Western trip 2015

Next time we take a trip, I may decide to lug my computer along.....there are a LOT of things that just don't work with only a phone or iPad!   I must admit, though, that it was handy just toting my small little bag of "valuables" without worrying about a computer bag also!

I won't draw this trip out too much....but it's a pain to upload too many photos at once.  I'll do a couple of days at a time.

Morning departure from Eagles Landing  a few minutes after Dick and Lindy - first flight leg was about 4 hours.   Flew over a cloud layer.  These are the mountains around Asheville poking up thru the clouds.

 I wasn't paying much attention as the hours droned.....I looked down and thought that this must be the Mississippi.....but I believe it was actually the Ohio River.

This was really the Mississippi....

Stopped at a great little airport for fuel and lunch.  They had great fuel prices and cheerfully loaned us their car for a quick lunch.

Leaving Kennett - nice clear air!

Little oil wells - each one of the "light spots" is an oil well.  They were dotted all over the place.  No houses or anything else nearby.

Starting to get some interesting terrain over Oklahoma near the Texas panhandle.

Stopped for the night after over 8 hours of lying in Borger, Texas.   Convenient little town with an almost identical crew car!

Forgot to snap a photo of the "twin Mooney's".....but you know what they look like!

Neat "crop circles" where they are irrigating.

Mountains approaching Albuquerque.

Terrain really starting to look "alien".

 Canyon de Chelly National Monument.  Beautiful from the air!

Approaching Lake Powell.

Passing Page, Arizona towards Kanab, Utah...our stop for the next few days.

Almost to Kanab, Utah with the red rock canyons in the foreground  - we'll stay here for the next few nights to tour some National Parks!

Southwest!

Just a sneak preview....I won't be able to post the 1752 photos taken so far until late in the week.....just kidding about posting all of them...

Arches National Park

Lake Powell from the air

Bryce Canyon 

Grand Canyon North Rim Canyon

Zion National Park

More Oriental Lot Progress

We were cleaning up the boat and getting ready to go home.  Decided to take one last look at the lot and discovered the contractor hard at work putting in the trenches in the sand for the sewer pipe.  Neat to watch the progress.

Oriental Lot Progress

Back to Oriental from our sailing trip....we went across the street from the marina to peek at our lot.


 
Looking good - they've put in a driveway........

 
and mounded up the sand required for our septic system.   (18" of sand was required by the Pamlico County environmental department).   They do things different "down east"!

Sailing

You are still checking the Sailing Blog, aren't you?

Clams in the microwave

Since we had a plethora of clams....and not that many clam-eaters.....I had to give some away.  I accosted several folks on the Ocracoke dock and asked them if they wanted some free clams.  Many said they didn't eat clams. But I did get a few thankful takers!

I had to do something with the remaining clams - so I researched cooking them in the microwave.  That's about the only way I could do it on the boat as I don't have a pot big enough to steam them.

And I'll tell you they turned out wonderfully!

First line up the clams on the outer edge of a plate.

Cover with plastic wrap and punch holes in the center.

Pat snapped this strange photo of me with the first batch.

Cooked about 4-5 minutes just until they open - they were tender just like off the grill.

I had about 5 plate fulls  -  some I ate, but most I put in a container (with the yummy juice).  I froze it for use later in some clam chowder!

All the bounty utilized!

Birthday

It's always strange now that my dad's birthday was Sept.11th.  

So, our family always will have two things to ponder on this special day.

He would have been 76 today and I'm sure he'd be enjoying his kids, grandkids and great-grands as he mellowed in his short 53 years.  It still hurts that he's not here to enjoy! 

Lot in Oriental

We've hired a contractor to put in the septic system on our lot in Oriental.  (Pat stopped and took this photo).

It's just a wooded lot....the permit was going to run out, so we thought we should go on had have the system installed while we still had a permit!

Look at the sailing blog!

Frozen Avocados

I read about a neat trick to keep avocados from spoiling.  Also good to take advantage of the 99 cent sale the grocery store has sometimes!

Freeze them!! 

Yep, just wrap up a fresh, ripe avocado in plastic wrap a freeze.  Key is to put them in the freezer just as they're ripe.   Take out of the freezer an hour before you want to use to allow it to thaw.

These had been in the freezer for a couple of months.

Still fresh!   The texture is not quite the same - but very close.  I don't think I'd use them for sliced avocados on a salad, but for guacamole they're perfect.  (And that's really all I ever use them for anyway!)

Easy to scoop out the flesh and separate from the seed pod.

My ingredients - lemon juice, sweet onion, garlic,  and a cilantro cube.

Stir it all up!

Add some salsa and chips and dinner is served!

Runway rehab

The runway demolition is well under way after just 24 hours!

Literally miles of silt fence is already in place. Completely surrounding the 5000 ft runway, taxiway and ramp. 

Barricades and bit "X's" to mark the runway closed from the air.

Will be neat to have this project finished!   55 days and counting!