Land Yacht Safari Blog

Geiger Key......

August 11, 2013....For several years, we have taken a family trip to Geiger Key Marina and Campground in the Lower Florida Keys....this time of year, you can use your Passport America card and get a discount on the pricey site rent....it is a great laid back venue with a little restaurant and bar on site....Ray played the Open Mic (of course)....we had just sold our two kayaks because we didn't want to put a roof rack on the new Honda Ridgeline to carry them...we replaced the kayaks with a Sea Eagle inflatable that holds 650 lbs. and it is marketed as an inflatable that will hold up to your dog coming along for the paddle....
Hannah was not sure at all about this....however, she loved the life jacket we bought for her...we love the Sea Eagle and plan to use it in our river and bay.....our son was a happy camper....and renewed his love of fishing....Mangrove Snapper....I fried them up....caught 6....nothing could be finer......

Cats used to be worshipped as gods....they have not forgotten that.....Coco....

August 10, 2013.....July 12, 2013, returning home after having been away for three weeks....Ray heard a cat crying outside....next day, the cat was in our yard again...a young one....we were heartbroken but made the choice to call on our No Kill Animal Services to take the cat....we had not seen the cat before....it is unusual to have feral or homeless young cats in our neighborhood....we have Chi Chi and Kesey....and it was difficult traveling with both cats and Hannah....we knew we did not want another cat....Animal Services came to pick up the cat....we told them since they were now a No Kill Shelter, we hoped for a nice little girl who would adopt this nice hungry kitty....Four days later, the cat was back with a demanding meow on our doorstep....Animal Services had clipped her ear to indicate a feral cat....gave her a microchip with our address on it and released her back to our address. ...we looked on Craig's List and newspaper and saw no missing kitten....no signs in the neighborhood....We were not going to leave a hungry kitty on the stoop....We took her in....she is hypervigilant from being a street girl....she is terrified of the dog and two other cats....but she has adopted us....and as Ray said with Kesey...."We will handle it.".......I thought we were dog people....Cats used to be worshipped as gods...they have not forgotten that..... ....she says her name is Coco....

Let Me Introduce to You.....the One and Only, Kesey

August 5, 2013....January we lost a friend, a veteran of Iwo Jima, Carl....he died of influenza at age 90....left behind was a fat cat he had named "Kitty"....Ray said, "We will take him....we will just handle it." We did not want another cat....we thought we were dog people first....as it turns out....we are Kesey people....we brought the fat boy home and went through all kinds of changes....including his name....now he is named after Ken Kesey....and now we are cat people....we are Kesey's people...and Chi Chi's and Co Co's....Co Co is another story....we may be turning into cat hoarders....we are, for sure, cat herders now....and here he is in all his glory....he has traveled to the Keys and to North Carolina with us in the Airstream....he is a dude with a purr.....
it took Kesey and Chi Chi almost 6 months to get to this point....now they love each other....

South for a Few Days

November 15, 2012....Thursday...with Ray managing Soldier Songs, it is almost like he has a fulltime job....it is hard to get away in our beloved Airstream and I believe we suffer for that....South seems to call us...Hannah doesn't care which direction we travel....she is our camping girl....crossed the country before she was 1year old..... ......still a water baby.......we had a great trip...during this brief stay, the water pressure blew off our under the kitchen sink hoses (even though we have an appliance to watch over the water pressure)....Ray heard it happen while we were outside and rushed in to intervene....next day, Ray locked us out of the trailer....AAA sent out a locksmith...and he didn't  even make us feel stupid.... .....incredible dog beach.... ....campfire always magical.....as well as the entertainment........

Soldier Songs and Voices

November 1, 2012, Thursday....back in June, Ray and I went to Fogartyville Community Arts and Media Center in Sarasota for a benefit concert by Kevin Welch, a Texas singer/songwriter.....introducing a song, Kevin spoke of his son, Dustin, back in Austin....he commented that Dustin was involved with a group called Soldier Songs and Voices.....this is a non-profit public charity....their mission is to provide free music lessons and songwriting workshops to veterans to assist them in healing by telling their own stories in song.....Ray spoke with Kevin at a break and obtained contact information for Dustin.....and now there is the first Florida Chapter of Welcome Home Project/Soldier Songs and Voices....Ray is the coordinator....today we received the FL Registration number which allows this Chapter to raise funds....part of the funds go for free acoustic guitars for any veteran participant who cannot afford their own guitar...also a case, picks, chord chart, tuner and extra strings.....Ray has musicians who volunteer their time and knowledge once a week at the Workshops....
He has been working 12 hours a day pulling in support for this Project and getting the word out....he has done a great job....and has been mentored from almost day one by a gentleman that has become a dear friend, Buddy.....Buddy has volunteered his time generously to the formation of this Chapter....he consulted with 501 (c) 3's most of his career.......we could not have come so far without Buddy's expertise and genuine interest in the Project..... ........so 10/11/12 was the first meeting of the Sarasota/Manatee Chapter....There are 4 veteran participants....and Ray, Chuck, Jay, Bill are the musician/workshop leaders....so far everyone is loving it......
Chuck working with Austin, a veteran participant.....Al, Rob, Scott are also in the wings and will take a turn at being a musician leader, at some point...the first guitar was donated by Bill, a musician/workshop leader and the second two were donated by Jay and Robin....Jay is one of the musician/workshop leaders.....so these fantastic people are volunteering their time and talents and they are so into it all they are donating their funds to the Project.....It is all good......

