Making do between posts

     There are times when I just don't feel like I have the pictures to put with my elegant, Churchillian prose.  The other evening I was sitting out on the screen porch armed with a camera and a martini.  It was the pre-sunset phase of the day, and I was waiting for some colors.  There weren't any, but there was a blue heron across the way standing on one leg.  I assume that it was voluntary.

  

     I was sprawled out in the chair looking at the contrails through the screen.  I said to myself, "Self, there's nothing wrong with taking a picture of the contrails, even if it is through the screen.

     The contrails were mixed with a bunch of alto-cirrus clouds that signify that rain is on the way, but not for a few days.  Tim and Wendy will recognize the Traeger in the foreground.  I took another shot as the light faded.

    

      At this point in life it takes less and less to make one happy...a pleasant sky, warm climes, and a cold martini will do it every time.

The Pecks are here

     As I mentioned back in February; lo, so many days ago, George and Duane Peck are using our bus while it is idle and waiting for us to head north.  It sure seems like a win-win.  Yesterday they went to the Isle of Palms and got some warm sand between their Brunswick, Maine toes.  Durelle and I went over this afternoon for an almost happy hour.  Duane's meds preclude alcohol, so George and the Cloutiers drank water, too.

     This shot is taken at the Charleston Naval Weapons Station.  The Charleston Navy Base closed forty years but the Weapons Station remains.  The Navy school for the operators and maintainers of the nuclear engines for the Navy's subs is here.  They have extensive dock facilities and a transportation squadron that is also serving as a port for returning military vehicles. It also manages the infamous "Hanahan Brig' which housed terrorists such as Padilla, for example.  A few years ago, in the interest of DoD initiated consolidation efficiencies, the Weapons Station combined with the larger Charleston AFB to form Joint Base Charleston.  The Air Force side also has a campground.  It's nicer and newer (as USAF facilities seem to be) but it did not offer the eight weeks without moving that the Navy did.
     I can't speak for the Pecks, but, without putting a cuff on his arm, George's BP seems to have  dropped over the past week.  They are kicking back, enjoying the 80 degree temperatures and doing some light sightseeing.  It may be grim returning to Maine in April.
     I would be remiss if I did not include a picture of "our" eagle that provides frequent and spectacular photo-ops.

     Remember and support our Wounded Warriors.
     

Has Spring Arrived?

     After a cluster of "Let's bring the plants in" nights, today was in the mid seventies and sunny.  I've been doing PT both at home and at "Sports Plus" to improve some original and some non-OEM parts.  We are doing a little everyday to get ready for the trip north.  The bus is set up at the FamCamp at the Naval Weapons Station here.  It is awaiting the arrival of the Pecks who are wending their painful way south from Maine to spend a few weeks thawing their bones.  The bus is awaiting a new inverter.  The inverter has two functions: it turns 12 volts DC into 120 volts AC when you are not plugged in and it provides DC to charge the coach batteries all the time.  The alternator on the engine charges the two 12 volt chassis batteries.  As we await a new one, my regular external battery charger is keeping the four coach batteries charged.
     As usual, we have been blessed with a pleasant assortment of wildlife.  Hey!, you didn't want to see pictures of inverters did you?  First there is a shot of "our"eagle in the sweet gum tree.

     He looks a little frazzled, but he is nice to have around.  On a smaller scale, we have the birds that consume great quantities of birdseed from the feeder.  Durelle keeps it full and brings it in at night to thwart the ravenous nighttime critters.

     Here is an Eastern bluebird that we hope got a favorable pitch from the local realtor regarding my birdhouse.  There are other feeders at the Cloutier trough.  Here's one.

     Here's another.

Then there are the visitors that we usually see on the far side of the pond.  Almost daily we see two or three deer.  Recently there was a group of eight.  I went out to document the event and captured five as they bounded away.

     We also have a blue heron that wanders around the edge of the pond.

     We are doing just fine.  Our biggest dilemma is one of scheduling.  My 55th West Point Reunion will occur on the weekend of May 1st.  That's too soon to head for Maine for the summer.  It has messed up our planning to a fair-thee-well.  If you have some great ideas about where to stall, I'd love to hear them.

The Corvette that wouldn't die

     Here she is, and she is not on her way to the crusher anytime soon.  A funny thing happened on the way to the forum.  Richard, of Richard's Corvettes in Moncks Corner picked up the car Saturday with a "roll-off" truck.  On Sunday morning he called and said, "I hope you didn't cancel your insurance (I had).  He said that there was nothing wrong with the engine, but the starter motor was toast.  When I picked it up Monday, it had a new starter and solenoid.  It started with a pleasant and familiar rumble.  A lot of money and a lot of sentiment was saved that day.
     Today I went back to the major Chevy dealer in Charleston that had been servicing it for the past decade and who had blown the diagnosis so badly.  I drove into the large bay in front of the service writers and parked in front of his station.  As soon as he finished with a customer, he looked up and saw me sitting there in the grey '86 'Vette.  His face immediately transformed into a wide-eyed, "Holy S**t" expression.  I couldn't help but chuckle.  It only took a minute for him to agree to reimburse me my hundred bucks for what has to have been the worst diagnosis ever.
     Insurance and registration have been renewed, and I think I've found a new "Corvette guy" to take care of it for the next decade at least.  Some stories have a happy ending.

