Weekend

Well, more than the weekend.  Thursday I spent most of the day out working on the boat.  Made and installed some bumpers to cover the steel edge on the side of the slip.  Rubber bumpers much more forgiving to the fiberglass side of hull than steel angle iron!  Ran electical power cord to the boat so I could charge the battery.  When I hooked up, that is when I found the battery stone dead.  Hooked up charger and hopefully it will accept a charge.  Since my batter was dead, I could not take my boat out for the fun race Thursday night.  Got a ride with a guy on his Catalina 25.  Winds 15 - 20 made great sailing.  We had a lot of fun even though we did not race well.  Got home around 11:00PM and crashed. 

Michael and I got up at 4:30AM Saturday morning and loaded Bonnie and Jess in his car and headed to Texarkana to visit my Mom.  It had been much too long since I had seen her.  Part of that was her fault as she cancelled her trip down here in March.  Both my sisters, a brother-in-law and a niece and nephew came by to say hello.  Michael went home with my sister to her farm and spent the night out there.  He loves going out there and always would rather stay there.  That gave Mom and myself some great catch up time.  Had to leave this AM and get home so Michael can go to school tomorrow morning.  Much too short a visit.  As much time driving (5.5 - 6 hours each way) as visiting. 

All in all, a great weekend!

Scout trip to Fort Hood

Drove in the rain Friday night on the way to Fort Hood.  Arrived with it still misting.  By the time we checked in, it had quit long enough for us to set up camp.  Had rain during the night, and my old tent leaked for the 1st time ever. 

Nice camping area before the rain, got really muddy afterward.  Saturday morning, breakfast was prepared and all ate and cleaned up their area.  Each patrol does there own cooking and cleaning.  The adults are a seperate patrol from the scouts.  They have to do it all themselves.

Here is one of the patrols cleaning up after breakfast for the 3rd time.  The scoutmaster makes sure it is done right this time.  We spent Saturday afternoon at the 1st Cav. museum.  Interesting items on display, but the vehicle display was the best.  It rained off and on all day Saturday.  The boys camp site really got messy. 

Dinner was prepared in the shelters, one for the boys and one for the adults.  Michael had worked all afternoon after the museum to build a fire and keep it going between the rain storms.  After dinner, the rain quit and the fire was going good and we had a sock roast.

Sunday came around with only a lite mist in the air.  Time to go to the gun range for some skeet shooting.  Michael had never even held a shotgun before Sunday.  He took to it quickly.

He hit 3 out of 5 clays his first turn at shooting.  Second time up, he hit 9 out of 10 clays.  I thought this was amazing for a first time shotgun shooter. 

We then we out for a Patriot Missle viewing.  We were shown the equipment and then got to see a drive of them setting 2 mobile launchers.

Launcher

Generator truck, radar truck & on right is the control room truck.

Antenna truck.

Michael in the drivers seat of a sam missle launcher truck.

Sunday was a great day with no rain and we got to do all we had planned to do.  Saturday could have been better without the rain, because we would have gotten to do more activities.  Scouting is great.

Making Progress

Well I epoxied the keel and now have 2 coats of bottom paint on the boat.  Let it dry a couple of days and I can put her back on the trailer.  Then I will do the spot under the jack stand and over the barrels.  Dry a few days and then back into the water.  Yea!

Sailing Time

I am excited about this time of year.  Weather is warmer and wind is blowing.  Here I sit with the boat our to the water.  Well, I have gotten into high gear and I am preping the boat for bottom paint, post haste. 

This is our Catalina 22 suspended off the trailer on 2 barrels in the rear and a jack stand in the front.  She is sanded, the keel is coated with epoxy and I plan on putting a coat of bottom paint on tomorrow.  She will be ready to hit the water next week.  Yea!

Sold the little 14.5' Dolphin Sr sailboat I had traded for and repaired.  I have been wanting to get back into RC sailboat racing for a while now.  I had put it out of my mind fairly well until last year when a friend came down to a regatta in the Woodlands and Ellen & I went to watch.  Ever since, I have had the bug.  I reinvested the money from the Dolphin Sr + some into a Star 45 like I used to have.  They are sure a lot more high tech now than from what I had.  Bought her from a racer in Washington state.  Boat come highly recommended from several local sailors. 

Here she is, come on UPS.

Easter Sunday

Started the day with friends on the deck over a small lake to celebrate that our Load has risen!  Wonderful start to the day.  Afterward, we went to the rally room where Don starting cooking waffles.  He was super, cooked waffles from 7:30 to 9:30.  Several others jumped in and cooked the sausage & bacon, and scrambled eggs.  Did a lot of visiting before heading home.

I'll back up now;  I took Michael to school Friday morning ( his classes start at 6:30AM).  Came home and finished loading the trailer with Ellen.  We headed out and parked near Michael's school and a friend dropped in off shortly before 1PM.  We headed out for Texas RV Park in Athens, TX for the April Rally of the Texas Boomers.  We made it up there by 4PM.  We set up the trailer and visited with friends.  Gary and Cindy (Ellen's brother/sister in law) showed up shortly after us and it was good to catch up with family. 

Saturday we met at the rally room and made zipbag omlettes.  Toast, jam, orange juice and coffee.  All you could eat (as always).  We headed off to Canton.  Wow, has it changed since we were there last.  Spent about 5 hours browsing through the old section at all the junk and treasures.  I spent a $1 and Ellen $13.  Big spenders here.  We ran into Kaye and Bobby (my sister/husband) and their kids.  They walked with us most of the time and we had a great visit. 

Gary called and told us that Lauren (their daughter/our niece), her husband, and their new 6 week old baby were at the camp ground.  We parted with my sister and went to parking lot.  Michael was disappointed because we had not made it to Dog Town as I had promised.  I drove over and parked again, and we wondered around Dog Town an hour.  Held and petted a lot of dogs.  Finally drug him out back to the truck and headed back to camp. 

Lauren was looking good for having had a baby.  The baby is small and good looking.  Good to see them. 
Pot luck dinner Saturday night was wonderful as usual.  It has been said that the Boomers are really an eating club that own RV's.  Sure proved correct Saturday night!!!

Now home safe and sound.  Trailer back in our building.   Michael ready to head back to classes tomorrow.  Ellen packing for her 10 day trip to her new job at the refinery in Illinois.