The first day of the PTWBF was yesterday, Friday. I chose to stay in Kingston to see my niece Elisa off on her return to her working life in Pennsylvania. I also wanted to meet Andy, a relative of Sandra, and his friend Travis. Sandra would remain at Seatac airport after seeing Elisa off to meet Andy and Travis in the afternoon.
Late in the morning UPS arrived with my two BU-353 GPS antennas and the new extended life battery for the Acer netbook. I expect to get at least 4 hours of running time from the new battery.
During the middle of the day I drove to Silverdale intent on purchasing an HP g6-1d11dx laptop at Best Buy. I was discussing the HP machine with the sales guy and noticed a Toshiba C855-S5206 next to it at the same price ($400). I wound up purchasing the Toshiba because I was familiar with Toshibas, there would be a compatibility with power adaptors (simplifying my cabling and giving me redundancy in case of failure), and the Toshiba offered a fast USB 3.0 port (along with two USB 2.0 ports). I set the machine up in the evening and it felt exactly like the Toshiba that I had just put in for repairs. The C855 is a more powerful version, with a faster processor, 4 GBof memory instead of 2 GB, and 500 GB of disc instead of 320 GB, and a 6-cell battery providing 4 hours of running time.
I visited the "Geek Squad" counter of Best Buy and was told that the Toshiba C655 machine that I had brought from Brazil with keyboard problems would have to be sent to Kentucky for assessment, and that it may not be worth fixing. However, for a non-refundable $35 they would ship it to Louisville and give me a quotation. If I decided not to proceed with repair the machine would be returned to me. I figured that at $35 it was worth the shot.
I am about to set off for an early start at the Boat Festival to see as much of it as possible. At about 11.30 AM I will be meeting for lunch my friends Nigel and Patrick who are driving all of they way from Vancouver, BC.
Pachuca
Pachuca in Port Angeles, WA USA
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tour Day in Seattle
Elisa and I spent the entire day in touring in Seattle. For me it was a bonus because for me it was like having my own personal tour guide.
We parked the car at Bainbridge Island then took the ferry to Seattle. Soon we were on the Ferris wheel which I understand is a fairly new feature of the Seattle skyline. We had our own private gondola so were able to jump around taking photographs and videos. After that Elisa took me to a spooky shop that features two mummified bodies upright in glass cases.
We then spent a lot of time exploring the famous market area and it surrounds. It's a terrific market that in my mind lived up to its national reputation. Across the street from the market Elisa showed me the first Starbucks shop.
We then spent some time in the CBD where Elisa got a shield for her telephone. I mention this because while we were on our way to the Space Needle I did one of my frequent back pack checks and could not find the little Fujifulm camera in its glasses case. We emptied just about everything from the back pack and the camera just wasn't there. I knew that I had not left the camera laying around so I figured that a slick pickpocket had unzipped one of the back pack pockets and lifted the camera. I stoically wrote the camera off but fortunately Elisa suggested that we return to the Verizon store. Before we went through the front door I saw it on the floor. It had slipped out of my pocked while I was seated waiting for Elisa.
That crisis over, we had a great lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront (Grilled Coho Salmon accompanied by a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc) then took the underground bus and the overhead train to visit the Space Needle. It was the first visit for me, but we both enjoyed the spectacular views in the clear weather.
It was late in the afternoon when we emerged from the Space Needle but decided to push on and take the tour of the "underground city" below the street level of modern Seattle. We learned a lot of the colorful history of the city, much different from the sanitized version found in high school history books. The explanation of how the underground city came to be is fascinating but too complicated to try to explain in this blog. However, I highly recommend the tour to all visitors. The standard tours run until 6 PM. After that are two Adults Only tours which the brochure describes with "Dirt Corruption Sewers Scandal! Hilarious Historic Tour Beneath Seattle's Sidewalks" and "Lust Sin Sex Debauchery!" I will be taking that tour on my next visit to the Northwest - for historical reasons only (Yea, Right).
We got back to the homestead at about 10 PM. It had been a long but very enjoyable and informative day. I got to know Seattle better and liked it more.
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| Ferris Wheel, Space Needle, Market In Between |
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| Panic Button in Ferris wheel gondola |
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| Fresh Fish at Market |
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| Live Entertainment at Market |
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| The First Starbucks |
We parked the car at Bainbridge Island then took the ferry to Seattle. Soon we were on the Ferris wheel which I understand is a fairly new feature of the Seattle skyline. We had our own private gondola so were able to jump around taking photographs and videos. After that Elisa took me to a spooky shop that features two mummified bodies upright in glass cases.
