Wine provisioning has begun!

Fruit of the vine, almost ready for harvesting

It's been a great couple of days here in Sonoma!! We've started each day with a 30+ mile bike ride under crisp blue skies and warming sunshine, followed by lunch, and wine tastings around Sonoma Valley. We've indulged in a massage or two post-ride, along with some relaxation time in the outdoor hot tub...what's not to like?? We've hit the local organic hot spots for dinner in downtown Sonoma, eating outside, enjoying the cooling evening dusk. We just have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

Vineyards south of Sonoma, belonging to the Carneros Estate

One thing we have noticed though, is that one's perception of "flat" changes out here! The rolling hills of the wine country's valleys pale in comparison with the climbs into the surrounding mountains...let's just say we aren't exactly skipping to the top of some of the hills! (Forget the mountains...!) Cycling along Florida's Indian River is definitely not preparation enough for the climbs they have here. Be they ever so humbling, there's nothing like hills! California hills especially! Still, we're enjoying our rides immensely, and drinking in the glorious views and dry climate as we pedal.

More golden hills framed by vineyards

The wine tasting has been just as much fun as the riding. Each afternoon, we've stopped at one or two vineyards for tastings -- any more than that, and one's palate is shot! -- and we've had a blast. Yesterday we stumbled across a vineyard we'd never heard of, Little Vineyards, and in the interests of adventure, forged ahead and enjoyed a private tasting in their tasting room. We were delighted with their wine, and ordered a case for the boat!! We then stopped at the winery B.R.Cohn (owner Bruce Cohn being the one and same long-time manager of The Doobie Brothers -- who are performing here next month for a charity event!) where we of course had to buy several bottles of their special "Boaters Barberra"!! Ron also had to get a couple bottles of their "Riders' Red", as a nod to his Harley. 

There's a plethora of wineries and vineyards to choose from, so we've had fun picking and choosing! Today we biked north through the wooded hills and steep dales of Glen Ellen (reminiscent of New England in some moments)  before cruising south on the main Route 12 through the Valley from Kenwood to Sonoma. After lunch we headed to Arrowood, a vineyard where we are wine club members, to sample some of their latest releases (again buying more wine for the boat). It was nice to come back and treat ourselves to their wine and the spectacular vistas of the valley from their porch! (Below are photos of Arrowood's tasting room, and the views!) The sunny weather has really set off the colors!

From there we explored new terroir, driving north to Kenwood and stopping in at Chateau St. Jean. (And yes, there IS a chateau...not sure whatever else I was expecting, to be honest!) What we've discovered is that many a winery's bottles that are available for sale in our part of the country are only a fraction of what is available if you go to the vineyard itself. Wineries sell special, small-case reserve bottles of wine only to their vineyard visitors or to their wine club members, and the quality of these special wines are fabulous. (In fact, I'd not seen any of the wines we sampled at Chateau St. Jean available in the stores out east. Clearly indicating we're not connoisseurs of any kind -- or else we simply shop at all the wrong places?!) In any event, it was a delight to sample these reserve wines! Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

          Entering the Chateau St. Jean grounds and gardens

Tasting room at Chateau St. Jean

Exiting the hall  where the reserve tastings are held       .        

California Day Dreaming!

Ron and I are in California while Equinox is on the hard, and are really enjoying the change of pace and scenery! We arrived on Friday, and spent the holiday weekend in Livermore, visiting good friends Sarita and Ralph, under gloriously blue, cloudless skies, reveling in the dry warm days and amazingly cool nights, dining al fresco, sharing great stories, sampling lots of wine, riding our bikes....it's been a marvelous time! 

