Sunday

October 16th, 2016

Full Moon at Joe Wheeler

Elwood always looses his rawhide chew stick between the couch and ottoman.

We had several boats come in on Saturday which almost filled the slips in front of the Resort.  Many more coming today, the day before everything starts.  

Friday

October 14, 2016

We're entering the final weekend before the 4 day America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association AGLCA Rendezvous.  There's a nice schedule set up for all levels of loopers.  It also includes a fun night at a local farm hosting a polo match, a kayak race and a dinghy race.  Rumor has it the dinghy captain must wear a blind fold and the admiral must give directions.   We will see.  

To pass the time we have been walking quite a bit.  This state park has wonderful hiking trails.  We have also been working on the boat and yesterday we went for a long dinghy ride.

Mike at full throttle

Scenery is beautiful to view from the dinghy level.

We followed our friends, Terri and Jim, around for a while.

Terri took our picture, so we're all together.

Elwood enjoys it on any size boat.  

A neighbors boat all decked out for the Holiday

We were able to take the dinghy pretty close to the lock.

Mike spent some time putting fiberglass on the anchor hatch.  One area needed reinforcing, because it was starting to crack from stepping in that area.  Looks to be in good shape now. 

Done and reattached over the anchor hatch...

Thursday

October 13th, 2016

Elwood meeting the neighbors dogs...

On another boat just across from us, there's a black German Shepard and I think by the way he stares at Elwood, he thinks Elwood's a rabbit....not good!

A year round marina resident gave us a light to use to keep those carp from banging on our boat during the night.

And it works...Joell and I had a nice quiet nights sleep, but once the sun comes up their back at it.

West Marine Folding Bikes

Just a note on the two folding bicycles we purchased from West Marine... (brand new Feb. 2016) After two flats I removed the tube and tire to find the heads of the spokes inside the rim all chewed up, like a power tool was used on them.... after grinding them down with a dremel tool to remove the sharp edges and purchasing a new liner and tube I thought all my troubles were over....

The next day while riding into Rogersville, a mile from Joe Wheeler Park, I noticed a shifting problem, stopped, made a minor adjustment and starting riding again... something just didn't feel right and after disembarking from the bike again I found that all but one of the ball bearings had fallen out of the rear wheel axle..  Anyway, once we get to Mobile, Al and a West Marine store, both of these bikes are going back...

Wednesday

October 12th, 2016

"Building Our Wings"

crosses their wake

We met loopers,  John and Sharon, along with their two dogs in Joliet, Il.

John asked if he could get a picture with his one dog, Jake, along with our dog Elwood...  because the Blue's Brothers movie began at the prison there in Joliet. 

We traveled on and off with Building Our Wings since meeting them in Joliet.  

Sharon loved Elwood so much, we thought she was going to rub Elwoods hair off every time she saw him!

see their blog at:

http://buildingourwings.com

Saturday

October 8th, 2016

The Giving Plate

Joell and I received "The Giving Plate" last evening.

It's been passed to eleven loopers so far and we've felt honored to be included!

When we pass it on to the next couple, we'll add them onto the list.

We're figuring out what to place on the tray next!

Deciding who to give it to is easy....

Thursday

October 6th, 2016

Just got back from lunch at Fish Creel in Anderson, Al

On the way to Fish Creel we drove by fields and fields of cotton ready to be harvested.

6 dollars for Catfish, French Fries, Cole Slaw, Hush Puppies, Desert and Sweet Tea.

That includes the tax so the bill was 12.00 for the two of us.

Tony and Helen who live on their boat here at Joe Wheelers took us there and were great company.

Nothing fancy, parking lot was packed but we walked right in to open tables and were served faster than fast!

Fish Creel

Reminds Mike of Wendts' Bar and Harbor on Lake Winnebago...

Oh, we took home our deserts because we were stuffed....

Thursday

October 6th, 2016

Amateur Radio on the Loop

With Propagation being so poor over the last couple years, I was happy to hear friends from Milwaukee Wisconsin and other parts of the US talking on the Milwaukee Florida Net this morning.

Tom, K9BTQ runs the net out of Milwaukee but my copy or reception on him was lite, so John N1YV out of Connecticut picked me up and acted as a relay back to Tom from my location here in Rogersville, AL.

Thanks John!

Last evening I was listening to the Hurricane Net on 14.325 mhz and got some realtime information about Hurricane Matthew.

The net control operator here in the US was calling other ham operators in Haiti and the Bahamas.

When weather takes out all normal communications, ham radio operators are there relaying realtime information back to authorities just as they did during Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. 

The link below is a quick Youtube video from WRAL-TV which explains how Amateur Radio or Ham Radio operators help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC0u42MnMdM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IITBpLQmmiI

This is Kilo Nine Bravo Bravo November (K9BBN) marine mobile clear and listening....