Saturday, July 29, 2023

Gig Harbor 2019
As Bubba said, “Life’s short call now”.  In light of all the recent weirdness, thought we’d say Hi.  It’s May 2020, the last time we said Hi was December 2015. 

Where have we been? What have we been doing?  Good questions, for all of us.  We hope to hear from you all in turn.

We have dropped anchor and are living ashore in Gig Harbor, WA.  At present we are tending to BOTO, getting her ready for some cruising of the San Juan Islands.  How, pray tell did BOTO get from Kemah, TX to Gig Harbor, WA?  We’ll try to keep it brief.

Our 2015 Christmas greetings from Kemah were from the fireplace of the recently completed (at the time) remodel; by February of 2016 we would be headed to Washington.  Let’s get caught up.

As some may know we returned to Texas, June 2012 and hit the hard for some land cruising.  One thing led to another and we found ourselves in Phoenix, AZ.

Our tiling handywork at the condo in AZ, idle hands and all that….


Where do we go next? Maine, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, I know none of these are exactly tropical, but we managed to visit all and a few more (Gig Harbor, by chance, among them during the summer of 2012 road trip). 


            May not be tropical, but friends and Margaritas more than compensate

 In 2013 we headed to San Francisco, the City by the Bay.  Vicky accepted an offer in SF (taking one for the team).  We decommissioned BOTO, placed her on a semi and hauled her the last few thousand miles to the west coast.  It was a much easier trip than the upwind slog from Panama would have been.  Guess BOTO was meant to see the USWC.


Boto in her cradle, in spite of the Bay area chill, note Vicky’s go-forwards


We had become C.L.O.D's (Cruisers Living On a Dock (later to be replaced by DIRT)) in San Francisco.  Living at Marina Village Yacht Harbor, Alameda Island (yep we found an island) we attended to boat projects and of course to the kitty (well, that was Vicky’s department).  



What projects you my ask (no need to keep track, the list repeats itself every five years or so); all new standing rigging, compliments of the folks at Grand Marine, re-bedding of windows (an ongoing project).  A brand-new hot water tank (recycled the original copper kettle to offset shipping costs).  Rewired solar panels (increased output once the corroded connections were replaced).  Re-bed chain plates (now there's a barrel of laughs for you).  Removed SS dirty water holding tanks installed poly (talk about a s*&$!y job).  Oh, almost forgot, dealt with boat brokers, fired boat brokers (decided that BOTO is family, not to be sold).  Repaired (with the assistance of Allen the Boat Guy) the refrigerator.  Bought a new kayak (inflatable, lots of fun), built another kayak (wood, also lots of fun, jump forward several years and built a second).  That gets us to the end of 2013.  


 The year was 2014, we made a lot of new friends, sailed with an interesting group of curmudgeons and seared the Bay into our memories forever;


Vicky decided she did not care for the project she was on; Ed found that folks in California did not care for a former Oil Trader.  Chula found that having had her second knee operation, she was ready to move ashore and take up the life of a retired seadog (her third knee operation would come later). 

Hence by mid 2014 the trio returned to Kemah (quartet if we count BOTO, but she rarely complains) where it all began.  Ultimately securing day jobs in Space City, the trio moved ashore (to the afore mentioned fixer upper) in January 2015.

You’ve seen the end result in the Christmas greetings, what you missed could have been featured on HGTV.  We spent 2015 working and renovating, it had its ups and downs, thankfully more ups.  Then, we did what many before had done and suffered what others may have experienced.  WE MADE PLANS, AND THE UNIVERSE LAUGHED.

We thought, hey the new house is done, the boat is good, the jobs are OK, we’ve got friends, we can visit family; let’s just stay put for a while, stop wandering, perhaps for five years, then we’ll decide what to do next.

Well, the Universe sent the NEXT thing our way in November of 2015.  A job offer.  Move to Washington, lots of opportunity, lots of possibilities, a chance to go back to the left coast.  Why not, we’re in!

2016, Vicky, Chula, Ed and BOTO arrive in Gig Harbor!  If you’ve never been, tis a wonderful place, but stay away we want to keep it a hidden gem, .

Since then we’ve; met wonderful people, seen old friends and made some new ones,  remodeled our fourth (and last?) home together (this one checks all the boxes), settled into a community we adore, survived a bout with cancer, built another kayak, adopted several goslings, retired from the rat race (this time for good?), and set about caring for BOTO.


                      2017 ended with snow and a trip to the mountains to stretch the old sea legs.

                                                                                                                                                                   



While 2018 went out with more snow, this time socking in the new abode.




While 2019 found our crew safely ensconced in said new abode, with a warm fire and a place to hang their stockings.




It’s May 2020, in January Ed retired.  

In 2019, Vicky defeated breast cancer!  We also said goodbye to Jean Adell Alsaker, after 95 years on this earth (Dick had preceded her in 2007, he told us kids; life’s short, go cruising).  

In 2018, Ed participated in the sale of his Company.  We also said goodbye to Robert Edward Nadler, after 87 years on this earth (Sally preceded him in 2015).  

Throughout 2017, we worked on GOOSEBUMPS, our home here in GH.  

That pretty much sums up the lost years.  What comes next?  Only time will tell..  We hope all is well with you and yours and would very much like to hear from you, svboto@yahoo.com.

Until then, fair winds and following seas.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Greetings from Kemah, TX
Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year

Sunday, December 16, 2012

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BOTO


Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year from Vicky, Ed and of course Chula

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Canada and beyond



When last we checked in we were getting ready to say ado to  Montana and head north, that`s Canada for the geographically challenged.  So hereforth comes a pictorial essay....  remember you must always stop and smell the flowers.


If you haven`t made a trip north of the boarder, especially to the Banff area we highly recommend it.


Of course, if you make your way off the beaten track you never know what you will find........
The road from Banff to Jasper is roughly 180 miles and simply put is amazing......
notice a family resemblence


Thirty four days into a roadtrip and we are discovering a whole new world, something very different from the high seas.




















the girls on a break



        the road to Jasper



Where to next Chula, guess it is off to Washington state to see what we can see... 
Port Townsend, WA

Building boats is more than a hobby in Washington......










Pikes Place Market
a moment alone
My Island


 The Tetons

Forty days and forty nights on the road and we are turning south, heading for the barn.  Catching up with folks on land has been the main objective of this trip so we head for UT to see the Browne girls.  Of course we went through Boise to say hey, while we missed Shane we did get to see some folks juming off a rather HIGH highway bridge, fortunately the two guys were wearing parachutes.  Unfortunately we did not get any pictures, just managed to pull oer in time to see them launch themseleves into space and folks say were not normal.

the Browne girls

If you are heading to the Salt Lake City area this winter and want to be close to the mountains but not at a big hotel, the cabin to the right is for rent.  It is the real deal, LOG CABIN and comes with its own bathroom and kitchenette.  Send us a note if you are interested and we will forward to Cindy.


Its off to Bryce Canyon for some sight seeing,  first up is Red Canyon.
Scenes from Bryce Canyon

     what remains after a fire

 
Although driving is easier, taking a trail ride through the canyon is awesome.  After four hours in the saddle we loaded up the car and headed for Pheonix, we did not say we were very bright.  At least the car seats are soft.  So 45 days on the road and we are back in AZ.  It has been a month since our return, with one week in TX to check on BOTO.  We are busy renovating the condo, the outside tile is all done, now for the inside. Take care for now.