Charlotte Radford's Blog – May 2012 Archive (8)

Everyone heard it here first!!!  OH YEAH!!!  I know we are all maintaining safe boating environments. 

Next week is Hurricane Preparedness Week.  Please see link:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ 

There is even a Hurricane Preparedness Seminar in Orlando.  It's June 1, 2012. …

Sunday morning I saw some manatees in the marina!  The marina has a lot of vegetation on the bottom, so often there are manatees around.  These were the first ones I had seen for several months.  Sometimes they nudge the Owl's bottom as they pass in the night.  A most cool feeling.

A couple of years ago I saw a mama manatee and her baby.  It was awesome!  I love seeing them in their native environment, although I did enjoy seeing them at Sea World here in Otown. …

It was overcast today in Orlando...YAY!  Weather is now taking a turn to rain most afternoons right around rush hour.  It's not QUITE to that point, but rain will be coming soon at that time.

Hurricane season starts in 2 weeks...WOW!!!  I was reading the wikipedia article about the history of Orlando.  The article states that Orlando as the location of WDW was chosen by Mr. Walt Disney because it was inland more than Tampa (one possible choice) so hurricanes would probably…

In continuation of my alliterative titles....OH YEAH!!!

So, what's your favorite beverage (other than water) to take on cruise?  Obviously, one has to take water. Beer takes up a lot of room, and to keep it cold, one has to take a lot of ice.  Even with the good maxi coolers and using blocks of ice to cool down the cooler, 3 to 4 days is about the limit.  Of course, drinking should only be done when anchored and by responsible adults.  ***painfully obvious…

Here I am...congratulating myself about my very "clever" alliterative blog titles lately...YAY ME!!

Out to the Owl this weekend.  Will be preparing for a short cruise in two weeks.  Excited about that...BUT...

I have roaches!  And I don't leave any food onboard most weeks.  However, the owner before me lived on her too, and I would guess they are into their 200th generation or something. 

Yes, I know this is Florida....but I am going to be living out…

I decided to finally take my African Grey parrot, Bogie, out to the Owl this past weekend.  I had been wanting to take him out there to acclimate him to the sailboat and the general atmosphere of the marina.  When I say atmosphere, I mean the openness of physical area and the friendly chats that often go on between neighbors.

I had not been able to handle him for a while as I needed to get his claws and wings clipped.  I have been a very bad parrot mommy because I kept…

you ever got off a free table in a marina? 

OHHHHHH...PICK ME!!  PICK ME!!!  PLEASE....PICK ME!!  [hand up in air]

One of the neatest things I ever found were two long out of print John D. McDonald books, neither of which I had read or even heard about.  A excellent and most unexpected find which are the best kind, of course.

A friend of mine, Brian, found a toaster oven on the "free" table and uses it to this day on his sailboat.  He said THAT…

I love summer.  Let me repeat that:  I LOVE summer!!!  It is my favorite time of year, even though it's not the best sailing weather here in the BEST SAILING STATE IN THE US!!!  Wind is generally light.  Yes, it's like you are being ironed when walking outside....but on the water it's always so much better.  YEAH! 

So, I am reading Tom Sawyer for about the umpteeth time this week.  What a fabulously great summer book!  Mark Twain was a GREAT writer, and Tom…