When will this be a travel blog again?

     Today marks the first day in over 31 years that I have not owned a Corvette!  As a car guy since the fifties when the Corvette first appeared, I have always coveted Corvettes.  A couple of weeks ago my '86 suddenly wouldn't turn over.  A battery booster did not help, so I presumed a bad starter motor.  It turns out that the starter was doing its best; the motor was frozen.  A big breaker bar at the end of the crank could only move it a quarter turn.  The preliminary prognosis was a bent connecting rod. In my opinion, connecting rods don't bend, they break.  A running '86 will go for $5K+.  A replacement engine would cost $4K just for parts.  With the labor cost the value of the car was a negative number.  Durelle insisted that I get a second opinion, so...tomorrow it will go to Richard's Corvettes in Moncks Corner who will give me a small amount in exchange for the title.  We have decided not to replace it for a while.  We will attempt to be a one car family until it becomes too painful.  A ranking possibility for a replacement second car is the Dodge Dart.  For those who know me from the old days, that's sorta coming full circle.  I bought the first Valiant in 1960, and it soon morphed into the Dodge Dart.
     On a lighter note the bus is going to get a head start on the summer.  The Pecks will be using it for the month of March +/- at the Famcamp at the Charleston AFB.  
     The weather has been cool with a frost most every night.  Sunday, however, is supposed to be in the 70s.  The birds have been active at the feeder.

     The rains have provided some nice rainbows.

     That's Cindy's house under the second rainbow.
     I would be remiss if I didn't raise a glass to my old roommate, Dick Daniel.  He provided honorable service to his country starting in 1955 and continuing through some of the toughest years in the history of the US Army.  He died on the last day of January from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma which was caused by Agent Orange.  He was my roommate for four years.  He sang in my wedding, and I was best man at his...both in the summer of 1960.  Well done, Dick, be thou at peace.

Lunch with Maine camping buddies

     Today was a most enjoyable Saturday afternoon.  The other Allegro Bus that parks at the Moorings is occupied by Debra and Myrt.  Today we found a wonderful restaurant about halfway between our winter residences.  Bistro 217 in Pawleys Island, SC turns out to be a world class restaurant.  We both arrived early.  On the way in we met a couple just coming out.  His golf cap came from the Masters in Augusta, so Durelle asked them for recommendations.  When asked about the hat the gentleman said that this year would be his 25th consecutive year in attendance.  That gave credence to his assertion that he had dined all over the world, and the Bistro 217 was in his  top five.

      Three of us enjoyed their tomato, crab and jalapeno soup which lived up to the rave reviews from the waitress and from the departing golfer with the Masters cap.  We all saved room for dessert which was particularly unusual for me.  They make their own ice cream, Eleanor.  I had a double dip of roasted banana ice cream in a pewter martini glass.  So, if you are making that seasonal jaunt north or south on 17 to avoid I-95, tell your route planner to schedule a stop in Pawleys Island.  Everyone but me left with a doggie bag.
     On a sadder note, my '86 Corvette appears to have called it a day.  When a good loud click from the starter solenoid failed to turn it over, even with a charger attached, I figured I needed a new starter motor.  Wrong!  The starter motor was trying, but the engine was seized.  Manual attempts to rotate the crankshaft were successful in one direction but not the other.  A bent connecting rod is suspected.  The next step is completely undetermined.
     Medical update:  Durelle is still taking eye drops four times a day in the post-op phase of her last cataract surgery.  She has a pair of "readers" on her bedside table, in the living room, and in her purse.  My spinal injections seem to have been helpful, but the improvements have been underwhelming.  I got an MRI and a second opinion on the right shoulder.  I must give a "shout out" to Jensine Adams, my physical therapist who insisted that I get that second opinion.  The repair was only partly successful, and since I have almost complete functionality and pain is not an issue, surgery to repair the repair of 76 year old tendons does not hold out enough promise to warrant the surgery. I can do everything I need to do with the shoulder even if it is without the athleticism that I had a half century ago. 
     We are still trying to sort out our game plan for this summer.  We have reserved a spot at the Moorings for the summer, but the earliest that the Maine coast really becomes enjoyable for camping is the front end of June.  Durelle's brother has a 50th wedding anniversary in Massachusetts in April, and I have a 55th class reunion at West Point on the first weekend of May.  We could make the whole shebang with the motorhome, but it would be a bit earlier than we would prefer to head out.
     For those two or three readers who are still hanging in there, Thank You.  When we get out of the winter doldrums, perhaps I can generate a little more activity.

Non-travelling travel blog

     I don't mind if this vehicle occasionally becomes a food blog, but a medical blog is out of the question.  That said, here's a couple of quick updates.  This week I'll get an epidural cortisone shot in my lower spine.  Hey! it beats surgery.  Durelle's second cataract surgery is coming up, too.
     This morning one of "our" eagles pulled a bass out of our pond.  I did not capture that action, but I did catch him (her) sneaking a few bites before carrying the remainder back to the nest.

     It was at the extreme end of my telephoto in fairly dim light, so it was hard to get rid of all the motion even though the camera was stabilized against a fence post.
    The sunset pictures are easier.

     Here's hoping  for a healthy and prosperous 2015 for all of you.