Songwriters Showcase....

10/25/2012 Thursday.....Over the last several months, Ray has become involved in several significant groups....the first is Songwriters Workshop...once a month wonderful musicians gather at Sarasota Guitar Company....they each present a song they have written....everyone offers advice, from their own experience....Ray has come to love these guys and I do too...this first photo is Chuck....he has a music production studio in his home...he has made a
CD of one of Ray's songs....a local island radio station now has it in rotation....
this is a familiar face...Jay...our neighbor and friend for 8 years....recently, he and Robin have sold their home and now live aboard their sail boat.....an accomplished songwriter and performer....
Ray, Rob and Debra....they do rounds with each doing their original work...amazing how many talented artists there are....most of them have day jobs.... Bill is an important part of the group...a serious and gifted musician.....
Robin #2 is an Island actor in many productions out at Anna Maria....we ran into her and the babies, Rusty and Dusty out for an evening of listening to music....and there is so much more to come....as Ray says, "It's all good!".... I don't exactly understand that but I am trying.....come back....I intend to be a serious poster again....

Oliver and Kate......

8/28/2012....Tuesday...my friend, Kate just adopted a 13 week old baby boy....a chocolate baby boy.... .....Oliver is a Havanese....4 pounds today....11 pounds when fully grown...beyond precious....made my day.... ......new Mom....lucky Mom....lucky Oliver....

Meet Up At Robin and Jay's Marina......

August 7, 2012....the day before my brother's birthday....I won't say which birthday....Happy Birthday to Billy.....recently, our ex-neighbors/friends/family,Jay and Robin, sold their home and wordly goods to live aboard their sailboat.....monthly, at their new marina home, there is a pot luck pool party
.......Jay provided the entertainment and Robin did some songs with him....it was a difficult venue....broiling sun....wind....but he did a good job and so did Robin....they are such professionals..... .......Ray and Robin in the hot tub....no hot water for me....enough...... ...but they are both suited for hot water and they don't complain........
me and Robin poolside..... .....fantastic fish and chips by the marina restaurant chef...... ....it was fun.......this is a fat gecko that has taken one of our porch lights as his/her home....there is room for him/her to come and go.....always good to have room to come and go.....

Things Fall Apart....

June 30, 2012....still puzzled how it could be 2012....but....a couple of weeks ago, we decided to do a little family away trip with the Airstream....shortly into the trip...we had a blowout on the passenger side of the Airstream...it damaged the wheel, door and skin of the coach.....it damaged our collective brains (brain frying weather on the side of I 75...about 102)....we had our son, Dee and his dog, Tank with us to do a trip to the east coast of Florida....we sat on the side of I 75 for two hours and fifteen minutes....AAA did not come out to assist changing to our spare until a Sheriff's deputy stopped to see about us and called AAA....we also have not had a call from AAA with a survey rating their service....
...that is also not the end of the story....this photo is from the beach at Ormond Beach, FL...before we arrived there and set up, the same day of the Airstream blow out....the radiator on our trusted Jeep exploded....AAA towed it to an Orlando Jeep dealership the next morning....I cannot locate my photo of us on the side of the road on I 75....probably good....
these are our precious guys...we are grateful none of us were injured in the blow out and radiator explosion....
there were typical storms that blew up....incredible beauty....
Ray shot this one and submitted it to Airstream Life magazine...all is well that ends well....we will not leave for Stonington, Maine tomorrow as planned....we are still working on the rig...soon come....

Tucson.....

June 23, 2012....Some of our relatives, Carol and Jud, are living in Tucson for the short term.....we wanted to visit with them....left the Airstream behind....and Delta was ready when we were.....it was wonderful to be airborne again.... .....this was at Mt. Lemmon...the only cool, green spot we saw in all of Tucson and surrounding area....no water...rock and parched earth....I don't understand how creatures of any kind can survive in this area of the USA....but they do....Carol and Jud love it..... and they are excellent tour guides....we went to Bisbee and the Desert Museum....rode a horse for the first time since a bad horse experience as a teen...had several Sonoran hot dogs....swam laps in the pool every morning at 6:30 ....played Quirkle and Apples to Apples ....used lip balm every few moments on our dried out lips .....found the sound of the Gulf in the nearly constant wind....I missed the humidity of Florida....but we had a great visit....
......this water and these lovely creatures are in an exhibit behind glass at the Desert Museum.....

....these lovely creatures are waiting for Mexican food.....they had no water there so we had margaritas.... .....because I expressed such anxiety about riding Bay Rum, the wrangler had me ride right behind him....I don't think the horses enjoy this kind of activity and I feel sorry for them having to do the same thing 7 days a week....I did make it though without a complete melt down.....
...these are sculptures of havalenas...the first live ones I saw were in Sedona in 2006 and it was a real thrill.....
......ok....there was some beauty out there in Tucson.....thanks, Carol and Jud....we had a good time....