Oh You Lexington Girls....Dont You Dare Dance the Polka!

Now...about the Lexington BBQ Festival the other day....a very good day out!

Got there early....watched the Wells Fargo Stage Coach take off with its first load of passengers and then off to stroll the Main Street of town and smell all the enticing aromas of BBQ, Burgers, Kettle Corn and the like.

Mind telling me why anyone would come to a BBQ festival and order Hot Dogs?

Things went well until we hit the Outfitter Coffee Shop...then the ol' Southern Hospitality took leave of Lexington.

After buying coffee, the four of us took a seat inside at a Window Table and savoured a mediocre cup of coffee while People watching. After a bit, a couple of us sensed a need to take a more detailed tour of the premises and sought out the Porcelain furniture in the Cafe reading room. Whatever were we thinking?

As we headed in the right direction we were accosted by a young whipper snapper who summarily barked "VIP's Only!" and barred our way. As we explained the purpose of our travels....he reiterated what became a litany...."VIP's Only!". Any attmept at explaining we were in fact "Paying Customers" and thus in the dire economy extant....should be considered VIP's....(that is Paying Customers)....the Chant continued.

We were told the Outfitter's definition of a VIP was anyone with a purple armband....signifying they had purchased a ticket to see the Bands playing that afternoon. That sounded all warm and fuzzy to me except for a couple of small details. It was Morning.....not Afternoon and there were not Bands playing....heck there were no Bands present even. Matter of fact....there was no one at all in the VIP Section or the VIP Toilets even.

An attempt to discuss the issue with a higher level of management resulted in a part of the ownership telling us.....yes...wait for it...."Restrooms are for VIP's only!" A discussion of what the State Law and trade custom had to say about the VIP Only stand resulted in a snotty female lady person declaring she was one of the Owners and would not be bullied by the likes of me. Any effort to suggest to her the dangers of keeping an Old Man from the Services fell upon very deaf ears.

Owing to the very polite company I was keeping that morning....I elected to seek alternatives to the crisis afoot.

The Lexington PD, recognizing a couple of our party, kindly offered us solace.

Since that time....my Letter to the Editor of the Winston-Salem Journal relating my account of the encounter with the not so kindly folks at the Outfitter....stroke a chord with the Editor. It shall be printed in the Halloween Day issue of that newspaper. He called to ask if I minded a few edits to the language to which I readily agreed. I care not to get into two piddling contests in a single week.

Interestingly enough....even the Davidson County Health Department was interested in the Outfitter's lack of concern for both the law and its paying customers. They suggested they would be visiting the Outfitter but would not be buying any coffee. I bet you a Dollar to a Doughnut....they will be treated as VIP's during their visit despite there not being a Band even scheduled today!

Now if you folks are looking for recommendations on places to visit in Lexington at any time.....feel free to hit the Outfitter so long as you do not care to get into a piddling pickle!

PS.....there was some good music....and some very good BBQ. The Sand Carving was plain amazing....a Space Ship full of piggys poking their porcine probiscus's out of every port and portal.

Life as a Clod.....Cruiser living on dirt!

Time to get caught back up with the blog. Major changes in effect....some good...some ok...some not so good.

Let's start with the not so good....I am officially a CLOD....Crusier Living On Dirt. Please don't tell my Mom....she thinks I am a Third Class Cook on a Bombay Bum Boat. If the truth got to her it would break the old Dear's Heart!

Mom turned 93 in July....and I felt the need to be much closer to her and made that decision to give someone else the pleasure of Luna's companionship. Ship's Cat Frady (aka Kingfish as he utterly mauled a Pekinese Yapper one morning....and thus earned his nom-de-guerre!) is adjusting well. In time he will figure out the door layout...as there are eight of them for him to choose from.

He has plenty of roaming in the neighborhood....friendly neighbors....and two cat beds at his convenience.

As we cruisers know....it is a very small Orb we inhabit....and our paths seem to cross every so often. My next door neighbor introduced himself...and lo he was a State Trooper in Charlotte in the 70's when I was a City Police Officer. As we swapped Po-Leece Stories....we discovered we had shared the same spot of sidewalk one night after he had been cut with a knife while arresting a One Armed Drunk Driver. The question begged that night was how does one handcuff a one armed Man? My question was why he needed handcuffing having whittled on a State Trooper!

For those of you that have forgotten what "Houses" are.....they do resemble boats in some regards. They cost money to maintain! Not as frequently as a boat as houses are more of a neutral gender than are boats and thus the demand for attention is not as dear.

