COLD

Yesterday was my birthday, and the night before, some up-Island friends came for dinner to help me celebrate. If you've read my archives you've 'met' them before, but Ray and Sandy own a converted prawn boat that was built originally in the 1940s. They cruise 3 or 4 months of the year on the 'Karen N' and are currently planning their first trip to Alaska, in the spring of 2005. I'm jealous!

Speaking of Alaska, it's been really cold here in Victoria for the last two nights, and last night it snowed on the Malahat for the first time this season. This is our first winter at this marina so, even though we are NOT cold on the Wind Walker, we're not sure what to expect. We do know that occasionally, in the winter here, Dallas Road gets closed to traffic because of the ferocious winds coming off the Juan de Fuca Strait and blowing spray (and the occasional loose log) up onto the road.

Today is a bit warmer, but gray, foggy and drizzly. I'm contemplating Christmas... :-)

LIVEABOARD BLOGS

Just did a search this morning, and came up with a few other related blogs... there aren't that many, but here's a start....

We have Jim, a 45-year-old fellow on his sailboat in Texas, at Smoke on the Water.

Then there's Fresh Bilge: A Salty Journal, by Alan Sullivan - who is only temporarily aboard.

And check out Brent Ozar, another sailor in Texac.

And then you can visit 'Rivrdog' in Portland, Oregon.

Finally, check out GrannyButtons, an English 'longboat' liveaboard experience.


By the way, if a web log is called a 'blog,' why isn't a Ship's Log called a 'slog?'

THE MONSOONS

The Vancouver Island winter 'monsoons' have begun. We've really been very lucky to have an extended autumn of decent weather, but it started to rain last night, and it hasn't stopped. Good thing Michael got the tarp rigged up over us! The marina parking lot has a plugged drain, too, and there's water gushing up out of it. . . may not be able to do anything about that until there's a break in the weather now. It's supposed to blow 35 knots on the Juan de Fuca tonight - we LOVE this kind of weather. People often call to invite us over when it's like this or to ask if we're warm enough - no, we don't want to come over, we LOVE it when we're cozy on our boat in a storm, and yes, we're plenty warm! It might be different if we were anchored out, but we're tied up to a dock and plugged in to power, so it doesn't take much electric heat to be 'toasty' when you have less than 400 sq ft to heat.

WINTER READING

I am currently reading two books that should turn up on lots of liveaboarder's wish lists this Christmas. One is called simply The Essentials of Living Aboard:An Important Guide for New Liveaboards" by Mark Nicholas, and it really is as basic and practical as it sounds. The other is my heroine Alexandra Morton's latest offering, called 'Beyond the Whales: The Photographs and Passion of Alexandra Morton. It's a much less 'necesary' book ... unless you're me. :) And I'm sure anyone who shares my passion for the ocean, and for this lifestyle, would love it, too.

I'll post full book reviews on the Marina Mirror website as soon as I can!

VAN REPAIRS

One thing about living aboard - you have no yard. In the summer, when others are sweatin' it out mowing their lawns and working in their gardens, that's a good thing. :-) But on chilly fall days (we had frost on the docks last night, and had to spread 'Ice Melt' first thing this morning) when the van needs work, it's not a good thing. So Michael had to block the thing up somehow out in a corner of the parking lot (trying to be inconspicuous) and work outside for the better part of the day. At least it's calm - there was a 35 knot wind in the night, but it had moved on by this morning.

FIRST POST ... AGAIN.

Well, I've tried at least 3 times before to create a blog. Let's hope this one 'takes!' lol