“Honey, let’s buy a boat.”

It was really went more along the lines of this. The Planner was cleaning up from the column work in his box when I came bounding up the stairs proclaiming “I found a sailboat!!!!” I have been looking and looking for more than year for a sailboat big enough for the three of us to sail together. Sailboats are a dime a dozen unless you have specific requirements. Such as a mast easily removed and raised by one person, no keel or swing keel, less than 20′ in length, and comes on it owns trailer. Oh, and it must be dry. Sailboats and leaks go hand in hand. There was only one teeny tiny little issue. Tiny. Really.

It was in St. Petersburg, Florida.

With quick built dog bed platform for the backseat, a full size down comforter grabbed at the local second hand store for a comfy doggo bed, a bag full of doggo diapers and diaper covers, another with food and tea bags, an ice chest full ice, a five gallon jug filled with ice cold water, five one gallon jugs of water, two sleeping bags/mats and a tent, and a change of clothes we, the Planner and myself, were off to get a boat. Gone by 4am Saturday and laid over in a rest stop just east outside Crestview, FL at 8pm.

Sunday we collected the boat, installed new brake wires, brake lights, and new tires and slept in a Walmart parking lot in Chiefland, FL. Monday we drove to Coffeeville, AL stayed in CCA camp on the Tombigbee River we were slept like the dead from just past dusk until 6am on Tuesday. Seriously, thieves could have taken the tent out from underneath us we were so tired. Tuesday we laid over at the Planner’s mom and we were home by Wednesday just after lunch. What a way to end out a busy, busy June. Guess the Planner really did want a vacation.

July started out just a great a June ended. Thursday the new RV AC finally arrived, collected, and installed. And much to everything else the Planner does, it was installed with just a few breaths to spare.

Saturday we collected the Kid from a two week long stay at the Doubter. He was not impressed we went to Florida without him but he did manage to find the time to practice his hiking moves. Don’t think his 65lbs is gonna keep this boat level.

As you can see in the previous picture, July 4th festivities were halted by rain. Rain, rain, and more rain. By Tuesday lunch we were gonna need the boat to move around Boxes in Fields.

By Tuesday afternoon we were going stir crazy. With drizzling rain, the boys and the doggo went outside to have a slap fest. Not the doggo, she just wanted her dry dog bed. Poor doggo she is still tired from her Florida trip.

Wednesday we awoke with yet again more rain. And by the looks of it, lots and lots more rain. At least Hurricane Elsa went to FL. Guess we collected the boat just in time.

Wednesday after lunch it was still raining and the water was rising.

Wednesday after dinner in a lull in the rain we all ventured outside to asses the damage. At least we were not the only ones who were washed out. The entire neighborhood was washed out into the county street.

Poor chickens, they were washed out of the run as the water was ankle deep in high spots. That would be chicken ankles, not human ankles. They came scuttling out of their run only to discover all of their favorite grass spots were under water.

Finally, fourteen days since bringing home our new used sailboat did we get to take her sailing. The Kid, of course, used his skills to sail us down the Ditch with the Planner at the tiller and me on the camera. There was very little boat traffic as it was a Wednesday afternoon and the winds were just perfect for the first trip out. A little low but it made for easy transitions into a new experience. The Kid is already asking to take her out on winds in the upper teens to low 20’s. Um, maybe not just yet.