First from Barb:

A question for the cruising partners among the blog readers - How many of you have conversations with your partners that start with "Honey, where is the..."? For us I'd say that question is heard at least 5 times a day -easily. What is it about my brain that is able to scan and store the placement of almost all of the stuff that is stowed away aboard the Nelleke? In fact I was always on scan-and-recall-upon-demand mode at work and when we were living dirt-based. I really would like that part of my brain back; just think of what wonderful things I could have done and could do with all of those little grey cells! Is this a purely female trait, a Virgo trait, or what? Now my "skill' is starting to crumble a bit starting with my ability to answer the "Honey, where is the..." questions - I seem to have a menopause-based inability to get a full sentence out of my mouth without grasping for the words that are just on the tip of my tongue. So, now I end up stopping what I was in the middle of doing and just going to fetch the left-handed widget for the Captain rather than trying to tell him where it is - double- and triple-barrelled frustration due to the fact the I do know where stuff is plus I can't get the sentence out AND I have to drop what I was doing to go fetch it - ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike spent a profitable afternoon working on the divider for the anchor chain locker and he got lots of exercise travelling from the dock where the Workmate and saw were down onto the boat and into the forward cabin - back and forth and back and forth. I have been working on sock pair number three with CBC radio coming through via the streaming audio of CBC.CA - makes me a bit homesick until I hear the weather reports from Halifax. I have not always been able to bring in CBC radio over the Internet, don't know why, just happy to get it today.

We are treating ourselves to a pizza supper at Dimitri's tonight before starting our stroll through the Art Walk - this is the fourth Art Walk that we have attended since coming to Gulfport and we always seem to find something original and affordable to bring back to the boat. I have not had pizza in over four months and I am really looking forward to it.

Now Mike: -The cold snap continues and I'm getting a little embarrassed at folks walking up to me with, "Oh! You're Canadian. You should be used to this." Or, "If you're Canadian, how come you're wearing a sweater?" Like I said in yesterday's post, it doesn't take too long for us snowbirds to acclimatize. All it takes is a little and as I have pointed out to the humorists, at least we are not wearing a parka.

I must say, however, that the sport fishing fraternity here is a dedicated lot. They show up rain or shine, warm or freezing and launch their boats and head out for a day's fishing. At first I would think that there would be a dozen guys on one boat based on the number of rods they would put aboard, but then they would set off with only two people. I guess they must troll along with multiple lines over the side to ensure that they are trying every variety of lure possible. I wonder if they ever get their lines tangled, especially when there is a fish on.

Peri met a new friend on his walk this morning. A lady who has a power cruiser in the marina was out walking her French bulldog and they introduced themselves to each other. I don't think that I have ever met one of them before - they look like a fine boned English bulldog with less beef on them. This wee fellow was just over a year old and very obliging towards Peri -when Peri went over to sniff the bulldog lifted his leg to make to make it easier for him. Now I ask you, wasn't that friendly of him?

I have been working on the boat chore list specifically on the chain locker divider tasking. 5200 is my hero as that is what I am using to fasten the divider parts to the boat and to each other for the most part. My problem is that with Barb aboard and given that we are actually living on Nelleke I couldn't do what I normally do when we are doing winter projects, namely get out the tools and do the work aboard. So, the workbench went up on the dock; I strung power cable; I got the tools out and humped them to the dock; and then I started taking measurements and cutting the wood and going up and down the companionway steps like a monkey on a stick to fit them and fasten them in place. Now all I have to do is wait 'till the 5200 cures and re-stow the rode to finish the project. Another one off the list. Next I'll put up the loud hailer and put in place the fuel filter system. Perhaps I'll be able to get that done tomorrow.

I had a talk with Cliff our neighbour about his boat getting broken into. The police are telling him that given what was taken, and more importantly what was not taken, they suspect a fellow boater is the culprit. That's not a nice thing to contemplate!

We may have created a monster with encouraging Barb to write for the blog, but perhaps by allowing her to vent on the website will let her calm down and not take it out on me. What? Hang on a minute, Barb. Put down that rolling pin. No! No! Stop! Ouch! Ouch! Mercy......