We then spent a lot of time exploring the famous market area and it surrounds. It's a terrific market that in my mind lived up to its national reputation. Across the street from the market Elisa showed me the first Starbucks shop.
We then spent some time in the CBD where Elisa got a shield for her telephone. I mention this because while we were on our way to the Space Needle I did one of my frequent back pack checks and could not find the little Fujifulm camera in its glasses case. We emptied just about everything from the back pack and the camera just wasn't there. I knew that I had not left the camera laying around so I figured that a slick pickpocket had unzipped one of the back pack pockets and lifted the camera. I stoically wrote the camera off but fortunately Elisa suggested that we return to the Verizon store. Before we went through the front door I saw it on the floor. It had slipped out of my pocked while I was seated waiting for Elisa.
That crisis over, we had a great lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront (Grilled Coho Salmon accompanied by a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc) then took the underground bus and the overhead train to visit the Space Needle. It was the first visit for me, but we both enjoyed the spectacular views in the clear weather.
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| Mt Raineir in Background |
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| Lake Union from Space Needle |
It was late in the afternoon when we emerged from the Space Needle but decided to push on and take the tour of the "underground city" below the street level of modern Seattle. We learned a lot of the colorful history of the city, much different from the sanitized version found in high school history books. The explanation of how the underground city came to be is fascinating but too complicated to try to explain in this blog. However, I highly recommend the tour to all visitors. The standard tours run until 6 PM. After that are two Adults Only tours which the brochure describes with "Dirt Corruption Sewers Scandal! Hilarious Historic Tour Beneath Seattle's Sidewalks" and "Lust Sin Sex Debauchery!" I will be taking that tour on my next visit to the Northwest - for historical reasons only (Yea, Right).
We got back to the homestead at about 10 PM. It had been a long but very enjoyable and informative day. I got to know Seattle better and liked it more.
Visit to Point No Point
Arnold, Elisa and I took advantage of the great weather to visit Point No Point, a few miles north of Kingston. Elisa and I went by car and Arnold followed in his Suzuki 550 CC motorcycle.
We started off by visiting the nearby cafe-grocery store where I indulged in a double ice cream, my first since La Paz. On the way to the actual point we visited a fresh water lake and did a bit of hiking along a path through the vegetation. At Point No Point we managed to find parking for the car and Arnold decided to move on. Elisa and I visited the lighthouse where we were lucky enough to find the volunteer free and able to give us a history of the facility. We then sat on a log for over 30 minutes enjoying the sun and the splendid scene of people enjoying the beach, a loopy dog trying to dig his way to china, and many passing boats.
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| Captain America and Daughter |
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| Captain Two Scoop |
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| Great Idea, Loaner Life Jackets for Children |
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| Beach at Point No Point |
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| Strong Current |
We started off by visiting the nearby cafe-grocery store where I indulged in a double ice cream, my first since La Paz. On the way to the actual point we visited a fresh water lake and did a bit of hiking along a path through the vegetation. At Point No Point we managed to find parking for the car and Arnold decided to move on. Elisa and I visited the lighthouse where we were lucky enough to find the volunteer free and able to give us a history of the facility. We then sat on a log for over 30 minutes enjoying the sun and the splendid scene of people enjoying the beach, a loopy dog trying to dig his way to china, and many passing boats.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Shopping List and Visit to Port Townsend
The settling in process has been easy, comfortable, and very pleasant. The Morales household is functioning well and is superbly maintained. The dramatis personae are all present as I remember them. This includes the dog, the two cats, and the bear (whom I am yet to see) who has resumed his visits looking for food in the bird feeders. The bonus is niece Elisa who will be here another few days.
Arnold had his RX7 ready for my use and after reacquainting me with its controls I made a solo journey into the Kingston CBD to get cash from the Bank of America ATM and visit the hardware store across the street where I was happy to see that they still have the biggest reading glasses bargain on the planet. I walked out with 8 pairs of glasses for $40.00. As she handed me the glasse the lady at the counter told me that it would set me for life and I replied that it would do me for about a year because I live on a boat. I then drove over to Wal-Mart and purchased things that are trivial in the USA but a big deal in far away lands. I now have a new pair of track shoes with a half-size to accommodate my high instep and two pairs of my favourite slippers which on the boat is my signal for rest and relaxation whether I'm drifting becalmed or beating through a gale.
