Land Yacht Safari Blog

"Just give me the warm power of the sun"

July 19, 2008....Saturday....today was the first community meeting for the Greenpeace Stop Global Warming campaign here....60 people said they would come....30 people came....there is supposed to be some formula that says this is true....half of the confirmed will actually show up...I am very interested in these community organizing truths.....                  Kyle, the Greenpeace organizer, came for dinner the other night and brought banner material sent to him from Greenpeace in San Francisco.......we don't have a photo of it...but Robin, our friend and neighbor, let Ray into her school to create a transparency with the lettering for the banner we would later paint...thank you so much, Robin.....                                  the banner looks really good.....Ray did the major work on the banner....it would not exist without his planning and painting....he also cut and prepared two bamboo poles from our bamboo to hold up the banner...... ...... next there was the community meeting....we made posters to use in the July 29th Honk and Wave in front of our US Congressional Representative's office.....and wrote letters to him requesting his plan to end global warming.....you know Global Warming really is the core issue....if we burn up our planet, all the other issues are without a point....... ..... hopefully, you have seen the video of Al Gore's speech two days ago....where he says we are capable of producing 100 % clean, renewable energy within 10 years......if not look for it.....Solar power and Wind power....a new world with green clean energy and millions of new jobs from the new energy focus...."Just give me the warm power of the sun".... a line from a magnificent tune sung at the 1979 No Nukes concert....Ray says the song was written by John Hall....

Greenpeace

July 12, 2008....Saturday......not much to report really....trying to enjoy the hot and humid weather....trying to enjoy it....trying at least not to complain about it....it feels like you have stepped into a clothes dryer when you go out on our front porch....we have been going to some Greenpeace meetings recently.....Greenpeace has sent a coordinator, Kyle, just for our county because we have a Congressional Representative seat open on the November ballot....they have a Stop Global Warming campaign going.....www.projecthotseat.com   and we are currently involved assisting in having petitions signed to present to our Representative who is up for reelection.... ........it is such a small thing to do....but it is better than nothing, I guess....I love to see Greenpeace come to town........

Free Ride

July 2, 2008....Wednesday.....Sunday we took the Beach Express for the first time....it has existed for several years now....one of my current projects is learning how to use the city public transportation system....that would be bus and trolley.....  ........on Sundays and holidays they have a Special....anywhere along a main avenue in town you catch the bus....you ride out to the Island....you leave the bus and board an Island Trolley....all of this is free....first we rode the trolley north to the City Pier....    ....and then out to the south end of the Island....there is also a new trolley service that connects the end of the line of our trolley with Longboat Key and downtown Sarasota for $.75.....but so far we have only taken our Island Trolley.....                          this is the end of the line at the south end....that is our Gulf (where oil rigs and drilling are not allowed) out there beyond the lifeguard stand.....   ........we hopped off the trolley at Shell's.....Ray had a margarita....they were on special....and he didn't have to drive.....our seafood lunch was very good.....          ......this county beach area is where we caught the bus that returned to town.... ......it would be extra special if these buses and trolleys were electric or some kind of alternative to fuel oil......it was fun to be tourists exploring our own turf and using this free service.....

Frodo......St. Augustine...

      ......June 23, 2008....Monday.....for four years, J and Robin lived aboard their 37 foot Golden Hind, Frodo, at St. John and St. Croix....since they have been land bound, Frodo has been dry docked....periodically, they go to replace the tarp and netting that protects it from debris.... they clean the decks and create a vision of the next time they will be out at sea and living on the water.....they invited us along....we camped at Anastasia State Park and toured old St. Augustine by night....        ........Saturday was also a wedding anniversary for them.....Happy 22nd..... .......our little land yacht tucked in to the campground..... ......if you ever visit the east coast of Florida, Anastasia State Park is the finest of the fine "real Florida" parks.....perfect.... ......Robin celebrates the Atlantic Ocean....this is part of the beach at the park.... ......I am celebrating the coolness of the water...even though the air temperature was 93....... ....I didn't see any surfable waves at the park....but this guy was going to look for some..... ........  .....this is J and Robin's VW camper bus.....and to travel test the dog, Buddy and cat, Blue....they brought both along for this trip.... .......the plan is to set sail again one day with Buddy and Blue as crew.....the pets did well camping...... ...........Mike Sweet, was an interesting entertainer....as was John Dickie.... .....and this lady....I don't remember her name.... ......but she did an Eric Clapton love song for J and Robin......             "How long will it take us to reach the horizon? If we are lucky.....forever....." Captain Fatty Goodlander......Sail on J and Robin, Buddy and Blue....we love you......

