a green thumb.  I'm quite sure that any houseplant I was given prior to 2007 was doomed and died.  I liked them just fine.  I just had no idea how to take care of plants. 

Scott was raised by the Green Thumb Queen Katie.  To visit her home is a visual treat.  Her flower beds are lovely, the roses climbing her brick exterior fireplace are gorgeous.  Multiple large flower pots boast the prettiest plants and blooms.  Ivy surrounds her front porch and her back porch has a back wall of jasmine, which intersects and combines with grapes that cover the porch roof. 

Katie has been a patient donor.  The purple daisy-like flowers were so thoughtful.  I wish they had survived being planted out front.  My pink azalea did not make it through last summer.  This year's purple azalea is faring much better!  My irises are more than surviving and seem quite healthy... I need to learn how to thin them out, actually!  I am proud to say that my wedding ivy has taken off!  It might even surround my front window someday.  And the miniature red roses that Katie brought to me shortly after I moved here are thriving.  The hydrangeas are most impressive! 


Potted purple azaleas... they wont bloom until next year.


Pretty pink hydrangeas. 


My ruffled mauve roses have been going crazy with multiple blooms!


And this brings me to my post title... thorns. 

Now, I enjoy an object lesson.  And irony can bring a smile to my face. 

There I was.  Free time had found me and I was out clipping and pruning in the flower beds.  Along the side of the house are my 3 rose bushes.  I used to be very intimidated by them.  But, I have found my plant caring confidence this year and I was out there working.  And thinking.  I am always thinking about life and lessons and looking for areas to work on.  This is an annoying part of who I am when I want to sleep at night... but that is another topic.  So, there I was, thinking about the thorns on these rose bushes.  Working very carefully to avoid having my skin punctured and scratched up by thorns, I clipped.  I didn't completely avoid the run-in with the ever evil thorn.  I stepped back, marveling at how sharp those buggers are!!  They are really, really sharp.  Then, of course, I couldn't think of sharp thorns without thinking about my Jesus.  Gazing at those thorns, I thought of how awful it would feel to have a crown of them shoved down on top of my head!!  As I mentioned, I like an object lesson well enough... and irony has it's place in life, but... really??  Just after I consider thorns piercing my brow, (and quite deeply in thought, I must say...) I turn and bend down to pull a few weeds and OUCH!  I bent right into a branch with a thorn at just the right place to stick me in the forehead!!!  Like I said... I was deep in thought and all... and I laughed at the irony of my thoughts and life events.

The Official "I LOVE Summer" and My List of Summer Dreams Post

I love summer, oh, yes I do!!  I love nearly everything about it.  I love it sooo much more than any other season.  It is MY time.  To me, heaven will be never getting chilly or cold again.  I love that I live in an area that gets hot all summer.  I guess I will have two lists in this post... one for all the reasons I love summer and a second one for all the dreams I have to try to fit into one summer.

Here goes the first list!  I love summer so much because...

I rarely get cold
I don't have to wear layers
I can wear summer dresses and not get cold
I can wear a pony tail nearly every day and it "works"... (yes, I will be the 50 year old lady wearing a pony tail... maybe even wear one at 60... I guess we'll see!)
I love the smell of hot dirt and plants in the evening as I water them... you just can't get that any other time!
We can run around barefoot and not care where our shoes are... for a few weeks!
Children sleep in later and we don't have to "get up and go" prior to 8am... usually... I don't sleep in, but I sip coffee in a quiet living room, reading or writing... or sit on the porch... taking in every quiet moment life has to give me.
I have more time for the "bigger" projects in life!
The dock is warm, but shaded, so not too hot... and I can sit and play cards while Scott works on the boat and I am not cold or hot... I just am...
You can learn unique lessons that would happen only this time of year... like, don't jump into the delta with your cell phone still in your pocket!
Some days you walk outside the door and the heat hits you and sinks in and just feels SOOO good (heat as in over 100 degrees... no one else seems to share this love of mine, but that's okay!)


Well... I imagined my why I love summer list to be longer... and it could be, but I'd have to keep sitting here thinking and I want my love for summer to simply pour out...

Without further ado... here is my wish list for summer... things that I want to do at 100%, breathing in every moment...

This summer I want to:

Visit every water park within 30 miles... and go on nearly every ride... and particularly enjoy the wave pool and lazy rivers with Victor.
Read a classic novel... I am starting Treasure Island... I have never actually read the book!  Seems like a perfect summer time read!
Got to the library and find or order books on my list that I haven't wanted to purchase
Wear a lipstick shade that I normally wouldn't... just for fun...
Relax in the hammock at dusk, sipping a mojito, watching for the old horned owl to fly out of his tree next door...
Lay on a blanket in the shade at the park while the kids play... see if I can fall asleep... probably not, but I'll have my book with me!
Re-organize the garage... I know this is actually work, but once it is done, it will bless us all...
Paint and redecorate my bedroom...
Find and hang shimmering, flowing lavender curtains at my bedroom windows... the kind that you swag at the top... I don't like thick curtains...
Hula-hoop out on the cliffs of New Brighton Beach in Capitola as the sun sets over the ocean... hopefully with some friends!!


Isn't this the best summer picture??  It always fills me with happiness...

Go to an outdoor concert... probably just a local one...
Buy a couple pairs of flip flops or summer sandals in bright colors... like red or green or both... to match favorite shirts... and definitely finish it off with that new lipstick shade!
Listen to the old Go-Go's album... the "Vacation" one... over and over... it's so much fun! (and, hey, kids, it's better than putting you through Barry Manilow, right??)
Go out on an absolutely fabulous, wonderful date with my man!!!
Hang out at Pier 39, San Francisco... find the art store I heard about... then go and gaze at my favorite landmark... the Golden Gate Bridge.
Keep my flower bed plants healthy and alive!
Buy a great summer hat that I really, really like... one that'll keep the sun off my face and neck...

Well... that's it!  I suppose there is a possibility that I wont get to do everything on my list.  But, I live with lists nearly every day, and this is the best one ever!!  (it sure beats lists of running errands and buying groceries!!!)

What do you really want to do this summer??  Please leave me a message and let me know!  

Graduation, Part 2

Bek, in her graduation outfit.



My girl leans forward to connect with me.



Me and my graduated girl.

The day after graduation was one of the best days ever.  We went hiking in the Ozarks.  To say it was beautiful just doesn't work.  It was more than that.  It took my breath away.  I could imagine soundtracks form Lord of the Rings playing in certain parts.

















And I end this post with Bek... taking her graduation seriously... gazing at the paths before her... taking it all in.