Through the Web I ordered an extended capacity (9 cells) battery for the Acer netbook computer and two more Bu-353 GPS antennas because at $25 they are great value for money and provide backup for the two that I a using on the boat. Today I expect to order the Raymarine ST6002 Plus head (control&display) for the autopilot There is much remaining on my boat shopping list, the bulk of which I expect to address at Fisheries Supplies in Seattle.
On Saturday I paid my first visit to Port Townsend. As soon as I started the RX7 the radio came on with Louie Louie and soon I was zipping down the highway under a sunny and cloudless sky, radio volume up, and feeling like a 68 year old teenager.
The first port of call was predictable: the Port Townsend Boat Haven. I didn't expect to see any of my friends at the various businesses because it was Saturday and the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, but nevertheless it was great to see the place and the latest crop of boats on the hardstand. I took several photos. When I took the photo an interesting looking boat with big lee boards a man came from around his car and started talking with me. He was the builder and owner offered to let me go aboard and have a look, but I didn't want to trouble him. Then he jumped on board and had the lug sails up in about 30 seconds. He described his boat as an "experiment" rather than "beautiful". I also took a photo of the fenced off compound containing boats whose owners are in arrears in payments to the Haven. The boats where the matter is not settled will be put up for auction.
I then drove through the town and was reminded of how traditional and charming it is. I had lunch outside on a deck overlooking the water and got a good dose of sun and warmth. I had a great dose of food too: a decadent and hefty hamburger with fries accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine.
The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF, http://woodenboat.org/festival/) begins this Thursday afternoon and will run until Sunday afternoon, and I expect to visit on Saturday and Sunday.
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| A Challenging Project |
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| The boat "penalty box" |
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| Interesting if not Beautiful |
Arnold had his RX7 ready for my use and after reacquainting me with its controls I made a solo journey into the Kingston CBD to get cash from the Bank of America ATM and visit the hardware store across the street where I was happy to see that they still have the biggest reading glasses bargain on the planet. I walked out with 8 pairs of glasses for $40.00. As she handed me the glasse the lady at the counter told me that it would set me for life and I replied that it would do me for about a year because I live on a boat. I then drove over to Wal-Mart and purchased things that are trivial in the USA but a big deal in far away lands. I now have a new pair of track shoes with a half-size to accommodate my high instep and two pairs of my favourite slippers which on the boat is my signal for rest and relaxation whether I'm drifting becalmed or beating through a gale.
Through the Web I ordered an extended capacity (9 cells) battery for the Acer netbook computer and two more Bu-353 GPS antennas because at $25 they are great value for money and provide backup for the two that I a using on the boat. Today I expect to order the Raymarine ST6002 Plus head (control&display) for the autopilot There is much remaining on my boat shopping list, the bulk of which I expect to address at Fisheries Supplies in Seattle.
On Saturday I paid my first visit to Port Townsend. As soon as I started the RX7 the radio came on with Louie Louie and soon I was zipping down the highway under a sunny and cloudless sky, radio volume up, and feeling like a 68 year old teenager.
The first port of call was predictable: the Port Townsend Boat Haven. I didn't expect to see any of my friends at the various businesses because it was Saturday and the beginning of the Labor Day weekend, but nevertheless it was great to see the place and the latest crop of boats on the hardstand. I took several photos. When I took the photo an interesting looking boat with big lee boards a man came from around his car and started talking with me. He was the builder and owner offered to let me go aboard and have a look, but I didn't want to trouble him. Then he jumped on board and had the lug sails up in about 30 seconds. He described his boat as an "experiment" rather than "beautiful". I also took a photo of the fenced off compound containing boats whose owners are in arrears in payments to the Haven. The boats where the matter is not settled will be put up for auction.
I then drove through the town and was reminded of how traditional and charming it is. I had lunch outside on a deck overlooking the water and got a good dose of sun and warmth. I had a great dose of food too: a decadent and hefty hamburger with fries accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine.
The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival (PTWBF, http://woodenboat.org/festival/) begins this Thursday afternoon and will run until Sunday afternoon, and I expect to visit on Saturday and Sunday.
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