Heading out to the vineyards in Baby, Sarita's 

classic 1970 VW Beetle convertible

Arriving in Style at Garre Cafe for lunch

One of California’s oldest wine regions, Livermore Valley played a pivotal role in shaping California’s wine industry. Spanish missionaries planted the first wine grapes in the Livermore Valley in the 1760s, and the first commercial vines were planted in 1840. In fact, nearly 80% of California's Chardonnay vines trace their genetic roots to a Livermore Valley clone. Needless to say, we totally enjoyed the charm and funky ambience of the small wineries in the area from BoaVentura to Fenestra to Thomas Coyne. The bicycling was lovely as well, as Livermore is a quiet valley, suburban but still somewhat sleepy and replete with ranches and farms on the outskirts. Everything is surrounded by golden slopes, with vineyards nestled among the vivid green of live oaks, pines, hemlock, cedar and of course, the undulating rows of vines. 

View of Livermore Valley from Thomas Coyne Vineyard

The BoaVentura tasting room/barn

An unexpected treat was a stop at Arroyo Windmill Grove, a vineyard that also had an olive oil press, so we indulged in an oil tasting! The local chianti wine vinegar and the varieties of olive oil were a refreshing change from the wine! (Not that we didn't enjoy the wine tastings!) Surprisingly, olive trees have been in California since the 1700s, introduced by Franciscan padres who established missions near San Diego. California has a wonderful climate for growing olives and producing olive oil, so olive trees flourished here. There are several varietals of olives currently being grown in California. The top 5 are Manzanillo, Ascolano, Mission, Barouni and Sevillano, although the Manzanillo olives are the dominate producer. Today, the state produces 97% of all the olive oil made in the U.S.

Olive oil tasting ahead!

Samples of oil with freshly baked bread. The chianti

wine vinegar is on the far right. 

Ralph, Sarita, Ron and Karyn on their back patio.

The weekend flew past...from wine tasting to mellow evenings on the back patio to watching "Bottle Shock" (about the California wine industry coming of age -- how appropriate!). After a beautiful 21-mile bicycle ride, we wrapped it all up with a great brunch at Wente Vineyards on Sunday. We sampled a bit more wine at the tasting room at Wente, and started our "wine provisioning" by getting a couple of cases of Wente's reserve Nth Degree before we said our goodbyes to head north to Sonoma and St. Helena for more bicycling adventures. It really was a lovely visit!! Cheers!

Adventures On Land ...

...in many variations!! We've had a few days to re-group and re-focus on projects closer at hand! We're back on the bicycles and working on getting in some mileage before our upcoming trip to California, in between coordinating the extra projects we want done on Equinox. From cosmetic re-painting topsides to bottom painting and thru-hull strainer cleaning, to work on the dive compressor, Equinox is being tweaked into prime shape! Ron was at the boatyard yesterday to see how things were progressing with her bottom painting, and took these photos of Equinox in the ACY paint facility wrapped up tight like a huge cellophane gift bag! Work is going along well, and Equinox will be all the more beautiful after her pampering! 

Practically gift-wrapped: all she needs is a brightly-colored 

gift bow on the bow!

Equinox's hull and thru-hull strainers getting a bit of attention.

It always amazes me how large she is out of the water.

While Equinox is inside and safely on the hard, we've been watching the line of hurricanes coming across the Atlantic. Hurricane Earl is a not too much of a concern for Florida, as it looks like its predicted path is to our north. North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic states are  scrambling, and I shudder looking at the size of Earl...it's now a Category 4 storm, with its barometric pressure now down to 932 millibars. While we're not even in the cone of tropical force wind speeds, seas are huge. Gulf Stream hazards for our area today: "LARGE SWELLS PRODUCING SEAS UP TO 18 FEET"!! It's unsettling, knowing Tropical Storm Fiona is behind Earl, (now predicted to pass near Bermuda) with Tropical Storm Gaston lined up behind Fiona, followed by yet another grouping of unsettled weather coming off the coast of Africa. Will it never end?