Tank, Therapy Dog.....

June 18, 2008......Wednesday....animals are so wonderful....and our granddog, Tank, is one of them....the little lady I have been doing companion work for is such an animal lover....and she is working so hard to get back to her apartment at the assisted living residence...I have her cat, Katie, at my house until she gets stronger....so I wondered....what would help her the most...it has been helpful that I have been at her side several hours a day to keep her focused and motivated to escape rehab and return to her apartment....but I was not enough....it was clear there needed to be something else...and that something else, I believe, was Tank....wonder dog....strong....large...patient...loving....a force for positive healing....enter Tank.... ........he knew what his job was without having it explained....how many employees are able to do that..... ....this 93 year old lady was able to forget herself and concentrate on her new dog friend......and she in no way looks 93...does she....no way....she is sharper than sharp.... ....the physical therapist told me to let Tank get on the mat...I was afraid his nails would puncture the mat....but this rehab center is pet friendly...and everyone truly loves Tank....he is a sweetheart.... ........as you can see..... ......my little lady asked him up to her bed....I think Tank is a natural therapy dog...I think I am going to share my pay check with him....

Hannah and Tank are Three......

June 14, 2008.....Saturday....the other day was the third birthday for our girl and our granddog boy....we had planned to take them out swimming and out to eat to a place they could sit out with us on a patio....but it rained and stormed....so we took some take out chicken gyros over to Dee's and had our party over there.....they each got a lambie poo toy....both of them love toys...... ......and we love them.....Tank spends most days with us while his Daddy is at work....they both are having troubles with hot spots....if anyone knows any good treatment, let us know, please....they eat a good commercial food, Canidae, and I have started giving them some raw meat....I am researching a raw diet....a more wolf-like diet for them....it is supposed to help their immune systems.....any information you can share with us would be loved.....  .....no cake.....but vanilla frozen yogurt (I know...not wolf-like)...even though my sister says dogs are lactose intolerant.....yogurt products don't seem to bother them...... ..........Hannah......and Tank.... .......two are three........

Headturners.......A Passion for Wheels....

         June 9, 2008......Monday.....today we are celebrating the third birthday for Hannah and Tank....we plan to take them and our son swimming and out to eat dinner this evening....but right now I have some photos to share.......since our son was a wee lad, he has been into wheels....it is still playing in his current life..... ......he says he wakes during the night thinking of restoration and customization ideas.....he has his Harley to his satisfaction now.....and this 1967 Karmann Ghia....the finest, in my opinion, of the ancient VW line is the next on his list.....the pearl one is also a 1967.....we bought it from the original owner in 1985 for $900.....I drove it for several years and then we gave it to Dee.....he had it fully restored........ ....30 miles to the gallon.....and classic lines..... .......... ............ .........this one is a rag top....the inside of the car is filled with bumpers and doors, etc. that don't belong to this Ghia....Dee is planning to sell those to help finance this restoration.....right now this rag top is waiting to be glossy black with a new convertible top and many other things....the engine is sitting in our garage as is the new project..we are glad to be able to offer it space that Dee didn't have, at his home....this one will likely be a headturner, too......  .......you know what I mean....a different headturning experience than it is right now.......a gift to be able to see it as completed, at this point.....a passion...... 