After buying the house....I decided to do some repairs to the Deck that runs the length of the rear of the house....nice view of the Price Correctional Institute particularly at night when all the Sodium Vapor Lights come on (Those kazillion watt yellow things) as one of them is pointed directly into the Master Bedroom. I wonder if the Captain over there forgets I am a single guy and not a very pretty sight in my Boxers!

Since making the decision to replace some 4x4 posts with some 6x6's on the Deck supports....the project has morphed into something along the scale of a yard visit with Luna. As it stands now....the Deck is being expanded, Hot Tub moved to the newly concreted Patio...which was enlarged after excavating half the yard from around one end of the House...lots of new pretty brick walls, piles, and porcelain tile on the new patio. The walk fromt he garage to the rear deck got pulled up and repaved....the Room with the Pool Table (stolen from the previous owner) has been enlarged....Bar built at one end...restroom enlarged...gas stove installed....tile on the floor....and imitation stone along one wall. I though while I was at it....decided to close in one third of the basement workshop and make a Den.

As I arrived with exactly a seabag of dirty clothes and the Commodore....I have also been in the furniture moving business as I shop for a house full of that kind of stuff. Frady is miffed....no sofa yet...no favorite chair for him as he refuses to use the 20 year old recliner as he feels it is beneath him some how.

My neighbor (the former State Trooper and Captain of the Price Correctional Institute) is a super fellow...lovely Wife and has been working hard at introducing me to lots of people and organizations. He knows everyone in this County I think. He ran for Sheriff during the last election and came up just a few votes short. If he runs next time....I'll be working for his election as he would be a darn good one.

Other neighbors are interesting folks....a good mix....some are Classic Car buffs...some are building yet another Log House....and have very nice not to remind me of how the Property Values went down when I arrived. I did feel kinda like the Clampetts Come to Hollywood when I got here.

I did the Lexington BBQ Festival on Saturday....good time so long as you don't need to take a whiz. I shall relate an account of what that is all about in a later post. It is a good story....and is a work in progress. The Winston-Journal asked to discuss my Letter to the Editor about the sad occurrence. No word yet from the County Health Department or the Festival Organizers.

After years of searching.....I just may have found that Treasure I seek! I was introduced to a lovely Lady on Saturday who might just make Biscuits like my Grandma Cooper. The "Luna" Luna was named for! Miss Luna made the absolutely best Biscuits I have ever had the pleasure to eat. All done over a wood stove, all mixed by hand in a trough that sits in a place of honor in my new Kitchen, and done fresh twice a day mind you! She made the kind that were big and thick....brown on top....soft inside and thick....really thick....thumb poking thick when you put the butter and molasses in them for dessert thick.

This wonderful creature offered to treat me to some of her biscuits....and I informed her that if they matched Miss Luna's.....there would be an immediate dropping of knee and a serious begging for matrimony! All fingers crossed and thinking good thoughts on this one......Biscuits and Beauty....ah....life would be grand! In case you have not guessed....I am quite taken by this chance acquaintance.

I see Vic in Oconee is heading south yet again to that beautiful clear water....and land of the Rum Punches that he makes so well. Fair Winds Vic.....enjoy your voyage!

Photos of the house forthcoming....and at some point there shall be a wee small party or two in the LZ Bar....as it shall have a Helicopter Motif and some sprinkling of things Nautical. My two huge Brass Nav Lights from Pakistan will be on prominent display after I modify them from oil lamps to electric flicker bulbs.

Cheers all!

Hurricane Earl....in the can...CUT!

2AM....water level up about two feet from normal....wind about 15 knots....light rain falling.

Docklines all secure....and Dock electric still hooked up and working....both Air Con's doing their thing.

Frady did a shore sweep....and came back to finish his slumbers.

Me....back to bed to sleep the sleep of the honest!

What Kind of Mood Is Earl Going To Be In?

Awoke to a dead calm day....overcast.....and quiet.....less Blue (neighbors wee doggy) barking away at whatever yappers bark at.

Coffee brewing....checking the weather reports and guesses about Earl. Thus far, the weather guessers say we will have Tropical Storm weather tonight....possibly Hurricane weather. Now if Obama and his crew of Economists could be as forthcoming! First order of business was to feed Frady who is loving the return to his regular Fancy Feast offerings....he and every other Cat seems to hate the gravy style for some feline reason.

Second order of business is to feed me....coffee is brewing and there are the usual bagels....John Wayne style...cold...without butter....but quick! Then off to fill fuel cans....buy a pair of reading glasses then back to the boat to remove the Bimini. Except for running the extra bow line and the two creek lines we are ready for Earl.