AIRS infrared image of Hurricane Earl on Sept. 1, 2010 shows the temperature of Earl's cloud tops

or the surface of Earth in cloud-free regions. The coldest cloud-top temperatures appear in purple, 

indicating towering cold clouds and heavy precipitation. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 

As a diversion, we've had our own local land-based bit of excitement. Tuesday afternoon when we stopped at a beachside restaurant and bar on Hutchinson Island with some friends, we found the place alive with excitement and abuzz with news, as a small 32' boat had washed ashore almost right in front of the restaurant that morning. When you looked at the huge waves crashing ashore -- seas were reported to be 7-10' offshore -- you wondered what in the world anybody in their right mind was doing out there to begin with!! Then, to have engine trouble and be at the mercy of the sea in horrid conditions...beyond scary! 

The remnants of the mystery boat after being pounded 

by the waves created by Hurricane Earl

A local condo resident saw someone abandon ship as the boat was wallowing perilously close to shore, immediately notifying the coast guard of a ship in distress. It didn't take long before the boat was tossed aground onto the beach, and shortly thereafter, there was no mystery as to why the boat was out there: authorities came to find that the boat contained about 1,100 lbs. of neatly-packaged marijuana!! NO WONDER the boat was in distress -- that's more than half a ton!! The local papers reported that the estimated street value of the  pot was more than $1 million dollars, and when we peered down the beach at the crowd of onlookers gawking at the boat, we realized the place was crowded with police, DEA, and Customs and Immigrations officers. While they detained all cars and traffic leaving the island trying to find the man who abandoned the vessel, no one was detained and "agents are still investigating". Yep, always an adventure on the Treasure Coast!!

A back-hoe arrives to pull the boat out of the waves

On The Move...

Just in case you were wondering why we hauled out last week, this is the reason! Check out the line of hurricanes/tropical depressions and low pressure systems marching across the Atlantic today! NOAA's National Hurricane Center website provides a look at the latest developments, and most cruisers monitor it daily to keep informed of any threats. The next few weeks of hurricane season are typically the most active, and this year appears to be no exception. We are concerned for our friends in Bermuda, as Hurricane Danielle will be affecting them with high winds and rough seas, but hopefully the storm will turn and move north into the open Atlantic, away from Bermuda, and not be too much of an issue to the US!

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 28 2010

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...

THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON HURRICANE
DANIELLE...LOCATED ABOUT 325 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA...AND
ON TROPICAL STORM EARL...LOCATED ABOUT 660 MILES EAST OF THE
NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.

1. A BROAD LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...ASSOCIATED WITH A VIGOROUS TROPICAL
WAVE...IS LOCATED ABOUT 350 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHERNMOST
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.  THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO SHOW SIGNS OF
ORGANIZATION...AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR A
TROPICAL DEPRESSION TO FORM LATER TONIGHT OR SUNDAY.  THERE
IS A HIGH CHANCE...80 PERCENT...OF THIS SYSTEM BECOMING A TROPICAL
CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS IT MOVES WESTWARD TO WEST-
NORTHWESTWARD AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

While we are keeping a wary eye on the hurricanes on the move, we've been on the move ourselves. Last week we were in Wisconsin, not only to visit relatives, but also to attend Karyn's 30 year high school reunion. Ron came along as well, even though he knew just a handful of folks beforehand. I really enjoyed it; not only did I catch up with my longest-known friends (Jodi and Lori among them, whom I've known since we were age 6 or thereabouts), but saw folks I literally hadn't seen in 30 years, like our senior-year exchange student from Norway! Aksel joined us (returning to the US specifically for this reunion) to share his experiences of travel, life and adventures, and expressed gratitude to everyone for helping fulfill his dream of coming to the United States all those years ago. It was a fun, nostalgic evening, and Ron was wonderful to come along.

Segueing from one transition to another, once back in Florida we headed to Tampa to get Ally off to college! We drove across the state with loaded vehicles and spent the next couple of days getting her belongings moved into her dorm room, getting her books, permits and other essentials, as well as touring the campus and attending a few of the family orientation information sessions. The University of Tampa is in the top tier of U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges", and it seems a good fit with Ally's interests. Situated along the Hillsborough River, the UT campus is gorgeous, with red brick buildings amid palms, oak trees, banana trees and lush tropical foliage. We are hoping Ally enjoys all sorts of new experiences and opportunities as she begins her college adventures! 