Go Fly A Kite....J's Day.....

  June 6, 2008....Friday....recently J had a birthday surprise arranged by Robin....several of us met out at the beach to fly kites and then went to dinner together..... ........J's required both hands....two strings...... .......not this one.....his was like a parachute and I don't think I have a photo of it flying...           everyone except the real kid, Savannah, was playing with the kites.......... .....Robin and Jen....Kay and Jonathan.............then on to Star Fish Deck in Cortez for grouper, oysters, cheese grits, hushpuppies and cold beer...... ........that sounds so good....and it was.......always is....they are consistent.......fresh fish caught by one of the local fish houses, Bells...... ....... ........ ......Birthday guy........  .....friends and neighbors, Brad, Savannah and Jen.......  .......the next time someone tells me to go fly a kite....I think I will.........HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND EVERYDAY TO J.....

Primary Colors with Woody....

May 30, 2008.....Friday....Woody needed some help with refurbishing some panels for a charter school for gifted students in Sarasota.......so we rode our bikes over to the garage he rents in Village of the Arts to play with paints....these metal panels were installed years ago and had some rust spots so they are being redone.... ....... it was hot....it was humid....but this is Florida....and it was so much fun to have a  paint brush in hand....Ray repainted the body of the yellow panel and then Woody let us start putting a design on it....we are not finished.....it felt like the same type of experiences we have had in exotic locales like Oregon or Maine....but it was on our home turf.... Woody is such a good guy...... before we left, Woody took us inside Still Life in G Gallery and showed us the kitchen cabinets he is doing for Debra, gallery owner.....this is the same place we play music on the First Friday of every month....which is next Friday....we have several people who have told us they are coming out to listen to us next Friday....and Woody is coming over to try Ray's banjo next week...he used to play banjo....it is Woody's ancient Martin guitar Ray plays....Woody gave it to Ray years ago....     ........you have not ever seen kitchen cabinets like these....because there aren't any..... ......and they would not fit in everywhere....but they are appreciated and valued here..... ....in the upper left corner of the left panel, you can see a little of "Udderly Blue" the cow outside the gallery that Woody and Susan did last year...it is good to play with primary colors and our friend Woody.....

The Katie Project.......

May 29, 2008.....Thursday.....over the past year, I have helped an elderly lady take care of her cat....in an Assisted Living residence.....it has been a pleasure to come to know such a vibrant 93 year old lady and her fat cat, Katie....in recent weeks, wonderful Grama has been hospitalized and now has been placed in a skilled nursing facility to get her back on her feet....Grama has fought and won health issues that would have laid anyone low....but she has been a miracle and has bounced back....this is our hope for this time, too....so.....on a temporary basis....so she wouldn't be so lonely....Katie has taken over our back bedroom and our hearts....we have become her temporary foster parents....Chi Chi, Hannah and Tank are her temporary siblings (subjects).... ........she is a real beauty and she is making the adjustment to being here with us.....all the animals are curious but have not, yet, been fully introduced....only introduced in passing....sniffing each other under the door....Chi Chi and the dogs get to sniff out Katie's room while Katie has her evening time on the screened front porch which is usually Chi Chi's main room...the porch is an interesting window to the sights and sounds and the breeze blowing through the trees..........I think it is emotionally important for her feline self.....she seems to enjoy it......then today I tried putting on a necklace (collar) we bought for her and a little leash we had to let Katie smell around in the backyard....she is rotund...but could be greased lightning....her inclination was to bolt....after a brief sniff around, Ray and I took her back in.....deciding she really needs a harness on if we walk her around in the back yard....she could pull out of the necklace and dart for the bamboo....

she enjoyed her little adventure outside...... ........Ray played her some banjo music and she settled in for a nap.........next....we will consult with Katie's vet to try to help her drop some pounds while she is in our care......we are enjoying the Katie Project.....