Noon.....weather forecast is improving slightly....seems Earl has held to a more northerly course and that should keep it further offshore. Peak winds are thought now to be about 60-65 mph which should pose no problem. The surge should be no more than three or four feet probably which is not too extreme.

Shannon called me saying she has been feeling really bad.....went to the Doctor yesterday without any real result. Sure hope she feels better.....or it is off to Myrtle Beach to see about her.

Am holding off stringing the creek lines....neighbor boat ran his...and instantly a fellow in a 26 foot ex-USN motor whale boat had to run up the creek. He came from just around the corner...and had three days warning to move the boat....and seemed bothered the creek lines were in the water.

I met the legendary Bobby Cahoon this morning at breakfast up in Bayboro at Charlies Cafe. I met him when he roared into the parking lot and cut me off for a parking space I was trying to pull into...then said he had not seen me.....imagine that...a big blue one ton Dodge four wheel drive pickup truck with my smiling countenace at the wheel....and he could not see me! I reckon he ought not be driving if that is the case.

Why is it....rude Redneck Goobers play stupid when challenged about their bad manners? Is it really ignorance or just more bad manners on display? Funny thing....I have been here since May....hang out in Oriental....and know of this fellow by name and reputation long before I meet him by chance in Bayboro. Sorta tells the story I think! Thus....it appears the big bag of wind around today is not just Hurricane Earl.

Earl turned north and northeasterly.....should pass offshore of Hatteras....leaving us with a bit of wind....and some high water but nothing of any consequence.

Dollar Beer and Captain's Call at the Silo's tonight....that trumps Earl!

Frady went after a Snake this afternoon....it wound up in a draw....Snake slithered off....and Frady stayed un-bit! The Ship's Cat was strutting afterwards! So long as he holds to our agreement on the "Catch and Release Program".....where he catches them, brings them to me on the boat....releases them...and I chase them down and release them back to the wild...we will be okay. I reminded him yet again today...."NO SNAKES!"

Time to jump in the Rain Locker and head off to the Silo's for Captain's Call!

Going Blind One Pair of Spectacles At A Time!

Today was rig for Hurricane Earl day.

Took down the Genoa (large furling sail on the front of the boat) and stowed it away down below. Removed all the enclosures from the Bimini Top....stowed them below. Moved all the Jerry Cans, Dock box...and other clutter to the bed of the pickup....filled the boat water tank....replaced the water in the four Jerry Cans on the deck and stashed them in the cockpit....got the bad news on the Freezer Compressor....er ist kaput!

Doubled up all the dock lines, rigged a line that will pull forward on the bow....normal lines pull aft due to being pulled so far forward on the end of the dock.

Then the fun began.

I was down to rigging my cross creek lines. Which meant pulling the two spare anchor lines from beneath the aft stateroom bunk. The smaller line but larger bundle fought leaving its cozy hiding place. Since you have to hold the mattress up with one hand...and wrestle the line with the other....makes for some good exercise and sailorly language. I think I scared the bigger line into crawling out of the locker on its own.

Retired to the dock....stretched out the lines...and untangled them where the Gremlins tied them into knots over the past year...when they weren't fiddling with the electrical or propane systems. Got them sorted out....the lines.,..not the Gremlins!

Raided the Sailcraft surplus chain for the use of creek lines stash.....got a couple of short lengths of chain and toted them back to the boat. Now came the fun part....laying out the chains and anchor lines (spending an hour untangling the anchor lines where the Gremlins had made a silent strike in my absence) and began to "Tie Wrap" the lines and chains together. The goal is to have the creek lines politely lurk on the bottom after being tied to a piling using a very simple nautical knot called a Bowline.

It is called a simple knot because any idiot can tie the thing in any manner of ways...one handed, two fingered, two handed, under tension, no tension, all one has to do is find an idiot to tie the thing for you and you are good to go. No idiots were found until Ol' Don showed up and showed me a half dozen ways to tie that simplest of nautical knots. I hope Don is around when it comes time to do this for real.

Now....the cross creek lines are rigged, stashed in the Dink in readiness for tomorrow. I am sure the Gremlins will hold a drunken party in the Dink tonight and really sort out the creek lines for me so deploying them will be a soul destroying experience. The Gremlins just want me to have something to talk about I am sure.

As to going blind....when you find a wee tiny miniature screw lying on your bed....get a piece of duct tape...and wrap it securely with the tape and put the tape in a safe place. As every decent Redneck and Shade Tree Home Repair expert knows....you can always find Duct Tape. You cannot always find that damn screw after you put it into the box with all of the other screws you have stashed away. I found such a screw....and immediately put it into the only designated screw box on the boat where it hides today after I discovered it belonged to my nice pair of sunglasses with the cute little six power bi-focals. That shall turn out to be an Eighty Nine Dollar Screw if I have to replace the sunglasses!