Views of U Tampa's Plant Hall, the former Tampa Bay Hotel built in 1891,

with its minarets and moorish domes. The building, which currently 

houses administrative offices of the university, serves as a beautiful 

example of  Moorish Revival architecture.

On the Hard and On the Road...

Equinox getting hauled at ACY

Well, Equinox is out of the water for the peak of hurricane season! We were a bit delayed in hauling her, since we'd wanted to have the local certified engine technicians aboard to the boat for inspection and detailed maintenance while we were still in the water. (It was our preference to be able to run the engines after the work was done, to make sure all systems were performing well.) But...it never worked out! Despite numerous repeated calls to schedule the work, we were frustrated by an amazing lack of response -- and apathy --on their part. Hard to fathom in this economy that folks didn't want work, but we finally gave up on them. We will simply coordinate service elsewhere after Equinox splashes again in October/November time frame! 

Anyway, Ron and our friend Kerry took the boat up the river to American Custom Yachts, where Equinox is now safely blocked and getting pampered. It's sort of hard to believe we're on the hard...this was not really part of the original game plan way back when we first started cruising, but as always, especially with boats, plans need to be flexible and change. Circumstances being what they are, with Ally heading off to college, assorted family health issues and upcoming travel, it just made sense to haul Equinox for a couple of months at this time. Not only can we have the usual out-of-water maintenance done (inspect the bottom paint, props, and shafts, clean the through-hulls thoroughly, change out all the zincs - including the ones inside the stabilizer fins) we can also get a few extra projects done here and there. Best of all, she is happily safe and secure per our insurance should any storms arise while we are traveling farther afield! 

Safely ensconced in the boat yard

While Ron was piloting Equinox, I flew to Wisconsin to be with family for a few days. Not only is my dad is recuperating and working to regain strength after back surgery, (the reason I was here just a few weeks ago) I also have my 30th high school reunion this weekend! It was nice to be in temperate latitudes again for a bit, and in keeping with the humor of high school memories, after visiting with my dad at the rehab hospital, my sister, step-mom and I went out to  dinner at The Kiltie drive-in. Yes, drive-ins do still exist!!

Just a few of  the cars filled with folks at The Kiltie

Yes, the girls are wearing kilts!

As you can see, the Kiltie is very popular and packed in the evenings. While  a Kiltie burger beckoned, I had to have a good Wisconsin bratwurst, and so indulged! Kiki and Sandra had cheeseburgers, and we all feasted in nostalgic fashion. The tray was just as I remembered, hanging on the window with its little vinyl-clad hooks, although the modern sloping windows of cars these days do make it a challenge, as the food threatened to slide off the tray before we got it into  the car safely! Still, a lot of fun, and great food. Perhaps when Ron and Ally join us for the weekend, we will return? I don't think Ally's seen a drive in before!

The menu board outside by the parking spots

The roadside sign

Boat work and bicycling

Ron riding through the banyan trees along one of our routes

Once again, we seem to have settled back into our typical on-land routine: a good 15-25 mile bicycle ride in the mornings, with boat projects, errands and correspondence in the afternoon, followed by reading or relaxation on the back porch with hot tub/pool time before dinner.  The bike rides have been fabulous...as we cruise along the Indian River in the mornings, I regularly see great blue heron, great egrets, night herons, sandhill cranes, seagulls, white ibis and brown pelicans swooping over the water or feeding in the shallows. I've also seen birds I never noticed before, like anhingas, which I thought were cormorants at first glance, as they are blackish in color with long thin necks, and swim with their bodies almost totally underwater. They are very common in Florida waterways and swamps, which I didn't realize. It's neat to see how many birds I recognize -- or don't -- as I'm biking along the water! 


