Happy Thanksgiving

     Thanksgiving in the tropics.  The meal consisted of pit roasted pig, potatoes on the bbq, cole slaw (kfc style), and loads of garlic and butter spiced broccoli (my favorite).  Dessert was apple crisp, brownies, cinnamon rolls, a puff pastry of some sort, and chocolate cookies.  Grant and I agreed that the first time we find pumpkin we are making pie, we both missed the pumpkin pie and whipped cream.  It was a great day all in all.  Friends, drink, a dip in the pool, good food, and a phone call home, yes, it was a great day. We were back to the boat and in bed no later than 7:00. 

     We are leaving port today around 1600.  We have a list of things to accomplish before we set off, a shower, although last on the list feels most important since it may be a few days before we get another.  Here the showers are one temperature and a tad on the salty side, however, I am grateful for the opportunity to be in a private stall with the ability to use several gallons if I so desire.  We are leaving with about 75 gallons of fresh water in our tank and full fuel tanks and jerry jugs. 

     Our next available internet connection will likely be Chiapas.

     Let us know if you can follow our path on marinetraffic.org 

     Love To All 

Looks a bit morbid to me, after all this pig who Lou named "Isabelle" was alive the day before.
80lbs at $2.00/lb
She was a spectacular pig!

A nice way to enjoy the day.  I am thankful for the cooling off. 

She gave her all!
(Without the 11:00 filet of fish runs and daily frozen yogurt splurges back in the States, Scott is on his way to being a once again, slim and trim Captain.)

MMMM...salty bbq potatoes

Grant has nothing against pork for a Thanksgiving meal.

Scott likes it too.  (Yes, I had some and liked it.)

El Salvador part II

     Hola Hola! And Buenas Dias, one week after our arrival in El Salvador.  We left Boise the morning of the 17th and unloaded our things into a motel room at 2 am the morning of the 18th.  We spent far too many hours in airports waiting to board delayed flights. Our luggage stayed in Houston for two days before it was finally delivered to us, and thank goodness it was.  Mom, Dad, the jerky made it and we are grateful.  

     We rode the dinghy over to Velvet Sky on the 18th.  We were pleasantly surprised at what good condition she was in for being uninhabited for 6 months in some pretty harsh weather.  No mold, I am pleased to announce.  So...for the record....wiping everything down with vinegar, opening all the lockers, and letting the cushions stand up, seems to be the key for avoiding mold invasion.  There were and still are some minor clean-up projects, like washing the hatches cleaning up dust that blew in through the vents and making ourselves feel at home.  Other than that....we are good to go! The electronics are re-installed, we are making water, the fans are all running and the boat has been provisioned.  Today Scott is doing some fine tuning....checking that the auto pilot, the wind vane (Ken), updating chart plotter, running the outboard, all that important stuff.  I made a trial run at making cinnamon rolls.  They turned out good.  

     Scott kind of bribed and recruited a former deck hand (now good friend).  He promised him cinnamon rolls.  Marshall will join us again while we make the trek north.  He will arrive tonight around 8:45 and join us for Thanksgiving dinner at Lynn and Lou's.  Dinner will consist of pit roasted whole pig, potatoes, and cole slaw.  The rest of us were instructed to bring a dessert.  I am bringing brownies and (you guessed it) cinnamon rolls.

     Our experience here in El Salvador the second time is much like the first.  We have encountered only friendly people.  Drank plenty of ice cold cerveza and ate, what we believe to be the best chicken dinner around! No trouble what so ever, still, I am ready to move on.

     A couple of the local guys fell in love with Fresh.  They asked if they could take her back to their home on the island and make a mold of her. The people on the island have no source of electricity and very limited options for income.  They are going to make copies of FRESH to sell to cruisers.  Of course we agreed.  They had her back the next day and praise her beauty.  The only small problem (so they tell us) is that they thought her name was painted on and as it turned out they found that the letters were rub on and were pretty much destroyed at the removal of the fiberglass mold.  They apologized profusely and we forgave them (FRESH got her name smudged for the greater good)....so now FRESH would like her name replenished.  You will see what I mean when you see her in future photos.  

     Live aboard without our Bucket is different.  Much slower, less excitement.  We miss him.  All of his things are still aboard, so everywhere I look...there he is (and isn't).  I miss him.  I have to admit it is easier (less responsibility), I miss him so much.  I just want to kiss his face all over.  He left us with Woody, thinking Woody will fill his place.  I will be posting of pics of Woody for Bucket's benefit (and mine).

     So, if I don't get back until we get to Chiapas..... HAPPY THANKSGIVING.....LOVE TO ALL

P.S.  Julie...thanks for the books on the kindle, they have really helped pass time in a good way.

Fresh is a desired dinghy...These guys are taking her home to make a mold
Today SHE is the one going for a ride

This is Grant a new addition to our Crew
Beer and Shade....so far, to of his favorite things about El Salvador

Add Lynn and Lou's pool to the favorite list

Woody says, "Hi Bucket! I get to play captain when the boat is tied to the dock.  You are surely missed here on Velvet Sky.
WE LOVE YOU!  TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!"