If one takes a Safety Nap....do not sleep on your only pair of reading glasses. The Gremlins will come have a barn dance on them while you slumber! I must add a stop at the Bayboro CVS tomorrow before the storm.....or it will be a very boring evening listening to a movie.

Alright Earl.....despite the best efforts of the Luna C Gremlins Local 416....I'm ready for ya!

Hurricane Earl....RSVP Please!

I have been sat here checking up on Hurricane Earl.

Why in the name of political correctness did we cave to the Feminazi's and start splitting Hurricane names between male and female names? Why moron came up with the gem of wisdom?

Any time spent trying to figure out if a Hurricane is going to show up....and guessing how they are going to behave when/if they do grace your presence.....will remind one of why historically they were all named for women.

Earl has behaved fairly well when the weather guessers have suggested where he was headed. Of late, he seems prone to skirt the North Carolina coast but remain offshore. The difference for a lot of us is more than a few miles as Earl is quite a storm and anything more than a glancing blow could result in a real knock out punch.

Luna is safely sat at her dock, well up the creek and deep inside the trees and houses. Shy of a direct hit....I suppose she is as safe as she can be. Perhaps I shall take down some canvas if it does look like we will get more than just a wee bit of wind and a lot of rain otherwise I will merely stock up on groceries, soda pop, beer, and propane. At least if the electricity goes out I have the generator to keep the A/C going. Add in a good book and I shall be good to go!

Now....off to the rack for a period of thoughtful reflection.....for you folks still working for a living....can you say "Nap"?

Nap done....horrible knocking on the side of the boat....twas Breck retrieving his Freon gear. Earl is becoming a topic of concern now as it appears we shall see more of it than we care to. Boats are showing up to be hauled onto the hard....One is tied up very close behind Luna...like its anchor is underneath my aft pair of Solar Panels....but shall be moved tomorrow (one way or another!). Propane tanks are full, groceries laid in.....had to go out and buy that loaf of bread!

Tomorrow morning is take down the Genoa and strike it below to the forward cabin (remembering to leave Frady's litter box out in the open) and lash down all the sail covers....fill all the diesel and gasoline jugs...and stash them in the pickup so they will not blow around. The Dink will get tied up between the dock and the seawall....and in time Luna will get tied off mid-creek where I intend to ride the storm out.

There are plenty of good books....a case of iced beer....thus good for a day!

The nice thing...barring any disaster like a Pine Tree falling on the boat....it will be sailing weather on Saturday!

Two Steps Forward....One Back!

Boats....far more trouble than they should be!

Finally had the sense of humor failure with the propane system. It reached the point where I got flat fed up with chasing leaks resulting from one very poorly designed, installed, and crafted system. I know Don Fulcher's ears are burning right about now!

I got up bright and early...gulped down my coffee....and got stuck in re-do'ing the propane system this morning. After cutting tie wraps, cutting one hose (after giving up trying to get the darn thing loose), and finally in desperation....completely dis-assembling the Pelican watertight box containing the regulator and tank selector module....I loaded the mess into the Pickup and headed off to Bayboro to get what I needed.

After a wasted stop at Jenkin's Gas....a very typical and demonstrably useless excuse for a gas company....I fell into Eastern Gas. In a very few minutes....parts in hand...off to the boat for the install. A few minutes putting some hoses and fittings together and it was back to the Pelican Box. Don Fulcher's ears are still on fire! Finally got the system all plumbed, hooked up, leak checked and secured with tie wraps. The expression...."Cooking with gas!" springs to mind!

Then....it was time to deal with the freezer compressor. Step one when dealing with a Freezer problem is to "completely" empty the freezer compartment. Operative word is "completely". "Completely" does not include leaving a package of steak in one corner of the freezer in mid-summer....for a week!

So far....we have progressed to the point of fixing the broken copper line that got broke because someone installed the system with not enough room to move the module so you can get your fingers to anything. That got re-soldered. The fan got replaced....the compressor still doesn not work. Parts on order....naturally no way to order them today....so Tomorrow! That means the part gets here on the second day....and if that isn't the answer....then we get to consider a new compressor module complete.

Can we say "BOAT"? Break out another thousand!

GRRRRRRRHHHHH!

While the weather is perfect.....stuck at the dock waiting for parts....and guess what...Hurricane Earl approaches!

Fingers crossed ol' Earl will scoot on by on his way to Scotland and leave us alone!