Northwards -soonish

Tuesday is the day we say goodbye to my dad and start our trip north. The first stop is only over in St. Augustine, so we aren't in a super hurry to get to the snow. My lovely wife loves the old city, so this stop is for her. Her sister will be in town so we'll get together. Any excuse to slow our trip northwards.

I bought a pair of high top sneakers for the trip. For 5 months I wore nothing but sandals or went barefoot. Sandals look a bit silly with heavy wool socks, hence the sneakers. Boots might have been a more practical choice, but I'm in denial.

I've been getting the van and boat ready for the next part of our journey. We'll be camping for a few days, so a lot of gear has to move from the boat to the van.

One of the things I found in our travels was a replacement for the van's inverter. Harbor Freight had a 1000 watt inverter for less than $80 and it runs the van's microwave. Nothing like a quick hot meal while on the road.

The electric trolling motor I ordered for the sailboat came in just in time. I carefully opened the box, read the manual, installed the propeller. On the way over to the sailboat, the motor fell off the golf cart and I ran it over, breaking the propeller. Don't you hate it when you break something new in less than an hour? On the bright side, Walmart had a suitable replacement. Problem solved.

Dad's given me some tools that he no longer has a use for. There's always room somewhere in the van for more tools. One of his gifts is an electric pole saw. I'm relived that he no longer feels the need to climb up on his roof to trim tree branches. The years are catching up with him and his balance isn't what it used to be. I can't help but worry about him sometimes. Before long I'll be on the top of a ladder, trimming branches and making my own kids worry.

Already there is a long long list of things to do when we get back home. Oh well, at least I won't be bored.


Gonna miss this sort of thing though . . .


-Sixbears