MIDORI ADVENTURES

We celebrated U.S. Thanksgiving last Thursday with about 20 other "yardbirds" and had a wonderful feast! Today is Monday, November 28th and the professional boat polishers have just arrived. We decided a couple seasons ago that this job requires special equipment, so we are happy to let the experts do it. However, we will paint the bottom ourselves when they are done.

We have been living without the four back pieces of the enclosure in the cockpit, as we are having the pieces remade by a local canvas shop. Luckily, we haven't had much rain because there is a lot of "stuff" in the cockpit right now, like tools and cleaning products, etc. The enclosed cockpit adds another living space to our boat, sort of like a sunroom on a house.

Once the bottom is painted, Brian can concentrate on running the two main engines and the dinghy motor (in a barrel of water) and then we have to get our sails from the shop in Sarasota and hank them on, but we aren't allowed to raise them up in the yard!

There are still lots of little things to do, but we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

One of the cruising couples are from Louisiana and Mike has a wealth of Cajun jokes. I will share one:

Boudreaux and Tippideaux are out in the boat fishing, when Boudreaux spots a floating bottle. So, he picks up the bottle and wipes if off when a Genie appears! The Genie grants him one wish. "I wish that all this water would turn into beer!" Tippideaux says "you know Boudreaux that was probably not a very good wish" and Boudreaux says "why not?". Tippideaux responds "Well, now we'll have to pee in the boat!"

Okay,one more:

Cyprian goes to the doctor and is told he only has weeks to live. So he goes home to die. He's laying there on his deathbed when he smells the wonderful aroma of gumbo cooking. He crawls to the kitchen and as he reaches for the gumbo, his wife comes in and says "Now shame on you Cyprian, you know this here gumbo is for the funeral!"

On that note, I'll sign off.

First Mate Lynn