Destruction and construction in Tampa and we return to Colorado

Work in progress.

Christina is progressing fabulously through her pregnancy with Dorothy Alison (aka E.G., aka D. Ali, aka Baby, etc.)  In addition to adding a baby to the family, Larry is in the process of finishing the remodeling of the house.  Two bathrooms and the kitchen have been finished and almost the entire house has been re-floored with saltia tile and wooden floors.

Moving closets, light switches, outlets and installing pocket doors was the major task remaining with finishing the floor and installing bath fixtures in the master suite to follow.  Running wires in the attic in June in Tampa just about cooked Larry.

'What color for the wall?'

'I can't decide. What do you think?'

Painting those walls and the baby's room would pretty much complete the entire makeover of the house.

More to come

On the Road to Tampa

We got on the road from the Black Forest at 4:30 in the morning.  We got up and decided to get going so we could arrive in Tulsa at Melanie's house and we could get in a good visit.  We arrived at 4 PM.  We talked and then went out to dinner with Melanie. 

 Her dogs entertained us as well.  Stormy weather came to Tulsa as darkness fell, but we were safe and dry at Melanie's house for the night.  We hit the road again at about 9 am and headed for Cherokee Village, Arkansas to stop and see Bonnie. 

Bonnie had arranged the blind date between Barb and me back on April 9, 1966.  Barb had not seen her junior high school friend for over 40 years and it was good to see Bonnie again.  We had a lot of catching up to do.

 We were entertained by Bonnie's critters.  Bonnie has two dogs, two birds (one is hilarious as he, Ozzie, talks about all sorts of things) and three ducks.

Bonnie teaches at Ozarka College's Ash Flats campus and she is a beloved instructor.  She has a PhD in Business Psychology and teaches almost anything that is needed in the business department.  She had an eight o'clock class to teach so we got an early start towards Paris, Tennessee and a visit with Mick and Mary on Kentucky Lake.

Mick and Mary have a wonderful home on the lake.  The cottage had been in the family for decades and it was a favorite summer get away.  When the property became Mary's, she and Mick remodelled and expanded it into a very comfortable year round home. 

We left Mick and Mary on their wedding anniversary at 9 am and drove through Clarksville, Chattanooga, Atlanta (traffic jams), Valdosta, Ocala, three storms (two of them severe) almost 800 miles to Tampa.  We arrived with 2003 miles on the trip meter at just past midnight.  We let ourselves in and we were asleep in minutes.

Jupiter's Smile is "on the hard"

Snead Island Boat Works is Jupiter's Smile's home until the end of hurricane season.

On June first we hauled the boat.  We removed all the canvas and two of the three solar panels.  We tied down everything and put a leash on the windmill so it will not turn.  We activated the gas bombs to keep the interior free of mildew, bugs and burglars and left for Larry and Christina's house in Tampa.

On June, 7th we arrived in the Black Forest to find the house in beautiful shape.  Thank you, Johnny Mac. for the pickup at the airport and keeping the house for us.  We activated our vehicles' insurance and got them road worthy, especially the van.  We packed the van as full as possible with Larry and Christina's furniture and treasures from their storage unit.  Then we hit the road headed for Tampa, 2000 miles away.