It's not exactly a blistering pace, but one we're getting re-acquainted with now that we're back in port. We'll have more time to get used to it, though, with Equinox soon to be on the hard as part of our hurricane plan for the next couple of months! Earlier this week we pulled Tingum out of the water and took her to the dealer for some servicing and to finish the last few punch list items still outstanding. Pulling the tender out is  something of a coordinated dance, as one of us gets dropped off at the marina to run Tingum to the appropriate boat ramp, while the the other zips back with the car to hook up the trailer and get to said boat ramp. In what we are learning is typical Florida-in-August "rainy season" weather, the day started out sunny and pleasant, but before long, mid-day storm clouds moved in, making it a bit of a race to finish, to get Tingum secured on the trailer and delivered to the dealer ahead of the lightning and rain. But...we did it! 

Equinox is getting her share of the attention too, as we had Martek aboard on Wednesday to investigate the on-again, off-again workings of the wind indicator. We are also working to schedule with John Deere to get a good check-up of the engines and double-check any specific maintenance items that are recommended and/or due. While the ordinary and routine items we manage ourselves, we thought it would be prudent to have a good inspection done to ensure that we aren't overlooking anything and are good to go once we are back in the water come October. Because the summer is considered the "slow" season here in Florida, we thought it would be a good time to schedule the work, but it hasn't been as easy as we thought, as it turns out that many businesses cut back hours and folks tend to be on vacation this time of year. Why? Because it is the slow season! Always something with a boat, now isn't it?


Florida trivia: Do you know what the Florida state bird is? Nothing I would have guessed, actually, after all my admiration of Florida waterbirds -- it's the Northern Mockingbird! The Florida Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 3 formally adopted it as the state bird on April 23, 1927, in part because: "...The melody of its music has delighted the heart of residents and visitors to Florida from the days of the rugged pioneer to the present comer... " I had no idea! Guess I'll have to start listening...!

Summer siesta...

...well...it's been a bit somnolent around here lately, not being aboard. There's no interesting journeying and cruising to report, so it feels a bit boring! We've basically just been attending to small boat projects and the like. We had the engine room detailed yesterday... just a good scrub-down, although it was actually pretty clean to begin with, in all fairness, since Ron is pretty diligent in that regard. As we're gearing up to have the boat hauled next week, it just feels good getting her cleaned up. I have a couple small items I still need to attend to myself -- changing out the holding tank vent filter for one -- which Ron says is now my job, since I have no sense of smell! It's an easy task, but not without odor, so I have to admit it's nice that I'm unaware of any unpleasant scent. Still, I'm not sure if I consider that an upside to having lost my sense of smell!

Other than that, we've been doing a bit of maintenance on ourselves! I had some annual health checks completed (all good, thankfully) and earlier this week, Ally had all four of her wisdom teeth taken out. X-rays showed that they definitely needed to come out, as all were impacted and one was aiming to come in sideways against her existing teeth. The surgery  went smoothly and without complications, thankfully, thus it's been a week of medical attention, recuperation and rest for us all. 

Ron's been the only one not dealing with medical issues. Instead, happily, he's been having a bit of fun for himself, as he got himself a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle and is totally enamored with it. (Although neither Ally nor I are enthusiastic about motorcycles, Ron's enjoying riding immensely....but I'll just stick to my bicycle, thank you!) However, the bike is something Ron's wanted for a while now, and he recently aced Florida's mandatory motorcycle safety/licensing class a couple of weeks ago. We've seen that riding is a very popular past time here in Florida what with the typically nice weather and lovely water views.  It's one way to keep busy while the boat's on the hard during hurricane season, I suppose!

Ron's new Harley Davidson Road Glide Ultra

Oddly enough, Florida is actually cooler than parts of the midwest and south that are in the grip of an intense heat wave right now! We've had temps in the upper 80s and lower 90s, but that's typical for this time of year, yet nothing like what the rest of the south has seen. Who would have thought Kansas would be hotter than Florida in July and August? Ah, Mother Nature! Speaking of the heat, Ron and I are headed over to the marina shortly, to check in on the boats and go enjoy a little pool time!