July 2009 - Car Trip Southeast USA

During the last week of June, Sara and Wilma went to Dallas by car. Wink took a flight to New Hampshire to spend a few days with the grandchildren (Amber and Emma). Wilma stopped by Yazoo City, MS to visit with family before heading on to Dallas. After several days, Wink and the girls flew to Dallas where Wilma met them at the airport. Wilma’s son, William lives in Dallas and enjoys time with us and his children every summer.

William enjoys Steam Punk, a new attire and music fad. He works with models and participates in coordinating photo shoots.

He also designs and creates accessories such as jewelry, goggles, angel wings and other interesting creations. Search Steamline Gear to see some of his work. Wilma models a new creation.
Sara fell in love with William’s couch cushion.

We also went to Keller, TX to visit with Wilma’s brother Charles Timmy who took the girls horseback riding. His ranch/boarding facility is doing well.

We also went to Ladonia, TX to hunt for Fossils in Pete Patterson Fossil Park. It’s a dry river bed called the North Sulphur River Fossil Haven. Wink and Wilma did find many fossils while Amber and Emma found tadpoles. The temperature was 103 degrees. We drank lots of water and took lots of breaks. It’s too hot for the summer.

Our friends Kevin and Lisa invited us over for a swim and dinner. The girls enjoyed laying out to dry before dinner.

We also traveled to Arkansas to visit Wilma’s sister, Betty and family. Betty’s grandson Jax was excited to see Amber and Emma. Then we went down to Yazoo City, MS to see Wilma’s parents and family. On the way, we rescued a water turtle and relocated it to a safe water environment. We also went to Vicksburg, MS to tour the Civil War National Memorial Park. The statues and memorials were amazing.

Upon returning to Dallas, we went to the Museum of Natural History and the girls really liked the Mammoth at the entrance as well as seeing the many gems, minerals and fossils. We also went to the local swimming pool to cool off. After three weeks, Wilma helped the girls get their hair neat and to make a few faces for the camera before catching their plane back New Hampshire with Wink.

Sara and Wilma drove back to Green Cove Springs, FL where John Henry sits for the summer. Wilma stopped in Yazoo City, MS one more time to visit with her aging parents.
Emma in the front yard and Amber in the side yard of their home saying goodbye to Grandpa as he leaves for the airport. Wilma picked up Wink at the Jacksonville airport as the month of July came to a close.

Where Has Two Months Gone?

Two months ago - the last week of May - we were traveling north in the ICW. We stopped and enjoyed Cocoa Village - anchoring out just northeast of the Bridge.

We were traveling with Pat and Pat from Salty Dawg. Pat and Wilma enjoyed shopping in the village. Wilma bought a new straw hat.

Wink, Wilma and Ms. Pat posing in Cocoa Village for Mr. Pat. Our travels took 5 days from Ft. Pierce to Green Cove Springs, FL.

John Henry docked on Pier 2 across from Cloud X. It's great to be back at Reynolds Park Marina in Green Cove Springs, FL. We'll stay here for hurricane season. The Pat's will be staying a month in the Jacksonville area. They had a car stored there, so they drove us to Sarasota, FL to get our car and stayed a few days in the condo.

Wink, Wilma, Pat and Pat began to work on a small business venture. We donned our business outfits and hit the road. After several frustrating weeks & medicals problems - the venture is placed on hold.

However, Wink did get some photo enhancing software and decided to try it out. If only getting fit was so easy - Wilma thinks.

Patrick (the worker) and Wink (the supervisor) work on re-organizing the vent line to the holding tank, changed all of the duck bill values for each of the three vacu-flush units, worked on the windlass, and installed a new intake vent for the master stateroom a/c unit.

Wilma also helped with each of the projects - cleaning the alley ways and reorganizing stores. This photo also serves as a before photo because Wilma decided to cut her hair.

Wilma does like it, but looks forward to it growing out a little bit.

We had a short visit from Neil Ingram and Jerry Ohlman. They stopped by to say hi before moving Shalala to Brunswick, GA.

We went out touring the St. Johns River tributaries one Sunday with Christy and George Comrie in their large Carolina Skiff. What a peaceful afternoon.

Wilma invited crews of Christina Seas and Esmarelda over for Happy Hour after the skiff exploration afternoon. Wilma shows off her jewelry that she learned to make in the Bahamas and ended up selling 6 necklace/bracelet's.

On one of our trips to Sarasota, FL - we discovered that the high school that Wink attended had been rebuilt and the school was holding a social to come see the old school before it was torn down. The school is 50 years old. Wink graduated 40 years ago. His cousin, Linda (on left) was in the first graduating class. The school is Riverview High School.

Wink graduated Riverview High School in Sarasota, FL in 1969. He could not afford his high school senior yearbook. The school did have several yearbooks from years past on display. Wilma couldn't help but take a picture of Wink's senior glory.

Wink Thornton, 1969 - Riverview High School, Sarasota, FL - Senior Year

Destruction of the old Riverview School - 2009

Cape Cod Light - sister ship Cape May Light left port in early June headed to dry dock. (Read the club blog: www.ghtacruising.com )

Cape May Light returns after dry dock with a new name: Sea Voyager

See club website - blog for more details. www.ghtacruising.com

Wink, Wilma and Sara the sea dog went to Sarasota last week for medical test and appts. Wink is now on new meds for his RA which will hopefully help with moving around better. The dentist was happy to see him also.

Wilma has a clear bill of health. Sara unfortunately, slipped jumping off the bed onto the tile floors and hurt two disc in her back. She's on bed rest for two weeks.

We returned to the boat on Monday - June 22nd. Apparently while we were away, the Blind Mosquito's decided to raid the boat. There were million, may billions of them dead all around the boat. Wink started to hose down the cockpit, because for a while this is Sara's new poop deck.

The bugs ran green goo - oouuuh. It was all over the boat. After 5 minutes, Wink had itchy swollen hands - he's allergic. Wilma took over the spraying. It took two hours to hose off the boat. The bugs flew from one side of the boat to the other as Wilma hosed the dead bugs off.

On Tuesday, Wilma washed the entire boat top to bottom. It took 8 hours. On Wednesday morning, Wilma again got up and hosed the boat for about an hour and then repeating the process throughout the day. The boat isn't clean anymore, but just keeping the bugs hosed seems to keep the green goo from building up. These bug problems happen in burst and there hasn't been a bad one like this for two years.

Blind Mosquito's oozing green goo - about three days of bugs we're told.