Friday Funny 12-25/2020 (Merry Christmas!)

 

Santa delivering in Alaska

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

This year's Christmas card.

I usually start making my Christmas cards sometime in June/July, this year I had loads of time to get it just right. We spent so much time anchored in secluded bays, and inlets dodging storms, that it gave me ample time for creativity. 

Someone in Wrangell dressed up their shrubs, very innovative, and festive!

Gus has been pretty good about the shiny decor, and we find an occasional ornament on the floor in the morning. Fortunately most are either wood, metal, or fabric, no harm, no foul. This morning, he apparently decided he'd had enough of the Christmas tree, and knocked it to the floor. It's made of fabric, no nothing broken. Looking at him, I think that is his "what me?" look, or maybe he is impatient to get to the unwrapping of gifts. 

He got a new harness, new reflective collars, new name tags for all his apparel, and an official photo in all his naval regalia.

Admiral Gusters O'Rusters of the Hellship Denali Rose

 

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.

Friday Funny 12-18/2020 (The Laundry, Loads of Fun)

 

I'm not meaning to be sexist here, but this cracked me up, maybe the caption should read, "How Bill Sorts Laundry". Whenever I'm getting ready to do the washing, there's always something hanging on a hook in the "laundry room", and I have to ask whether or not it needs to go in the washer. Bill usually replies that it does, but if he needs to wear it, it's not in the laundry bag. 😀

The laundry room, is actually what we call the machine room, we use it to store tools, and spare parts, as well as an access point to the engine compartment.  Originally our Nauticat 43 was designed with three staterooms, forward is the v-berth, aft is our master cabin, and in the rear hallway is the middle cabin, which has a bunk bed in it, otherwise known as the machine room. The previous owners purchased a Spendide washer/dryer, and installed it on the lower bunk.  

 The new washing machine, sawed in half.

Recently, Susie posted on her Facebook page, a memory from outfitting Denali Rose. 

Back in 1998 Jack told me to research installing a washer/dryer in the boat, because I had heard horror stories of lack of laundry facilities in various Caribbean islands. We bought a Splendide vented model, cut it in half, carried all the parts up onto the boat (up the ladder since it was out of the water) and re-assembled it in the boat's second cabin. Every time the dang thing starts, I'm still amazed and do a little "happy dance." Jack said,"This was a leap of faith." We knew cutting it in half would ruin the washer-dryer's warranty. Luckily, a Splendide USA rep. sent Jack their company's repair manual for their technicians' use...after he heard we had already cut it in half."

Yes, you read it right, they cut their brand new machine in half, because that was the only way to get it down the companionway steps, and installed into the middle cabin. So, this machine was new in 1998, and now it's 2020, and we're having some issues with it, I'd say 22 years of uninterrupted service is a great run. Bill has some ideas about what's wrong, and needs to empty out the machine room, so he has space to lift the Splendide, and get to it's pieces/parts. He's waiting till after Christmas, so we don't have to deal with piles of tools, and stuff out in the salon.

In the meantime, it's off to the laundromat for me.

I try to go early, and on a mid-week day, so far, I usually have the place to myself. I'm grateful that the owners always have it spic, and span clean. It's a little inconvenient to have to schlep to the laundromat, but it does get everything done at once.

Maybe going to the laundromat would be more fun if I brought a bottle of wine with me. Hmm, what would the pairing be, perhaps a good chardonnay, being a white wine, it wouldn't stain anything if it got spilled. 

Happiness is hanging up the empty laundry bag, which as the sign says, lasts about 17 seconds. 

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.

Friday Funny 12-11/2020 (Sun, What is That?)

 

This is what happens when we see that strange glow in the sky, we cower in fear, especially this year. I have this image in a postcard, I should put it up as artwork. 

PS, that's rain drops on the outside, not condensation on the inside.

The other morning as I was sitting in the pilothouse, I felt something strange on my back, and turned to see this! OH MY GOSH, what is that?! The actual sun, in blue sky? Don't worry it didn't last long, even though my barometer on my bedside clock looks like this, everyday.

See that up arrow, that means the barometer is rising, and supposedly sunshine is on the way. I think my clock is drunk, or is suffering from some kind of 2020 virus. 😐

We finally left Petersburg, and transited back to our home slip in Wrangell.

Our Petersburg friends took photos of Denali Rose as we passed by their house on the Wrangell Narrows, that orange blob on the back deck is me, flaking, (coiling), up the dock lines for stowage.

We had a nice day, as in it didn't rain buckets on us, but still had some wind/current/tide chop, and poor Gus was seasick again. I really need to get his medicine in him sooner, so that he doesn't suffer as often.

Sunset behind us, as we approach Wrangell.

Approaching Wrangell

Our slip finger

Our first chore was to hose off our dock finger, it looked like the birds had been holding daily parties, and no one was on the cleanup crew.

Pouring rain again, big surprise....

The next day, we went to the post office to get current mail, and gathered up all of the mail our generous friend had been collecting for us, and storing in our car.  It was like a pre-Christmas opening all of those packages, and the best part, not a single bill in any of it. 

Southeast Alaska has had some heavy winds, and torrential rains this December, breaking records, causing floods, and mud slides. Most of our islands have towns built on the sides of mountains, ringing the shoreline. You may, or may not have heard of the terrible landslide that happened in Haines Alaska, with two people still missing, tragic. Their newspaper's link Here

This is the Alaska Marine Hwy (ferry) map, Haines is at the top of SE Alaska.

Wrangell has had it's share of rain, and high winds have brought down power lines more than once. The electric company linemen have been very busy with repairs. They are also the ones who collect the community Christmas tree from the Tongass Natl Forest, bring it to town, and set it up. They were too busy to get done, and someone in town had some fun with a replacement. KSTK story, and followup. This photo showed up on the Wrangell Community Facebook page. 

I like that the Grinch wears Xtra-Tuff boots. 

Bill put up the usual red/green lights on Denali Rose, people see the spire as they drive by on Zimovia Highway. 

This is the view from inside Denali Rose.

This is my contribution to new Christmas decor, a towel in the head, (bathroom). If you've seen Christmas Vacation, one of my favorite movies, a must see every year, you'll understand.

As always, we enjoy hearing from you, either here in comments or on our Facebook Denali Rose Sailboat page.